The first Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings for the 2023 matches have been released and the Arizona State men's golf team has four student-athletes ranked, tied for the most of any institution in the nation, according to an announcement by the Arnold Palmer Cup.
On the international side Josele Ballester is ranked 12th and Michael Mjaaseth sits in 15th. For the Americans, Ryggs Johnston is sixth and Preston Summerhays 12th.
Arizona State had representatives at the premier international amateur event featuring only collegiate golfers for the fifth straight year in 2022. Ballester and James Leow represented the men while Alexandra Forsterling and Calynne Rosholt starred for the women at Golf Club de Genève in Vandoeuvres, Switzerland.
Across Four-Ball Match, Foursome and Singles matches, Sun Devils went 9-6 in the 2022 competition. The International team bested the United States 33-27.
"The Arnold Palmer Cup is such a special event and to have several guys on our team in consideration for the two teams is quite an accomplishment and tribute to them," head coach Matt Thurmond said. "I expect a great spring and some Sun Devils fighting it out, maybe on opposite teams, when the Cup rolls around in June."
The 2023 edition of the Palmer Cup will be hosted by Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania June 8-10.
The top six golfers from the spring's final ranking from both the United States and International men and women shall be among the individuals selected to compete in the Palmer Cup.
Using Golfstat's NCAA Player Ranking as a base, the Palmer Cup Ranking awards bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.
The remaining six spots for the United States will consist of five committee picks, including at least one non-Division I golfer, and a coaches pick. The balance of the International team also includes five committee selections, including at least one representative from The R&A Student Tour Series, and a coaches pick.
Coming off a runner-up finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships, Arizona State tees off its spring season at the three-day Southwestern Invitational in Westlake Village, California on January 30. The Sun Devils are defending team champions after earning their record ninth in 2022.
FEBRUARY 22 UPDATE
Due to the the cancelation of the 2023 Amer Ari, Arizona State has played in just one tournament - the Southwestern Invitational - since the initial rankings were release in December.
In February's edition, Josele Ballester came in at 15th in the international pool, closely followed by Michael Mjaaseth in 17th. Preston Summerhays sits in 18th, tailed by Ryggs Johnston in 19th. Sun Devil Men's Golf is back in action at the Cabo Collegiate March 5-7 in Los Cabos, Mexico.