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Men's Golf 2022-23 Recap: Tons of Good, Goal is Better

by thesundevils.com
Jun 10, 2023

The Sun Devil men's golf team under seventh-year head coach and GCAA 2022-23 West Region Coach of the Year Matt Thurmond advanced to NCAA championship match play for the third straight season, finished third in the Golfstat rankings, won its Thunderbird Invitational and the Las Vegas Regional while sophomore Preston Summerhays earned first-team All-America honors. ASU did all that with just one returning starter (Summerhays) from its 2022 NCAA semifinalist lineup and had two freshmen in the lineup most of the year.

MATCH PLAY NOTE
Arizona State, North Carolina and Pepperdine were the only schools to make match play in each of the three years at Grayhawk, while only Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt also made the 54-hole Sunday evening cut. Only 13 teams reached Grayhawk all three seasons.
  
WILD GOLFSTAT FINAL RANKING NOTE
ASU finished third in the final Golfstat rankings, which followed a solid pattern. ASU has now finished seventh (2018-19), sixth (2019-20), fifth (2020-21), fourth (2021-22) and third in its past five seasons. Coach Thurmond's squad was 22nd in 2017-18 and 20th in 2016-17.

GETTING THERE ISN'T EASY, HE DOES IT
Coach Thurmond has done as good of a job of anyone getting to the NCAA Championships consistently, something that isn't easy. The Sun Devils have made it all six chances since he arrived, starting with the 2017 championships. His teams at Washington from 2002-16 made it 12 of 15 times, getting to match play in 2012, 2010 and 2009. His teams have posted six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. ASU made it to match play twice in the eight years prior to Coach Thurmond arriving, but have made the past three, while all three of Washington's trips he was the head coach. ASU and UW have made eight trips to match play, and Coach Thurmond has been the coach in six of them.

COACH FINALIST FOR GCAA DAVE WILLIAMS AWARD/WEST REGION COACH OF THE YEAR
Coach Matt Thurmond was one of five NCAA finalists for the 2023 Dave Williams Award presented by Golf Pride Grip. The other finalists were Bruce Heppler of Georgia Tech, Scott Limbaugh of Vanderbilt, Conrad Ray of Stanford and Mike Small of Illinois. Coach Thurmond led ASU to top-six finishes in every tournament, including victories in two of their last final four at the Thunderbird Collegiate and NCAA Las Vegas Regional. The Sun Devils were led on the course by five All-Pac-12 golfers, including 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Michael Mjaaseth.

THREE-DOT DATA ON COACH THURMOND
Five straight years without being ranked outside of the top seven...three straight seasons in NCAA Championship Match Play (tied for longest streak)...won NCAA 72-hole stroke play and semifinalist in 2021, finalist in 2022 and quarters in 2023..has posted best end of season rank for five straight years among Pac-12 teams...has won 19 tournaments at ASU...Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2018-19 and West Regional Coach of the Year 2017-18, 2021-22 and 2022-23...Chun An Yu became No. 1 Amateur in the world 2019-20220..has coached 14 All-Americans at ASU. 
            
HEAD-TO-HEAD NOTE PER GOLFWEEK
Arizona State posted a 143-27-3 head-to-head record on the season (per Golfweek), and had the most wins of any team against both top 25 (68-26-3) and top 50 (104-27-3) foes. ASU's schedule was second-best in nation, behind only Texas.

BIRDIES IN A SEASON
Preston Summerhays had 163 birdies on the year, the most since Jon Rahm had 179 in his senior year (2015-16), In the Golfstat era, only Rahm (three times), Max Rotluff, Niklas Lemke and 2003 NCAA champion Alejandro Canizares have had more Sun Devil birdies in a season.

BIRDIES IN A SEASON
183-Jon Rahm, 2014-15
179-Jon Rahm, 2015-16
173-Max Rottluff, 2014-15
170-Niklas Lemke, 2005-06
165-Jon Rahm, 2012-13
164-Alejandro Canizares, 2003-04
163-Preston Sommerhays, 2022-23

GCAA ALL-AMERICANS/ALL REGION
Sophomore Preston Summerhays was announced as a first-team honoree, Michael Mjaaseth earned All-Freshman honors and honorable mention, while sophomore Josele Ballester also earned honorable mention honors for the second straight season. All are scheduled to return in 2023-24 along with 2021 third-team All-American Ryggs Johnston. Ballester, Johnston, Luke Potter and Preston Summerhays also earned GCAA West Region Honors.

