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(04/25/13 1:00pm)
Senior Jin Song wanted to become a professional soccer player as a young boy, until he was introduced to the game of golf. "I wasn't as big as my friends who also played soccer, so I had to find something else," Song said. "One day, my dad took me to the driving range and I really loved it."The interdisciplinary studies major continued to pursue a future with the game after moving to Scottsdale with his family in 2001. After moving to Arizona, playing golf at ASU became his dream.Song moved toward making his dream a reality while playing competitively at Pinnacle Peak High School. However, he garnered no recruitment interest from ASU by the end of his junior year. It was then up to Song to make it happen and contacted then-ASU coach Randy Lein. "I sent him my scores, and he told me he wanted to see more from me before giving me a chance," Song said.Song responded to the coach's challenge and put up a stellar senior season. He claimed victory in every one of his matches, the Arizona High School 5A division super regional and the Arizona High School State Championship in 2007. That year, he also set his school record for average score per nine holes at 34.5 strokes. It didn't end there. In his senior season, Song was also chosen for both the Arizona Republic and Arizona Tribune Golfer of the Year awards. He also went on to win the Arizona amateur title in 2008."After that, he asked me if I wanted to come play for him," Song said.In his four seasons playing for ASU, Song's scores weren't as good as he hoped, but it didn't hinder the excellent experience he had as a Sun Devil."My highlight was playing in the Pac-12 championship in my junior season," Song said. "I also loved going to Japan with the team as a sophomore to compete in the Topy Cup. Playing overseas and experiencing a new culture was very neat."Song's best tournament finish while at ASU came at the Topy Cup when he tied for 16th in 2010.Playing golf at ASU also helped Song grow as a person."I learned a lot," Song said. "I went through a lot of swing and mechanical changes. I also learned to be more patient and hard-working, which has made me more mature and able to handle different things better off the course."As a fifth-year senior, Song only had one class to manage during the spring semester, which allowed him to focus most of his time to improving his game. His added time put into golf is contributing toward a greater goal. "I'm turning pro this summer and starting off by playing in mini tours locally," Song said. "My ultimate goal is to play in the PGA Tour, so I'm going to keep working hard to get there."If things don't work out for Song as an athlete, he said he would like to find work within the golf industry either working for a golf equipment company or at a golf club. Although, whatever happens with his athletic career, he is happy to have had the game in his life."Some of the best memories I have are playing against my dad when we had similar skills," Song said. "That was really fun for me."Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @AthruZ_14
(04/24/13 11:40pm)
A sixth-place finish for the ASU women's golf team at the Pac-12 championship tournament Wednesday kept ASU outside of coach Melissa Luellen's goal to place within the standing's top five spots.
(04/22/13 11:50pm)
The No. 13 ASU women's golf team finished fourth (+7) after the first day of play at the Pac-12 championship in Valencia, Calif.
Following a solid first round at the par-72, 5,702-yard Valencia Country Club, the Sun Devils feel good about their chances to finish high up in the standings Wednesday, when the tournament is scheduled to end.
"We're in fourth place after first day without many birdies," women's coach Melissa Luellen said. "Today proved that by finishing strong, we have a chance to move up the leader board in the next couple of days."
Sophomore Emilie Alonso (-1) set the pace for ASU in the first round of the three-day event, tying for third individually.
"It's great to get an under par score from Emilie," Luellen said. "She had a 60-foot putt to start the round and kept it rolling from there."
The rest of the squad stayed close behind with Alonso. Junior Laura Blanco (+1) finished the day tied for 10th, while junior Daniela Ordonez (+3) ended in a three-way tie for 25th. Sophomore Noemi Jimenez and junior Justine Lee (+4) tied for 30th in the field of 55.
USC junior Sophia Popov (-6) sits atop the standings, while her teammate, freshman Annie Park (-2), has sole possession of second place one day into the contest.
On the team side of things, No. 1 USC also lays claim to first place while host No. 8 UCLA (+2) is second and No.14 Washington (+5) sits third.
