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Amer Ari Invitational poses biggest challenge yet for ASU golf

Jon Rahm- men's golf
Junior Jon Rahm tees off at the 10th hole of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open on Feb. 1, 2015. (Andrew Ybanez/The State Press)

ASU junior Jon Rahm tees off at the 10th hole of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open on Feb. 1, 2015. (Andrew Ybanez/The State Press) ASU junior Jon Rahm tees off at the 10th hole of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open on Feb. 1, 2015. (Andrew Ybanez/The State Press)

Junior Jon Rahm, coming off of a top-five finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and the rest of the ASU men’s golf team is in Hawaii this week for the Amer Ari Invitational.

This tournament is without a doubt the team’s most difficult one so far this season with a field that includes two teams in GolfWeek’s top-10, both Pac-12 opponents. No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 UCLA will both bring a lot of challenges to the Sun Devils who are coming off their first win of the season last week in Tucson.

No. 11 Texas, No. 14 Stanford, No. 15 USC, No. 18 Texas Tech and No. 20 Washington round out the rest of the top-25 teams that are part of the field. ASU is ranked 27th in GolfWeek’s rankings.

It has been a great week and a half for the ASU golf team, starting with a win at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson last week, including an individual win from junior Max Rottluff by four strokes.

Rahm followed that up by playing in the Phoenix Open and surpassing any and all expectations for him by shooting a 272 (12-under) and tying for fifth place with Scotland’s Martin Laird who led for much of the tournament.

Head coach Tim Mickelson tweeted out on Monday that the team does have a dilemma with those two players. That being which one to give the first spot to after both having such great weeks, as he said it is a good problem to have.

On Wednesday it was determined that Rottluff would get the nod at first spot with Rahm getting the second spot. Sophomore Nicolo Galletti, freshman Tobias Eden and junior Alberto Sanchez round out the rest of the lineup.

Seniors Ben Shur and Broc Johnson will be competing as individuals in the tournament.

The team ended its fall season in Hawaii in November with the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, recording a third straight second place finish. The team shot 40-under as a team and lost by 15 strokes to Georgia Tech who will be in the field this week as well.

In that tournament, Rahm shot 15-under for fifth place and Galletti shot 14-under for sixth place. Rottluff shot 6-under for 19th place.

At this same event last year, the Sun Devils finished tied for 11th shooting 26-under as a team. Rottluff recorded a top-10 finish with a 206 (10-under). Jordan Niebrugge of Oklahoma State took home the individual title last year.

Rahm shot a 210 (6-under) for 30th place in the event last year.

The Amer Ari Invitational is set to tee off on Thursday morning at the Waikoloa Kings' Course in Waikoloa, Hawaii, with the tournament wrapping up on Saturday. Unlike most men’s tournaments this one will consist of three rounds over three days instead of two.

 

Reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or on Twitter @bill_slane.

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