ARIZONA STATE MEN'S GOLF ALL-AMERICANS UNDER MATT THURMOND
2023 (3): Preston Summerhays (first); Josele Ballester (hm), Michael Mjaaseth (hm)
2022 (4): Mason Andersen (third), Josele Ballester (hm), David Puig (hm), Cameron Sisk (hm)
2021 (4): David Puig (second), Chun An Yu (third), Ryggs Johnston (third), Cameron Sisk (hm)
2020 (1): Cameron Sisk (third)
2019 (1): Chun An Yu (first)
2017 (1):  Jared du Toit (second)

PRESTON SUMMERHAYS TAP-INS
Earned first-team All-America 2022-23 honors from PING, as nine Sun Devils have earn All-America honors (14 times) in Matt Thurmond's seven seasons. Earned medalist honors at the Thunderbird Collegiate on April 14-15 as he posted 13-under 200 (66-68-66) and was one of two golfers in the field to shoot below a 70 in each of the three rounds. He needed a mere 30-strokes on the back-nine of Sunday's third round. For his efforts, he was named Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Week. Posted a third-place finish at the 2023 Las Vegas Regional, where he was top six individually on each of par-3 (-1/T3), par-4 (-7/5) and par-5 (-11/T6) holes. Also tied for the fourth most birdies in the event with 19 and also had a dazzling three eagles at Bear's Best. In the past 15 seasons only four Sun Devils have earned GCAA first-team honors, as he joins a list that includes Chun An Yu (2019), Jon Rahm (2016 and 2015) and Max Rotluff (2015).

SUN DEVIL MEN'S GOLF FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS (2008-2023)
2023: Preston Summerhays
2019: Chun An Yu
2016: Jon Rahm
2015: Jon Rahm, Max Rottluff

SUN DEVIL LOWEST ROUNDS (62 OR LOWER)
60/-10, Paul Casey, 1999 Pac-10 Championship (fourth round)
61/-9, Jon Rahm, 2013 NCAA Championship (first round)
62/-10, Preston Summerhays, 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional (first round)
62/-10, Jeff Quinney, 1999 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (third round)
62/-9, Jon Rahm, 2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (first round)

ABOUT THAT 62 (SIXTY TWO) BY PRESTON
Preston Summerhays fired a ridiculous 10-under in the opening round of the 2023 Las Vegas Regional. He hit two eagles on the front-nine and carded a bogey-free back-nine. He birdied the first three holes of the back-9 and the last two, going 5-under on both the front and back. He totaled seven birdies and just one bogey in the round. He became the just the fifth Sun Devils to fire a 62-or-better card. The 10-under card is just the third for Arizona State in the Golfstat era. Of the other two, only Paul Casey's 10-under 60 in the 1999 Pac-12 Championship came in postseason play.

SOPHOMORE PRESTON SUMMERHAYS 2022-23 ROUND BY ROUND
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 9-11, 2022/70) 67-65-70=202/-8/T13
Fighting Illini Invite (Sept. 16-18, 2022/70) 69-72-72=213/+3/T17
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invite (Oct. 3-4, 2022/70) 75-63-69=207/-3/T8
East Lake Cup (Oct. 24-26, 2022/72) 71=71/-1/T6
Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2023/72) 72-75-74=221/+5/T23
Cabo Colligate (Mar. 5-Mar. 7, 2023/71) 74-67-68=209/-4/T5
NIT (Mar. 17-18, 2023/72) 66-71-70=207/-9/T4
Valspar Invitational (Mar. 27-28, 2023/71) 67-71-66=204/-9/T4
The Calusa Cup (April 2-4, 2023/72) 76-75-81=232/+16/T40
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023/71)/66-68-66=20/-13/1
Pac-12 Championships (April 28-30, 2023/70) 64-65-74-75=278/-2/T12
Las Vegas Regional (May 15-17, 2023/72) 62-70-65=197/-19/3
NCAA Championship Stroke Play (May 26-29, 2023/70) 71-71-70-69=281/+1/T18
13 TOURNAMENTS/39 ROUNDS/69.79 STROKE AVERAGE
18 ROUNDS IN 60s/26 ROUNDS OF PAR OR BETTER
LOW ROUND: 62/-10 at Las Vegas Regional first round/May 15, 2023

