No. 21 ASU (13-under 851) finished tied for fourth place in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational, while the host team No. 4 California (39-under 825) won the tournament.
Sophomore Jon Rahm (9-under 207) led the Sun Devils in the tournament finishing in sixth place, but each of the five ASU players holed an eagle in the event.
After getting his fourth eagle of the season, Rahm’s career total is now at 13. Only four Sun Devils have more career eagles than Rahm.
Rahm started the tournament very well, shooting five-under par on Monday. He contended for the individual title the entire contest.
Coach Tim Mickelson said even though the team did not finish as high as they had hoped, they are still happy with the direction this team is heading.
“We played well on Monday, but somehow could not maintain that momentum (Tuesday),” said Mickelson. “It was frustrating losing to some mediocre teams, but I am confident we are moving in the right direction with this team.”
Other Sun Devils finishes were as follows: Sophomore Alberto Sanchez (3-under 213) tied for 16th place, junior Broc Johnson (2-under 214) tied for 18th place, junior Austin Quick (6-over 222) tied for 53rd place, and junior Mathias Schjoelberg (9-over 225) tied for 64th place.
Next up for the Sun Devils is the Bill Cullum Invitational in Simi Valley, Calif., on Oct. 21 and 22.
Mickelson said that this part of the season is all about establishing your identity and striving toward a good record.
“The fall is all about learning what type of team you have and gaining wins for the .500 record,” said Mickelson. “Both of which we have succeeded at (doing in) each event so far.”
Reach the reporter at afeyrer@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter at @coffeeblack910
