The @SunDevilMGolf program finished up hosting duties at the 47th annual Thunderbird Invitational with both a team and individual victory, the third straight year the Sun Devils have won the tournament and the first at their new home at Papago Golf Course. Junior Chun An Yu also won the individual medal for ASU and is the first to do so since Jon Rahm in 2016.
The Sun Devil are red hot on the season winning their third tournament in a row for the first time since 2014-15. ASU is ranked number two in the Golfweek coaches' poll and defeated number seven Texas and number one ranked Oklahoma State in the tournament.
Overall, it is the 20th time the Sun Devils have won at the Thunderbird Invitational, which they have hosted since 1973. It is also the 12th time an ASU golfer has won the individual medal at the event. The victory gives ASU their fourth title of the year (John Burns, Lamkin Grips, NIT) and their third individual medal (Andersen - Lamkin Grips, del Rey - NIT). ASU has now won 12 of the past 21 (1999-2001, 2003-04, 2008-09, 2014-15, 2017-18-19) and 19 of the past 31 years, including the 2018 win over eventual 2018 NCAA champion Oklahoma State and this year's defeat of the Cowboys.
Head coach Matt Thurmond has never lost at the Thunderbird Invitational since joining the team in 2016-17 and has now increased the teams tournament win total every year he has been at the helm. It is the third tournament victory as a Sun Devil for Chun An Yu and his first at the Thunderbird after two previous top ten finishes at the event. The junior is the seventh ranked collegiate golfer according to Golfweek and bested number one Matthew Wolff of Oklahoma State to win the honor. Chun An Yu seperated himself by shooting 11-under on par 4's, five strokes better than anyone else. Next for ASU was junior Blake Wagoner and sophomore Mason Andersen both finishing tied for 18th. Both saved their best for last and delivered their best rounds on the final day. Rounding out the Sun Devil lineup were junior Alex del Rey, finishing tied for 24th and freshman Won Jun Lee, finishing tied for 41st.
THE DEPTH
ASU also sported a B-team for the tournament, which finished tied for fourth. This included sophomore Koichiro Ishika posting a top ten finish tied for eighth. The B-team tied No. 1 ranked Oklahoma State as well as topping two other top 25 teams. The squad featured two freshman Cameron Sisk and James Leow, two sophomores Koichiro Ishika and Paul Chaplet, and senior Jino Sohn.
THUNDERBIRD TO MASTERS: Chun An Yu is in good company. There are three Sun Devil golf alumni playing in The 2019 Masters. All three won the Thunderbird during their time at ASU (Jon Rahm, Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson).
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Arizona State 277-278-277=832/-20
2. Texas 288-276-280=844/-8
3. UCLA 283-284-278=845/-7
T4. Oklahoma State 291-274-285=850/-2
T4 Arizona State (B) 285-282-283=850/-2
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
ASU A-TEAM
1. Chun An Yu, 66-67-68=201/-12
T-18. Blake Wagoner, 75-71-67=213/E
T-18. Mason Andersen, 69-75-69=213/E
T-24. Alex del Rey, 71-70-73=214/+1
T-41. Won Jun Lee, 71-70-77=218/+5
ASU B-TEAM
T-8. Koichiro Ishika 69-70-71=210/-3
T-11. Paul Chaplet 72-69-70=211/-2
T-18. Cameron Sisk 69-70-73=213/E
T-37. James Leow 75-72-70=217/+4
T-56. Jino Sohn 78-72-72=222/+9
T-76. Davis Evans (Ind.) 78-76-79=233/+20
PAST ASU INDIVIDUAL WINNERS: Eleven Sun Devils have now won the individual titles on 14 occasions, with Phil Mickelson (1991 and 1992) and Jon Rahm (2014, 2015 and 2016) the only multiple winners.
ASU THUNDERBIRD MEDALISTS
Chun An Yu, 2019
Jon Rahm, 2014, 2015, 2016
Stephan Gross, 2009 (shared)
Alejandro Canizares, 2004
Paul Casey, 2000
Jeff Quinney, 1999
Todd Demsey, 1995
Larry Barber, 1994
Phil Mickelson, 1991 and 1992
Jim Carter, 1984
Mark Sollenberger, 1974
SUN DEVIL TEAM WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (9)
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate/April 12-13, 2019
National Invitational Tournament/Mar. 18-19, 2019
Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12, 2019
John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23, 2019
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15, 2018
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13, 2018
Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24, 2017
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/March 18-19, 2017
Alister MacKenzie Invitational/Oct. 10-11, 2016
INDIVIDUAL WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (9)
Chun An Yu (Jr.) Thunderbird Collegiate (April 12-13, 2019)
Alex del Rey (Jr.) National Invitational Tournament (Mar. 18-19, 2019)
Mason Andersen (So.) Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12, 2019)
Chun An Yu (So.) Bandon Dunes Invitational (Mar. 11-13, 2018)
Alex del Rey (So.) Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24, 2017)
Chun An Yu (Fr.) National Invitational Tournament (Feb. 27-28, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr.) Prestige at PGA West (Feb. 20-22, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr./co-medalist) Amer Ari Invitional (Feb. 2-4, 2017)
Ki Taek Lee (Sr./co-medalist) Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2016)
The Sun Devil are red hot on the season winning their third tournament in a row for the first time since 2014-15. ASU is ranked number two in the Golfweek coaches' poll and defeated number seven Texas and number one ranked Oklahoma State in the tournament.
