April 11, 2001
KARSTEN TO HOST THUNDERBIRD/SAVANE INVITATIONAL: The Arizona State men's golf team plays host on April 13-14 (Friday-Saturday) to the 29th annual ASU Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational at ASU's Karsten Golf Course (par-72, 7,027 yards). The 21 schools will play 36 holes on Friday, April 13, followed by a final round on Saturday, April 14. ASU won the 1999 and 2000 Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitationals and has won the tournament nine of the past 12 years. Current ASU senior Jeff Quinney shot a Karsten record 62 on April 18, 1999, in the final round of the Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational. Quinney shot a 15-under 201 to win the tournament, and ASU was 30-under and took team honors by 17 strokes over UCLA that year. Last year, ASU shot 18-under 846 and beat Arizona by two strokes. ASU has won the Thunderbird Invitational 10 times (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000). Eight times Sun Devils have won the individual title: Mark Sollenberger (1974), Jim Carter (1984), Phil Mickelson (1991 and 1992), Larry Barber (1994), Todd Demsey (1995), Quinney (1999) and Paul Casey (2000). Quinney will be trying to win two titles, something only Phil Mickelson has done in the 28-year history of the tournament. The 21 teams are: Arizona, ASU, BYU, California, Cal State Northridge, Fresno State, Houston, New Mexico, Oklahoma, defending NCAA champion Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, UNLV, USC, UTEP, Virginia and Washington. ASU has finished in the top five at the NCAAs in five of the past six years and has won the Pac-10 title the past six years (a conference record) and in seven of the past eight years. The Sun Devils also won national championships in 1990 and 1996. ASU is led by ninth-year head coach Randy Lein, the 1996 National Coach of the Year and a seven-time winner of Pac-10 Coach of the Year (five times at ASU and twice at USC).
RANDY LEIN: Randy Lein has coached 54 tournament victories in 19 seasons, tutored 40 All-Americans and added the top accolade in collegiate golf in 1995-96 - the NCAA title - to his collection of honors as the Sun Devils won the title in Chattanooga, Tenn., with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Honors Course. In his ninth season as ASU's coach, Lein has guided ASU to 31 tournament victories (including a school record six in 1995-96), seven Pac-10 titles, three NCAA West Regional wins and seven top-10 finishes at the NCAAs including the 1996 title. In addition, Lein has tutored NCAA medalist Todd Demsey and 10 All-Americans (20 occasions): Todd Demsey (3), Chris Hanell (3), Paul Casey (3)Cade Stone, Chris Stutts, Joey Snyder (2), Scott Johnson (2), Darren Angel (2), Paul Casey (3), Jeff Quinney (2) and Matt Jones (1). He has won Pac-10 Coach-of-the-Year five times (1993, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000) while at ASU and twice at USC (1980 and 1986). Lein (pronounced "Line") is a 1975 graduate of CS Northridge.
QUINNEY ON THE CHARTS: Jeff Quinney has captured three collegiate tournament championships. Quinney won the 2001 Las Vegas Intercollegiate, the 1999 NCAA West Regional and the 1999 ASU Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational. A look at Quinney on the ASU career wins list:
Rk. Name (Years) Wins
1. Phil Mickelson (1989-92) 16
2. Billy Mayfair (1985-88) 8
3t. Paul Casey (1997-2000) 6
3t. Charlie Gibson (1972-75) 6
5. Todd Demsey (1992-95) 5
6. Howard Twitty (1970-72) 4
Scott Watkins (1978-79) 4
Dan Croonquist (1976-79) 4
9t. Jeff Quinney (1997-2000) 3
9t. Jim Carter (1981-84) 3
2000 U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPION JEFF QUINNEY: Won the Las Vegas Intercollegiate with a 13-under 203 on March 9-11 with a 69-67-67...13-under par was the second-best score of his career...career best was 15-under 201 at 1999 Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational (70-69-62)....tied for third at NCAA Ping Preview...tied for ninth at SAVANE All-American...tied for ninth at USC Southwestern Classic with 5-over 147 (76-71)...
Year App Top 10 Rds. Avg. Low
2000-01 6 4 16 72.13 67
1999-00 13 4 41 72.34 66
1998-99 13 5 40 72.50 62
1997-98 11 3 35 72.57 68
Career 43 16 132 72.42 62
Low Round: 62 at the 1999 ASU Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational, held in Tempe, in the third and final round.
JUNIOR MATT JONES: Tied for sixth at Ford U.S. Collegiates with 213 (68-70-75)...tied for second at USC Southwestern Classic with 1-over 143 (73-70)...finished second at Taylor Made with 4-over 218 (74-75-69)...honorable mention All-American in 2000.
