Arizona State Golf Experiences Strong Start to Season

The Sun Devil golf program is in strong position to compete for a national title

Arizona State coach Matt Thurmond at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. | Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Arizona State athletics have undergone a transformation in the year-plus that Athletic Director Graham Rossini has been on the job.

The Sun Devil golf program has always been underrated in the grand scheme of things, having produced phenomenal professional golfers such as Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm. That has continued recently as well, as Arizona State won the opening tournament of the new season.

Phil Mickelson of Team HyFlyers GC hits off the fifth tee during the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship semifinals at The Cardinal at St. John’s in Plymouth on Saturday, August 23, 2025. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Via an Arizona State press release:

• "The first tournament of the 2025-26 season was in Seattle, where Preston won the event in fall of 2023 and Josele led ASU to the team title last year. Senior Michael Mjaaseth showed he is ready to lead the Sun Devils to continued great heights. Mjaaseth notched a birdie on the final hole to secure ASU's team win at the Sahalee Players Championship, as the Sun Devils outlasted preseason No. 3-ranked Texas by one stroke to take the trophy in the 12-team event. Mjaaseth tied for fourth with a 1-under 215 (69-72-74) and his birdie on 18 gave the Sun Devils the team title.

The Sun Devil Men's Golf team lost two of the best four-year players in school history in All-Americans Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester. That duo had ASU "in the hunt" for much since the fall of 2021, including solid shots at an NCAA title and always in the top ten of the rankings."

The Sun Devils return phenom Connor Williams to the fold for the new season, coming into the season with the number six ranking in the country.

Head coach Matt Thurmond has done a phenomenal job building off of recent success, having guided the Sun Devils to a top seed in last season's NCAA golf tournament, where they fell short in the quarterfinals to Ole Miss.

May 27, 2022; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Head coach Matt Thurmond of Arizona State walks down the first hole during round one of the NCAA DI Men's Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club - Raptor Course. Golf Ncaa Di Mens Golf Championships | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Sun Devils will continue to play in tournaments through roughly the next eight months, with the NCAA championships in 2026 set to be held in late May.

Read more on major takeaways from Arizona State football's week two loss here, and on taking a dive into coach Kenny Dillingham's comments after the game here.

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