By Lindsay Gaesser, SDA Media Relations
Bradenton, Fla.—Arizona State’s Jon Rahm will compete for the individual title in the final round of stroke play at the 2015 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships on Monday. The junior is currently tied for 17th through 54 holes with a 1-over 217 (71-75-71).
Rahm will try and become the sixth Sun Devil to notch multiple top-10 NCAA Championship finishes, as he tied for second in 2013 in Atlanta. Chez Reavie (T-4th/2001 and 9th/2003), Darren Angel (T-7th/1998 and T-3rd/1996), Chris Hanell (T-10th in 1997 and 1994), Todd Demsey (T-7th in 1994 and won title in 1993), and Phil Mickelson all had multiple top-10 finishes during their Sun Devil careers. Phil won the title in 1992, 1991, and 1989 and tied for fourth in 1991.
Jon will try for 2nd top-10 NCAA finish Monday. Other Sun Devils to do that: Chez Reavie, Darren Angel, Chris Hanell, Todd Demsey, Phil (4x)
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) May 31, 2015
The Sun Devils fought hard during the third round in attempts to nab one of the top 15 spots on the leader board. The squad posted its best round of the tournament, carding 10 birdies on the day. However, it was too little too late, as Arizona State missed the cut. Through 54 holes, the squad was ninth in pars carded with 159.
Very disappointing week for me and my team. But we will learn from it and come back Stronger and Better in 2016. Proud to be their Coach.
— Tim Mickelson (@goodwalkspoiled) June 1, 2015
Broc Johnson played his final round as a Sun Devil on Sunday. The senior carded his best round of the tournament, finishing at 18-over 234 (78-79-77). Golfing in the five spot on the lineup, Johnson recorded the third-best finish of the squad.
Notching two top-10 finishes in seven tournaments this season, Johnson won his first individual title at the Loyola Golf Invite in February. He also recorded a top-five finish at the Pac-12 Championships, where he shot a career-low 65 in the third round.
Broc teeing off on 9. #slomo #ncaagolf pic.twitter.com/vNNOel9dHz
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) May 31, 2015
With Stanford also not making the cut, the Sun Devils remain the only team to sweep the NCAA golf titles in the same season since women’s golf became an NCAA championship sport in 1982. Former ASU head women’s golf coach Linda Vollstedt won the first of her six NCAA titles in 1990, while Steve Loy’s men’s squad also won the title that year.
25 YEARS AGO, THE SUN DEVILS DID IT, AND NO ONE ELSE HAS...
http://pitchforkposts.tumblr.com/post/119398276832/25-years-ago-the-sun-devils-did-it-and-no-one
It took 3 days, but the NCAA finally doled out a few slow-play penalties: http://t.co/6PQNbIB88B #NCAAGolf
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) May 31, 2015
Play was suspended due to lighting early Sunday evening. The third round will resume at 7:00 a.m. EDT/4:00 a.m. PDT on Monday morning. At the end of the third round, the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not on those teams will play an additional round of stroke play.
The 72-hole individual stroke play champion will be determined at the conclusion of Monday’s round. Golf Channel will broadcast the final round of stroke play beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT/9:30 a.m. PDT.
The low eight teams following Monday’s round will advance to team match play competition Tuesday and Wednesday, airing live on Golf Channel. Live news and tournament coverage also will be streamed live online via Golf Live Extra.
WINS: ASU’s five wins this year were its most since the 1995-96 team won six on its way to the 1996 NCAA title. The only teams with more wins this year entering the NCAA Championship were Illinois (nine), Texas (seven), and South Florida (six). ASU made its 51st NCAA Championship/Finals appearance in 2014-15, behind only Oklahoma State (68), Texas (61), and USC (56), and tied with Florida.
2014-15 SUN DEVIL TEAM TOURNAMENT VICTORIES
Arizona Intercollegiate (Jan. 26-27, 2015)
Amer Ari Invitational (Feb. 5-7, 2015)
Prestige at PGA WEST (Feb. 16-18, 2015)
Duck Invitational (Mar. 23-24, 2015)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (April 3-4, 2015)
2014-15 MEDALISTS UNDER TIM MICKELSON
Jon Rahm (Jr.), 2015 NCAA San Diego Regional (May 14-16)
Jon Rahm (Jr.), 2015 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Apr. 3-4)
Jon Rahm (Jr.), 2015 Duck Invitational (Mar. 23-24)
Broc Johnson (Sr.), 2015 Loyola Golf Invite (Feb. 22-24)
Max Rottluff (Jr.), 2015 Arizona Intercollegiate (Jan. 26-27)
Jon Rahm (Jr.), 2014 Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 20-21)
Max Rottluff (Jr.), 2104 Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 13-14)
RAHM RECIPIENT OF 2015 BEN HOGAN AWARD: Junior Jon Rahm earned the 2015 Ben Hogan Award, the most prestigious award in men’s amateur golf. Rahm, the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and No. 2 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings entering the NCAA Championship, is the first Sun Devil to receive the award since its inception in 1990. With Rahm’s win, the Hogan Award winner has come from a Pac-12 school for four straight years (Patrick Cantlay, 2012; Chris Williams, 2013; Patrick Rodgers, 2014). This year’s finalists, also from the Pac-12, included Maverick McNealy (Stanford) and Cheng-Tsung Pan (Washington). This marked the first time that all three finalists played in the same conference.
RAHM TIES FOR 5TH AT PHOENIX OPEN: Rahm’s 12-under 272 (70-68-66-68) at the Waste Management Open in late January fell just short of his quest to be the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Sun Devil Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open in 1991, but that certainly did not diminish what happened during the week. He hit 51 of 72 greens in regulation and had an average drive of more than 300 yards. The only amateur in the field of 132, the two-time honorable mention All-American had his way with the par-71, 7,266-yard TPC Scottsdale layout. He became the first amateur to finish in the top-five of a PGA TOUR event since Chris Wood (fifth) at the 2008 British Open and Justin Rose (tied for fourth) at the 1998 British Open.
#BACKTHEPAC: There were six teams from the Pac-12 in the NCAA Championships, tied for the most of any conference, as Arizona State is joined by UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, USC, and Washington.
PAC-12 (6): Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington
SEC (6): Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, LSU, Georgia
ACC (5): Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia
BIG 12 (5): Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech
AMERICAN (3): Houston, SMU, South Florida
CONFERENCE USA (2): Charlotte, UAB
MOUNTAIN WEST (2): San Diego State, UNLV
BIG TEN (1): Illinois
IT ISN’T EASY: ASU has made the NCAA Championship in 11 of the past 14 seasons and 29 of past 32, but it sure isn’t getting easier with the 30-team, three-round six-regional format. Using Golfweek’s rankings heading into the regionals, nine top-30 teams did not go to Florida: North Carolina (18), Wake Forest (19), two-time defending champion Alabama (20), Baylor (22), New Mexico (23), North Florida (26), Arkansas (27), California (28), and Kennessaw State (30).
JON RAHM SEVEN TOURNAMENT WINS
NCAA San Diego Regional (May 14-16, 2015)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (April 3-4, 2015)
Duck Invitational (Mar. 23-24, 2015)
Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 20-21, 2014)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 21-23, 2014)
San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12, 2013)
Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 21-22, 2012)
MOST @ASUMENSGOLF TOURNAMENT WINS
Phil Mickelson (1988-92), 16
Billy Mayfair (1984-88), 8
Jon Rahm (2012-Present), 7
Alejandro Canizares (2002-06), 6
Charlie Gibson (1972-75), 6
Paul Casey (1997-2000), 6