TEMPE - Sun Devil Women's Golf will be in familiar territory when they participate in the 2025 Match in the Desert on Jan. 27.
No. 7 Arizona State will compete at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club for the seventh consecutive year, with Missy Farr-Kaye's squad becoming a regular in this event. They are looking to capture the program's fourth Match in the Desert team title. Six of the Top-40 ranked teams in the country will begin their Spring season in Gold Canyon, Arizona. The Maroon and Gold begin their round at 10:20 AM MST on Hole 1 of the Prospector Course.
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Coach's Corner
"The team is excited to get back on the course," Coach Farr-Kaye remarked. "We accomplished a lot during the break and the improvement continues. It will be great to compete in the state of Arizona and see some familiar faces out on the course."
Last Time Out
Sun Devil Women's Golf finished in second place at the 2024 Nanea Invitational. In a field featuring three of the Top-10 teams in the latest Scoreboard rankings, No. 7 Arizona State (-17/859) climbed into second place on the final day in the 11-team field. They only finished behind No. 1 Stanford, jumping No. 5 Texas thanks to a 285 (-7), which was the second-best round of any team on Wednesday. No. 47 San Jose State and No. 27 California rounded out the rest of the Top-5. The Maroon and Gold combined for 57 birdies in 54 holes, second-most in the field behind only tournament champion Stanford.
Freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien led the way all week, putting forth a career-best effort. She earned her first Top-10 finish, shooting a 213 (-6) over three rounds to end in a tie for sixth. McDonald-O'Brien led the entire field in par five scoring, shooting nine-under on such opportunities. Joining McDonald-O'Brien in the Top-10 is junior Paula Schulz-Hanssen, who delivered a third consecutive round under par. Schulz-Hanssen remained in a tie ninth place, her sixth Top-10 result of her career. Redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes makes it three Sun Devils in the Top-12, as she fired the lowest final round of any Sun Devil (-3/70) to move up four spots. Senior Grace Summerhays moved up the most of any Sun Devil, climbing eight spots into a tie for 18th thanks to her 71 (-2). Beth Coulter made it all five Sun Devils in the Top-20 of the 60-golfer field after carding another round under par (-1/72).
For the second time this season, all five Sun Devils finished in the Top-20. ASU also accomplished the feat on their way to winning the Windy City Collegiate Classic earlier in the month. Coach Farr-Kaye's squad showed effectiveness in all scenarios on the course, recording the second-best scoring average on par three, four, and five opportunities. Paula Schulz-Hanssen's 17 birdies over the three days tied her for the most of any golfer in the field. Beth Coulter finished with the most pars as well.
Sun Devils in the Rankings
Arizona State was considered one of the best teams in the nation heading into the 2024-25 season and they proved that they deserve the recognition throughout the Fall season. GOLF Channel initially tabbed them as the No. 9 team in the country in their preseason rankings. Golfweek also had high expectations for Coach Farr-Kaye's group, coming in at No. 14 in the publication's version of a preseason poll. ASU has only solidified that standing since the season started.
The Women's Golf Coaches Association released their final poll of the Fall, which had ASU at No. 7. Scoreboard presented by Clipp'd produces rankings based on results up to this point in the season and ASU is No. 7, which is the official metric used by the NCAA.
WGCA: #7 (as of 1/15)
Scoreboard: #7 (as of 1/15)
Three of five individuals are currently ranked in the Top-76 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), led by Patience Rhodes at No. 38. In addition to a team ranking, Scoreboard produced the final individual rankings of the Fall and all five Sun Devils are in the Top-200. Patience Rhodes is No. 27, followed by Paula Schulz-Hanssen (#44), Beth Coulter (#45), and Isla McDonald-O'Brien (#66).
The Competition (Scoreboard Rankings)
The Match in the Desert features an abbreviated field of only seven teams at the one day event. Six of the Top-40 teams in the nation will begin their Spring season in Gold Canyon. Arizona State is the highest ranked of the group at No. 7, followed by No. 17 Texas A&M. Host Kansas is the other Top-25 team coming in at No. 24, with Baylor (#27) just on the outside looking in. Purdue (#33) and San Jose State (#39) both boast NCAA Championship experience.
In the Field (7 Teams): Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Kansas (Host), Purdue, San Jose State, Texas A&M
The Format
Holes: 18
Days: 1 (Monday)
Scoring: 5 count 4
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,271
The Lineup
Arizona State boasts one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. Redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes earns the top spot yet again after recording another Top-20 finish for the fourth straight tournament to start the year. She will be followed by a pair of juniors, Paula Schulz-Hanssen and Beth Coulter, out of the No. 2 and No. 3 slots respectively for the fourth straight event. Freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien remains in the No. 4 spot after another Top-10 performance. Senior Grace Summerhays will make her 38th appearance as a Sun Devil, rounding out the top-ranked lineup in the field.
