SUNDAY UPDATE
A lightning delay in the morning wasvfollowed by more steady rain, and the course was ultimately deemed unplayable despite the crew's best efforts, so the third and final round of the 17th OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational was canceled.
As is stands, the Arizona State men's golf team tied for fifth after 36 holes at Olympia Fields Country Club -- North Course (par 70/,7310 yards). ASU shot 5-under 275 Saturday -- the second-best round of the tournament -- and finished 10 shots back of North Carolina.
Josele Ballester finished at 2-under 138 (69-69) to lead the Sun Devils, while Ryggs Johnston fired a 3-under 67 in the second round. Luke Potter (69), Michael Mjaaseth (71) and Fifa Laopakdee (70) all improved their scores from round one.
OFCC/FIGHTING ILLINI INVITE
OLYMPIA FIELD COUNTRY CLUB
OLYMPIA FIELD, IL
SEPT. 15-17, 2023
TEAMS (15)/FINAL TWO ROUND SCORES
North Carolina 281-269=550/-10
Texas 276-280=556/-4
Georgia Tech 277-280=557/-3
Arizona State 285-275=560/E
Alabama 285-276=561/-1
Florida State 283-283=566/+6
Arizona 286-282=568/+8
Baylor 287-281=568/+8
Florida 286-283=569/+9
Illinois 285-285=570/+10
Pepperdine 286-287=573/+13
Purdue 286-287=573/+13
Oklahoma State 290-285=575/+15
Stanford 287-288=575/+15
Michigan State 295-291=586/+26
INDIVIDUAL FINAL SCORES
1. Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech 65-66=131/-9
T8. Josele Ballester, ASU 69-69=138/-2
T13. Ryggs Johnston, ASU 72-67=139/-1
T18. Luke Potter, ASU 71-69=140/E
T37. Michael Mjaaseth, ASU 73-71=144/+4
T37. Fifa Laopakdee, ASU 74-70=144/+4
SUN DEVILS PLAY SANS SUMMERHAYS
The Sun Devils played the tournament without a recent champ as Preston Summerhays was in Napa playing in the Fortinet Championship, which he earned by winning last weekend's Sahaleee Players Championship. He tied for 56th with a 4-under 284 (70-71-73-70).
THE LINEUP
The Sun Devils played sophomore Luke Potter, graduate Ryggs Johnston, junior Josele Ballester, newcomer FifaLaopakdee and sophomore Michael Mjaaseth in Illinois.
BOLD BALLESTER
Jose Ballester, the 2023 European Amateur Champion, tied for 14th at the Sahalee Players Championship to start the year. Ballester entered this year with a career 70.80 scoring average in 64 rounds (21 tournaments), with 20 rounds in the 60s and 37 at par or better.
FIFA!
While the team was playing at the Sahalee Players Championship in Washington last weekend, freshman Fifa Laopakdee was turning heads at the Maui Jim Individual Invitational at Legend Trail in Scottsdale. He shot a 15-under 201 (70-64-67) in his debut to earn medalist honors by three strokes in the 35-player field, while Connor Wiliams finished eighth at 8-under 208 (69-69-70). Nicholas Prieto tied for 16th at 4-under 212 (71-70-71), while Kiko Coelho tied for 25th at 1-over 217 (71-70-76).
ICYMI: Freshman Fifa Laopakdee won the Maui Jim Individual at Legend Trail Golf Club last weekend. Laopakdee shot 15-under 201 (70-64-67) to earn medalist honors in the 35-man event...so welcome to the lineup in Illinois this weekend!!! pic.twitter.com/vUZx3n095a
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) September 15, 2023
COURSE HISTORY
Now in its 17th season, the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational welcomes the nation's top teams to the famed Olympia Fields Country Club. The club is home to several premier events, having played host to the U.S. Amateur (2015), two U.S. Opens (1928, 2003), two PGA Championships (1925, 1961), a U.S. Senior Open (1997), plus five Western Opens (1920, 1927, 1933, 1968, 1971) and the 2020 BMW Championship.
LAST TIME AT OLYMPIA FIELDS
Last year at the Fighting Illini Invitational ASU placed fourth overall with Ryggs Johnston finishing fourth individually.
LAST WEEKEND
It was an exciting start to the season up in Sammamish, WA, as Preston Summerhays finished first overall at the Sahalee Players Championship. Finishing 5-under, Summerhays won in a playoff to take home the title and a PGA chance in Napa. The Sun Devils finished second overall just eight shots behind Illinois.
PERSISTENT POTTER
Sophomore Luke Potter is also one to watch as he tied for 10th at the Sahalee Players Championship at 3-over 219 (70-76-73). During the 2022-2023 season, Potter finished tied for 26th with a total tournament score of 215 (72-70-73). During his freshman season, he played in 12 tournaments and posted a 71.00 stroke average.
FIGHTING FIFA
Freshman Fifa Laopakdee made his second appearance as a Sun Devil this weekend at the Fighting Illini Invitational. Laopakdee is a two-time Thailand Amateur Open Champion and won back-to-back AJGA events in 2022.
MARVELOUS MJAASETH
Sophomore Michael Mjaaseth made his return to Olympia Fields this weekend. He finished tied for 31st at last year's tournament with a total tournament score of 216 (74-68-74). Mjaaseth posted a Sun Devil freshman best stroke average of 70.72 and was Golfstat's fifth ranked freshmen.