by Craig Morgan, theSunDevils.com writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Missy Farr-Kaye has done her best to keep the Sun Devil women's golf team grounded in the now.
"We always focus on non-outcome goals and controlling what we can control," ASU's head coach said. "For us, that means staying in the present, being patient and being mentally tough. We have really stuck to those goals every single tournament and we're not going to change that no matter what the tournament is."
The formula has shielded the Sun Devils from the enormous expectations lurking just outside their self-constructed bubble, but it is impossible not to notice ASU's immense potential as it embarks on a postseason that begins with the Pac-12 Championship from Monday through Wednesday at Tucson's Sewailo Golf Club, continues in the NCAA Regionals, and hopefully culminates with a strong showing at the NCAA Championship from May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
The Sun Devils enter the Pac-12 Championship ranked No. 2 in the nation by Golfweek, No. 5 in the nation by Golfstat, seeded second in the tournament behind UCLA, and boasting three players ranked among the World Amateur Golf Ranking's top 20. Freshman Olivia Mehaffey is No. 5; sophomore Linnea Strom is No. 11 and senior Monica Vaughn is No 16.
They are also deep. No. 5 player Roberta Liti, a junior, led the Sun Devils to their first ASU/PING Invitational title since 2007 by firing a three-round 10-under-par 206 to earn medalist honors, and ASU's top four players (junior Sophia Zeeb is the other) have all posted at least three top-10 finishes this season.
"I think this team does really well under pressure," Vaughn said. "I don't think we feel a lot of pressure because we're so talented throughout. Just look at our home tournament. Our No. 5 player went out and won it. It fires us up to know that people are maybe a little nervous that we're coming out to play."
Vaughn has been a remarkably consistent performer in her four years at ASU. The sting of missing out on last year's NCAA field in her home state of Oregon is providing plenty of inner fuel but Vaughn said she is determined to focus on the team and enjoy her final ride at ASU. Vaughn is ASU's only player to have competed in the NCAA Championship's team format, having done so her freshman season. She (2015) and Strom (2016) are the only ones to have competed as individuals.
"It's such a different experience and environment and it's so much cooler to go together," said Vaughn, who likes ASU's chances this week, playing in its home state. "Us and Arizona definitely have an advantage over the other teams, especially with the heat and style of course."
The Tucson forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid to low 90s this week.
"Some teams may struggle because it will be so hot and so dry," Vaughn said. "We had a good run last year at UA's tournament and played well. I think it's a very score-able course for us because we have long hitters and you've got wide fairways."
The stakes are greater now, and so is the competition, but Farr-Kaye is preaching the same, simple message as her team heads down the I-10 to begin the second season.
"A big part of our success has come from not getting ahead of ourselves; just taking it one step, one practice, one day at a time," she said. "After every tournament we have individual meetings to ask 'what did you do well' and 'what can you do better' and then we move on. We'll do that again after Pac-12s and regionals.
"This group has done a good job not focusing on negatives. I really feel that's been a big part of how well we've done."
Pac-12 Women's Golf Championship
April 24-26
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson
NCAA Regionals
May 8-10?
Regional Sites: Athens, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; Lubbock, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico
NCAA Division I Championship
May 19-24
Rich Harvest Farms
Sugar Grove, Illinois
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Missy Farr-Kaye has done her best to keep the Sun Devil women's golf team grounded in the now.
"We always focus on non-outcome goals and controlling what we can control," ASU's head coach said. "For us, that means staying in the present, being patient and being mentally tough. We have really stuck to those goals every single tournament and we're not going to change that no matter what the tournament is."
The formula has shielded the Sun Devils from the enormous expectations lurking just outside their self-constructed bubble, but it is impossible not to notice ASU's immense potential as it embarks on a postseason that begins with the Pac-12 Championship from Monday through Wednesday at Tucson's Sewailo Golf Club, continues in the NCAA Regionals, and hopefully culminates with a strong showing at the NCAA Championship from May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
The Sun Devils enter the Pac-12 Championship ranked No. 2 in the nation by Golfweek, No. 5 in the nation by Golfstat, seeded second in the tournament behind UCLA, and boasting three players ranked among the World Amateur Golf Ranking's top 20. Freshman Olivia Mehaffey is No. 5; sophomore Linnea Strom is No. 11 and senior Monica Vaughn is No 16.
They are also deep. No. 5 player Roberta Liti, a junior, led the Sun Devils to their first ASU/PING Invitational title since 2007 by firing a three-round 10-under-par 206 to earn medalist honors, and ASU's top four players (junior Sophia Zeeb is the other) have all posted at least three top-10 finishes this season.
"I think this team does really well under pressure," Vaughn said. "I don't think we feel a lot of pressure because we're so talented throughout. Just look at our home tournament. Our No. 5 player went out and won it. It fires us up to know that people are maybe a little nervous that we're coming out to play."
Vaughn has been a remarkably consistent performer in her four years at ASU. The sting of missing out on last year's NCAA field in her home state of Oregon is providing plenty of inner fuel but Vaughn said she is determined to focus on the team and enjoy her final ride at ASU. Vaughn is ASU's only player to have competed in the NCAA Championship's team format, having done so her freshman season. She (2015) and Strom (2016) are the only ones to have competed as individuals.
"It's such a different experience and environment and it's so much cooler to go together," said Vaughn, who likes ASU's chances this week, playing in its home state. "Us and Arizona definitely have an advantage over the other teams, especially with the heat and style of course."
The Tucson forecast is calling for temperatures in the mid to low 90s this week.
"Some teams may struggle because it will be so hot and so dry," Vaughn said. "We had a good run last year at UA's tournament and played well. I think it's a very score-able course for us because we have long hitters and you've got wide fairways."
The stakes are greater now, and so is the competition, but Farr-Kaye is preaching the same, simple message as her team heads down the I-10 to begin the second season.
"A big part of our success has come from not getting ahead of ourselves; just taking it one step, one practice, one day at a time," she said. "After every tournament we have individual meetings to ask 'what did you do well' and 'what can you do better' and then we move on. We'll do that again after Pac-12s and regionals.
"This group has done a good job not focusing on negatives. I really feel that's been a big part of how well we've done."
Pac-12 Women's Golf Championship
April 24-26
Sewailo Golf Club, Tucson
NCAA Regionals
May 8-10?
Regional Sites: Athens, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; Lubbock, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico
NCAA Division I Championship
May 19-24
Rich Harvest Farms
Sugar Grove, Illinois