Year App Top 10 Rds. Avg. Low
2000-01 7 3 18 72.94 68
1999-00 12 4 36 71.86 66
1998-99 8 2 26 73.38 68
Career 27 9 80 72.60 66
Low Round: 66 at the 1999 2000 Pac-10 Championships, held in Tempe, in the third round on April 25.
SENIOR JIN PARK: Tied for second at USC Southwestern Classic with 143 (71-72)...has played in 42 career tournaments...one of two Sun Devils (Jeff Quinney is the other) to play on the past three Pac-10 title teams.
Year App Top 10 Rds. Avg. Low
2000-01 7 1 19 74.89 67
1999-00 12 2 36 73.14 65
1998-99 12 1 36 73.97 66
1997-98 11 1 34 73.85 66
Career 42 5 125 73.84 65
Low Round: 65 at the 2000 Pac-10 Championships, held in Tempe, in the first round.
NCAA NOTE: The Sun Devils averaged a 4.1 finish at the NCAA Championships in the 1990s, the best mark in the nation. Only Oklahoma State (4.5) averaged higher than an eighth-place finish in the 1990s.
NCAAs: Six schools have made at least 12 straight trips to the NCAA Championships. The schools and the consecutive years they have contended are: Oklahoma State (54), Clemson (19), Arizona State (17), Arizona (12), UNLV (12), North Carolina (12).
THUNDERBIRD/SAVANE INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Year Champion/ASU Finish Individual Champion
1973 Long Beach St. (ASU-5th) Lance Suzuki, BYU
1974 Oklahoma St.(ASU-2nd) Mark Sollenberger, ASU
1975 BYU (ASU T-2nd) Scott Simpson, USC
1976 BYU (ASU-3rd) John Fought, BYU
1977 Oklahoma St. (ASU-2nd) Lindy Miller, OSU
1978 BYU (ASU-2nd) Curt Worley, SDSU
1979 UCLA (ASU-2nd) Corey Pavin, UCLA
1980 BYU (ASU-2nd) Bob Clampett, BYU
1981 San Jose State (ASU-3rd) Steve Jones, Colorado
1982 BYU (ASU-3rd) Storm Gleib, Weber State
1983 Oklahoma St. (1,083) (ASU-11th)
Willie Wood, Oklahoma State (211)
1984 ASU Jim Carter , ASU
1985 Fresno State (1,106) (ASU-5th)
Howard Johnson, San Diego State (209)
1986 BYU (1,072) (ASU-2nd) Eduardo Herrera , BYU (207)
1987 UCLA (1,100) (ASU-4th) David Sutherland, FSU (211)
1988 Oklahoma St. (853) (ASU-4th)
Michael Bradley, OSU (141)
1989 ASU "B" (864/E) (ASU "A"-2nd)
Aaron Bengoechea, Pacific (202/-14)
1990 ASU (846/-18) Ramon Brobio, BYU (209/-7)
1991 ASU (840/-24) Phil Mickelson, ASU (204/-12)
1992 ASU (854/-10) Phil Mickelson, ASU (209/-7)
1993 UA(850/-14) (ASU-3rd)
David White, Arkansas (208/-8)
1994 ASU (859/-5) Larry Barber, ASU (205/-11)
1995 Arkansas (867/+3) (ASU-2nd)
Todd Demsey, ASU (213/-3)
1996 ASU (864/E) Lonnie Damon, BYU (214/-2)
1997 ASU (854/-10) Jeff Mixon, Oklahoma (209/-7)
1998 UCLA (867/+13) (ASU-2nd)
Brandon Ditullio, UCLA (211/-5)
1999 ASU (834/-30) Jeff Quinney, ASU (201/-15)
2000 ASU (846/-18) Paul Casey, ASU (207/-9)
THE LINEUP: Quick notes on the probable ASU lineup:
(1)-Senior Jeff Quinney-72.13 stroke average this year...has four top-10 finishes in six appearances this year...1999 Thunderbird/SAVANE medalist...2000 U.S. Amateur Champion...1999 second-team All-American...has won three tournaments in collegiate career, which is tied for ninth on ASU career list with Jim Carter.
(2)-Junior Matt Jones-72.94 stroke average this year...has three top-10 finishes in seven appearances this year...shot a season-best 3-under 213 (68-70-75) at U.S. Collegiate Championships in Mexico on April 6-8...honorable mention All-American in 2000.
(3)-Senior Jin Park-74.89 stroke average this year...has played in 42 tournaments in career...shot a career-best 65 in first round of Pac-10 Championships last year at Karsten.
(4)-Freshman Chez Reavie-74.00 stroke average this year...true freshman from Mesa, Ariz.
(5)-Junior Brian Nosler-74.29 stroke average this year...tied for ninth at Oregon Invitational.