Arizona State's golf alumni list does not fall short in the conversation about exceptional talent.
The most notable alumni include Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, ranked third and 150th, respectively. Both golfers have won the coveted Masters tournament, most recently Rahm in 2023.
Mickelson, having won three Masters, became the oldest player to win the PGA Tour Championship in 2021 at the age of 51.
Junior Preston Summerhays said that seeing the great alumni from ASU narrowed his decision when picking a school.
"When you look at a school to go to, it’s nice to see that they have really good alums," Summerhays said. "Here we have some really good ones. I mean, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, plenty of great players that play out on the PGA Tour."
However, the legacy that the golfers leave on the program is not the only way that new players can benefit; their physical presence is also something worth mentioning.
For instance, Kevin Yu — a recent addition to the PGA Tour — was recently back in Tempe helping the team out at Papago Golf Club.
Associate head coach Thomas Sutton described what it was like for the team to have alumni around.
"I think it's amazing," Sutton said. "It's a nice thing for our guys to see how life is for them. I think those guys teach our guys a lot about what college was like."
An alumni visit is not just an occasional thing, either. Sutton said that some former Sun Devils players, like David Puig, are still close with some players on the current roster.
"David still lives with three of the guys on the team," Sutton said. "Paul Casey is here all the time. Jon Rahm will come down occasionally. A couple of really good women’s players too. Anna Nordqvist was out here this morning, and they like to talk to the guys."
Graduate student Ryggs Johnston has had his fair share of mentorship over the past five years that he has been a Sun Devil. With only a few tournaments left before he leaves ASU, Johnston talked about the feeling of seeing his old teammates come back and his own plans for the future.
"I'm pretty close with a lot of them because I've been on the team for five years," Johnston said. "When I turn pro, I'm going to stay in Scottsdale and live here. I'll be around here a ton and keep seeing all the guys and everything. I plan to stay in touch with the program."
Beyond a familial aspect, the alumni come back to Tempe to mentor the team. Summerhays said that the players ask their mentors questions regarding both physical and mental aspects of their performance.
"You get both sides," Summerhays said. "It's like, here's some technical stuff, and then here's your mental side. It's different for each player just based on what they want to get out of the alums."
Johnston said that Summerhays has a close relationship with Rahm — more so than anyone on the team.
"Preston is a member at the same course that Jon is," Johnston said. "He’s a lot closer to Jon than a lot of us are. He gets to get more insight from him and ask him more questions, too."
Sutton said Summerhays, who is ranked 10th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, benefits from these regular interactions, particularly in the mental side of the game.
"John Rahm would definitely be more mentally," Sutton said. "David Puig would probably get out there and show the guys how to hit a chip shot."
Each alumni has their own expertise, which is part of the beauty of having former Sun Devils around current Sun Devils.
According to Sutton, current players have the chance to constantly interact with alumni, who make a considerable effort to discuss the game and the players' current challenges.
"They're out there watching them right now," Sutton said. "They come back, and they ask them about the tournament. Then the same thing happens when the alums come back and they ask the guys, 'How's this tournament?' It's just that constant dialogue that's beneficial."
Edited by Alfred Smith III, Sadie Buggle and Caera Learmonth.
Reach the reporter at Gbarberi@asu.edu and follow @Giobarberio1 on X.
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