Tag: Arizona State

Once a fixture at WM Phoenix Open, most Arizona State alums now play for LIV Golf

Arizona State men’s golf alumni have traditionally been a big part of the WM Phoenix Open.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State men’s golf alumni have traditionally been as big a part of the WM Phoenix Open as its crazy costumes and inebriated fans. This year is no different with five former Sun Devils in the field. But it’s the ASU alums not in the tournament who are most conspicuous.

Six former Sun Devils have jumped to LIV Golf, most notably Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, who have a combined 64 PGA Tour victories. Mickelson once played 30 consecutive times at TPC Scottsdale.

The five remaining Sun Devils in the Phoenix Open field have a combined five PGA Tour wins (three by Chez Reavie and two by Grayson Murray).

“The ASU presence, I feel like it’s not as much anymore,” Murray said of the Phoenix Open field.

But while LIV has drained the Sun Devil connection to the Phoenix Open, ASU coach Matt Thurmond said he does not believe it detracts from his program.

“While I appreciate everything that the PGA Tour does and has done, and I appreciate everything LIV is doing, I don’t have a horse in the race,” Thurmond said. “What I want is what’s best for our players.”

In 2022, Thurmond’s star player – David Puig – decided it was best for him to leave school early and join LIV. Puig now plays for Fireballs GC alongside Sergio Garcia.

“It got to the point where we felt like it was such a no-brainer for him,” Thurmond said.

Puig initially played in a few LIV events as an amateur while remaining on ASU’s team. But eventually the deal “got even better for him,” Thurmond said. So, Puig turned pro in a groundbreaking development for the upstart golf league. The young Spaniard paid his own tuition to complete his degree at ASU and still lives with three current Sun Devils golfers.

“Our relationship as friends, it didn’t change much,” Puig said.

Puig’s LIV decision foreshadowed the arrival of a far more famous Spanish Sun Devil in Rahm. The reigning Master’s champion and world No. 3 player committed to LIV in a shocking reversal last December.

Like Puig, Rahm still lives in Scottsdale. In his news conference before the LIV Las Vegas event this weekend, he expressed sadness at missing out on the Phoenix Open and said he hopes to play in the event again.

Rahm’s absence casts a shadow over the tournament – and the future of the PGA Tour. But the ASU alums still in the Phoenix Open field say their relationships with Rahm are unchanged.

“Jon is one of my best friends,” said Nicolo Galletti, a former Sun Devil making his first PGA Tour start at the Phoenix Open. “He obviously just went to LIV, and I think it’s awesome for him.

“Make your money. That’s what it’s about. This is a job.”

The players did not believe that ASU alums on LIV were actively pulling other Sun Devils to the breakaway tour.

“I think it was just all on an individual basis,” said Reavie, who has played in 400 events on the PGA Tour since 2002.

Puig agreed that the ASU presence on LIV was not a major factor in his decision. But he did speak to Rahm about LIV before the two-time major winner made the switch.

“I don’t know if our talks helped or not,” Puig said.

Puig and Rahm played golf together frequently this past offseason.

“We have a lot of things in common, which is crazy because he’s a superstar, and I’m just starting my professional life,” Puig said.

While it has poached some of the world’s best talent, LIV still lags far behind the PGA Tour in popularity among fans. When both tours were live last Saturday, the PGA Tour received more than 11 times the viewership than LIV.

A 2022 survey famously found that only about 22 percent of golf fans approved of LIV. The league recently came under fire for allegedly threatening to imprison bankers that cooperated with the U.S. government investigation into the planned merger between it and the PGA Tour.

But the ASU men’s golf team seems to feel differently about LIV than most golf fans.

“It’s not just ASU, it’s all teams,” Thurmond said. “These kids are really excited about what LIV’s doing.”

The team aspect of LIV is particularly intriguing for college golfers, according to Thurmond.

With three current players ranked among the top 20 amateurs in the world, the Sun Devil presence on LIV could grow even larger in the coming years. Thurmond said he wouldn’t comment specifically on whether his current players – including freshman Wenyi Ding, Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester – had already been approached by LIV.

“But I will say that they have had or actively have opportunities all the time,” Thurmond said.

Though the most famous ASU alums play elsewhere, the Sun Devils on the PGA Tour continue to have an impact. Rookie Kevin Yu posted two top-10 finishes in January, putting him inside the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings. Yu accrued the second-best career scoring average (70.46) in ASU history during the Golfstat era, trailing only Rahm.

“One thing that stands out with Kevin is his ball-striking,” Thurmond said. “It’s pretty stunning to watch. He hits it as high and as far and as straight … as anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Murray won the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year, earning his second career victory and first since 2017.

