May 27, 2005
ASU HEADS EAST FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: The Arizona State men's golf team travels to Owings Mills, Md., for the NCAA Championship June 1-4 (Wednesday-Saturday) at the Caves Valley Golf Club (par-70/7,129 yards). The 30 schools and six individuals will play 18 holes each of the four days. Live scoring of the tournament will be available at www.golfstat.com. ASU will tee with Georgia State and Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. in Arizona) on Wednesday and at 8:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. in Arizona) in the second round on Thursday. The Golf Channel will televise the final three rounds June 2-4 from 3-5 p.m. EST (Noon-2 p.m. in Arizona). ASU is ranked 10th in the lastest GCAA poll.
The Sun Devils have won two NCAA titles, in 1990 under then-head coach and 2002 ASU Hall of Fame inductee Steve Loy and in 1996 under current head coach Randy Lein. In the past 12 years (since Lein took over the ASU duties) ten different team champions have been crowned and ASU is the only school to have two individual champions in that time (Alejandro Canizares in 2003 and Todd Demsey in 1993). ASU also has finished in the top six eight times in those 12 years and has qualified for the NCAA Championships in 21 of the past 22 seasons, missing only in 2002.
ASU MEN'S GOLF NCAA Lineup (Tourn.-Rds.-Avg.)Pat Moore 6-1/Sr./Phoenix, Ariz. 12-36-71.75 B.S. Marketing (May, 2005) 3.03 GPA *U.S. Intercollegiate Medalist (April 16-17) *Four straight top-10 finishes *Three straighttop-five finishes
Alejandro Canizares 5-10/Jr./Manilva, Spain 13-39-71.64 3.91 GPA *Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge, Arizona/PING and Puerto Rico Classic Medalist *Six Career Individual Titles *Selected to third European Palmer Cup team
Niklas Lemke 6-1/So./Linkoping, Sweden 12-36-73.69 3.34 GPA
Jesse Mueller 5-8/Sr./Mesa, Ariz. 12-36-72.39 B.S. Marketing (May, 2005) 3.20 GPA
Charly Simon 6-3/Jr./Marbella, Spain 8-24-73.38 3.18 GPA
GETTING MOORE: Senior Pat Moore won the U.S. Intercollegiate held at Stanford Golf Course April 16-17 with a 2-under 208 (71-70-67) and has finished in the top-10 in the past four tournaments. He also finished sixth at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational April 8-9 with a 1-over 214 (68-74-72), was third at the Pac-10 Championships April 25-27 in Walla Walla, Wash., with a 5-under 279 (67-67-69-76) and was fifth at the NCAA West Regionals May 19-21 at Stanford with a 1-under 209 (69-69-71). The senior from Washington High School in Phoenix earned first-team All-Pac honors this year and has earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors the past three seasons. He has played in 29 collegiate events. He has a 71.75 stroke average this year in 12 events. Moore's four straight top-10 finishes is the best since Chez Reavie (2001 USGA Public Links champion) posted four straight top-10 finishes in the spring of 2003. Jeff Quinney (2000 U.S. Amateur champion) also matched the feat in the spring of 2001. Matt Jones posted five straight top-five finishes in the spring of 2001 en route to first-team All-America honors.
ALREADY A NCAA CHAMPION: Alejandro Canizares became just the sixth freshman in NCAA history to win the individual title with his 1-under 287 in 2003 at the Karsten Creek Course in Stillwater, Okla. Canizares came back from six strokes on the final day to win the event over three-day leader Lee Williams of Auburn and shot a 77-70-71-69. It marked the toughest course on the players in 20 years, as his 287 total was the highest by a champion since another Sun Devil, Jim Carter, won the 1983 title with a 287 as well.
FAST FACT: ASU is the only school to win both the men's and women's golf championships in the same season, at it won both in 1990.
UNDER LEIN: ASU has finished first (1996), fourth (1995), fifth (1998 and 1999), tied for fifth (1997), sixth (1993, 2001 and 2003), tied for ninth (1994), tied for 21st (2004) and tied for 25th (2001) under 13th-year coach Randy Lein in the NCAA Championship.
NCAA CHAMPIONS FROM ASU AND PAC-10: ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions: Jim Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Todd Demsey (1993) and Alejandro Canizares (2003). Other Pac-10 individual winners include: Frank Tatum Jr. of Stanford (1942), Scott Simpson of USC (1976 and 1977), Ron Commans of USC (1981) and Tiger Woods of Stanford (1996).
