June 15, 2005
Arizona State men's golfer Alejandro Canizares has been named a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic At-Large All-American. The 14-person squad was selected by Sports Information Directors across the nation and includes athletes from gymnastics, golf, rifle, tennis, ice hockey, swimming and diving, fencing, wrestling, lacrosse and skiing.
Canizares was named a third-team PING All-American after a junior season that saw him win three tournaments and earn Pac-10 Player of the Year.The native of Spain has a 3.91 grade point average through the spring semester of 2005 and was a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection.
He won the 2003 NCAA championship as a freshman and finished the 2004-2005 season with a 71.65 stroke average in 14 tournaments, which tied for the 10th-best scoring average in ASU history, and added five top-10 finishes. He 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).
He 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 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.
He 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.