By Cal Aboud, SDA Media Relations Student Assistant
TEMPE, Ariz. – Head coach Tim Mickelson has announced Alejandro Del Ray Gonzalez of Madrid, Spain and Chun An Yu of Taiwan will join the Arizona State men’s golf program for the 2016-17 season.
"With the addition of Chun An Yu and Alejandro Del Rey Gonzalez along with two other players joining us next fall and the current roster members returning next year, ASU men's golf is primed to continue our recent success.” said Mickelson. “We look forward to competing for national championships!"
Del Rey a two-time Spanish National Champion (U16/18), has twice been a member (2013/14) of a silver medal Spanish national team in the European Young Masters. A winner of the prestigious Barritz Cup in 2014, Del Rey also medaled at the Locaste Promesas and Miguel Angel Jimenez Championships. An accomplished junior golfer on the Spanish circuit, Del Rey has been a member of the Spanish national team since the age of 14.
"Alex is a very accomplished player from Spain and has had lots of success nationally and internationally. We are lucky to have a player of his talent join the Sun Devil golf family for the next four years.", said Mickelson on Del Rey.
Chun An Yu, is coming off an impressive summer campaign in which the junior golfer took home the 98th annual Western Junior title, rallying late in the tournament to win in a sudden-death playoff. Yu continued to sustain success during the season pulling off yet another improbable feat winning the 2015 Junior Players Championship. The junior golf fired a final round 5-under 67 to finish with a one-shot victory after beginning the round trailing the leader by six strokes. Yu also had a successful 2014 season posting a second-place finish at the Callaway Junior Championship, while also finishing third at the Asia games. Yu is currently the top-ranked senior according to the Junior Golf Scoreboard and the top-rated junior golfer in the Polo Golf Rankings.
"Chun An Yu had one of the best summers of any junior golfer in the world by winning the Western a Junior and the Junior Players. We are thrilled that Chun An realizes that ASU is a special place to play college golf. Sun Devil golf welcomes him with open arms."
The Sun Devils recently closed a successful fall season, posting top-3 finishes in four events. Sun Devil senior Jon Rahm medaled at the Tavistock Invitational Oct. 18-20, notching his first collegiate victory of the season and his eighth all-time as a Sun Devil. With yet another individual title to his credit, the senior All-American has tied Sun Devil Hall of Famer Billy Mayfair’s second-place mark in career-wins at 8.