The ASU men’s golf team needs any advantage it can find.
The likelihood of making the postseason is slim right now, but playing a home invitational gives ASU an edge over the field.
ASU hosts the ASU Thunderbird Invitational April 6-7, and just two days later, they compete in the Wyoming Invitational in Scottsdale.
Because of Easter Sunday, each team will play two rounds of golf Friday to still fit in the usual three rounds.
A round of college golf lasts around five hours, and with five rounds of golf in the next five days, the physical shape and mental toughness of the ASU golfers will be critical to success.
ASU will use the opportunity as a host to give a slew of players additional playing time by letting them compete as individuals.
Typically, a team brings along just one individual per tournament, but ASU saw it as a chance to give even more players further down the bench some tournament experience.
Sophomore Wes Strang and freshmen Cameron Palmer and Stan Gautier will compete as individuals, giving the Sun Devils eight players set to tee off in the upcoming invitational.
All eight of them know the home course very well. The team plays at the Karsten Golf Course frequently, and in preparation for the upcoming invitational, spent more time in recent days scouting out the course.
“This semester especially, we play there a lot,” freshman David Lowe said. “We’ve been (there) the last couple weeks, pretty much (playing) out there every day. The team went out there a couple days ago, and coach (Tim Mickelson) showed us where all the pins are going to be.”
Lowe returns to starting lineup
In the first two invitationals this spring, Lowe didn’t play his best. He averaged 7-over par per round during those two matches, forcing Mickelson to alter the lineup, shifting Lowe to the bench.
However, Lowe played well in a couple Valley invitationals as an individual, and re-enters the starting lineup confident.
“It feels great,” Lowe said. “I’m excited to represent the team (and) represent the University. Hopefully I can contribute to the team, and hopefully we can get a win.”
At the WSU Snowman Getaway in late February, Lowe shot 5-over par in the three rounds combined.
The tournament took place in Chandler, but the team competed in another out-of-state invitational. Lowe drove himself to the invitational.
One month later, another opportunity arose for Lowe. In the Desert Shootout in Goodyear, he shot a season-best, 1-over par 217.
“It’s been nice playing here in town, similar weather, similar conditions that I’m used to playing in,” Lowe said. “It’s given me a lot of confidence and some momentum heading into this tournament.
“(It was) a nice building block for me. The pressure feels the same whether I’m playing as an individual or playing for the team because I care just as much about the way I play.”
Reach the reporter at jmjanss1@asu.edu
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