Tee Times
Arizona State will begin the Match in the Desert on Monday at 10:20 AM MST, with each of the five golfers beginning their round on Hole 1 every eight minutes. The Sun Devils will be paired with San Jose State and Kansas.
| PAIRING | San Jose State, Kansas |
| HOLE | 1 |
| TIME (MST) | GOLFER |
| 10:20 AM | Grace Summerhays |
| 10:28 AM | Isla McDonald-O'Brien |
| 10:36 AM | Beth Coulter |
| 10:44 AM | Paula Schulz-Hanssen |
| 10:52 AM | Patience Rhodes |
The Course
For the third-straight year, the Match in the Desert will take place at the Prospector Course at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. The par-72 course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son, Gary. It has played host to several LPGA and other professional events since it opened in 1998.
History at Match in the Desert
This will be the first opportunity for fans to check out the Maroon & Gold in the Copper State. Kansas will host for the fourth consecutive year, with the tournament taking place on one day. In the 2024 version, Arizona State (-9/279) put together a terrific score resulting in a third-place finish. Ashley Menne led the way with an outstanding performance, carding a 66 (-6) on her way to earning second place at the 34-golfer event.
This is the seventh consecutive edition of the Match in the Desert that the program has competed in and third held at Prospector Golf Course at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Arizona State won three-straight team titles at this event, coming away with victories in 2019, 2020, and 2022. The 2021 edition was reduced to an intra-squad round for the Sun Devils due to COVID-19. In the 2022 Match in the Desert, Alexandra Forsterling finished in second place on her way to earning Pac-12 Golfer of the Month honors for January of 2022. Arizona State finished at the top of an outstanding field that included No. 2 Oklahoma State, capturing their third consecutive Match in the Desert team championship.
2024-25 Arizona State Women's Golf Schedule
Arizona State will be tested throughout the campaign as Coach Farr-Kaye built one of the nation's toughest slates once again. The Maroon and Gold will compete in a total of ten regular season events, five in the Fall and five in the Spring. The postseason begins April 15 at the Big 12 Championship, with NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships scheduled for the month of May.
ANNIKA Intercollegiate – Sept. 9-11 (Lake Elmo, MN)
Mason Rudolph Championship – Sept. 20-22 (Franklin, TN)
Windy City Collegiate Classic – Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 (Wilmette, IL)
Stanford Intercollegiate – Oct. 18-20 (Stanford, CA)
Nanea Invitational - Oct. 28-30 (Kailua-Kona, HI)
Match in the Desert – January 27 (Gold Canyon, AZ)*
Therese Hession Regional Challenge – Feb. 2-4 (Palos Verdes, CA)
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate – March 3-5 (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Clover Cup – March 10-12 (Litchfield Park, AZ | Wigwam Golf Club)*
PING/ASU Invitational – March 28-30 (Phoenix, AZ | Papago Golf Club)*
Big 12 Championship – April 15-17 (Hockley, TX)
NCAA Regionals – May 5-7 (Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Norman, Oklahoma; Lubbock, Texas; Charlottesville, Virginia; Gold Canyon, Arizona)*
NCAA Championship – May 16-21 (La Costa, CA; Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Champions Course)
Italicized = Home Tournament
*Held in the state of Arizona
Rhodes on ANNIKA Award Final Watch List
Sun Devil Women's Golf redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes earned a spot on the ANNIKA Award Fall Watch List. The Haskins Foundation released their final watch list of the Fall season for the ANNIKA Award, given annually to the top female collegiate golfer. One of the 25 names included on the list was Patience Rhodes from Arizona State. Rhodes is one of only 11 underclassmen under consideration for the award. A Sun Devil has landed on this list in five of the past seven seasons, as Rhodes joins the company of program greats Linn Grant, Olivia Mehaffey, and Ashley Menne.
Rhodes is in the midst of a breakout redshirt sophomore season in which she has emerged as one of the most consistent golfers in the nation. She receives this distinction as a recognition for an incredible first two months of the season. Here is more about her accomplishments.
