The last time the Karsten Creek Golf Course hosted the national championships, ASU’s Alejandro Canizares mastered the difficult course and became just the sixth freshman to take home the individual title.
As the tournament returns to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the first time since 2003, the home team, No. 1 Oklahoma State, is the heavy favorite.
“That’s the course they play and practice at every day,” ASU coach Randy Lein said. “I don’t think there is a guy on the team who has not played the course at least 100 times. So now you know all of the nuances, the breaks in the green, which shots are going to hold and which ones aren’t.”
OSU dominated their regional, winning by 18 strokes. However, Lein feels the team might run into trouble in the match play part of the tournament, which includes the top 8 qualifying teams after 54 holes of golf.
Also, the home course advantage is lessened as 9 out of the 30 teams in the field, including ASU, played the course during the PING-Golfweek Preview held last fall.
Phil Francis, Jesper Kennegard, Scott Pinckney and James Byrne competed for ASU in the preview and will play the course again in nationals.
Since all five of the Sun Devils are in their final year of eligibility, the team’s biggest advantage will be their experience.
“These guys are older, wiser, more mature, more experienced and they are going to understand that par is a good score. [On this course] if you’re making pars every hole no one is passing you by,” Lein said. “A bogey here and there is going to happen, but if we can stay away from the doubles and triples, we should be in good shape.”
Historically, the course has played very difficult. Clemson won the 2003 National Championship finishing 39 strokes over par. It was the highest score for a champion in that decade. Canizares 1-under-par 287 was the highest by a champion since 1983.
One of the reasons the course is so difficult is the 17th hole, which recorded more triple bogeys than birdies in 2003.
The 471 yard par-4 requires the player to carry 200 yards of water into a fairway that at one point is 15 yards wide with trees and heavy rough on either side. Then the player must hit a long approach shot into a green that has a lake pushed up to its edge on the left side. The green slopes down toward the water, so if the player leaves his second shot short or right, he will be pitching downhill at the lake.
“It’s an intimidating hole. There are a lot of holes that are intimidating, but certainly when you have scores like that, it’s unusual,” Lein said.
After a disappointing season so far, ASU might be thankful to even have a shot at the course.
It took a par on the last hole of the regional by Pinckney to make sure the team wouldn’t have to worry about a playoff to get in.
However that hasn’t dampened Lein’s expectations for a team he said has as much talent as his 1996 team that won the national championship.
“We want to make it into match play,” Lein said. “With the guys having a clearer mind and a better focus, that’s kind of their expectation, to finish up the season in match play.”
Despite the fact that the field will be the toughest ASU has faced all year, there are some key absences, including six teams from the top 25.
Among the surprises in the tournament is Kennesaw State which is making its first ever national championship appearance.
ASU has appeared in 18 of the last 19 championships, which is tied for second during that time.
During Lein’s 19-year tenure only Oklahoma State and ASU have had multiple individual winners. 14 teams in the field have never had an individual win the title.
Pinckney represents ASU’s best chance to win a third individual title in that time. The hometown senior from Anthem, Arizona finished in the top 10 five times this spring, including a second place finish in the regional.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu.
