The ASU women’s golf team looks to duplicate last season’s success in the NCAA championship, where it finished fifth.
This season's team has a prestigious reputation to keep up. The Sun Devils' seven team NCAA championships and five individual championships make it the most decorated program in collegiate women's golf. The last of these team titles was in 2009 under current coach Melissa Luellen.
The Sun Devils will turn to junior Noemi Jimenez to lead the way to an eighth championship.
Last season, Jimenez finished 10th in the NCAA individuals and won WGCA second-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 honors. She was the first golfer since Louise Stahle in 2005 to win back-to-back tournaments at the Cal Classic and Darius Rucker Invitational.
Jimenez finished in the top-10 six times on the season and held the lowest scoring average on the team with 72.48.
Jimenez said the team’s goal is to make the nationals and improve on last season’s success in the NCAA championship.
"We had a really good season last year. We want to build off that success," Jimenez said. "Every tournament is important, but the big ones are the Pac-12 Preview in Hawaii and nationals."
One of the most interesting tournaments on the team’s schedule is the Pac-12 Preview in November at Nanea Golf Club in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. It will be the first ever Pac-12 women’s preview.
In April, the team has the Ping/ASU Invitational, which is arguably one of the best tournaments in the country.
The Sun Devils open up the 2013-14 season on Sept. 9 at the Fall Preview in Tulsa, Okla.
Three of ASU’s alumni were selected to compete in the biannual Solheim Cup this year: Carlota Ciganda, Azahara Munoz and Anna Nordqvist.
Ciganda, a Solheim Cup rookie, was a big part to Europe’s success winning all three of her matches. Munoz clinched the final point needed for Europe’s victory with a one-hole win over Angela Stanford. Munoz called it “the best shot of her life.” The ASU golfers contributed to Europe winning its first Solheim Cup on American soil in history.
Reach the reporter at afeyrer@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @coffeeblack910