CHAMPS FROM THE PAC-10: ASU (1996) and Cal (2004) are the only Pac-10 teams to win the NCAA championship in the past 10 years. Other Pac-10 teams to win the NCAA Men's Golf Championship are: Stanford (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953 and 1994), UCLA (1988) and Arizona (1992).
ALEJANDRO NOTES: Junior Alejandro Canizares earned 2005 Pac-10 Player of the Year honors, joining an impressive list of Sun Devils who have won the honor including Scott Watkins (1979 co-player of the year), Dan Forsman (1981 co-player of the year), Billy Mayfair (1987), three-time NCAA champion Phil Mickelson (1990, 1991 and 1992), 1993 NCAA Champion Todd Demsey (1994), three-time Pac-10 champion Paul Casey (2000) and 2000 U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney (2001 co-player of the year). Canizares has won three tournaments in 2004-2005, with victories at the Big/Ten Pac-10 Challenge at Bandon Dunes, Ore., on Oct. 25-26, the Arizona/Ping Intercollegiate Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Tucson and the Puerto Rico Classic Feb. 27-March 1. He has a 71.64 stroke average in 13 events this year with five top-10 finishes. He also earned first-team All-Pac-10 for the second straight year after earning second-team honors and co-Freshman of the Year in 2002-2003. The native of Spain also gets it done in the classroom, as he has a 3.91 grade point average through the spring semester of 2005.
Alejandro Canizares Career Statistics Year App Top 10 Rds. Avg. Low 2004-05 13 5 39 71.64 65 2003-04 14 8 42 71.38 65 2002-03 8 3 26 71.65 68 Career 35 16 107 71.54 65
BOOK SMARTS: All six of the Sun Devils who competed in the Pac-10 Championships have at least a 3.0 grade point average. Alejandro Canizares leads the team with a 3.91 with all his spring of 2005 grades already posted.
IMPRESSIVE: Randy Lein has recruited a NCAA champion (Alejandro Canizares), a U.S. Amateur champion (Jeff Quinney), a U.S. Public Links champion (Chez Reavie), an Arizona Amateur champion (Jesse Mueller) and a British Amateur champion (Paul Casey) to ASU.
ON THE ASU CHARTS: Alejandro Canizares has already captured six tournament championships in his 35-tournament career. Canizares won the 2003 National Invitational in Tucson, the 2003 NCAA Championship in Stillwater, Okla., the 2004 ASU Thunderbird Invitational, the 2005 Big/Ten Pac-10 Challenge at Bandon Dunes, Ore., the 2005 Arizona/Ping Intercollegiate in Tucson and the 2005 Puerto Rico Classic. A look at
Canizares on the ASU career wins list: Rk. Name (Years) Wins 1. Phil Mickelson (1989-92) 16 2. Billy Mayfair (1985-88) 8 3t. Alejandro Canizares (2002-present) 6 3t. Paul Casey (1997-2000) 6 3t. Charlie Gibson (1972-75) 6 6. Todd Demsey (1991-95) 5 7t. Howard Twitty (1970-72) 4 7t. Scott Watkins (1978-79) 4 7t. Dan Croonquist (1976-79) 4 10t. Jeff Quinney (1997-2001) 3 10t. Jim Carter (1981-84) 3 10t. Mark Mattingly (1977-78) 3
RECENT INDIVIDUAL FINISHES: A look at top-10 Sun Devil individual finishes at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships dating to Jim Carter's 1983 NCAA Championship:
Player (Year) Place Year Site Alejandro Canizares (Fr.) 1st 2003 Stillwater, Okla. Todd Demsey (So.) 1st 1993 Lexington, Ky. Phil Mickelson (Sr.) 1st 1992 Albuquerque, N.M. Phil Mickelson (So.) 1st 1990 Tarpon Springs, Fla. Phil Mickelson (Fr.) 1st 1989 Edmond, Okla. Jim Carter (Jr.) 1st 1983 Fresno, Calif. Darren Angel (Fr.) T3rd 1996 Chattanooga, Tenn. Chez Reavie (Fr.) T4th 2001 Durham, N.C. Phil Mickelson (Jr.) T4th 1991 Pebble Beach, Calif. Paul Casey (So.) 4th 1999 Chaska, Minn. Joey Snyder (Jr.) T5th 1995 Columbus, Ohio Darren Angel (Jr.) T7th 1998 Albuquerque, N.M. Todd Demsey (Jr.) T7th 1994 Dallas, Texas Scott Johnson (So.) T8th 1995 Columbus, Ohio Chez Reavie (Jr.) 9th 2003 Stillwater, Okla. Billy Mayfair (Sr.) T9th 1988 Westlake Village, Calif. Scott Johnson (Sr.) T10th 1997 Chicago, Ill. Chris Hanell (Sr.) T10th 1997 Chicago, Ill. Chris Hanell (Fr.) T10th 1994 Dallas, Texas
PAC-10 HONORS: Junior Alejandro Canizares and senior Pat Moore earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors this year, with Canizares taking home Player of the Year in voting done after the Pac-10 Championships in late April. Senior Jesse Mueller earned second-team honors while sophomore Niklas Lemke was an honorable mention selection.
