The Sun Devils had a good start in round one, a fantastic round two, grinded in round three but didn't lose much ground and then punctuated a solid week of stroke play Monday by earning the No. 1 seed for the second time under Matt Thurmond.
ASU shot 14-under 1,138 (286-277-295-280) to top Auburn by two strokes and did it in historical fashion. Josele Ballester tied for fourth, sophomore Connor Williams tied for seventh and Preston Summerhays tied for ninth, the first time in Sun Devil lore that it posted three NCAA Championship top-10 finishes.
Great Stat from @CGolfBook
In the last 50 years only eight teams (seven programs) have finished with three players in the top 10 at the NCAA Golf Championships
2025: Arizona State
2023: Illinois
2019: Oklahoma State
2017: Vanderbilt
1987: Oklahoma State
1982: Houston
1978: Georgi
1975: Wake Forest
ASU will match up with third-ranked Ole Miss in the first round of match play early Tuesday morning.
Coach Matt Thurmond Quotes
On advancing to match play
"I am so happy with the group today. Everyone around us think all you have to do is get to match play. That is all that matters. It doesn't to us. We are competitors and it is a habit to give it your very best and play your hardest to try and win everything every time.
On winning the stroke play portion of the championship and earning No. 1 seed
"It is a big deal. We are proud of this. We won the stroke play for the second time in five years. That meant a lot to these guys. For two of them, it was their final stroke play round. For the whole team, it was our last stroke play round. And we wanted it to be our best. I am happy that they took the round really seriously. They could've coasted in a bit when it was looking likely we were going to be in match play, but it wasn't about that for us. It wasn't just about that for us. It was about being awesome."
On the talented match play experience he has on his roster
"I am excited. Every team has good players at this point, but I really like our guys. We are going to be ready to play tomorrow."
Sparky Notes
- Arizona State has advanced to match play for the fourth time under Matt Thurmond. They are a combined 3-3 in match play since Thurmond took over in 2017. ASU has appeared in match play five times since the format was put in place back in 2009.
- Matt Thurmond now has had seven top-10 finishers at the NCAA Championship since taking over at Arizona State prior to the 2016-17 season. The seven have happened in seven chances, as ASU missed the championships in 2024 and it was canceled in 2020.
- SUN DEVIL NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (1983-PRESENT LISTED MOST RECENT)
Josele Ballester (Sr.), T4/2025 (Carlsbad, CA)
Connor Williams (So.) T7/2025 (Carlsbad, CA)
Preston Summerhays (Sr.), T9/2025 (Carlsbad, CA)
Cameron Sisk (Sr.), T5th/2022 (Scottsdale, AZ)
Ryggs Johnston (So.), 3rd/2021 (Scottsdale, AZ)
Cameron Sisk (Jr.), T8th/2021 (Scottsdale, AZ)
Chun An Yu (Jr.), 3rd/2019 (Fayettevile, AR)
Eight top-30 teams didn't make the 15-team Sunday cut as Illinois (12), UCLA (14), South Carolina (20), Georgia (22), Tennessee (23), Georgia Tech (26), South Florida (27) and Colorado (29) are headed home.
Not Easy To Make It
Nine top-30 teams didn't make the trip to the NCAA Championships this year, as LSU (6), North Carolina (10), San Diego State (15), Alabama (16), Utah (17), Duke (21), SMU (24), Long Beach State (26) and Louisville (27) all will be staying home after not making the top five at regionals. Last year nine top-30 teams didn't advance, including five top-10 teams, as third-ranked ASU, Ole Miss (7), Arkansas (8), Alabama (9), Washington (10), Georgia (20), Oregon (24), Duke (25) and Northwestern (28) all didn't make the regional cut.
TV Information
Match-play format that will consist of quarterfinals and semifinals conducted on Tuesday, May 27, followed by the finals on Wednesday, May 28.
About Coach Thurmond
Sun Devil ninth-year head coach Matt Thurmond - a 2024 National Golf Coaches Hall of Fame inductee -- leads the Sun Devils, who under 2008 National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee and Pac-12 Coach of the Century Randy Lein won the 1996 team title and won the 1990 title under 2002 ASU Hall of Fame and 2009 NGCA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Loy.
