HOSTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the first time since 2011, Arizona State will host the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship, making their fourth appearance in the state of Arizona in 2023. The school is no stranger to hosting major golf events, as they prepare to hold the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale for the third consecutive year.
This will be the first time that the Sun Devils host the conference title event at Papago Golf Club, a place that Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye‘s team has enjoyed plenty of success at. The Maroon & Gold will get a chance to win their first Pac-12 Championship since 2009 in front of their home fans. The nation’s top conference annually offers one of the most competitive conference championship events. The 2023 edition is no different, with several highly-ranked teams and even more individual star power coming to Papago Golf Club.
Host Arizona State starts their round on the first hole at 8:50 AM MST tomorrow, with a new Sun Devil starting their round every 10 minutes. The event is free and open to the public. The Phoenix Municipal Stadium parking lot South of the golf course will be utilized as spectator parking, which will be offered for free as well. Signage will direct you to an entrance by the 13th hole where golf cart shuttles will be available throughout the day to take you to the clubhouse.
COACH’S CORNER
“It is a privilege to be able to host the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship,” Coach Farr-Kaye remarked. “We are excited to be able to show off Papago Golf Club, our beautiful home course, to the rest of the conference.”
“This is a huge opportunity for us to prove ourselves right before the NCAA postseason starts,” Farr-Kaye added. “Winning the Pac-12 Championship is always one of our goals heading into the season. The team is working hard to achieve this goal.”
“We are grateful to the Papago Golf Club staff and to Arizona State University for all their efforts in putting on this championship,” Coach Farr-Kaye mentioned. “The amount of work it takes to host an event like this does not go unnoticed.”
LAST TIME OUT
Sun Devil Women’s Golf completed the regular season at the Silverado Showdown earlier in the month at Silverado Resort & Spa. Arizona State finished tied for sixth with No. 8 Oregon in the 17-team tournament. Playing without two-time All-American Ashley Menne who was competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last week, Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye‘s team held their own in a competitive field.
Several Sun Devils stepped up in Menne’s absence, led by Grace Summerhays. Summerhays put together her second consecutive Top-10 effort, finishing in sixth place at the Silverado Showdown. She moved up nine spots after shooting a 71 (-1), one of the five best rounds on the final day. Paula Schulz-Hanssen finished in the Top-15 as well (T-15th) and has now finished T-16th or better in each of her last four events. Beth Coulter improved her score by three strokes each day, eventually moving up 18 spots on the final day. Amanda Linner’s efforts early in the event paid dividends down the stretch, with her 67 in round one setting ASU up for this solid finish.
THE COMPETITION (Golfstat Ranking)
The annual championship for the premiere conference in collegiate women’s golf once again features a deep and talented field. Four of the Top-14 teams in the latest Golfstat rankings will be competing for the title, including No. 1 ranked Stanford. A total of seven of the Top-40 teams in the nation will be in Phoenix. The teams were seeded 1-12 based on a combination of rankings, with Arizona State earning the No. 3 seed. Here are the official seeds for the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship:
- Stanford (#1)
- Oregon (#6)
- Arizona State (#12)
- USC (#14)
- UCLA (#26)
- Arizona (#27)
- California (#38)
- Oregon State (#54)
- Washington (#63)
- Colorado (#77)
- Washington State (#99)
There is also plenty of star power at the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship, making this one of the most intriguing races for the individual conference title. Seven of the Top-50 golfers in the Golfstat Individual rankings will be in the field, including Arizona State’s Ashley Menne (No. 27) and Grace Summerhays (No. 48). A total of 14 of the Top-100 golfers will be at the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship.
THE FORMAT
Play shall be conducted with twosomes and threesome. Team pairings for the first day of the Championship were determined by a blind draw, with the number one seed guaranteed to play in a twosome off the first tee with a tee time in the middle of the draw. All team seeding were based on an average of the Golfweek Sagarin ratings and Golfstat national women’s golf rankings in addition to head-to-head standings of NCAA Division I women’s teams.