Overall, it is the 20th time the Sun Devils have won at the Thunderbird Invitational, which they have hosted since 1973. It is also the 12th time an ASU golfer has won the individual medal at the event. The victory gives ASU their fourth title of the year (John Burns, Lamkin Grips, NIT) and their third individual medal (Andersen - Lamkin Grips, del Rey - NIT). ASU has now won 12 of the past 21 (1999-2001, 2003-04, 2008-09, 2014-15, 2017-18-19) and 19 of the past 31 years, including the 2018 win over eventual 2018 NCAA champion Oklahoma State and this year's defeat of the Cowboys.
Head coach Matt Thurmond has never lost at the Thunderbird Invitational since joining the team in 2016-17 and has now increased the teams tournament win total every year he has been at the helm. It is the third tournament victory as a Sun Devil for Chun An Yu and his first at the Thunderbird after two previous top ten finishes at the event. The junior is the seventh ranked collegiate golfer according to Golfweek and bested number one Matthew Wolff of Oklahoma State to win the honor. Chun An Yu seperated himself by shooting 11-under on par 4's, five strokes better than anyone else. Next for ASU was junior Blake Wagoner and sophomore Mason Andersen both finishing tied for 18th. Both saved their best for last and delivered their best rounds on the final day. Rounding out the Sun Devil lineup were junior Alex del Rey, finishing tied for 24th and freshman Won Jun Lee, finishing tied for 41st.
THE DEPTH
ASU also sported a B-team for the tournament, which finished tied for fourth. This included sophomore Koichiro Ishika posting a top ten finish tied for eighth. The B-team tied No. 1 ranked Oklahoma State as well as topping two other top 25 teams. The squad featured two freshman Cameron Sisk and James Leow, two sophomores Koichiro Ishika and Paul Chaplet, and senior Jino Sohn.
THUNDERBIRD TO MASTERS: Chun An Yu is in good company. There are three Sun Devil golf alumni playing in The 2019 Masters. All three won the Thunderbird during their time at ASU (Jon Rahm, Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson).
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Arizona State 277-278-277=832/-20
2. Texas 288-276-280=844/-8
3. UCLA 283-284-278=845/-7
T4. Oklahoma State 291-274-285=850/-2
T4 Arizona State (B) 285-282-283=850/-2
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
ASU A-TEAM
1. Chun An Yu, 66-67-68=201/-12
T-18. Blake Wagoner, 75-71-67=213/E
T-18. Mason Andersen, 69-75-69=213/E
T-24. Alex del Rey, 71-70-73=214/+1
T-41. Won Jun Lee, 71-70-77=218/+5
ASU B-TEAM
T-8. Koichiro Ishika 69-70-71=210/-3
T-11. Paul Chaplet 72-69-70=211/-2
T-18. Cameron Sisk 69-70-73=213/E
T-37. James Leow 75-72-70=217/+4
T-56. Jino Sohn 78-72-72=222/+9
T-76. Davis Evans (Ind.) 78-76-79=233/+20
PAST ASU INDIVIDUAL WINNERS: Eleven Sun Devils have now won the individual titles on 14 occasions, with Phil Mickelson (1991 and 1992) and Jon Rahm (2014, 2015 and 2016) the only multiple winners.
ASU THUNDERBIRD MEDALISTS
Chun An Yu, 2019
Jon Rahm, 2014, 2015, 2016
Stephan Gross, 2009 (shared)
Alejandro Canizares, 2004
Paul Casey, 2000
Jeff Quinney, 1999
Todd Demsey, 1995
Larry Barber, 1994
Phil Mickelson, 1991 and 1992
Jim Carter, 1984
Mark Sollenberger, 1974
SUN DEVIL TEAM WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (9)
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate/April 12-13, 2019
National Invitational Tournament/Mar. 18-19, 2019
Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic/Mar. 11-12, 2019
John Burns Intercollegiate/Feb. 21-23, 2019
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/April 14-15, 2018
Bandon Dunes Intercollegiate/March 11-13, 2018
Maui Jim Intercollegiate/September 22-24, 2017
ASU Thunderbird Invitational/March 18-19, 2017
Alister MacKenzie Invitational/Oct. 10-11, 2016
INDIVIDUAL WINS UNDER MATT THURMOND (9)
Chun An Yu (Jr.) Thunderbird Collegiate (April 12-13, 2019)
Alex del Rey (Jr.) National Invitational Tournament (Mar. 18-19, 2019)
Mason Andersen (So.) Lamkin Grips San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12, 2019)
Chun An Yu (So.) Bandon Dunes Invitational (Mar. 11-13, 2018)
Alex del Rey (So.) Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 22-24, 2017)
Chun An Yu (Fr.) National Invitational Tournament (Feb. 27-28, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr.) Prestige at PGA West (Feb. 20-22, 2017)
Jared du Toit (Sr./co-medalist) Amer Ari Invitional (Feb. 2-4, 2017)
Ki Taek Lee (Sr./co-medalist) Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2016)