Reavie, Galletti and Jesse Mueller – also a volunteer assistant for the Grand Canyon University men’s golf team – round out the Sun Devils in the 2024 Phoenix Open field.

With ASU playing in Hawaii at the Amer Ari Invitational, LIV playing its second event of the season in Las Vegas and the Phoenix Open scrambling to finish after heavy rain delayed the schedule, it will inevitably be a massive weekend for Sun Devils golfers.

“The golf program here has always been just a major part (of the university),” Thurmond said. “Golf is a really big deal here.”

King Jemison is a graduate student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.

Arizona State freshman sets all-time college golf scoring record in just his second start

Ding is having a historic start to his college career at ASU.

Wenyi Ding is having a historic start to his college career at Arizona State.

The mid-year enrollee and 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, Ding was brilliant in his debut last month at the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Arizona. He finished solo second at 17-under 199, which tied the fourth-best 54-hole score in team history since 1993-94.

He destroyed that mark in his second college start in Hawaii.

Ding won the Amer Ari Invitational on Saturday at Mauna Lani’s North Course on the Big Island, topping a field that includes six of the top nine golfers in the NCAA individual rankings, and he did so in record fashion. Ding shot 27-under 189, shattering the previous ASU record, Jon Rahm’s 21-under 192 at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational.

Not only is that an ASU record, the 189 is believed to be the lowest 54-hole total in the history of men’s college golf.

Arizona State freshman Wenyi Ding at the 2024 Amer Ari Invitaitonal. (Photo: Alex Gelman/Sun Devil Athletics)

In his six collegiate rounds, Ding has yet to shoot worse than 67, and his worst round at the Amer Ari was 8-under 64. He joined Rahm and Alex del Rey as the only Sun Devil golfers since 1993-94 to shoot 16 under or better in two tournaments during their career. His 10-under 62 in the final round also tied the lowest 18-hole score in ASU history.

Ding was brilliant in Hawaii, recording only one bogey over 54 holes of play. He had 26 birdies and an eagle, as well. He beat Washington’s Finn Koelle and San Jose State’s Carl Corpus by nine shots.

In the team competition, ASU also set a 54-hole scoring record at 63-under 801. However, it was North Carolina taking the team title, beating the Sun Devils by five shots and finishing at 68-under 796.

Last year, Illinois also hit 796 as a team at the Missouri Tiger Collegiate.

Ding is 44 under in his first six rounds as a Sun Devil, and his latest round etched his name in the record books. He has shot sub-200 totals over his first two 54 holes tournaments, which is also believed to be the first time that has happened.

Former USC running back and receiver Raleek Brown transfers to Arizona State

Raleek Brown will play for Kenny Dillingham in 2024.

Raleek Brown is not transferring from one Pac-12 school to another. He also isn’t transferring from one Big Ten school to another.

The world of conference realignment is creating some strange, new realities for everyone to deal with. Raleek Brown is making a move which would have caused a lot more USC fan anxiety and frustration one year ago. Now? It’s not nearly as much of a cause for concern.

Brown committed to Arizona State on Saturday. In 2022, this would have been an in-conference transfer from the Trojans to a direct competitor. Now, with Arizona State going to the Big 12 in 2024 and not being on USC’s schedule, this transfer won’t have nearly the same negative impact it would have had a year ago. USC will be off to the Big Ten, and ASU will be in a separate conference.

Lincoln Riley couldn’t make the pieces fit for Brown, who has obvious athletic ability but had problems making the right cuts and going through the right gaps in a defense. We will see if Kenny Dillingham can unlock Brown’s talents in Tempe with the Sun Devils.

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Another former Fighting Irish quarterback returning to Notre Dame

He’s baaaaaaack! (sorta)

Earlier this offseason came the news former Notre Dame starting quarterback Tyler Buchner was returning to campus. Briefly Alabama’s starting quarterback, Buchner will return to South Bend to play lacrosse for Notre Dame but not football.

Add a second former starting quarterback to the list of people returning to Notre Dame but not playing football. This time its former Notre Dame starting quarterback Drew Pyne.

Pyne started much of the 2022 season after Buchner was hurt in the season’s second game. He transferred to Arizona State this past year. He played in two games, threw two touchdown passes and threw three interceptions.

According to Pete Thamel, Pyne will return to school to graduate but has no plans to be a part of the football program.

Is Notre Dame’s quarterback room getting better?

Seeing as two former starters are back on campus with eligibility remaining but with no interest in playing football, it certainly seems that is the case.

Regardless, welcome back No. 10!

Former Michigan State football QB Sam Leavitt commits to Arizona State

Former Michigan State football QB Sam Leavitt commits to Arizona State

It was a bit of a surprise when former Michigan State football quarterback Sam Leavitt entered the NCAA transfer portal after the acquisition of Jonathan Smith as the new head coach at MSU. Leavitt cited ‘hard feelings’ between him and Smith as the reason for his exit.

