by Craig Morgan, theSunDevils.com writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Madison Kerley is in what Sun Devil women's golf coach Missy Farr-Kaye calls the cruelest position on a golf team: the sixth player. Only five players compete for team scores in tournaments and Kerley lost out in qualifying this week to teammate Roberta Liti, who will fill the final spot behind Olivia Mehaffey, Linnea Strom, Monica Vaughn and Sophia Zeeb at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California from Sunday through Tuesday.
"Every collegiate player's least favorite thing to do is go through qualifying," Farr-Kaye said. "The toughest part of the process is earning your spot in that top five, but it also teaches them to be tough, to be resilient and trust me, nobody in that top five takes Madison for granted."
It's not as if Kerley has been playing poor, or even average golf. She shot a 5-under 67 in a one-round dual vs. the University of Denver at Superstition Mountain in Gold Canyon on Jan. 29. It's just a tough nut trying to crack ASU's team of international stars. In the latest World Amateur Rankings, Mehaffey is ranked No. 5, Strom is No. 9 and Vaughn is No. 17.
"We have three players ranked in the top 20 in the world and they're basically going to be traveling to every tournament so that leaves two spots to play for every week," Kerley said. "Our coach has certain rules about how you get exempt into the next tournament based on how you play in the last tournament so Sophia is exempt, too. In qualifying, it always seems to be Roberta and me left for a spot and we always seem to shoot the same score."
Liti matched Kerley's round at Superstition Mountain and rallied in the third and final round of qualifying to edge Kerley on Tuesday, so she will compete for team scores in California. Kerley will travel with the team and play as an individual.
"Coach always tells us whoever is sixth man, she feels good about leaving her at home because if something happens and we have to bring them in the team is still solid," Kerley said. "Staying home in some of the fall tournaments was tough but it's not like I played badly. The competition is just so good that you have to work harder to beat them and that whole process makes the team better."
Farr-Kaye has a good example to cite.
"When we won the 2009 national championship, Giulia Molinaro was our sixth man; she got left at home," Farr-Kaye said. "Three years later, she was Pac-12 Golfer of the Year. That's just the reality of our team, but Madison could probably go play just about anywhere else."
Kerley arrived at ASU in 2014 with plenty of accolades, including 2014 individual and team state championships playing for perennial power Phoenix Xavier and coach Sister Lynn Windsor. Both of Kerley's parents attended ASU and she has known Farr-Kaye since middle school so the entire Sun Devil experience fees like home.
"I came to an ASU golf camp in seventh grade," Kerley said. "I obviously visited other schools but ASU was my first offer and I really didn't wait for any others.
"It's cool being a local. We'll go to events like [Monday] night when they were revealing plans for our new facility and an ex-ASU and Xavier alum was there, Brooke Todare, and we were talking about Sister Lynn. I'm really comfortable here."
Kerley worked hard on her iron game over the winter break to bring back what she calls "a strength," and even if she doesn't earn a top-five team spot between Feb. 14 and the Darius Rucker Invitational in Hilton Head, South Carolina from March 3-5, there are individual slots open at the Clover Cup in Mesa from March 17-19, the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii from March 27-29 and the Ping/ASU Invitational from April 7-9.
"The thing about staying home is that's when you really have to dig deep to get out and practice and get better," Farr-Kaye said. "I have a lot of confidence in her commitment and her confidence. She will weather this well, it will make her better and she'll be a huge asset to our team."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Madison Kerley is in what Sun Devil women's golf coach Missy Farr-Kaye calls the cruelest position on a golf team: the sixth player. Only five players compete for team scores in tournaments and Kerley lost out in qualifying this week to teammate Roberta Liti, who will fill the final spot behind Olivia Mehaffey, Linnea Strom, Monica Vaughn and Sophia Zeeb at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California from Sunday through Tuesday.
"Every collegiate player's least favorite thing to do is go through qualifying," Farr-Kaye said. "The toughest part of the process is earning your spot in that top five, but it also teaches them to be tough, to be resilient and trust me, nobody in that top five takes Madison for granted."
It's not as if Kerley has been playing poor, or even average golf. She shot a 5-under 67 in a one-round dual vs. the University of Denver at Superstition Mountain in Gold Canyon on Jan. 29. It's just a tough nut trying to crack ASU's team of international stars. In the latest World Amateur Rankings, Mehaffey is ranked No. 5, Strom is No. 9 and Vaughn is No. 17.
"We have three players ranked in the top 20 in the world and they're basically going to be traveling to every tournament so that leaves two spots to play for every week," Kerley said. "Our coach has certain rules about how you get exempt into the next tournament based on how you play in the last tournament so Sophia is exempt, too. In qualifying, it always seems to be Roberta and me left for a spot and we always seem to shoot the same score."
Liti matched Kerley's round at Superstition Mountain and rallied in the third and final round of qualifying to edge Kerley on Tuesday, so she will compete for team scores in California. Kerley will travel with the team and play as an individual.
"Coach always tells us whoever is sixth man, she feels good about leaving her at home because if something happens and we have to bring them in the team is still solid," Kerley said. "Staying home in some of the fall tournaments was tough but it's not like I played badly. The competition is just so good that you have to work harder to beat them and that whole process makes the team better."
Farr-Kaye has a good example to cite.
"When we won the 2009 national championship, Giulia Molinaro was our sixth man; she got left at home," Farr-Kaye said. "Three years later, she was Pac-12 Golfer of the Year. That's just the reality of our team, but Madison could probably go play just about anywhere else."
Kerley arrived at ASU in 2014 with plenty of accolades, including 2014 individual and team state championships playing for perennial power Phoenix Xavier and coach Sister Lynn Windsor. Both of Kerley's parents attended ASU and she has known Farr-Kaye since middle school so the entire Sun Devil experience fees like home.
"I came to an ASU golf camp in seventh grade," Kerley said. "I obviously visited other schools but ASU was my first offer and I really didn't wait for any others.
"It's cool being a local. We'll go to events like [Monday] night when they were revealing plans for our new facility and an ex-ASU and Xavier alum was there, Brooke Todare, and we were talking about Sister Lynn. I'm really comfortable here."
Kerley worked hard on her iron game over the winter break to bring back what she calls "a strength," and even if she doesn't earn a top-five team spot between Feb. 14 and the Darius Rucker Invitational in Hilton Head, South Carolina from March 3-5, there are individual slots open at the Clover Cup in Mesa from March 17-19, the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii from March 27-29 and the Ping/ASU Invitational from April 7-9.
"The thing about staying home is that's when you really have to dig deep to get out and practice and get better," Farr-Kaye said. "I have a lot of confidence in her commitment and her confidence. She will weather this well, it will make her better and she'll be a huge asset to our team."