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PING/ASU Invitational Preview

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PING/ASU Invitational PreviewPING/ASU Invitational Preview
TEMPE - Sun Devil Women's Golf hosts the PING/ASU Invitational at Papago Golf Club running Thursday, March 28 to Saturday, March 30.

No. 13 Arizona State has won two consecutive tournaments as they get ready to welcome 16 teams in the 51st edition of the PING/ASU Invitational. Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye's team is playing their best golf of the season at the right time, as this represents the final regular season event of the 2023-24 campaign. The Sun Devils have more team championships (22) and individual champions (18) at PING/ASU than any other program. ASU is seeking their third consecutive tournament team title, a feat they have only accomplished twice since 2009. In order to do so, they will have to beat out a loaded field that includes the four of the Top-7 teams in the nation.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The PING/ASU Invitational is free and open to the public. Don't miss a chance to check out the nation's No. 13 team in action. Make sure to stop by Papago Golf Club Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, as Arizona State will compete starting in the morning each day. On Thursday, the Sun Devils tee-off at 8:00 AM MST on Hole 1. Tee-times for the remainder of the tournament will be determined based on scoring. 

COACH'S CORNER
"It is exciting to see us playing some of our best golf at one of the most important times of the year," Coach Farr-Kaye remarked. "The entire team has been working extremely hard and you are seeing it pay off on the golf course."

"We absolutely love hosting the PING/ASU Invitational every year," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "This is another challenging field and we are excited to showcase what an amazing place Papago Golf Club is. We are looking forward to seeing many of our fans out there in Maroon and Gold cheering us on."

SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
Clipp'd, backed by the NCAA, are now responsible for the 2024 NCAA Golf Rankings. Arizona State moved up to No. 13 in the ranking, gaining three spots after their victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Intercollegiate. Three Sun Devils are in the Top-100 after both Beth Coulter and Patience Rhodes made a massive jump. Here is where each of the Sun Devils' rank in the latest Clipp'd Individual Rankings:

No. 41 Ashley Menne UP 22 spots
No. 69 Patience Rhodes UP 32 spots
No. 82 Beth Coulter UP 29 spots
No. 125 Grace Summerhays
No. 138 Paula Schulz-Hanssen UP 23 spots

THE COMPETITION (CLIPP'D RANKINGS)
All 17 teams at the PING/ASU Invitational are ranked in the Top-78 of the latest Clipp'd National Team Rankings. Arizona State is one of eight Top-15 teams in the field. In total, 14 of the Top-50 teams in the country will be competing at Papago this week. The loaded event features 32 of the Top-100 ranked golfers in the nation, including No. 42 Ashley Menne, No. 72 Patience Rhodes, and No. 83 Beth Coulter from Arizona State. In total, 62 of the Top-200 individuals will be vying for the PING/ASU crown, including all five members of the Sun Devil lineup.

#13 Arizona State
#1 Stanford #4 UCLA
#6 USC #7 Texas
#11 Northwestern #12 Oregon
#14 Arizona #27 California
#39 Oklahoma State #41 Kansas
#42 Oregon State #48 Denver
#50 Baylor #70 New Mexico
#71 Colorado #78 New Mexico State

THE LINEUP
Arizona State boasts one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. Coming off her victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, senior Ashley Menne claims the top spot. Redshirt freshman Patience Rhodes earns the No. 2 spot for the second straight event, with sophomore Beth Coulter once again following in the third position. Junior Grace Summerhays, who gets ready for her third PING/ASU appearance, will play out of the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Paula Schulz-Hanssen rounds out Missy Farr-Kaye's lineup.

  1. Ashley Menne
  2. Patience Rhodes
  3. Beth Coulter
  4. Paula Schulz-Hanssen
  5. Grace Summerhays
THE FORMAT
The PING/ASU Invitational is three rounds of stroke play, with a round taking place each day Friday through Sunday. An individual and team champion crowned after 54 holes. Papago Golf Course is set up as a Par 72 at 6,543 yards.

THE COURSE
Originally built in 1963, Papago Golf Club was one of the original Valley golf courses and has been an asset to the Phoenix public-golf community. Designed by well-known and esteemed golf course architect William Francis (Billy) Bell. The course provides spectacular views of Phoenix from its unique, strategic setting at the base of Papago Buttes. Despite its convenient central location, golfers experience a setting rich with the native elements that make Arizona a unique state. 
 
The home of Sun Devil Men's and Women's Golf was named the Arizona Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) of Arizona in 2021. The annual host venue of both the ASU/PING Invitational and Thunderbird Collegiate has long been considered one of the top courses in the state. Arizona State hosted the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Golf Championships at this venue.

TEE TIMES
Arizona State will begin the PING/ASU Invitational on Thursday at 8 AM MST, with a new golfer starting their round every nine minutes on Hole 1. ASU will be paired with USC and Arizona.
 