MICHAEL MJAASETH TAP-INS
After a stellar season that included etching his name into a growing lore of Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Michael Mjaaseth earned GCAA All-Freshman national team honors. Mjaaseth finished his freshman campaign with a stroke average of 70.72 and was Golfstat's fifth-ranked freshman. Since the GCAA began awarding the honor in 2009, Mjaaseth is the fourth Sun Devil recognized. Pllayed in 39 rounds, firing 16 in the 60s and 23 of those at par or better. He fired 66 or better on three occasions, including a 4-under card in the third round of the 2023 National Championships, pacing ASU in their rise from T21 after day one to a match play top eight finish after four days. He earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, the sixth Sun Devil to win the award since its inception in 1999 and the fourth consecutive ASU men's golfer to achieve the honor. No school in the conference has ever had consecutive winners of the Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year honor before the Sun Devils' current run of four straight from 2019-23.  Earned win at the Maui Jim Individual on Sept. 9-10, 2022, tying for first, after missing ASU's qualifying while he was securing a ninth-place finish at the World Amateur Championship in Paris, France.

SUN DEVIL MEN'S GOLF FRESHMAN ALL-TEAM HONOREES
Michael Mjaaseth, 2023
Preston Summerhays, 2022
Josele Ballester, 2022
Jon Rahm, 2013

FRESHMAN MICHAEL MJAASETH 2022-23 ROUND-BY-ROUND
Maui Jim Individual (Sept. 9-10, 2022/72) 67-69-66=202/-14/T1
Fighting Illini Invite (Sept. 16-18, 2022/70) 74-68-74=216/+6/T31
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invite (Oct. 3-4, 2022/70) 71-68-72=211/+1/T22
East Lake Cup (Oct. 24-26, 2022/72) 71=71/-1/T6
Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2023/72)/67-79-71=217/+1/T15
Cabo Collegiate (Mar. 5-Mar. 7, 2023/71) 72-73-72=217/+4/T23
NIT (Mar. 17-18, 2023/72) 69-75-69=213/-3/T20
Valspar Invitational (Mar. 27-28, 2023/71) 71-69-71=211/-2/T26
The Calusa Cup (April 2-4, 2023/72) 72-79-71=222/+6/T17
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023/71)/ 65-74-70=209/T12
Pac-12 Championships (April 28-30, 2023/70) 68-69-71-72=280/E/T20
Las Vegas Regional (May 15-17, 2023/72) 67-68-68=203/T9/-13
NCAA Championship Stroke Play (May 26-29, 2023/70) 76-72-66-72=286/+6/T40
13 TOURNAMENTS/39 ROUNDS/70.72 STROKE AVERAGE
16 ROUNDS IN 60a/23 ROUNDS OF PAR OR BETTER
BEST ROUNDS OF 2022-23 (66 OR BETTER)
65/-6 at Thunderbird Collegiate first round/April 14, 2023
66/-6 at Maui Jim Individual third round/Sept. 10, 2022
66/-4 at NCAA Championships Third Round/May 29, 2023

JOSE BALLESTER TAP-INS
Ballestter has now earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of his first two seasons, as this past season he had a 70.56 stroke average in 13 tournaments (39 rounds) that included three top-10 finishes in his final five tournaments. He tied for fifth out of 72 at the Las Vegas Regional with a 15-under 201, tied for seventh out of 80 at the Thunderbird Collegiate and tied for fourth out of 45 at The Calusa Cup. In his three tournaments prior to the NCAA Championship, he posted a 64 in each of the first rounds, as he 22-under par in his first round in the final four tournaments of the year. He has a 70.80 scoring average in 64 rounds (21 tournaments), with 20 rounds in the 60s and 37 at par or better.