"Both L.A. teams are very good. They're a threat to win in every single tournament they play," Luellen said. "Washington was ranked number one after the fall season, so we're up there with some really good company."
Last year, ASU placed fifth (+23) at the conference championship in Pullman, Wash., a mark the team is looking to improve on in 2013.
"Finishing top-three is the goal," Luellen said. "We are the fifth seed coming in, so we want to finish no worst than that, but in order for us to finish top-three, we need to make some birdies."
The Pac-12 championship features eight teams ranked in the nation's top-50, meaning ASU is up against some stiff competition. However, facing a talent-heavy field is nothing new for the Sun Devils' golf squad.
In their most recent action, the Sun Devils placed fifth at home in the PING/ASU Invitational tournament. The Invitational hosted a 17-team field, which collectively was ranked within the nation's top 75. The event served as a great tuneup, leading up to the conference championship.
"Our field strength was outstanding," Luellen said. "Playing there gave us a feel for what were expecting to see here."
With 36 holes left to play, Luellen said anything can happen, but her team feels motivated to get on the course again.
"The girls believe we can win this tournament, and they're ready to go," Luellen said. "You can't win it on the first day but could sure lose it."
ASU tees off Tuesday at 9:10 a.m.
Live scoring of the Pac-12 Championship is available at www.golfstat.com.
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu or follow on Twitter @AthruZ_14
(04/16/13 10:47pm)
The No. 13 ASU women's golf team (-1) tied for fifth place in their only home tournament of the spring season Sunday at Karsten Golf Course.
(04/11/13 10:36pm)
The ASU women's golf team is preparing to host its only home tournament of the spring, the 2013 PING/ASU Invitational from April 12 to April 14.
(04/07/13 9:13pm)
The ASU men's golf team (+17) placed 12th at their home tournament the Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe on Sunday.
(04/04/13 10:48pm)
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Tuesday he would draft Baylor star center Brittney Griner in the 2013 NBA Draft if she was the best available.
Cuban's claim either speaks of the 6-foot-8 senior's immense talent or of the thin talent pool entering this year's draft. I choose to believe it's the latter.
However, that's not what this is about. This is about her not being physically and mentally prepared to go up against some of the most intimidating physical specimens on earth.
And to no one's surprise, it also involves the billionaire trying to make a buck.
Think of this: LeBron James is on a fast-break, steaming down the court. Griner gets in his way as he flies to the hoop and Griner gets posterized.
I'm all for women challenging the status quo, but that would be humiliating for her and embarrassing to the league.Although, would I pay to see that? No question about it.
See, the billionaire smells money in the water and has no anguish in raking it in at her expense.
As much as I'd like to see it, there's no need to go there. It won't end well for any party involved.Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez1@asu.edu
(04/03/13 12:00am)
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
(03/28/13 9:06pm)
The No. 14 ASU women's golf team finished in third place, shooting an eight under round Wednesday, at the Anunue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii.
(03/24/13 11:00pm)
The ASU women's golf team is heading into its fourth tournament of the season Monday. The Anuenue Spring Break Classic is set to be played from March 25 to March 27 at Kapalua Resort’s Bay Course in Maui, Hawaii.
The contest will be played over a three-day span at the par-72 course, stretching longer than 5,000 yards.
No. 14 ASU is one of 18 teams participating in the tournament, including No. 5 Stanford, No. 10 UCLA, No. 12 Washington and No. 18 UC Davis.
"We're very excited to play in this tournament," coach Melissa Luellen said. "It's a great field to be in."
Representing ASU will be sophomore Noemi Jimenez, junior Daniela Ordonez, junior Laura Blanco, sophomore Emilie Alonso and junior Justine Lee while junior Nicole Jones will participate as an individual entrant.
On the heels of back-to-back victories in her last two contests, a feat that hadn't been done at ASU since Louise Stahle in 2005, Jimenez is looking to keep her hot streak alive.
Winner of the Cal Classic and Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Jimenez is now the No. 6 player in Golfweek.com's individual collegiate women's rankings.
"She's played great and stay in her own bubble," Luellen said. "Her scores have been better than anybody else's."
