When your freshmen shoot a combined -15 and are both in the top ten after the first round of a very good tournament it is a solid day.
Sun Devil men's golf had a solid day in Hawaii Thursday.
Freshman Wenyi Ding and his Sun Devil men's golf teammates are off to a great start in Hawaii through the first 18 holes on Thursday at the Amer Ari Invitational, held at the Mauna Lani North Course. Ding shot a bogey free 9-under 63 in just his fourth collegiate round, as the 2022 US Junior Amateur champion joined the team after the 2023 fall semester and earned Pac-12 Golfer of the Week after one event. Classmate Connor Wiliams fired a 6-under 66 and also had nine birdies.
The second-place Sun Devils are three shots back of North Carolina, as ASU shot 23-under 265. Texas Tech is in third in the 20-team field.
LOWEST SUN DEVIL ROUNDS (9-UNDER OR BETTER/1993-94 TO PRESENT)
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
62/-10, Preston Summerhays, 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional (first round)
62/-10, Jeff Quinney, 1999 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (third round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
62/-9, Jon Rahm, 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Wenyi Ding, 2024 Amer Ari Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Blake Wagoner, 2021 Amer Ari Intercollegiate (first round)
63/-9, Chun An Yu, 2018 National Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Kendall Critchfield, 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Max Rottluff, 2015 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
BEST TEAM ROUNDS VS. PAR (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-26/2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional -- 262 in first round
-25/2019 National Invitational Tournament -- 263 in second round
-23/2024 Amer Ari Invitational -- 265 in first round
-23/2022 Maui Jim Intercollegiate -- 257 second round
-21/2018 National Invitational Tournament -- 267 in first round
LOWEST SUN DEVIL ROUNDS (9-UNDER OR BETTER/1993-94 TO PRESENT) OUTSIDE OF ARIZONA
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
62/-10, Preston Summerhays, 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional (first round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
63/-9, Wenyi Ding, 2024 Amer Ari Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Blake Wagoner, 2021 Amer Ari Intercollegiate (first round)
THE WAGR RANKINGS
Three Sun Devils are in the recent top-20 World Amateur Golf Rankings, led by Preston Summerhays (9), Wenyi Ding (13) and Josele Ballester (18). Ding is the most recent winner of the Pac-12 Player of thee Week.
SUN DEVIL TOP-100 WAGR RANKINGS (FEB. 1, 2024)
9 - Preston Summerhays
13 - Wenyi Ding
18 - Josele Ballester
61 - Michael Mjaaseth
OUR TOURNAMENT HISTORY HERE
The Sun Devils finished third as a team and Mason Andersen was third at the 2022 Amer Ari. The team carded a 268-273-281=822/-42 while Anderson fired 65-69-66=200/-16/T3. ASU has won the team title of the Amri Ari Invitational three times (2021, 2015 and 1995) while four Sun Devils have earned the individual title: David Puig (2021), Jesper Kennegard (2009), Chris Hanell (1996) and Todd Dempsey (1994). The tournament was cancelled last year due to terrible and unplayable winds.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils finished third at 49-under 815 at the National Invitational in Tucson. The 49-under is third-best mark vs. par in the Golfstat era. Freshman Wenyi Ding came up one stroke short in his bid to win his first collegiate tournament, as he finished at 17-under 199 (65-67-67) just behind BYU's Zac Jones who shot 18-under 198 (65-69-64).
TEAM BEST VS. PAR THREE-ROUND TOURNAMENT SCORE (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-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
THE COMPETITION
The tournament features some of the best collegiate golfers with a total of 18 Division I programs. Schools competing include No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 4 Washington, No. 11 Georgia Tech, No. 12 Florida State, No. 16 Texas, No. 18 Oregon, No. 22 Texas Tech, No. 31 UCLA, No. 42 Oklahoma State, No. 46 Oregon State, No. 49 San Jose State, No. 77 Pepperdine, No. 86 Stanford, No. 105 UC Davis, No. 140 UH Manoa, No. 163 Pacific, Osaka Gakuin (Japan) and the home team Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans.
ABOUT THE COURSE
The North Course represents the quintessential golf experience on the Island of Hawaii. Built on a lava bed, the North is characterized by 18 holes of rolling terrain punctuated by Kiawe (mesquite) forests. A 230-acre protected archaeological district lies on the northern boundary of the golf course. No.17, a par three tucked into a natural lava amphitheater, is the resort's signature hole and a favorite "I was here" photo spot. This course has become one of the most popular tournament venues on the Island.
AMER ARI INTERCOLLEGIATE
FEB. 8-10, 2024
PAR 72/6,913 YARDS
MAUNA LANI NORTH COURSE
NORTH COURSE
KOHALA COAST, HAWAII
TEAMS (20)
North Carolina 262/-25
Arizona State 265/-23
Texas Tech 267/-21
Oklahoma State 270/-18
Auburn 272/-16
Florida State 273/-15
Pepperdine 274/-14
Georgia Tech 276/-12
Washington 276/-12
Oregon 277/-11
Stanford 277/-11
UCLA 278/-10
Oregon State 278/-10
Pacific 279/-9
Texas 281/-7
San Jose State 281/-7
Hawaii 285/-3
Hawaii Hilo 289/+1
Osaka Gakuin 290/+2
UC Davis 291/+3
LEADER AND SUN DEVIL INDIVIDUALS (124 SWINGERS)
1. Preston Stout, Oklahoma State 62/-10
T2. Wenyi Ding 63/-9
T8. Connor Williams 66/-6
T12. Josele Ballester 67/-5
T37. Michael Mjaaseth 69/-3
T65. Preston Summerhays 71/-1
Sun Devil men's golf had a solid day in Hawaii Thursday.