THE LINEUP
Arizona State boasts one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country, making qualifying for the lineup extremely competitive. Two-time All-American Ashley Menne is back in the lineup and earned the top spot after she missed the last tournament while competing at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Grace Summerhays will golf out of the No. 2 spot coming off two straight Top-10 performances. A pair of freshman will make their postseason debuts out of the No. 3 and No. 4 position. Paula Schulz-Hanssen gets the nod followed by Beth Coulter, as they look to make an impact at their first Pac-12 Championship. Amanda Linner rounds out the lineup as the No. 5 golfer. Unique to the postseason, teams will have the option to substitute a player in between rounds with an alternate. The player selected for that position is Calynne Rosholt, who can be subbed into the lineup after any round.
Alternate: Calynne Rosholt
TEE TIMES (MST)
Arizona State will begin the first round of the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship Monday morning at 8:50 AM MST on the first hole. They are paired with top seed Stanford.
| PAIRING | Arizona State, Stanford |
| HOLE | 1 |
| TIME (MST) | GOLFER |
| 8:50 AM | Amanda Linner |
| 9:00 AM | Beth Coulter |
| 9:10 AM | Paula Schulz-Hanssen |
| 9:20 AM | Grace Summerhays |
| 9:30 AM | Ashley Menne |
THE COURSE
Originally built in 1963, Papago Golf Club was one of the original Valley golf courses and has been an asset to the Phoenix public-golf community. Designed by well-known and esteemed golf course architect William Francis (Billy) Bell. The course provides spectacular views of Phoenix from its unique, strategic setting at the base of Papago Buttes. Despite its convenient central location, golfers experience a setting rich with the native elements that make Arizona a unique state.
The home of Sun Devil Men’s and Women’s Golf was named the Arizona Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) of Arizona in 2021. The annual host venue of both the ASU/PING Invitational and Thunderbird Collegiate has long been considered one of the top courses in the state, but now has earned the official title after being crowned by the NGCOA last year. It also serves as the annual host of the PING/ASU Invitational.
Legendary Sun Devil Women’s Golf Head Coach Linda Vollstedt could be considered the queen of the Pac-10/12 Championships. Her teams won it a total of six times, including the first two in 1987 & 1988. Later in her career, Arizona State ran off four straight titles during their dominant run in the mid-90s, a feat that has never been matched since. ASU has three Top-3 finishes at the conference championships under Coach Farr-Kaye, finishing third in 2016, 2019, and 2021.
TERRITORIAL CUP POINT
The highest finisher between Arizona State and Arizona at this event will be awarded a critical Territorial Cup Series point.
SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
The Sun Devils have faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules so far and still have managed to stay in the Top-25 all season. ASU has already climbed several spots since the start of the Spring, making one of the biggest ascents of any team. Coach Farr-Kaye’s team has a huge opportunity to move up in those rankings with another strong performance at the PING/ASU Invitational. The Maroon & Gold remained in the Top-10 according to at least one major national poll, coming in at No. 9 according to the WGCA.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS (AS OF 4/14)
Ashley Menne: 21 (Golfweek), 27 (Golfstat)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen: 30 (Golfweek), 61 (Golfstat)
Grace Summerhays: 48 (Golfstat), 65 (Golfweek)
Beth Coulter: 79 (Golfstat)
PAC-12 NETWORK COVERAGE
Highlights from all three rounds for both championships will be available the evening after the rounds complete on Pac-12 Network, the Pac-12 Now app, Pac-12.com and Pac-12 social media platforms.Pac-12 Networks’ Guy Haberman and AJ McCord break down all the action after the champions are crowned during the “Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championships Show” on Thursday, April 20. Pac-12 Insider is set to air a marathon of Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships from seasons past which highlight current and former Pac-12 golf greats.
| Date | Time | Event | How to Watch |
| Mon., April 17 | Post Round | Round 1 Highlights | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Social Media Channels, Pac-12 Now, Pac-12.com |
| Tues., April 18 | Post Round | Round 2 Highlights | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Social Media Channels, Pac-12 Now, Pac-12.com |
| Wed., April 19 | Post Round | Round 3 Highlights | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Social Media Channels, Pac-12 Now, Pac-12.com |
| Thurs., April 20 | 7p PT / 8p MT | Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championships | Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Now |
HOW TO FOLLOW
Visit Pac-12 Championship Central for all the information on the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship. Live scoring for the event will be provided by Golfstat at the following link.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Connor Smith
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