LAS VEGAS -- After a seven year hiatus, the Sun Devil men's golf team returns to the Southern Highlands Collegiate Tournament in Las Vegas, on Feb. 25-27. Play begins at 10 a.m. AZT with tee times off No. 1 and No. 10 holes.
THE WAGR RANKINGS
Three Sun Devils are in the recent top-20 World Amateur Golf Rankings, led by Wenyi Ding (8), Preston Summerhays (9), and Josele Ballester (17).
SUN DEVIL TOP-100 WAGR RANKINGS (FEB. 20, 2024)
8 - Wenyi Ding
9 - Preston Summerhays
17 - Josele Ballester
38 - Luke Potter
63 - Michael Mjaaseth
90 - Ryggs Johnston
THE LINEUP (WITH WAGR)
Representing the Sun Devils in Las Vegas will be No. 8 Wenyi Ding, No. 9 Preston Summerhays, No. 17 Josele Ballester, No. 90 Ryggs Johnston, and Luke Potter. Michael Mjaaseth will play as an individual.
OUR TOURNAMENT HISTORY HERE
The last time the Sun Devils played in the Southern Highlands Collegiate tournament was in 2017. The team finished 11th (31-over) with Jared Du Toit notching a 5-under finish to tie for third place.
LAST TIME OUT
Making history is a regular thing for Sun Devil Men's Golf. At the Amer Ari Invitational, the team put forth the lowest par three-round tournament score in program history. Wenyi Ding also broke a national record for the lowest 54-hole tournament score with a 189/-27 and won the individual title for the tournament, his first collegiate win. Junior Josele Ballester also finished inside the top 15, posting a 14-under total tournament score.
BEN HOGAN WATCH LIST
Forty of the nation's most accomplished collegiate golfers across all levels have been named to the watch list for the 2024 Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank, including Sun Devil Men's Golf very own Wenyi Ding and Preston Summerhays. The selection committee is comprised of more than 30 leaders in collegiate, amateur and professional golf. Recipients of the Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank have combined to accumulate 85 worldwide victories, including 64 PGA TOUR wins, and have amassed more than $395 million in prize money on the PGA TOUR.
Wenyi Ding ??? and Preston Summerhays ??? are both on the @BenHoganAward Watch List.
— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) February 20, 2024
Keep an eye out for these two this spring season… #ForksUp?? pic.twitter.com/FOicw8WlUI
TEAM BEST VS. PAR THREE-ROUND TOURNAMENT SCORE (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-63/802, 2024 Amer Ari Invitational
-59/805, 2023 NCAA Regional, Las Vegas
-50/814, 2018 National Invitational
-49/815, 2024 National Invitational
-43/821, 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
-41/811, 2017 ASU Thunderbird Invitational
ABOUT THE COURSE
Co-designed by the late legendary golf architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. and his son Robert Trent Jones Jr., the Southern Highlands Golf Course takes advantage of the surrounding mountain terrain to set up exciting shots on finely manicured fairways with picturesque water features.
DETERMINED DING
Wenyi Ding was the 2022 US Junior Amateur Champion and is currently the youngest champion on the China Tour. Ding is the newest Amer Ari Invitational individual champion after shooting the lowest 54-hole tournament score in NCAA history with a 27-under 189. He joined the team after the 2023 fall semester.
UNDER PAR PRESTON
Preston Summerhays has been a force to be reckoned with during his time with ASU. He earned his way into the Fortinet Championship after winning the Sahalee Players Championship in a playoff after firing a 5-under 211 (72-67-72) and earned Pac-12 Golfer of the Week. He was the 2021-22 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
BOLD BALLESTER
Josele Ballester was the 2023 European Amateur champion, which included a 10-under in the first round. He has earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of his first two seasons. In 2022-23, he had a 70.56 stroke average in 13 tournaments (39 rounds) that included three top-10 finishes in his final five tournaments. In his fall campaign, he had two top-10's in four tournaments.
READY TO GO RYGGS
Ryggs Johnston had five rounds at par or better throughout four tournaments during the fall 2023 season. In 2021, Johnston took third at the NCAA Championship with 5-under 275 (72-63-71-69). He was also the 2022-23 Pac-12 Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earned first-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) at-large All-America honors.
LOW SCORING LUKE
Luke Potter appeared in all four tournaments for the Sun Devils during the fall season. At the Ben Hogan Collegiate the sophomore was one of seven players to shoot par or better in all three rounds. His score of 206 (-4) helped him lead the team for a T7 finish, his second top-10 finish of the year. He also defeated Texas' Keaton Vo 4&3 in the championship match of the CPC Invitational.
IN OTHER NEWS
Arizona resident Nick Taylor is the 2024 champion of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Head coach Matt Thurmond knew it all back in 2009.
2009 @UW_MGolf Media Guide on @ntaylorgolf59 - current @sundevilmgolf head coach @MattThurmond knew it all ??
— Andy Wada (@AndyWadaGC) February 12, 2024
?? 2024 @WMPhoenixOpen ?? pic.twitter.com/8F2pEW3USn