Women's Golf Set for Match in the Desert
TEMPE, Ariz. - Sun Devil Women's Golf opens the Spring portion of the 2021-22 season by traveling to Gold Canyon, Arizona for the Match in the Desert.
The seven-team event hosted at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club will start with 18 holes on Sunday, Jan. 23 before finishing up with 18 more on Monday, Jan. 24. It is open to the public, the first opportunity in the state of Arizona for fans to check out the 2021-22 Sun Devil Women's Golf team.
"We are excited to start the Spring this way in an expanded field out in Gold Canyon," Coach Farr-Kaye remarked. "Our team is looking forward to competing against some of the nation's top teams in a beautiful setting."
Live scoring will be available on Golfstat at the following link. Here is a full breakdown of the Match in the Desert:
THE FIELD
Arizona State is part of a loaded Match in the Desert field, the best in the history of the event. Four of the eight finalists from the 2021 NCAA Championship will cross paths once again in Arizona. Both the defending National Champions (Ole Miss) and the national runner-ups (Oklahoma State) will participate, in addition to NCAA Championship finalists Arizona State and Arizona. Kansas hosts this year, with previous host school Denver and perineal power UCLA rounding out the seven-team field. Arizona State is one of five Top-25 teams heading to Gold Canyon.
MATCH IN THE DESERT TOP-25 TEAMS (GOLFSTAT)
#2 Oklahoma State
#14 Arizona
#15 UCLA
#20 Arizona State
#24 Ole Miss
There is plenty of individual star power competing in the Match in the Desert as well. Eight of the Top-50 golfers in Golfstat's individual rankings are in the field, including Arizona State's own Calynne Rosholt (No. 27) and Alexandra Forsterling (No. 32). 14 of the Top-100 golfers in the nation highlight a talented field presenting a resume-building opportunity.
THE LINEUP
After a difficult qualifying session, Coach Farr-Kaye selected a deep and talented group of five to represent the Maroon & Gold. Newcomer Grace Summerhays wasted no time earning a spot in the lineup, making her Sun Devil debut out of the top spot. Alexandra Forsterling looks to build on a consistent Fall campaign as the No. 2 for the Sun Devils. Amanda Linner makes the lineup as the No. 3, with Alessandra Fanali slotted at No. 4. A sign of the depth of the Arizona State lineup, NCAA Top-5 finisher Ashley Menne rounds out the counting lineup. ANNIKA Award candidate Calynne Rosholt will compete as an individual, making her eligible for the tournament title.
Grace Summerhays
Alexandra Forsterling
Amanda Linner
Alessandra Fanali
Ashley Menne
Individual: Calynne Rosholt
HISTORY AT THE MATCH IN THE DESERT
This is the fourth consecutive edition of the Match in the Desert that the program has competed in at Lost Gold Golf Course in Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Arizona State won the two events contested in 2019 and 2020, with last year's version reduced to an intra-squad round for the Sun Devils. In the most recent Match in the Desert, Alexandra Forsterling shared co-medalists honors with teammate Linn Grant back in 2020, as ASU defeated UCLA, Arizona, and Denver.
SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
Arizona State ended the Fall season ranked highly in each of the three major national polls, widely considered a contender for a spot in the National Championship field in May. Golfstat ranks ASU the highest, slotting them at No. 20 in their final Fall poll. The Muzuno WGCA Coaches Poll has the Maroon & Gold ranked No. 21, while Golfweek/Sagarin rankings tabs them as the No. 23 team in the nation.
The Sun Devils also have plenty of individual firepower, with a pair of Sun Devils quickly rising up the rankings thanks to spectacular performances in the Fall. Calynne Rosholt is the highest ranked member of the squad, as she is ranked No. 27 nationally by Golfstat and No. 29 by Golfweek/Sagarin. Alexandra Forsterling is not far behind, coming in at No. 30 nationally according to Golfweek/Sagarin and No. 32 in the Golfstat rankings. Arizona State is one of only seven programs with two individuals in the Top-30 in Golfweek's final Fall rankings.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Tee-times for Sunday will be available soon, with ASU starting their round between 11 am - 1:10 pm. Monday's round will begin at 9 am via shotgun start, with the entire field teeing-off at the same time. For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com).