The Lineup with Collegiate Rankings
ASU's lineup consists of 2024 U.S. Amateur champion and three-time All-American senior Josele Ballseter (ranked ninth by Clippd), junior Michael Mjaaseth (28th), sophomore Connor Williams (35th), freshman Peer Wernicke (95th), sophomore alternate Fifa Laopakdee (65th) and senior Preston Summerhays (68th).
Recently
The Sun Devils tied for third at the 2021 NCAA Championship officially by reaching the semifinals of match play. It marked ASU's best finish since its won the 1996 title. It then came back in 2022 and lost to Texas in the title match, before falling in match play in 2023.
Special 1990
Arizona State in 1990 is the only program to have its men's and women's teams win the NCAA golf championships in the same season, and that will remain the case as Northwestern won the 2025 women's title but its men didn't make the championship.
Two Titles
The Sun Devil men won NCAA titles in 1990 (head coach Steve Loy) and 1996 (head coach Randy Lein).
Coach Thurmond Notes
Sun Devil ninth-year head coach Matt Thurmond coached James Lepp to the 2005 NCAA individual title, while also tutoring Cheng-Tsuung Pan (2015) and Nick Taylor (2008) to second-place NCAA finishes during his 15-year Washington tenure. Coach Thurmond also led UW to match-play quarterfinals in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and to six top-20 finishes prior to match play. He led UW to 12 top-20 NCAA finishes overall in 15 seasons, including third-place in 2005. ASU finished 16th in his first year wearing the maroon and gold, finished 13th in 2018 and 16th in 2019. In 2021, ASU posted the best stroke-play score and topped North Carolina before falling to Oklahoma in match play. In 2022 it fell to Texas in the championship.
MATT THURMOND AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
2025: TBD
2024: DNC
2023: T-5th (0-1 match play)
2022: 2nd (2-1 match play)
2021: T3rd (1-1 match play)
2020: COVID
2019: 16th
2018: T-13th
2017: 16th (first year at ASU)
2015: 15th
2014: 15th
2013: 16th
2012: 6th (match play quarterfinals)
2011: DNC
2010: 4th (match play quarterfinals)
2009: 3rd (match play quarterfinals)
2008: 7th
2007: DNC
2006: 9th
2005: 3rd
2004: 6th
2003: 11th
2002: 11th
2025 NCAA MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
OMNI LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA (NORTH COURSE)
PAR 72/7,480 YARDS
CARLSBAD, CA
TEAM LEADERBOARD (PAR 1,152 TOTAL STROKES)
RANKING IN PARENTHESES
Arizona State (5) 286-277-295-280=1,138/-14
Auburn (1) 286-282-282-286=1,140/-12
Florida (7) 285-286-292-280=1,143/-9
Oklahoma State (2) 293-285-291-282=1,151/-1
Oklahoma (6) 280-286-295-291=1,152/E
Texas (4) 285-291-293-288=1,157/+5
Virginia (10) 299-287-291-284=1,161/+9
Ole Miss (3) 293-287-296-287-=1,163/+11
---- TOP EIGHT CUT LINE AFTER FOURTH ROUND MONDAY ---
Florida State (9) 285-290-298-298=1,164/+12
Texas Tech (24) 292-298-286-290=1,166/+14
Texas A&M (11) 297-291-288-292=1,168/+16
Pepperdine (21) 293-294-292-290=1,169/+17
Vanderbilt (16) 294-294-291-291=1,170/+18
BYU (19) 289-300-289-292=1,170/+18
Wake Forest (40) 296-292-293-302=1,183/+31
INDIVIDUAL LEADER/SUN DEVILS
1. Michael La Sasso, Ole Miss 68-67-70-72=277/-11
T4. Josele Ballester, ASU 70-70-74-68=282/-6
T7. Connor Williams, ASU 68-67-75-74=284/-4
T22. Preston Summerhays, ASU 74-70-73-68=285/-3
T50. Michael Mjaaseth, ASU 77-71-73-73=294/+6
--- Peer Wernicke, ASU 74-70-78-DNP=222/+6
--- Fifa Laopakdee, ASU 71/-1 (fourth round)