The team will have junior Justine Lee back for the first time this spring after suffering a wrist injury in the fall. With more practice and tournaments under her belt, Luellen expects Lee to regain pre-injury form.
"Justine played her first 18 holes last Sunday," Luellen said. "She's going to be rusty and have some holes in her game, but she has to work past that. She's very appreciative of playing golf again, and she's a good, good player."
For ASU, having Lee back in the lineup only helps make the team better.
"It's a great opportunity to get her back in the lineup," Luellen said. "It's a step closer to where we want to be."
Prior to hurting her wrist, Lee was posting her team's lowest scores by averaging 74.84 strokes per round.
Luellen is looking to see more out of her entire team in order to place at the top of the standings.
"We'll be happy with finishing in the top three," she said. "For us to finish high everybody needs to step up."
Live scoring for the Anuenue Spring break Classic will be available at www.golfstat.com
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(03/17/13 11:00pm)
The NCAA college basketball tournament is one of my favorite events of the year, because anything can happen as the field of 68 unfolds.Devout college basketball enthusiasts and fair weather fans alike fill out their brackets with high expectations.Fans make selections from a gut feeling or external advice. Spirits are high as friends, co-workers and others swap banter.Then we all watch as March Madness lives up to its name. Everyone’s predictions begin to implode on themselves, leaving red and green marks throughout.But it’s much more than just filling out brackets. Small, low-seeded schools make unexpected upsets turning into Cinderella stories as they defeat highly-seeded teams and make their way deeper and deeper into the tournament.Big schools with rich basketball traditions and devoted fan bases charge into the final four.No matter how their school fares, students and alumni are able to display pride in their alma mater as their team makes an appearance in the big dance, even if it’s an early upset.Whether they watch at home, a friend’s house, in the office or at bar, everyone hopes to see their team advance or catch an exciting game.Who will it be this year?Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(03/08/13 12:31am)
The ASU women's golf team is heading to South Carolina this week to compete in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Tournament for the very first time.ASU will be the only school from the western side of the country taking part in the contest at the Long Cove Club from March 8 to March 10.
Coach Melissa Luellen said she is glad to be traveling to a part new part of the country, because it allows for the chance to face new competition.
"Traveling to South Carolina gives us the chance to play against teams we don't see all the time, primarily from the SEC," she said. New competition means new courses as well. The Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. is longer than 7,000 yards with a par 71.
Opponents will include numerous ranked teams, including No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 7 Arkansas.
Alabama not only enters the tournament as the field's top seed and the tournament's reigning champion. The Crimson Tide will bring one of the nation's top players, No. 5 junior Stephanie Meadow.ASU enters the tournament with five players. One competitor sophomore Noeimi Jimenez was champion of her last tournament. She took her first career individual title at the Cal Classic on Feb. 26 and is looking to continue her streak of dominance over the weekend. "Noemi looks and feels good," Luellen said. "She would really like to keep her good play up."Aside from Jimenez, the Sun Devils squad will be made up of sophomore Emilie Alonso along with juniors Laura Blanco, Nicole Jones and Daniela Ordonez.Luellen said Blanco, the No. 44 player in the nation, has worked on her putting during her time off because she's hungry to finish higher in the standings. Blanco finished tied for sixth in the team's last tournament in Pleasanton, Calif.Alonso, who has a career average of 78 strokes per round at ASU, is looking to improve on that mark."Emilie is a little frustrated with her game but knows she could play much better," Luellen said.Averaging almost 84 strokes per round, Jones is also working toward diminishing that mark, Luellen said. Ordonez has continually battled back issues, which didn't allow her to practice as much. However, Luellen said she felt great after her last round at the Cal Classic, and she should be fine for the upcoming tournament. Coming off their best performance of the spring, Luellen said it is important for her players to focus on their own games and no one else's if they want to succeed once again."We want to make sure our individual goals are set and clear," Luellen said. "That's how we can help our girls play best."Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(03/07/13 12:14am)
With four of the Pac-12 teams in the Top 10, the conference is highly regarded as the premiere collegiate golf conference in the country.