PAIRING Arizona, USC
HOLE 1
TIME  GOLFER
8:00 Grace Summerhays
8:09 Paula Schulz-Hanssen
8:18 Beth Coulter
8:27 Patience Rhodes
8:36 Ashley Menne

HISTORY AT PING/ASU INVITATIONAL
This is the 51st edition of the PING/ASU Invitational, which has developed a reputation as one of the toughest fields in the Spring women's golf season. The first 45 were at Karsten Golf Course, with the past five taking place at Papago Golf Club. It represents a prime opportunity for the top teams in the nation to get a taste of the intensity of postseason golf leading up to the conference champions.

Arizona State has won the most event titles, claiming the team championship at PING/ASU an incredible 22 times. This included back-to-back wins in 2021 & 2021. ASU finished in second place as a team last year, as four individuals finished in the Top-11. Linda Vollstedt led the Sun Devils to five-straight PING/ASU titles from 1991-1996. ASU also won the title in 2017 on their way to a National Championship.
 
The Maroon & Gold also boast the most individual medalists in tournament history, with Sun Devils earning the crown 17 times. This includes Alexandra Forsterling in 2022. Forsterling (-9/207) had to beat out current Sun Devil Ashley Menne for the title, as Arizona State finished 1-2 in the final player standings. She became the first Sun Devil to win at PING/ASU since Roberta Liti back in 2017. Some of the top scores in program history have come at PING/ASU, with Monica Vaughn leading the way with a historic 64 (-8) in the first round of the 2017 version. Menne will look to earn her third-straight Top-10 finish at the event.
 
LAST TIME OUT

Sun Devil Women's Golf and Ashley Menne came home from Hawai'i with some hardware. Arizona State (-42/822) won the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational team championship while Ashley Menne claimed the individual title, both in record-breaking fashion. Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye's team shattered the program record for 54-hole scoring vs. par by an incredible 17 strokes, eclipsing the previous mark of 25-under set back in 2022. Ashley Menne (-14/202) now has the best 54-hole score vs. par in the history of Sun Devil Women's Golf, breaking Brandie Burton's 35-year-old record.

The Maroon and Gold won their 18th team championship and Ashley Menne became the 16th individual champion during the Missy Farr-Kaye era. This is the first time since 2021 that ASU has won back-to-back event titles as a team and only the third time since 2009. It was a complete effort by the entire lineup from start to finish with Arizona State recording the lowest round each of the three days. Four of the Top-10 and three of the Top-5 finishers were Sun Devils, as Coach Farr-Kaye's team dominated the event. Finishing right behind Ashley Menne was Patience Rhodes (-11/205), who earned bronze medalist honors. Her 11-under 54-hole score vs. par is tied for the third-best in program history. Also in the Top-5 for the second-time in her career was Beth Coulter (-9/207), as she ended in fifth. Paula Schulz-Hanssen (-8/208) claimed sole possession of sixth-place, meaning four of the Top-6 finishers were Sun Devils.

-- Arizona State put together the eight-lowest 54-hole team score vs. par in NCAA History at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational.

LOWEST 54-HOLE TEAM SCORES VS. PAR IN NCAA HISTORY
(-60, 804) - Iowa State/Mountainview Collegiate, March 17-19, 2023
(-50, 814) - Stanford/NCAA Pullman Regional, May 8-10, 2023
(-50, 814) - Stanford/Gunrock Invitational, Feb. 28- March 1, 2022
(-48, 816) - Houston/Sam Golden Invitational, Sept. 11-12, 2023
(-46, 818) - LSU/SEC Media Play, April 14-16, 2021
(-45, 819) - Wake Forest/UCF Challenge, Feb. 6-8, 2022
(-45, 807) - Alabama/Schooner Fall Classic, Sept. 28-30, 2018
---> (-42, 822) - Arizona State/Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, March 17-19, 2024

-- The second round by the Sun Devils at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational was tied for the fifth-best 18-hole team score vs. par in NCAA History.

LOWEST 18-HOLE TEAM SCORES VS. PAR IN NCAA HISTORY
(-29, 259) - Iowa State/3rd Round, Mountainview Collegiate, 3/19/23
(-25, 263) - Alabama/3rd Round, Mason Rudolph Championship, 9/18/16
(-23, 265) - Iowa State/2nd Round, Mountainview Collegiate, 3/18/23
(-23, 265) - Stanford/1st Round, Gunrock Invitational, 2/28/22
---> (-22, 266) - Arizona State/2nd Round, Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, 3/18/24
(-22, 262) - Alabama/2nd Round, Schooner Fall Classic, 9/29/18

-- The Maroon and Gold broke the previous school record for 54-hole team score vs. par by 17 strokes.

