After being pushed around two weeks ago by less-than-stellar competition, the ASU men’s golf team steps back onto the course against some of the strongest teams in the country.
With 11 of the 15 competing teams ranked in the Coaches Poll Top 25, the Southern Highlands Invitational in Las Vegas might be the most difficult invitational of the collegiate golf season.
Four of the top five teams in the country, including No. 1 Texas, and eight of the 13 highest-ranked schools are in this invitational.
“This is basically as close to the national championship teams that you will see,” ASU coach Tim Mickelson said.
ASU (43-52-1) faced many of these schools last month in the Amer Ari Invitational. ASU actually finished ahead of two schools — No. 25 Oklahoma State and No. 42 Texas Tech — that are currently ranked ahead of the Sun Devils.
But after two disappointing matches in a row, the Sun Devils now find themselves on thin ice in regards to playoff eligibility.
ASU is currently nine games below .500 and has an uphill battle to get back into the playoff hunt.
To make the 81-team postseason, ASU must be eligible by having at least a .500 record and then be selected as an at-large school.
Facing these elite schools in the Southern Highlands Invitational could push ASU’s record even further below .500 just before the home stretch.
Mickelson said the current sub-.500 record is worrisome going forward. ASU has missed the NCAA tournament only twice since 1963.
“We’re in severe jeopardy of not being able to make the postseason because of our record,” Mickelson said. “(The record) is a huge concern because this is the most difficult tournament that we’ll go to all year.”
Mickelson continues to shuffle the starting lineup, fine-tuning the order to find the best five golfers on the team.
Freshman Austin Quick will return to the lineup in place of fellow freshman Cameron Palmer. Senior Spencer Fletcher, junior Jin Song and freshmen Mathias Schjoelberg and Stan Gautier will join Quick in the lineup in Las Vegas.
As currently constructed, ASU might have found its five starters. This marks the third time this season using the current lineup, more than any other combination of players the team has used.
“Every now and then, somebody is playing better than another,” Mickelson said. “We feel that at this time Austin would score better than Cameron.”
Mickelson had a strong vibe about this weekend’s invitational, perhaps because he thinks ASU’s play will rise to the level of competition.
“For some reason, I have a good feeling about this week,” Mickelson said. “I think we’re going to play well.”
Reach the reporter at jmjanss1@asu.edu
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