(02/27/13 9:07pm)
ASU sophomore golfer Noemi Jimenez took home her first career individual victory at the Cal Classic tournament in Pleasanton, Calif. , on Tuesday.
(02/26/13 1:00am)
Currently dwelling in the ninth spot in the NBA's Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers (28-29) are just trying to make the playoffs. They trail James Harden's Houston Rockets for the eighth and final seed of the playoff picture.
As of Monday, the Rockets are 2.5 games ahead of the Lakeshow with 25 games left in the 2012-13 season.
On the heels of a three-game win streak, the Lakers aren't looking like the "Dream Team" everyone expected to see this season, but they're coming together. They're also getting hot at the right time.
Kobe Bryant put the team on his back and downed the Dallas Mavericks 103-99 Sunday.
Before Mark Cuban's team hosted the Lakers, the Mavericks owner said to reporters that the Lakers should drop Bryant and his expensive contract to open up space on the Lakers' salary cap.
Cuban should have known better.
"The Black Mamba" dropped 38 points and dished seven assists to lead the Lakers to victory, laying Cuban's comments to rest by tweeting after the game, "Amnesty THAT." Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez1@asu.edu
(02/24/13 11:31pm)
Both ASU golf teams are heading west to participate in their respective tournaments this week.
The men are traveling to the Los Angeles are to compete in a two-day contest, the North Ranch Intercollegiate Tournament in Westlake Village, Calif., from Monday through Tuesday.Meanwhile, the Sun Devil women will play in the three-day Cal Invitational tournament hosted by the Golden Bears at Ruby Hill Golf Club in Pleasanton, Calif., from Monday through Wednesday.
The North Ranch Invitational will be the fourth tournament in four weeks for the No. 47 ASU men's team.
ASU men's coach Tim Mickelson said he mishandled the scheduling for his team in the spring by planning too many tournaments too close to each other.
"If you look at my brother (Phil Mickelson) or Tiger (Woods), they don't play every weekend," he said. "It could be wearing on the guys. I just think the guys could be getting burnt out a little bit."
Mickelson added that he's not worried with his team's physical state, but he is more concerned with the mental aspect of their game.
"Their games are good, but I just hope their minds are right," he said.
ASU will be competing against 11 other teams in the 36-hole tourney hosted by No. 8 USC, including Liberty, BYU, Lipscomb, Pepperdine, San Diego, San Diego State, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and Western Kentucky.
The Sun Devil squad will be made up of freshman Jon Rahm Rodriguez, Max Rottluff and Alberto Sanchez, as well as sophomores Austin Quick and Mathias Schjoelberg. A fourth freshman, Trey Kaahanui, will represent the maroon and gold individually.
Behind Rottluff, who has placed top 10 in three straight tournaments, Mickelson sees the North Ranch Intercollegiate as a real opportunity for victory. USC is the only team in the way of making that happen.
"I think we have a good chance to win," he said. "Like any other team, USC has its weaknesses, and if we can take advantage of that, I see a good chance of that happening."
Sophomore Austin Quick said he feels good, and, barring bad weather conditions, he could put up a good performance. However, he's taking everything a step at a time.
"No predictions," he said. "I just hope we come out on top at the end."Women head to Cal
For the women, coach Melissa Luellen isn't making any predictions either.
"It's about keeping control of the things you can," she said. "We can only control the things that are part of the process by looking at where we are today and go from there."
Her No. 17 Sun Devils will go up against No. 8 Stanford, No. 15 UC Davis, Cal, UNLV, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Fresno State and San Jose State.
Going into their second contest of the spring, Luellen's group will be made up of sophomores Noemi Jimnez and Emilie Alonso, as well as juniors Laura Blanco, Daniela Ordonez and Nicole Jones.
Luellen is keeping the same goal that she has had throughout which is to beat teams ranked ahead of ASU. To make that happen, she said her players shouldn't worry about their teammates during matches.
"Every girl needs to concentrate on their own game," Luellen said. "They don't need the additional pressure."