On Monday, Leavitt announced his new home: Arizona State.

Leavitt was a former 4-star from West Linn, Oregon. He played in four games for MSU, throwing for 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

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Michigan State football DL coach Diron Reynolds joining Arizona State staff

Michigan State football DL coach Diron Reynolds joining Arizona State staff

With Jonathan Smith taking over at Michigan State football, there was a possibility that a few of the more well-regarded members of the staff could stay in the new regime for some continuity. We now know that MSU defensive line coach Diron Reynolds will not be one of those names sticking around.

On Sunday, it was reported by Chris Karpman of 247Sports that Reynolds will be joining the Arizona State staff in the same role, as defensive line coach.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Jon Rahm to throw out first pitch before Game 4 of World Series

Rahm will be a special guest of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have invited 2023 Masters champ and Arizona State alum Jon Rahm to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 4 of the World Series.

The Dbacks are hosting Games 3, 4 and 5 against the Texas Rangers in downtown Phoenix and are trotting out 2001 World Series heroes Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzlaez to both throw out the first pitch ahead of Game 3 on Monday. Rahm will take the bump Tuesday before Game 4.

Game 4 is scheduled to start at 8:03 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Fox Sports has live coverage of the World Series (Watch FREE on Fubo).

Rahm, a fan favorite at the WM Phoenix Open every year, was a special guest of the Phoenix Suns in May prior to a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets. The Suns won that game so maybe Rahmbo’s luck will wear off on the local baseball team.

Game 1 of the World Series in Arlington, Texas, brought fellow Masters champs and Rangers fans Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler out to the ballpark.

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Joshua Dobbs details decommitting from Arizona State, signing with Vols

Joshua Dobbs details decommitting from Arizona State and signing with the Vols.

Former Vols’ quarterback Joshua Dobbs was traded to Arizona on Aug. 24.

Dobbs met with media on Wednesday ahead of the regular-season.

He discussed being committed to Arizona State before signing with the Vols in 2013.

“As fate would have it, I had to get to Arizona somehow,” Dobbs said. “I was committed to Arizona State for eight months. This was back when signing days were in February, so it’s the cliche story of decommitting the day before signing day and going to Tennessee which was hurtful to ASU faithful. It’s good to be out here now. I was very close. Coach (Mike) Norvell was the offensive coordinator at that time and I was really looking forward to playing for him.

“I ended up going on my official visit to Tennessee and I really loved it. Geographically, it was closer to home, and I had an opportunity to play a little earlier in my career at the University of Tennessee than ASU, but they both had tremendous aerospace engineering programs which was really important to me. I was really close, but I made it out here now. It all comes full circle.”

Dobbs committed to Arizona State on June 13, 2012. He signed with Tennessee on Feb. 6, 2013.

PHOTOS: Joshua Dobbs through the years

Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Network

Notre Dame football: Former Irish starting QB update at Arizona State

Drew Pyne, Notre Dame’s starter for much of 2022 is now at Arizona State. An update to the start of his Sun Devils career.

It was a year ago that Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne was thrown into the fire when starter Tyler Buchner left the Marshall game with a shoulder injury. The injury kept him sidelined the rest of the regular season.

Pyne did a fantastic job, considering his abilities, and he helped the Irish to an 8-2 finish in the regular season after an 0-2 start.

Pyne entered the transfer portal following the regular season however and soon after announced he would attend Arizona State. Unfortunately for Pyne, he will not start for the Sun Devils to begin the fall.

According to On3:

Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne had been the favorite to win the job but sustained a hamstring injury Aug. 12, which led to the competition since then essentially being between Rashada and junior Trenton Bourguet, who made five starts for ASU last season.

Arizona State kicks off the 2023 season, its first under new head coach Kenny Dillingham, on Aug. 31 against Southern Utah.

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Former Vols’ linebacker dismissed from Pac-12 school

Former Tennessee linebacker dismissed from Pac-12 school.

Arizona State dismissed former Tennessee linebacker Juwan Mitchell on Monday.

Mitchell played for the Vols from 2021-22. He appeared in 13 games, recording 51 tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, one interception and four pass defections at Tennessee.

Mitchell entered the NCAA transfer portal in January.

He transferred to Tennessee from Texas ahead of the 2021 season.

Mitchell appeared in 21 games from 2019-20 for Texas. Mitchell totaled 101 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, five pass deflections and recovered one fumble for the Longhorns.

He transferred to Texas from Butler Community College, appearing in 12 games as a freshman, totaling 55 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception and one pass breakup.

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