JOSELE BALLESTER BEST ROUNDS OF 2022-23
64/-6  at Pac-12 Championships first round/April 28, 2023
64/-6 at Maui Jim Intercollegiate second round/Sept. 10, 2022
64/-7 at Thunderbird Collegiate first round/April 14, 2023

SOPHOMORE JOSELE BALLESTER 2022-23
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 9-11, 2022/70) 69-64-70=203/-7/T17
Fighting Illini Invite (Sept. 16-18, 2022/70) 75-71-70=216/+6/T31
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invite (Oct. 3-4, 2022/70) 69-70-70=209/-1/T15
East Lake Cup (Oct. 24-26, 2022/72) 70=70/-2/T4
Southwestern Invitational Individual (Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2023/72)/71-75-73=219/+3/21
Cabo Colliegate (March 5-March 7, 2023/71) 77-70-71=218/+5/T29
NIT (Mar. 17-18, 2023/72) 68-77-70=215/-1/T37
Valspar Invitational (Mar. 27-28, 2023/71) 73-69-74=216/+3/T48
The Calusa Cup (April 2-4, 2023/72) 73-72-70=215/-1/T4
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023/71)/64-72-71=207/-6/T7
Pac-12 Championships (April 28-30, 2023/70)/64-71-72-72=279/-1/T15
Las Vegas Regional (May 15-17, 2023/72) 64-70-67=201/-15/T5
NCAA Championship Stroke Play (May 26-29, 2023/70) 69-72-71-72=284/+4/T29
13 TOURNAMENTS/39 ROUNDS/70.56 STROKE AVERAGE
10 ROUNDS IN 60s/23 ROUNDS OF PAR OR BETTER
LOW ROUNDS:
64/-6 at Pac-12 Championships first round/April 28, 2023
64/-6 at Maui Jim Intercollegiate second round/Sept. 10, 2022
64/-7 at Thunderbird Collegiate first round/April 14, 2023

NOT TAKING THIS FOR GRANTED
The Sun Devils have now made the NCAA Finals in the past eight seasons, the fourth-best mark in the nation. Texas (16), Oklahoma (12) and Vanderbilt (9) are the only schools with longer streaks.

NOT EASY TO GET THERE
Getting to Grayhawk isn't easy, as eight teams ranked in the Golfstat top had their season's end at NCAA Regionals. Not advancing to the NCAA Championship in 2022-23 were Tennessee (12), Arizona (19), Ole Miss (20), Oklahoma State (21), San Diego State (23), Georgia Southern (26), Kansas State (27) and Wake Forest (29). Another note to show the balance in college golf nationally -- ASU is the only top-10 program to win a 2023 regional, with Georgia Tech (11), Auburn (13), Alabama (17), Mississippi State (18) and Georgia (34) winning the other five.

RYGGS ONE SMART DUDE, BACK FOR MORE IN 2023-24
Senior Ryggs Johnston became the second Sun Devil men's golfer to earn Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He has a perfect 4.00 grade-point average in business management, graduated in May with his management degree and a certificate in sports business and is returning for his extra-year of elegiblty granted by COVID-19 in 2023-24. He earned 2021 third-team GCAA All-America honors.
 


SENIOR RYGGS JOHNSTON 2022-23 ROUND-BY-ROUND
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 9-11, 2022/70) 67-65-66=198/-12/T5
Fighting Illini Invite (Sept. 16-18, 2022/70) 70-64-71= 205/-5/4
Ben Hogan Collegiate Invite (Oct. 3-4, 2022/70) 70-74-67=211/+1/T22
East Lake Cup (Oct. 24-26, 2022/72) 77=77/+5/19
Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2023/72) 72-79-73=224/+8/34
Cabo Colliegate (March 5-March 7, 2023/71) 72-74-73=219/+6/T35
NIT (Mar. 17-18, 2023/72) 71-71-73=215/-1/T37
Valspar Invitational (Mar. 27-28, 2023/71) 72-72-75=219/+6/T61
The Calusa Cup (April 2-4, 2023/72) 71-75-74=220/+4/T13
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023/71)/ 69-70-72=211/-2/T20
Pac-12 Championships (April 28-30, 2023/70)/68-73-68-70=279/-1/T15
Las Vegas Regional (May 15-17, 2023/72) 70-68-72=210/T36/-6
NCAA Championship Stroke Play (May 26-29, 2023/70) 75-69-72-68=284/+4/T29
13 TOURNAMENTS/39 ROUNDS/71.08 STROKE AVERAGE
11 ROUNDS IN 60s/21 ROUNDS OF PAR OR BETTER
LOW ROUND: 64/-6  at Fighting Illini Invite second round/Sept. 17, 2022