ASU'S BEST: Alejandro Canizares is looking to bump himself out of the ASU top-10 single-season stroke average list. After 13 tournaments this year, Canizares has a 71.64 stroke average, just .01 better than his freshman year mark when he posted a 71.65 mark in eight events. His 71.38 stroke average last year is seventh-best in ASU history.
ASU MEN'S GOLF SCORING AVERAGES (1987-2005) Rk. Name, Events Year Stroke Average 1. Paul Casey, 10 1999-2000 69.87 2. Phil Mickelson, 12 1991-92 69.95 3. Phil Mickelson, 11 1990-91 70.08 4. Billy Mayfair, 13 1986-87 70.59 5. Phil Mickelson, 14 1989-90 70.82 6. Chez Reavie, 14 2003-04 71.05 7. Alejandro Canizares, 14 2003-04 71.38 8. Chris Hanell, 13 1996-97 71.44 9. Matt Jones, 12 2000-01 71.46 10. Alejandro Canizares, 13 2004-05 71.64 11. Alejandro Canizares, 8 2002-03 71.65
Randy Lein: Randy Lein has coached 60 tournament victories in his 22 seasons, tutored 48 All-Americans and added the top accolade in collegiate golf in 1995-96 - the NCAA title - to his collection as the Sun Devils won the title in Chattanooga, Tenn., with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Honors Course. In his 13th season as ASU's coach, Lein has guided ASU to 37 tournament victories (including a school record six in 1995-96), seven Pac-10 titles, four NCAA West Regional wins (three of the past six) and eight top-10 finishes at the NCAAs including the 1996 title. In addition, Lein has tutored NCAA medalists Todd Demsey and Alejandro Canizares and 12 All-Americans (27 occasions): Todd Demsey (3), Chris Hanell (3), Paul Casey (3), Cade Stone, Chris Stutts, Joey Snyder (2), Scott Johnson (2), Darren Angel (2), Jeff Quinney (3), Matt Jones (2), Chez Reavie (3) and Alejandro Canizares (2). 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 Cal State Northridge.
IN THE TOP 10: Lein's nine top-10 NCAA finishes in his 12 years is tied with Clemson for the most in that span. In that time, there have been 10 different NCAA team champions, while ASU is the only school to have two NCAA medalists in his 12 years. ASU also has finished in the top six eight times under Randy Lein in 12 years.
NCAA CHAMPIONS IN THE PAST 12 YEARS (1993-2004/RANDY LEIN AT ASU) Team (NCAA Titles) TOP 10 TOP 5 Arizona State (1996) 9 5 Clemson (2003) 9 5 Oklahoma State (1995, 2000) 8 7 Florida (1993, 2001) 6 3 UNLV (1998) 6 2 Stanford (1994) 3 3 Pepperdine (1997) 3 1 Georgia (1999) 2 2 California (2004) 2 1 Minnesota (2002) 1 1
NCAA CHAMPIONS AS FRESHMAN 2003-Alejandro Canizares, Arizona State 1998-James McLean, Minnesota 1989-Phil Mickelson, Arizona State 1982-Billy Ray Brown, Houston 1974-Curtis Strange, Wake Forest 1971-Ben Crenshaw, Texas
NCAA CHAMPIONS: A look at the schools that have produced the most NCAA men's golf individual champions and the year the most recent champion took home the title:
School NCAA Ind. Champs Last Champion Year Yale 13 Tom Aycock 1929 Harvard 8 J.W. Hubbell 1916 Houston 8 Billy Ray Brown 1982 Oklahoma State 7 Charles Howell 2000 Princeton 7 G.T. Dunlap 1931 Arizona State 6 Alejandro Canizares 2003 Texas 6 Justin Leonard 1994
REGIONAL STREAK: According to the NCAA Records Book, ASU is one of just six schools that has competed in the NCAA Regionals all 17 years it has existed. ASU is joined by Arizona, Clemson, UNLV, North Carolina and Oklahoma State. NCAA Regional play began in 1989 and ASU has finished outside the top five just twice, when it tied for sixth in 2000 and when it finished 20th in 2002.