Tag: ASU golf

Phil’s Grill a hotspot for Mickelson fans (including ASU women’s coach Missy Farr-Kaye) at NCAA Championships

“He’s in the best shape he’s ever been, probably in better shape than when he was in college.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State head women’s golf coach Missy Farr-Kaye played at ASU at the same time as Phil Mickelson. They’ve been good friends ever since. Farr-Kaye is well aware of Mickelson’s exploits at the 103rd PGA Championship in South Carolina and has been sneaking a peek at TVs at the NCAA Championships whenever she can.

“We were just inside Phil’s Grill and he’s on all six TVs, and Tim [Mickelson, Phil’s brother/caddie] who’s also a dear friend, and it’s like this is a little surreal,” Farr-Kaye said after ASU’s second round at Grayhawk. “But we are pulling so hard for Phil, he’s worked so hard.”

ASU is the host team at Grayhawk and Phil’s Grill is a popular 19th hole at the golf club.

“Phil wants to do things differently,” she continued. “He’s over 50. I knew he wasn’t going to stop trying to win on the PGA Tour. He’s not ready yet. He’s in the best shape he’s ever been, probably in better shape than when he was in college.

“Phil is the crazy scientist guy. He’s got a very engineering brain. So it’s fascinating to talk to him because you can’t keep up. When he built our facility [at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix], I really should’ve taped our conversations because he goes off in this area and this area and you can do this and you can do that. … and I’m like ‘Whew.’

“But we just love Phil. He’s just great. We’re pulling hard for him.”

Arizona State’s head football coach Herm Edwards was in attendance for the second round at Grayhawk and said it was fun to see Mickelson atop the leaderboard.

“I’ve met him in a bunch of pro-ams,” Edwards said. “He came to one of our Arizona State games when we were playing at San Diego State (in 2018). He was actually on our sideline. He’s a big fan. He’s a big supporter. I can’t tell you how much he means to the golf community here at Arizona State, what he’s done for that facility. He is a remarkable guy.”

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ASU golfer Chun An Yu is new No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Rankings

Arizona State senior Chun An Yu is the new No. 1-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Arizona State senior Chun An Yu is the new No. 1-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

In his career at ASU, known as “Kevin,” has a 70.4 stroke average in 38 tournaments, with 78 out of 116 rounds at par or better. In addition to college and amateur events, he played in the U.S. Open in September with his coach Matt Thurmond as his caddie. It’s the second U.S. Open in a row Yu has played in. He also competed in the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

A senior last season, Yu’s back at ASU for an “extra” year, like many college golfers, after the coronavirus pandemic canceled all spring college sports.

ASU, along with the rest of the Pac-12, has yet to compete this year but the Sun Devils will return to action in January against rival Arizona in the Copper Cup, a two-day, four-round Ryder-Cup style match at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. The tournament dates are Jan. 17-18.

“The Copper Cup will be the first college golf tournament of the spring and a great way to celebrate the Territorial Cup rivalry and the very high level of college golf found in Arizona,” Thurmond said in a statement released by ASU.

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Former Arizona State men’s golf coach Randy Lein dies

Randy Lein won a national title, eight conference titles and 44 tournament victories during his 18 years coaching at Arizona State.

Randy Lein, one of the most successful coaches in men’s college golf, has died.

Lein led Arizona State’s men’s golf program to eight conference titles during an 18-year run, from 2003-2010. His Sun Devil went to the postseason in all but one of those 18 seasons.

Lein was inducted into the Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.

He led the Sun Devils to the 1996 national title and coached two others – Todd Demsey in 1993 and Alejandro Canizares in 2003 – to individual national crowns.

Futher individual accomplishments by Lein’s golfers: Jeff Quinney won the 2000 U.S. Amateur, Chez Reavie won the 2001 U.S. Public Links, Paul Casey was the English Amateur champ in 1998 and 1999 and Stephan Gross won the 2009 English Amateur.

“A sad day in Sun Devil Athletics,” Arizona State tweeted on Thursday.

Lein’s teams won 44 tournaments, six straight conference crowns (eight overall), five NCAA Regional titles and 10 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship. Only Oklahoma State and Clemson had more top-five finishes in the NCAAs during Lein’s tenure.

He had 18 golfers named All-Americans, including six who were three-time honorees.

Lein was a seven-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year winner, five times at ASU and two at USC, where he coached for eight seasons prior to heading to Tempe.

He was inducted into Arizona State’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 along with his former standout golfer Reavie.

The 2015 class of the ASU Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame pose at a luncheon at the Phoenix Country Club on Oct. 9, 2015. From left to right: Ike Diogu (basketball), Agnes Kovacs (swimming), Chez Reavie (golf), Derek Hagan (football), Joona Puhakka (diving), and golf coach Randy Lein. (Photo: Arizona Republic)

Lein was let go by ASU in 2011 and told Golfweek at that time: “I was not expecting it. A change was made, right or wrong, and I will support whomever comes in. ASU has always been great to me.”

In his final season, ASU finished 18th at the NCAAs after finishing 9th in the conference tournament.

Lein was replaced by Tim Mickelson. Matt Thurmond is the current ASU men’s coach.

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