Barring a first-place finish at the Pac-12 championships April 27-29, the ASU men’s golf team will miss the postseason for the first time since 1983.
The 28-year streak includes two team national championships and at least a share of 11 conference championships.
Tim Mickelson took over the proud program last summer with a vision to retain elite status.
In the fall, he will bring his first recruiting class to Tempe and the rebuilding process can take its next step.
Mickelson spoke to The State Press about his plan to revive the ASU golf team.
The State Press: The ASU men’s golf team is on the verge of missing the NCAA postseason for the first time in quite some time. How do you plan on improving the team, considering most of the players from this year’s team will return next year?
TM: We’ve got three freshmen coming in, and we’ll probably look at a few transfers as well from other four-year institutions that are looking to go somewhere else. We’ll maybe look at a junior college transfer as well.
While those players will be coming back, the starting lineup, in my opinion, is still going to look vastly different next year.
SP: How vital is the development of the current freshmen, considering they make up seven of the nine players on the roster?
TM: You want every player, whether they’re a freshman or sophomore, to get better for the team’s sake, but also for the individual’s sake. If they don’t get vastly better, then they won’t even be contending for starting roster spots in the very near future.
I’m very confident the players we are bringing in next year, for the most part, are all going to be starters, so the current freshmen have to step up their game quite a bit if they want to get any playing time.
SP: Freshman Austin Quick has been the team’s best player this spring. Do you think he will remain in the starting group?
TM: He should be able to. If you look at the freshmen who have done the most, (it’s) Austin, and then Mathias (Schjoelberg) would be the next one in line.
I would think that Austin has a chance to continue to stay in the lineup, but again, everyone’s going to have to continue to get better. Not just the people that we’re bringing in, but our current players need to get better to help us get to the level we want to be at.
SP: David Lowe has really turned around his season lately. Is he starting to mature?
TM: He’s always been a mature individual. I think it’s just a matter of him learning how to adjust college life and the different time demands placed on student athletes.
Reach the reporter at jmjanss1@asu.edu
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