ABOUT THE REGIONAL IN VEGAS
ASU's performance at the Las Vegas Regional shattered program and NCAA records, as the 59-under 805 was ASU's lowest three-round tournament score in program history, the lowest score vs. par an ASU team has ever had and shattered both of the same records for any team to ever compete in an NCAA Regional. It marked the team's ninth regional victory, tying Texas for second-most all-time and the second consecutive year Arizona State has claimed a regional title as it won the Stockton regional in 2022 by ten strokes, shooting 38-under as a team while also besting Stanford. The unparalleled performance marked the lowest 54-hole score by a Sun Devil team, surpassing the mark set at the 2018 National Invitational at 50-under, and smashed the NCAA record of being 59-under par by 14 strokes, previously held by Texas in 2016 who shot 45-under. The Sun Devil's final round of 21-under (267) tied the record set by ASU in 2007 and Iowa State in 2017 with the lowest final round recorded by a team in an NCAA regional as the history continued with the Sun Devils breaking the lowest 54-hole record with a score of 805, set by Texas A&M in 2019 (807).

SUN DEVIL MEN'S GOLF REGIONAL TITLES
2023: Las Vegas, Nevada
2022: Stockton, California
2016: Albuquerque, New Mexico
2009: Daly City, California
2001: Corvallis, Oregon
1999: Tucson, Arizona
1998: Tempe, Arizona (tie)
1995: Albuquerque, New Mexico
1991: Albuquerque, New Mexico (tie)
 

Heading Back to Grayhawk?@SunDevilMGolf qualifies for the 2023 NCAA Men's Golf Championship in Scottsdale ?? pic.twitter.com/dJBB323n3L

— Sun Devil Men's Golf (@sundevilmgolf) May 17, 2023


ALL-PAC-12
Five Sun Devils earned 2023 All-Pac-12 honors, headlined by Freshman of the Year Michael Mjaaseth. The 2023 Thunderbird Collegiate winner Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester joined Mjaaseth on the Pac-12 First Team, while freshman Luke Potter and senior Ryggs Johnston each received Pac-12 second-team honors. It marked the first time since the Pac-10/12 began awarding end-of-season honors in 1985 that ASU had five players earn All-Conference recognitions in consecutive years, and just the second time the Sun Devils have earned five Pac-12 All-Conference honors since 1994.

FRESHMAN LUKE POTTER 2022-23 ROUND-BY-ROUND
Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 9-11, 2022/70) 68-67-70=205/-5/T24
Fighting Illini Invite (Sept. 16-18, 2022/70) 72-70-73=215/+5/T26
East Lake Cup (Oct. 24-26, 2022/72) 69=69/-3/T2
Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2023/72)/65-75-71=211/-5/4
Cabo Collegiate (Mar. 5-Mar. 7, 2023/71) 70-70-72=212/-1/T10
NIT (Mar. 17-18, 2023/72) 72-71-71=214/-2/T27
Valspar Invitational (Mar. 27-28, 2023/71) 68-75-73=216/+3/T48
The Calusa Cup (April 2-4, 2023/72) 76-73-69=218/+2/8
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023/71)/74-71-72=217/+4/T47
Pac-12 Championships (April 28-30, 2023/70) 67-67-77-70=281/+1/T26
Las Vegas Regional (May 15-17, 2023/72) 69-71-67=207/-9/T22
NCAA Championship Stroke Play (May 26-29, 2023/70) 77-69-73-72=291/+11/T63
12 TOURNAMENTS/36 ROUNDS/71.00 STROKE AVERAGE
11 ROUNDS IN 60s/22 ROUNDS OF PAR OR BETTER
LOW ROUND: 65/-7 at Southwestern Invitational first round/Jan. 30, 2023

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