Earlier in the season, ASU men's golf coach Tim Mickelson stressed the importance of learning from mistakes and getting past growing pains with his youthful roster.
Freshman standout Max Rottluff was the single player demonstrating consistency for the Sun Devils through the spring’s first four tournaments.
MIckelson also felt his players were getting overworked, having played one of the more jam-packed schedules in the nation to start the season. The team kicked off with four tournaments in February.
At the end of February, the team had a two-week layoff and entered the San Diego Intercollegiate, its only tournament in the month of March. ASU finished tied for second with No. 7 Texas Christian (+3), its best finish of the spring.
Individually, freshman Jon Rahm Rodriguez finished in first place at the Intercollegiate. Rottluff (+4) ended the final round tied for 16th while sophomore Austin Quick (+5) and junior Spencer Lawson tied for 20th. Sophomore Brandon Cloete (+11) tied for 51st.
After the contest, ASU rose three spots in the Golfweek.com national rankings to No. 44. Previously, the team sat at No. 47 after starting the spring at No. 72.
The men's rapid ascension this spring has shown the quick progression they have made in their quality of play.
ASU hosts the 41st edition of the Thunderbird Invitational from April 5 to April 7 at Karsten Golf Course.
The No.15 ASU women's team will also be playing its next tournament at home. The Sun Devils host the PING/ASU Invitational from April 12 to April 14.
ASU women's golf coach Melissa Luellen finally has one of her top players back in the lineup, junior Justine Lee. Lee's return puts the team near full strength, something that couldn't be said since 2012.
Lee, who just started playing again two weeks ago, will be playing in her second tournament of the spring during the home invite. Lee tied for 11th in the same event last year.
Without Lee, Luellen's squad struggled to find direction at the beginning of the season. The lady Sun Devils have fluctuated in the rankings all year by starting at No. 7, dropping to 10th, 14th, 17th and most recently shifting back up to 15th.
Much credit is due to sophomore Noemi Jimenez, who has won two of her last three tourneys and placed third in her most recent competition, the Anuenue Spring Break Classic.
Jimenez's play combined with juniors Daniela Ordonez and Laura Blanco improved scores indicate that ASU is heating up just in time for post-season play. The upcoming invitational is the last tournament ASU will participate in before competing at the Pac-12 championships from April 22 to April 24.
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