Rhodes in the Rankings
- No. 27 in Clipp'd (National collegiate golf rankings)
- No. 38 in WAGR (International amateur golf rankings)
- No. 15 in European Amateur Rankings
By the Numbers
- 2 Top-5 Finishes
- 3 Top-10 Finishes
- Finished in Top-12 of all four events
- 71.1 stroke average in 12 rounds
- 69.0 adjusted scoring average (via Clipp'd)
- 3 rounds in the 60s
- 8 rounds of par or below
- 252-24-11 (87.8%) head-to-head record
Azahara Munoz Inducted into ASU Hall of Fame
Sun Devil Women's Golf legend Azahara Munoz is part of the 2024 Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame class. Munoz is one of six Hall of Fame inductees as a part of a loaded 2024 class, joined by one Hall of Distinction selection. A luncheon honoring the class was held on Friday, Oct. 4, at ASU's Old Main, while honorees were introduced at Sun Devil Football's win over Kansas. Munoz becomes the 20th individual from Sun Devil Women's Golf to enter the Hall of Fame and is the 21st overall inductee with ties to the program. Women's Golf has been represented in three of the past four Hall of Fame classes (2019, 2022, 2024). The most recent representative from Women's Golf entered back in 2022, when Anna Nordqvist was honored.
"We are extremely proud of Aza for all that she has accomplished in her illustrious career," Sun Devil Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked. "She is a proud Sun Devil and is very deserving of this honor. There is no doubt she is one of the best players we have ever had come through our program."
Azahara Munoz left Arizona State as one of the most decorated golfers in program history.
- Captured the 2008 NCAA Individual Title in dramatic fashion, winning in a playoff to become the ninth Sun Devil to win the National Championship.
- Buried a clutch 25-foot putt to defeat UCLA's Tiffany Joh in the winner-take-all playoff.
- Helped lead Arizona State to the 2009 NCAA Championship, its seventh in school history and first since 1998.
- One of only four four-time All-Americans in the illustrious history of the Sun Devil Women's Golf Program.
- The top-placing Sun Devil at the 2009 NCAA Championships, earning her second-career Top-5 National finish by finishing in fourth place.
- Landed on the Pac-10 First Team All-Conference in each of her four seasons in Tempe.
- Compiled an incredible 31 Top-10 finishes in 39 career appearances as a Sun Devil.
- The first two-time recipient of the prestigious Edith Cummings Munson Award, which is given to the top collegiate female golfers nationally who also excel in academics.
- Graduated summa cum laude with a 3.98 in psychology.
- 2009 Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
- Four-time NGCA Academic All-American and two-time ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-American.
- While attending Arizona State, she competed internationally as one of the top-ranked amateurs in the world.
- Finished as the runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur, won the 2009 Ladies British Amateur Championship, and competed for Spain in the 2006 Women's World Amateur.
Five Sun Devils at the Paris Olympics
Sun Devil Women's Golf had more representatives than any other collegiate women's golf program at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Five Arizona State products competed in the most prestigious international event on the golf calendar. Both of the Spanish qualifiers were Sun Devils, with Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz each making their third Olympic appearance. The other three Sun Devils made their Olympic debut, as Linn Grant (Sweden), Alessandra Fanali (Italy), and Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) each earned a spot in the iconic competition.
Empty the Notebook
- Arizona State is one of ten teams that made the 2024 NCAA Championship and returns four members from that team.
- The Sun Devils will face a team in the Top-10 of GOLF Channel's preseason rankings a total of 28 times this year.
- Missy Farr-Kaye enters her ninth season as the Head Coach of Sun Devil Women's Golf. She is tied with Bobby Hurley (Men's Basketball) and Greg Powers (Hockey) as the second-longest tenured Sun Devil Athletics Head Coach. She trails only Zeke Jones, who is getting ready for his 10th year at the helm of the Sun Devil wrestling program.
- ASU has the chance to play in the state of Arizona up to four times this year. Regular season events have them playing Superstition Mountain Golf Club (Gold Canyon), Wigwam Golf Club (Litchfield Park), and Papago Golf Club (Phoenix). Should they qualify for a regional, the Sun Devils would compete at Superstition Mountain Golf Club a second time, serving as one of six regional hosts.