ASU LOWEST 54-HOLE SCORES VS. PAR (TEAM)
---> 822 (-42) 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, par 72 
839 (-25) 2022 PING/ASU Invitational, par 72
839 (-25) 2017 PING/ASU Invitational, par 72
839 (-25) 2017 Mason Rudolph Championship, par 72
842 (-22) 2017 NCAA West Regionals, par 72
842 (-22) 2009 NCAA West Regional, par 72
848 (-16) 2021 Clover Cup, par 72
851 (-13) 2023 Mason Rudolph Invitational, par 72

-- Ashley Menne is the new record-holder for lowest 54-hole score ever by a Sun Devil. She broke Brandie Burton's 35-year-old record by two strokes.
-- Menne is one of only 56 golfers in NCAA history to finish a 54-hole tournament at 14-under or better.
-- Two of the Top-5 54-hole scores vs. par in program history came this week.
-- Patience Rhodes tied for the third-best 54-hole score vs. par in program history.

ASU LOWEST 54-HOLE SCORES VS. PAR (INDIVIDUAL)
---> 202 (-14) Ashley Menne 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, par 72
210 (-12) Brandie Burton 1989 Bruin Desert Classic, par 74
205 (-11) Jimin Kang 2001 New Mexico St. Intercollegiate, par 72
205 (-11) Wendy Ward 1995 PING/ASU Invitational, par 72
---> 205 (-11) Patience Rhodes 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, par 72

BEST ROUNDS IN 2023-24
64/-8 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
65/-7 Beth Coulter (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
66/-6 - Ashley Menne (Match in the Desert/Jan. 22, 2024)
67/-5 - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational first round/Sept. 22, 2023)
67/-4 - Ashley Menne (Stanford Intercollegiate second round/Oct. 21, 2023)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational first round/March 17, 2024)
68/-4 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
68/-4 - Patience Rhodes (McGuire Invitational second round/Sept. 11, 2023) 
68/-3 - Patience Rhodes (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/Mar. 4, 2024)
68/-3 - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/Mar. 4, 2024)
68/-3 - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate second round/Mar. 5, 2024)
69/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
69/-3 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
69/-3 Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
69/-3 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational first round/March 17, 2024)
69/-3 - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational third round/Sept. 24, 2023)
69/-3 - Beth Coulter (Mason Rudolph Invitational first round/Sept. 22, 2023)
69/-3 - Ashley Menne (McGuire Invitational first round/Sept. 11, 2023)
69/-3 - Beth Coulter (McGuire Invitational second round/Sept. 11, 2023)
69/-3 - Calynne Rosholt (Windy City first round/Oct. 2, 2023)
69/-2 - Patience Rhodes (Stanford Intercollegiate third round/Oct. 23, 2023)

TOP FINISHES IN 2023-24
---> 1st - Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
T2nd - Ashley Menne (Match in the Desert)
---> 3rd - Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
---> 5th - Beth Coulter (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
T5th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational)
---> 6th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
6th - Ashley Menne (McGuire Invitational)
T7th - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
T12th - Patience Rhodes (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
T12th - Beth Coulter (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
T14th - Grace Summerhays (McGuire Invitational)

BIRDIES BY SUN DEVIL (SEASON TOTALS)
Ashley Menne - 67 (plus 1 Eagle)
Patience Rhodes - 65 (plus 2 Eagles)
Grace Summerhays - 64 (plus 4 Eagles)
Beth Coulter - 61 (plus 2 Eagles)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen - 58 (plus 3 Eagles)

CAREER APPEARANCES 
Ashley Menne, 39 (36 stroke; 3 match)
Grace Summerhays, 29 (26 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 20 (17 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 20 (17 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 9 (7 stroke; 2 match)

CAREER TOP-20 FINISHES
Ashley Menne, 23
Grace Summerhays, 12
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 9
Beth Coulter, 7
Patience Rhodes, 4

2023-24 CAMPAIGN
Arizona State will be tested throughout 2023-24 as Coach Farr-Kaye built one of the nation's toughest slates once again. The Maroon and Gold will compete in a total of ten regular season events, four in the Fall and six in the Spring. The postseason begins April 21 at the Pac-12 Championship, with NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships scheduled for the month of May.

ARIZONA STATE WOMEN'S GOLF SCHEDULE
McGuire Invitational – Sept. 11-12 (Albuquerque, NM)
Mason Rudolph Invitational – Sept. 22-24 (Franklin, TN)
Windy City Collegiate Classic – Oct. 2-3 (Chicago, IL)
Stanford Intercollegiate – Oct. 20-22 (Palo Alto, CA)
Match in the Desert – January 22 (Gold Canyon, AZ)
Therese Hession Regional Challenge – Feb. 3-4 (Palos Verdes, CA)
Duel in the Desert (vs. Denver) – Feb. 25 (Phoenix, AZ)
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate – March 4-6 (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational – March 17-19 (Honolulu, HI)
PING/ASU Invitational – March 28-30 (Phoenix, AZ) - HOSTED BY ASU
Pac-12 Championship – April 21-23 (Pullman, WA)
NCAA Regionals – May 6-8 (Auburn/Cle Elum/College State/East Lansing/Las Vegas/Winston-Salem)
NCAA Championship – May 17-22 (La Costa, CA; Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Champions Course)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live scoring for the PING/ASU Invitational can be found at the following link. For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Find Coach Farr-Kaye (@missymkaye) and Coach Tatman (@CoachMikayla_) on Twitter as well.