The ASU squad just received a bit of good news, which could help ease the pressure on the ladies.
Luellen said one of the team's top golfers, junior Justine Lee, is cleared to begin practicing her putting and chipping as she recovers from a wrist injury she suffered in 2012.
In their last and only tournament this spring, the team finished 12th (+68) at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13.
Live scoring of the tournament will be available at golfstat.com.
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(02/21/13 4:47am)
Earlier this week, head coach of the Arizona State men's golf team Tim Mickelson knew his young squad faced a tough task going into Monday's tournament.
Competing against the ninth-ranked field in the nation at The Prestige at PGA West, from Monday through Wednesday, the 54-hole contest found itself to be as hazardous as the Sun Devils anticipated and more, finishing at +18.
With their final score Mickelson's No. 47 ranked brigade placed 8th at this week's tournament in Palm Desert, Calif.
After the final round Mickelson said the tournament went how many people expected and he's not completely satisfied. However, it was yet another lesson for his youthful group.
"We lost to every team ranked ahead of us and beat every team ranked behind us," he said. "I'm disappointed because we had everything set up on a silver platter with better weather than the other teams but poor performances from a couple of guys and bad shots at the end from another didn't help. Its another learning experience for our young guys , were going to have growing pains as expected."
Freshman standout Max Rottluff shot even par, once again led the way for ASU and tied for 7th place individually. It was his third straight finish in the top 10.
"He's been a machine so far this semester," Mickelson said. "He's hitting so many good shots and putting very well. There really are no weaknesses in his game."
Mickelson said aside from Rottluff and sophomore Austin Quick the rest of the team struggled.
Quick ended at +5, freshman Jon Rahm Rodriguez trailed right behind at +6. Sophomore Mathias Schjoelberg finished with a score of +10 while freshman Alberto Sanchez rounded out the group at +15.
After a tough start to the season, Quick put up his his best overall performance of 2013.
"Felt nice to post three good rounds in a tournament, but still have some minor adjustments I need to make before next weeks tournament," Quick said. "Our whole team is struggling with consistency, but we know we can contend with the best of the Pac-12."
Individual entrant for ASU, sophomore Brandon Cloete, struggled shooting +26.
"This was only Brandon's second tournament," Mickelson said. "The whole point was to give him experience as to what college golf is about. These were not easy conditions but its all about gaining that experience to help the team later in the season during pressure situations."
No. 3 Washington certainly didn't struggle, tying for first with No. 8 USC. The Prestige is Washington's second straight finish with a share of the lead. The last one coming in Hawaii at the Amer Ari Invitational where they shared the trophy with USC rival No. 6 UCLA.
"Washington is just as good as Cal who is No. 1 in the country, they may even be deeper than them too. I'd give the edge to Washington," Mickelson said. "USC is really good as well, their guys are solid 1-4."
Right behind the Huskies and Trojans stood UCLA, who tied for third with No. 39 Texas Tech at +4. Fourteenth ranked Stanford trailed in fifth place at +8 while No. 15 Oklahoma State finished sixth at +12 and No. 13 Texas Christian just edged out ASU at +17.
"It's one of the best tournaments because of its quality," Mickelson said.
The Sun Devils pick up their clubs in California again next Monday at the North Ranch Intercollegiate two-day tournament in Westlake Village, Calif.
Live scoring of the tournament can be found at www.golfstat.com
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(02/18/13 1:00am)
After a 10-day layoff for the ASU men's golf team, the Sun Devils travel to Palm Desert, Calif., to compete in The Prestige tournament from Feb. 18 to Feb. 20.At the PGA West's Greg Norman Course, ASU will face off against 15 teams. The 54-hole tournament's field includes No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Washington, No. 6 UCLA, No. 8 USC, No. 13 Texas Christian, No. 14 Stanford, No. 15 Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Colorado, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Diego State and UC Davis.
A special entry, Scotland's University of Stirling, will appear in the contest.
The ASU squad will be made up of freshmen Jon Rahm Rodriguez, Max Rottluff and Alberto Sanchez, as well as sophomores Austin Quick and Mathias Schjoelberg. Sophomore Brandon Cloete will represent ASU as an individual entrant.
