ASU captured its 13th conference title
CAREFREE, Ariz. — Arizona State men’s golf made the last-ever Pac-12 Conference Championship one to remember.
The Sun Devils captured the program’s 13th team title in convincing fashion, winning by 16 strokes and shooting a 27-over (368-365-362-352/1447) at Desert Forest Golf Club. ASU was the only team to shoot under par in the final round (3-under). ASU now holds five more Pac-10/12 conference titles than the next closest USC, which has eight.
Coach Matt Thurmond’s group pulled off the largest margin of victory at the Pac-12 conference championships since 2016. While it was the most weighty victory of the season, the Sun Devils 28-stroke victory at the Thunderbird Collegiate on April 12-13 was the largest of the season.
The win propelled Thurmond’s group to No. 3 nationally, according to Clippd golf rankings.
Utter domination.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS @SunDevilMGolf wins the 2024 @Pac12 Men’s Golf Team Title pic.twitter.com/5nD8k1loIP
— Sun Devil Men’s Golf (@sundevilmgolf) April 28, 2024
“This is an exciting accomplishment for our program,” Thurmond said. “The players put in so much hard work and it is special to see it pay off with a championship. We are proud to be able to represent Arizona State University and follow in the great tradition of Sun Devil Men’s Golf.”
With the win, Thurmond secured his first Pac-12 Conference title with the maroon and gold.
ASU sat in third after the opening round, but crept into the leader spot after the second round and maintained its grasp on the competition.
“Huge thanks to these players. They deserve this win and I’m really proud of them.” ️@MattThurmond delivers a heartfelt message to his team after the victory pic.twitter.com/EDmTuGu1uR
— Sun Devil Men’s Golf (@sundevilmgolf) April 29, 2024
“Huge thanks to these players,” Thurmond said. “To host an event like this where everyone thinks we are supposed to win, these guys were under a massive amount of pressure. I am so proud of how they handled it. We got behind early, but we just kept fighting and fighting. Thank you to my guys for everything. They really do deserve to win and I am happy for them. It is fitting that ASU wins the final Pac-12 Championship.”
Ryggs Johnston deserves his flowers, as well. Johnston shot an 8-over during the opening round, but kept poise and finished 1-under, placing second behind Stanford’s Karl Vilips (2-under).
Freshman Wenyi Ding, the fifth-ranked amateur golfer per WAGR, capped his phenomenal season with a tie for sixth. He lead the field during the third round and held onto second for part of the final round but recorded a triple-bogey hole 18, a par-4, knocking him out of the top five.
Freshman Connor Williams, who placed third for the Sun Devils and tied for 13th against the field, finished 10-over 294. Preston Summerhays, the sixth-ranked amateur golfer, fired an underwhelming 81 on Friday, but climbed back and shot a 5-under 66 to rocket up 28 spots. He finished tied for 15.
Josele Ballester shot a 15-over 299, tying for 34. Michael Mjaaseth finished last for the Sun Devils, carding a 20-over 304 and tying for 48.
Now with three wins on the season, Thurmond and his group will await regionals, which will be held from May 15-17. Seeding and location are to be determined. The NCAA Tournament will be hosted in Carlsbad, Ca., from May 24-29.
“We couldn’t have done this without the support of all our fans, boosters, and donors that do so much for this program,” Thurmond added. “That is part of what makes this place so special. Seeing the community come out and cheer us on today provided the extra boost that we needed.”