(Tempe, AZ) Arizona State’s final season in the Pac-12 has produced something in the men’s golf record books it hadn’t done once — and something the coach and program have done often.
Wenyi Ding is the first Sun Devil to win both Pac-12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, while Matt Thurmond earned Coach of the Year for the fourth time (also in 2005, 2009 and 2019), tied with Stanford’s Conrad Ray for second-most all-time to legendary ASU and USC mentor Randy Lein (seven).
Beside Ding, Ryggs Johnston and Preston Summerhays also earned first-team honors, while Josele Ballester was a second-team pick. Connor Williamswas an All-Freshman team honorable mention pick.
DING, DING
Wenyi Ding, the nation’s top ranked player by Scoreboard/Clippd with a 69.00 stroke average, has notched six top-10 and four top-five finishes in seven tournaments, including the ridiculous victory at the Amer Ari Invitational in just his second event. He posted a 27-under 189 (63-64-62), the first collegiate golfer o break 190. He has helped ASU to a trio of tournament titles this spring, including last weekend’s Pac-12 Championship – the program’s first since 2008.
WHO HAS DONE THIS BEFORE?
Ding is the third to sweep the Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season, joining UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay in 2011 and USC’s Jamie Lovemark in 2007.
HOW MANY TIMES HAS A SPARKY DUDE DONE THIS
Wenyi Ding is the 11th different Sun Devil to earn Conference Golfer of the Year, but the first since Niklas Lemke was co-recipient with Lovemark in 2007. However, he is the fifth consecutive Sun Devil and seventh all-time ASU recipient of the league’s Freshman of the Year honor.
MATT THURMOND GETS HIS FOURTH PAC TITLE
Thurmond guided Arizona State to the 2024 Pac-12 Championship, his fourth career Conference crown which ranks fifth in league history behind Stan Wood (12), Randy Lein (10), Bud Finger (five) and Conrad Ray (five).
NOT JUST THE PAC-12 TITLE
Along with the Conference crown, Thurmond’s Sun Devils also recorded victories at the Cypress Point Classic match play event in the fall and this spring’s Cabo Collegiate and Thunderbird Collegiate.
SUN DEVILS TO WIN PAC-12 MEN’S GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Wenyi Ding, 2024
Niklas Lemke, 2007 (co-winner with USC’s Jamie Lovemark)
Alejandro Canizares, 2006 (co-winner with Stanford’s Rob Grube)
Alejandro Canizares, 2005
Jeff Quinney, 2001 (co-winner with Arizona’s Ricky Barnes)
Paul Casey, 2000
Chris Hanell, 1997
Todd Demsey, 1994
Phil Mickelson, 1992
Phil Mickelson, 1991
Phil Mickelson, 1990
Billy Mayfair, 1987
Dan Forsman, 1981 (co-winner with USC’s Ron Commans)
Scott Watkins, 1979 (co-winner with UCLA’s Corey Pavin)
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Doug Tammaro
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