Mickelson's group will play off of Rottluff's momentum, coming off two straight top 10 finishes the Arizona Invitational and the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawaii.
"Max will be going into the tournament with the team's No. 1 position," coach Tim Mickelson said.
After a 10-day layoff, Mickelson said his players are hitting the ball very well.
He said expects his two sophomores, Quick and Schjoelberg, to provide leadership because of their previous experience at The Prestige tournament.
Quick thinks the layout of the Greg Norman Course at PGA West will be particularly beneficial to his play.
"I played well there last year," he said. "It's the type of course that works well for my game."
The Prestige tournament in past years has traditionally been helpful during the fall season. But a recent change scheduled the tournament in the spring for the first time, and Mickelson loves it.
"It's absolutely perfect," he said. "The grass is nice, the weather's great, (and) the greens are in great condition. We have no excuses to not play well."
Recently, the team has been playing well, and it has shown in the rankings. ASU started the spring season ranked No. 72 and, after Wednesday's latest update of the golfweek.com standings, the Sun Devils are now at No. 47.
"I expect for us to stay anywhere between 30 and 50," Mickelson said. "Where we will really move up is during regionals and championship rounds. We need as many wins as possible and to keep putting up good performances."
In its last appearance at The Prestige, ASU came in seventh place with a team score of -6.
Live scoring of the tournament will be available at golfstat.com
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(02/14/13 10:17pm)
The Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge didn't treat the ASU women's golf team very well.
The Sun Devils finished the tournament in Palos Verdes, Calif. in twelfth place with a score of +68.
ASU posted a team round of +21 in the contest's final round, head coach Melissa Luellen said unforced errors by her players cost the team down the stretch.
"It was a little rough," Luellen said. "Bad shots get you on the bogey train."
The No. 37 UCLA Bruins took the victory in by finishing at +18, No. 1 USC finished second at +27 and No. 4 Duke placed third at +29. Ironically enough, tournament host Ohio State finished in last place at +80.
"Scores from the field indicate how difficult the course is," Luellen said. "It's a very hilly course, the greens are small and fast. It's the hardest course we've played all year."
The coach said players need to have everything going well for them in order to score well at the Palos Verdes Golf Club.
Sophomore Noemi Jimenez had it going on for ASU at the challenge, tying for ninth at +7 individually. Sophomore Erynne Lee of UCLA earned first place honors by shooting even par in the same category.
ASU sophomore Emilie Alonso turned in a score of +27 while junior Daniela Ordonez finished at +20 and junior Laura Blanco ended the tournament at +12. Junior Nicole Jones struggled in her season debut with a score of +55, posting a +14 in the final round.
Luellen said she and associate head coach Missy Farr-Kaye have already held individual, post-tournament meetings with each player to asses what needs to be improved and how.
"Part of our job is to narrow their focus," Luellen said. "We help them pick things that will help their game the most by simplifying true needs and taking their emotions out of it."
The coach said she expects her team's No. 10 ranking to drop after their performance this week but Daniela Ordonez doesn't expect that to keep happening this season.
"We just had a bad tournament but it doesn't define who we are," Ordonez said. "I know the capabilities of our team and the five of us could've done a good job."
Ordonez said she is ready to begin practicing for the next tournament at a much higher intensity.
"It's not that I haven't been intense in practice," Ordonez said. "But those scores were not like me. I'm fired up!"
Following the Northrop Grumman Regional Invitational last year ASU placed second in the Battle at Rancho Bernardo in San Diego, Calif.
The next tournament for the Sun Devils comes at the Cal Invitational from Feb. 25 through Feb. 27 in Pleasanton, Calif. hosted by the Golden Bears.
Live scoring of the tournament will be available at golfstat.com
Reach the reporter at adrian.martinez.1@asu.edu
(02/14/13 1:00pm)
Ever since he first attended Sun Devil football games at 4-years-old, committing to ASU on a golf scholarship was almost inevitable for sophomore Austin Quick.