Freshman Wenyi Ding and his Sun Devil men's golf teammates are off to a great start in Hawaii through the first 18 holes on Thursday at the Amer Ari Invitational, held at the Mauna Lani North Course. Ding shot a bogey free 9-under 63 in just his fourth collegiate round, as the 2022 US Junior Amateur champion joined the team after the 2023 fall semester and earned Pac-12 Golfer of the Week after one event. Classmate Connor Wiliams fired a 6-under 66 and also had nine birdies.
The second-place Sun Devils are three shots back of North Carolina, as ASU shot 23-under 265. Texas Tech is in third in the 20-team field.
LOWEST SUN DEVIL ROUNDS (9-UNDER OR BETTER/1993-94 TO PRESENT)
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
62/-10, Preston Summerhays, 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional (first round)
62/-10, Jeff Quinney, 1999 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (third round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
62/-9, Jon Rahm, 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Wenyi Ding, 2024 Amer Ari Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Blake Wagoner, 2021 Amer Ari Intercollegiate (first round)
63/-9, Chun An Yu, 2018 National Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Kendall Critchfield, 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Max Rottluff, 2015 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (second round)
BEST TEAM ROUNDS VS. PAR (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-26/2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional -- 262 in first round
-25/2019 National Invitational Tournament -- 263 in second round
-23/2024 Amer Ari Invitational -- 265 in first round
-23/2022 Maui Jim Intercollegiate -- 257 second round
-21/2018 National Invitational Tournament -- 267 in first round
LOWEST SUN DEVIL ROUNDS (9-UNDER OR BETTER/1993-94 TO PRESENT) OUTSIDE OF ARIZONA
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
62/-10, Preston Summerhays, 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional (first round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
63/-9, Wenyi Ding, 2024 Amer Ari Invitational (first round)
63/-9, Blake Wagoner, 2021 Amer Ari Intercollegiate (first round)
THE WAGR RANKINGS
Three Sun Devils are in the recent top-20 World Amateur Golf Rankings, led by Preston Summerhays (9), Wenyi Ding (13) and Josele Ballester (18). Ding is the most recent winner of the Pac-12 Player of thee Week.
SUN DEVIL TOP-100 WAGR RANKINGS (FEB. 1, 2024)
9 - Preston Summerhays
13 - Wenyi Ding
18 - Josele Ballester
61 - Michael Mjaaseth
OUR TOURNAMENT HISTORY HERE
The Sun Devils finished third as a team and Mason Andersen was third at the 2022 Amer Ari. The team carded a 268-273-281=822/-42 while Anderson fired 65-69-66=200/-16/T3. ASU has won the team title of the Amri Ari Invitational three times (2021, 2015 and 1995) while four Sun Devils have earned the individual title: David Puig (2021), Jesper Kennegard (2009), Chris Hanell (1996) and Todd Dempsey (1994). The tournament was cancelled last year due to terrible and unplayable winds.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sun Devils finished third at 49-under 815 at the National Invitational in Tucson. The 49-under is third-best mark vs. par in the Golfstat era. Freshman Wenyi Ding came up one stroke short in his bid to win his first collegiate tournament, as he finished at 17-under 199 (65-67-67) just behind BYU's Zac Jones who shot 18-under 198 (65-69-64).
TEAM BEST VS. PAR THREE-ROUND TOURNAMENT SCORE (1993-94 TO PRESENT)
-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
THE COMPETITION
The tournament features some of the best collegiate golfers with a total of 18 Division I programs. Schools competing include No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 4 Washington, No. 11 Georgia Tech, No. 12 Florida State, No. 16 Texas, No. 18 Oregon, No. 22 Texas Tech, No. 31 UCLA, No. 42 Oklahoma State, No. 46 Oregon State, No. 49 San Jose State, No. 77 Pepperdine, No. 86 Stanford, No. 105 UC Davis, No. 140 UH Manoa, No. 163 Pacific, Osaka Gakuin (Japan) and the home team Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans.
ABOUT THE COURSE
The North Course represents the quintessential golf experience on the Island of Hawaii. Built on a lava bed, the North is characterized by 18 holes of rolling terrain punctuated by Kiawe (mesquite) forests. A 230-acre protected archaeological district lies on the northern boundary of the golf course. No.17, a par three tucked into a natural lava amphitheater, is the resort's signature hole and a favorite "I was here" photo spot. This course has become one of the most popular tournament venues on the Island.
AMER ARI INTERCOLLEGIATE
FEB. 8-10, 2024
PAR 72/6,913 YARDS
MAUNA LANI NORTH COURSE
NORTH COURSE
KOHALA COAST, HAWAII
TEAMS (20)
North Carolina 262/-25
Arizona State 265/-23
Texas Tech 267/-21
Oklahoma State 270/-18
Auburn 272/-16
Florida State 273/-15
Pepperdine 274/-14
Georgia Tech 276/-12
Washington 276/-12
Oregon 277/-11
Stanford 277/-11
UCLA 278/-10
Oregon State 278/-10
Pacific 279/-9
Texas 281/-7
San Jose State 281/-7
Hawaii 285/-3
Hawaii Hilo 289/+1
Osaka Gakuin 290/+2
UC Davis 291/+3
LEADER AND SUN DEVIL INDIVIDUALS (124 SWINGERS)
1. Preston Stout, Oklahoma State 62/-10
T2. Wenyi Ding 63/-9
T8. Connor Williams 66/-6
T12. Josele Ballester 67/-5
T37. Michael Mjaaseth 69/-3
T65. Preston Summerhays 71/-1