Summerhays, Sun Devils defending Thunderbird Title April 11-12 at Papago Golf Club

The third-ranked Arizona State men's golf squad stays local to compete in the Thunderbird Collegiate April 11-12 at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. Both the team and individual winners of the tournament were Arizona State in the past two years as they look to defend their titles. ASU will be without 2024 U.S. Amateur champion and three-time All-American Josele Ballester, who will be competing in the Masters.

SUN DEVIL TOP 150 WAGR RANKINGS (APR. 4, 2025)
6 - Josele Ballester
11 - Preston Summerhays
52 - Connor Williams
54 - Michael Mjaaseth
90 - Peer Wernicke
142 - Fifa Laopakdee

FIVE DECADES IS BIG TIME
The ASU Thunderbird Collegiate has been a thing for 51 years, sixth-most in all of NCAA men's golf. Only San Jose State's Western Intercollegiate (78 years), Houston's Border Olympics (75), Little Three Championship (72 years hosted by Canisius), Stanford's The Goodwin (55) and the Furman Intercollegiate (54) have longer runs. It has happened every year since 1973 sans the COVID shortened 2020 spring athletic season.

THE COMPETITION (CLIPPD SCORING RANKING AS OF APRIL 4)
The field for the tournament includes Arizona State (3), Utah (13), UCLA (15), Colorado (32), Houston (41), USC (42), New Mexico (47), GCU (50), Loyola-Marymount (58) and Oregon State (100).

OUR TOURNAMENT HISTORY HERE 
Last season, the Sun Devils took home hardware after the 2024 Thunderbird Collegiate ended with a team and individual winner. ASU claimed a dominant victory while Preston Summerhays repeated as individual champion. Head Coach Matt Thurmond's squad put together a historical performance on their way to a second-consecutive Thunderbird Collegiate Team Title. The Sun Devils finished an incredible 38-under to win by 28 strokes, the largest margin of victory by any team at the Thunderbird Collegiate since at least 2000. It marked the 22nd time ASU has kept the Thunderbird Collegiate trophy home.

THUNDERBIRD TITLES UNDER MATT THURMOND
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 12-13, 2024)
Thunderbird Collegiate (April 14-15, 2023)
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate (April 12-13, 2019)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (April 14-15, 2018)
ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 18-19, 2017)

BACK TO BACK
Summerhays became the first to win the Thunderbird back-to-back since Jon Rahm won three-straight from 2014-16. He joined an exclusive list of multi-time winners including Rahm and Phil Mickelson. After a five-way tie had developed at the top of the standings midway through the round, Summerhays (-12/201) used an incredible run on the back nine to create separation and ultimately pull away for the two stroke win.

NOTABLES FROM LAST YEAR
--Preston Summerhays first repeat winner of the Thunderbird Collegiate since Jon Rahm won three straight from 2014-16
--Third-straight Sun Devil to win the Thunderbird Collegiate (Summerhays, '23; Leow, '22)
--A golfer from Arizona State has claimed four of the past five and seven of the last ten individual titles at the Thunderbird Collegiate
--Arizona State wins back-to-back Thunderbird Collegiate team titles for the 11th time (first since 2018 & 2019; third time in Matt Thurmond era)
--22nd Thunderbird Collegiate Team Championship for Sun Devil Men's Golf (third since it moved to Papago in 2019)
--13th time ASU has swept the team and individual titles at the Thunderbird Collegiate (second straight year accomplishing the feat)
--Summerhays becomes the fourth golfers to win multiple Thunderbird Collegiate (Jon Rahm 3 times; Phil Mickelson 2 times ; J.J. Spahn, San Diego State 2 times)
-- Largest Margin of Victory since at least 2002

ABOUT THE COURSE – WHAT THEY WROTE
Nestled in the heart of Papago Park, surrounded by the Arizona desert's natural beauty and framed by the stunning Papago Buttes, Papago is a golfing haven in Arizona just under two miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Conveniently situated where Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale meet, it is a prime spot for golf enthusiasts. The course was created by William Francis (Billy) Bell, the genius behind San Diego's famed Torrey Pines.

THE 2023 WIN
Preston Summerhays combined consistency with clutch putts on the back-nine to win the individual and team titles at the 2023 Thunderbird Collegiate. Summerhays finished the round 5-under, including birdies on the final two holes, to give the Sun Devils (264-281-279=824/-28) a one-stroke victory over Arizona. He started his back-nine with a birdie on 10 combined with an Arizona bogey, helping shift the momentum with the Sun Devils. He finished the tournament at -13 (66-68-66=200/-13) and was one of two golfers in the field to shoot below a 70 in each of the three rounds in the tournament. He needed a mere 30-strokes on the back-nine. ASU trailed by as many as seven strokes on the back-nine. They caught fire with 15 team birdies, including five from Summerhays and four from Michael Mjaaseth. The Sun Devils headed into the final hole tied with Arizona after Summerhays hit a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole. After an immaculate drive and approach shot to the 18th green, Summerhays secured with his second birdie in as many holes. The clutch putt from Summerhays gave ASU Its first Thunderbird Collegiate Invitational win since 2019. It also marked the second straight year that ASU has won the individual title at its home event.

SUN DEVIL INDIVIDUAL THUNDERBIRD COLLEGIATE WINNERS
Preston Summerhays - 2024, 2023
James Leow - 2022
Chun An Yu - 2019
Jon Rahm - 2016, 2015, 2014
Stephan Gross - 2009 (co-medalist)
Alejandro Canizares - 2003
Paul Casey - 2001
Jeff Quinney - 2000
Todd Demsey - 1995
Larry Barber - 1994
Phil Mickelson - 1992, 1991
Jim Carter - 1984
Mark Sollenberger - 1974

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2025 ARIZONA STATE THUNDERBIRD COLLEGIATE
APRIL 11-12, 2025
PAPAGO GOLF COURSE
PAR-71/7,551 YARDS
TEAMS (CLIPPD RANKING)
Arizona State (3)
Utah (13)
UCLA (15)
Colorado (32)
Houston (41)
USC (42)
New Mexico (47)
GCU (50)
Loyola-Marymount (58)
Oregon State (100)