Top Finishes in 2024-25
T5th - Beth Coulter, Stanford Intercollegiate
T5th - Patience Rhodes, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T5th - Patience Rhodes, Mason Rudolph Championship
T6th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Nanea Invitational
T6th - Patience Rhodes, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T9th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Nanea Invitational
T9th - Beth Coulter, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T10th - Beth Coulter, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T10th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T12th - Patience Rhodes, Nanea Invitational
14th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T15th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T16th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Mason Rudolph Championship
T18th - Grace Summerhays, Nanea Invitational
T18th - Grace Summerhays, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T18th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Stanford Intercollegiate
T20th - Beth Coulter, Nanea Invitational
17 total Top-20 finishes; 9 Top-10 finishes by Sun Devils this year
Best Rounds in 2024-25
---> 67/-6 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Nanea Invitational First Round/Oct. 28, 2024)
67/-5 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Championship Third Round/Sept. 22, 2024)
67/-5 Patience Rhodes (Mason Rudolph Championship Second Round/Sept. 21, 2024)
68/-4 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Mason Rudolph Championship Third Round/Sept. 22, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
68/-4 Beth Coulter (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11, 2024
68/-4 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (ANNIKA Intercollegiate First Round/Sept. 9, 2024)
68/-3 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
69/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Windy City Collegiate Classic Second Round/Sept. 30, 2024)
69/-2 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate Second Round/Oct. 19, 2024)
---> 70/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Nanea Invitational First Round/Oct. 28, 2024)
---> 70/-3 Patience Rhodes (Nanea Invitational Third Round/Oct. 30, 2024)
70/-2 Patience Rhodes (Windy City Collegiate Classic Third Round/Oct. 1, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (Windy City Collegiate Classic Second Round/Sept. 30, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Second Round/Sept. 10, 2024)
70/-2 Patience Rhodes (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11 2024)
70/-2 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
70/-1 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
70/-1 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
70/-1 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Stanford Intercollegiate Second Round/Oct. 19, 2024)
70/-1 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate Third Round/Oct. 20, 2024)
23 total rounds of 70 or lower
Birdies by Sun Devil (2024-25 Season totals)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (61 birdies)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien (57 birdies)
Patience Rhodes (47 birdies; 1 eagle)
Beth Coulter (47 birdies)
Grace Summerhays (42 birdies; 4 eagles)
Total (254 birdies; 5 eagles)
Career Appearances
Grace Summerhays, 38 (35 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 29 (26 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 29 (26 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 15 (13 stroke; 2 match)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 5 (5 stroke)
Total 111 (100 stroke; 11 match)
Career Top-20 finishes
Grace Summerhays, 16 (7 Top-10)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 14 (6 Top-10)
Beth Coulter, 12 (5 Top-10)
Patience Rhodes, 8 (4 Top-10)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 3 (1 Top-10)
Total 53 (23 Top-10)
Elite Company
The Sun Devils are one of just eight Division I Women's Golf teams to earn a spot at NCAA Regionals every year for the past 31 seasons. Only traditional powers Arizona State, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Stanford, USC, UCLA and Wake Forest have qualified for a regional each time since the postseason format changed in 1993. Arizona State is one of only five schools to receive a Top-3 seed in each of the last four NCAA Regional selections. They are joined by only Wake Forest South Carolina, LSU, and USC in this exclusive group, an indicator of the consistent success of Coach Farr-Kaye's program.
A Tradition Like No Other
During the past five decades, many of the premier amateur women's golfers have called Arizona State University home. Arizona State won its NCAA-leading eighth national championship title in 2017 to reinforce its standing as the premier women's golf school in the United States. Under legendary Head Coach Linda Vollstedt, the program became the first in women's collegiate golf to win six championships in a decade (1990, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98). ASU remains the lone program to ever capture three national titles in a row (1993, '94, '95). The Sun Devil Golf programs did something in 1990 that had never been done before and hasn't been accomplished since. ASU swept both the Men's and Women's Team National Titles in 1990, becoming the first school to capture both championships in the same year.
Here for the Long Haul
Sun Devil Athletics was thrilled to extend four of its head coaches back in December of 2023, including Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye. Entering her ninth year with ASU, Farr-Kaye has been extended through the 2027-28 athletic calendar. She completed the trifecta in 2017, becoming the first individual in NCAA history to win a National Championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach at the same school.
"The Bird"
The Thunderbirds Golf Complex, designed by Douglas Fredrickson Architects and built by Rummel Construction Inc., is a 7,000-square foot facility featuring a grand entry lobby, national championship displays, a team gym and locker rooms for both men's and women's teams, a fueling station, study lounge, team lounge, indoor hitting bays and more. Designed by Sun Devil alumnus and five-time PGA Major Championships winner Phil Mickelson, who is known for his short-game expertise, the four-acre practice area consists of five practice greens, four practice bunkers and a three-acre fairway and rough designed to practice every possible golf shot. On Nov. 1, 2018, Papago Golf Course became the new home for Sun Devil Men's & Women's Golf with the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art practice facility -- The Thunderbirds Golf Complex -- through the generous commitment by The Thunderbirds organization. Arizona State, in partnership with The Thunderbirds, Arizona Golf Community Foundation, the City of Phoenix and Phil Mickelson Design, revitalized the course and helped build the Lou Grubb Clubhouse and Lou's Bar & Grill.
Fantastic Five
Patience Rhodes, Grace Summerhays, Paula Schulz-Hanssen, and Beth Coulter all return having gained another year of valuable experience. Highly-touted incoming freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien joins the program, forming a talented 2024-25 roster under the direction of Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye and Assistant Coach Mikayla Tatman.
How to Follow
Live scoring for the Stanford Intercollegiate can be found at the following link. 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 (sundevils.com). Find Coach Farr-Kaye (@missymkaye) and Coach Tatman (@CoachMikayla_) on X as well.