Arizona St doesn't miss a beat in starting fall with Maui Jim win
Arizona State's winning team (ASU Athletics/Twitter photo)
Arizona State opened its season this weekend with a seven-shot victory at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. If you were paying attention last spring, you might have seen this coming. Dating to last season, this is Arizona State’s fifth team title in the past nine tournaments.
The Sun Devils started a familiar cast from a roster that’s not just deep but experienced. Cameron Sisk, last season’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, posted 18 birdies on the weekend en route to a 14-under total (64-67-75) and his first individual college title. He now has 17 rounds in the 60s in his short college career.
Sisk returns after a summer in which he advanced to the quarterfinals of the British Amateur and the California Amateur in back-to-back weeks.
Arizona State also got strong performances and ties for third at 9-under 201 from senior Chun An Yu (65-68-68) and junior Won Jun Lee, who sandwiched two 5-under 65s around a 71. As a team, they reached 38 under for 54 holes.
"This was just an all-around awesome week for us," said fifth-year Sun Devil head coach Matt Thurmond, last season's Pac-12 Coach of the Year. "There are so many cool things to talk about. Cam (Sisk) was unbeatable. I knew that type of performance would come from him and it's pretty cool to start the season with it. Won Jun Lee shot 65 in both the first and last rounds and didn't have a bogey in either, that is amazing. Kevin (Chun An Yu) was his usual awesome self, and if a couple things go his way he's right there with Cam."
Arizona State’s roster is so deep that the Sun Devils sent five players to Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, Ariz., for the Mea Lakakila Individual Tournament. Senior Alex del Rey was co-medalist at that event.
"Our team is really deep this year," add Thurmond. "Each guy is pushing everyone else with their hard work and competitiveness. We aren't worrying much about results and rankings and just focusing on our keys to success and development. We did a great job of being all we want to be this week. Last year we had a chance to win this thing going into the final nine, but sort of let off the gas. This year we brought the heat all the way to the end. The fires me up."
At the Maui Jim, Arizona reached 31 under for a second-place finish followed by Clemson in third another two shots back and Pepperdine in fourth at 25 under.
Quotes and information from Arizona State Athletics
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54-hole men's college tournament hosted by
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