The boys are back! Sun Devil Men's Golf returns to kick off the 2023-24 season after finishing tied for fifth at the NCAA Championships and winning the Las Vegas Regional. The group will travel to Washington to compete in the Sahalee Players Championship, Sept. 9-10 at Sahalee Country Club, playing the first and second rounds on Saturday.
Head Coach Matt Thurmond and Assistant Coach Thomas Sutton return to the state of Washington where Thurmond spent 15 seasons with the Huskies prior to joining the Sun Devils in 2016, and assembled 12 NCAA Championship appearances with the Huskies. He also led them to three Pac-12 titles in his tenure. Sutton spent five seasons with Washington where the program recorded 11 team wins and ranked No. 10 in 2022 before joining the Sun Devils last season.
COURSE HISTORY:
The Sun Devils will compete at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. hosted by Washington. Sahalee Country Club offers 27-holes of world-class golf for all levels. Sahalee, well-known for its championship course pedigree, was recently named as the host for the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The Club adds this championship to its rich history of hosting major championship golf which includes the 1998 PGA Championship,
THE SUN DEVIL LINEUP
The Maroon & Gold will send Ryggs Johnston, Preston Summerhays, Luke Potter, Gabe Salvanera, Michael Mjaaseth and Josele Ballester. Mjaaseth will compete as an individual. Johnston will leadoff the team at 8:35 a.m. MST with Summerhays' anchoring the team by teeing off at 9:15 a.m.
GOLFWEEK POLL
The Sun Devils are ranked No. 3 in the nation according to Golfweek's college golf preseason rankings.
THE SCHOOLS
Arizona State will be joined by 11 other schools. Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, USC, Wake Forest and Washington. Including Arizona State, nine of the 12 schools in this weekend's tournament are ranked inside the top-30 according to Golfweek.
FIVE IN THE TOP 100
The Sun Devils will take five from the top-100 World Amateur Golf Ranking in Washington this weekend, led by Preston Summerhays (13) while Ryggs Johnston comes in at 97.
SUN DEVIL TOP-100 WAGR RANKINGS (SEPT. 6, 2023)
12-Preston Summerhays
21-Josele Ballester
45-Michael Mjaaseth
55-Luke Potter
97-Ryggs Johnston
HASKINS AWARD WATCH:
Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester are both nominated of the preseason watch list for The Haskins Award. The honor is selected by college golfers, coaches, and members of the college golf media to name the world's top-ranked amateur.
SUPER SUMMERHAYS:
Last season Summerhays earned All-American honors and competed in the 2023 U.S Open as an amateur at Los Angeles Country Club, then earned a spot on the U.S Walker Cup team which defeated team Europe last week 14.5-11.5. The Scottsdale native went 2-1-1 in four matches.
BLAZING BALLESTER:
The Spaniard is coming off an electrifying 2021-22 season after earning All-America honors for the second straight year and securing a victory at the European Amateur in July to earn a spot in the 151st Open in which was played at Royal Liverpool.
Continuing following Sun Devil Men's Golf on Twitter, and Instagram for coverage this weekend.
Head Coach Matt Thurmond and Assistant Coach Thomas Sutton return to the state of Washington where Thurmond spent 15 seasons with the Huskies prior to joining the Sun Devils in 2016, and assembled 12 NCAA Championship appearances with the Huskies. He also led them to three Pac-12 titles in his tenure. Sutton spent five seasons with Washington where the program recorded 11 team wins and ranked No. 10 in 2022 before joining the Sun Devils last season.
COURSE HISTORY:
The Sun Devils will compete at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. hosted by Washington. Sahalee Country Club offers 27-holes of world-class golf for all levels. Sahalee, well-known for its championship course pedigree, was recently named as the host for the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The Club adds this championship to its rich history of hosting major championship golf which includes the 1998 PGA Championship,
THE SUN DEVIL LINEUP
The Maroon & Gold will send Ryggs Johnston, Preston Summerhays, Luke Potter, Gabe Salvanera, Michael Mjaaseth and Josele Ballester. Mjaaseth will compete as an individual. Johnston will leadoff the team at 8:35 a.m. MST with Summerhays' anchoring the team by teeing off at 9:15 a.m.
GOLFWEEK POLL
The Sun Devils are ranked No. 3 in the nation according to Golfweek's college golf preseason rankings.
THE SCHOOLS
Arizona State will be joined by 11 other schools. Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, USC, Wake Forest and Washington. Including Arizona State, nine of the 12 schools in this weekend's tournament are ranked inside the top-30 according to Golfweek.
FIVE IN THE TOP 100
The Sun Devils will take five from the top-100 World Amateur Golf Ranking in Washington this weekend, led by Preston Summerhays (13) while Ryggs Johnston comes in at 97.
SUN DEVIL TOP-100 WAGR RANKINGS (SEPT. 6, 2023)
12-Preston Summerhays
21-Josele Ballester
45-Michael Mjaaseth
55-Luke Potter
97-Ryggs Johnston
HASKINS AWARD WATCH:
Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester are both nominated of the preseason watch list for The Haskins Award. The honor is selected by college golfers, coaches, and members of the college golf media to name the world's top-ranked amateur.
SUPER SUMMERHAYS:
Last season Summerhays earned All-American honors and competed in the 2023 U.S Open as an amateur at Los Angeles Country Club, then earned a spot on the U.S Walker Cup team which defeated team Europe last week 14.5-11.5. The Scottsdale native went 2-1-1 in four matches.
BLAZING BALLESTER:
The Spaniard is coming off an electrifying 2021-22 season after earning All-America honors for the second straight year and securing a victory at the European Amateur in July to earn a spot in the 151st Open in which was played at Royal Liverpool.
Continuing following Sun Devil Men's Golf on Twitter, and Instagram for coverage this weekend.