May 24, 2011

ASU Men's Golf 2011 NCAA Championship Notes in PDF Format

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ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER FINALS APPEARANCE
The Arizona State University men's golf team (NCAA #22 seed/#30 Golfweek) competes in the NCAA Championships held May 31-June 5 in Stillwater, Okla., at Karsten Creek (par-72, 7416 yards) and hosted by Oklahoma State. Sun Devil 19th-year head coach and 2008 National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Randy Lein led ASU to the 1996 team title and ASU also won the 1990 title under 2002 ASU Hall of Fame and 2009 NGCA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Loy. It marks the 49th NCAA Championship/Finals appearance in Sun Devil men's golf history, behind only Oklahoma State (65), Texas (57) and USC (52).

A CONSTANT
Coach Randy Lein's 19 years at ASU is topped only by five other coaches in the NCAA Championship field. Richard Sykes has been at NC State for 40 years, while Herb Page (Kent State) and Rick LaRose (Arizona) are in their 33rd year. Cal's Steve Desimone is in his 32nd season while Florida's Buddy Alexander is in his 24th season. Coach Lein's 18 NCAA finals appearances is third among coaches going to Stillwater, topped only by Buddy Alexander (24 at Florida) and Rick LaRose (23 at Arizona)

THE FORMAT
The 2011 NCAA Championships will see the team champion determined via match play for the third straight year, as 2009 was the first time the winner wasn't awarded by total strokes since 1965. The top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance to match play, with the quarterfinals being held June 3, the semifinals on June 4 and the championship match set for June 5. During the match-play portion, each match will be worth one point with all five players participating. The first team to win three points within the team match will win the match. The NCAA individual champion will be crowned after the first three-rounds of stroke play competition (May 31-June 2).

SUN DEVIL CHATTER
In the past 18 seasons (since Randy Lein took over the ASU duties) 13 different team champions have been crowned and Lein is the only coach to have two individual champions in that time (freshman Alejandro Canizares in 2003 and junior Todd Demsey in 1993). ASU also has finished in the top six nine times in those 18 years and has qualified for the NCAA Championships in 27 of the past 28 seasons, missing only in 2002, including each of the past nine seasons, tied for the third-best mark in the nation in that time.

THE HEAD COACH
Randy Lein, a 2008 NGCA Hall of Fame inductee, notched the top team accolade in 1995-96 - the NCAA title - to his collection as the Sun Devils won the title in Chattanooga, Tenn., with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Honors Course. In his 19th season as ASU's coach, Lein has guided ASU to 44 tournament victories (including a school record six in 1995-96), eight Pac-10 titles, five NCAA West Regional wins and ten top-10 finishes at the NCAAs including the 1996 title. In addition, Lein has tutored NCAA medalists Todd Demsey (1994) and Alejandro Canizares (2003) and 18 All-Americans (40 occasions): Todd Demsey (3), Chris Hanell (3), Paul Casey (3), Cade Stone, Chris Stutts, Joey Snyder (2), Scott Johnson (2), Darren Angel (2), Jeff Quinney (3), Matt Jones (2), Chez Reavie (3), Alejandro Canizares (4), Niklas Lemke (3), Benjamin Alvarado Holley (2), Jesper Kennegard (3), Knut Borsheim (1), Scott Pinckney (1) and Stephan Gross (1). He has won Pac-10 Coach-of-the-Year five times (1993, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000) while at ASU and twice at USC (1980 and 1986). Lein (pronounced "Line") is a 1975 graduate of Cal State Northridge.

FAST FACT
ASU is the only school to win both the men's and women's golf titles in the same season (1990).

SUN DEVIL MEN'S GOLF LINEUP (Tourn.-Rds.-Avg.)
Scott Pinckney 5-11/Sr./Anthem, Ariz./12-35-71.60/#39 by Golfweek
Philip Francis 5-11/Jr./Scottsdale, Ariz./11-34-72.56
Jesper Kennegard 6-4/Sr./Linkoping, Sweden/12-37-73.92/3-time collegiate medalist
James Byrne 5-10/Sr./Banchory, Scottland/8-25-73.44
Oscar Zetterwall 5-10/Sr./Stockholm, Sweden/7-22-73.50

ASU NOTES
The Sun Devils won national championships in 1990 and 1996. ASU is led by 19th-year coach Randy Lein, the 1996 National Coach of the Year and a seven-time winner of Pac-10 Coach of the Year (five times at ASU and twice at USC).

LEAGUE IS GOOD
There are five Pac-10 teams in the 30-team field, second-most of any conference (SEC with 6). The Big Ten also has five. The past two years the Pac-10 had the most teams in the field.

IT ISN'T EASY
ASU has made the NCAA Championship in the past nine seasons and in 18 of 19 seasons under Randy Lein, but it sure isn't getting easier with the 30-team, three-round regional format. Using Golfweek's rankings after the regionals, seven top-30 teams are not going to Stillwater, a list that includes No. 12 Auburn, No. 16 Texas Tech, No. 20 Stanford, No. 21 Virginia, No. 22 Oregon, No. 25 Clemson and No. 27 Washington. In 2009, nine top-30 teams did not advance to the NCAA Championships after regional action.

IT ISN'T EASY, PART TWO
Arizona State is one of just eight teams who have qualified for the past four NCAA Championships. UCLA, USC, Oklahoma State, Florida, Texas A&M, Illinois and Texas are the others who have made NCAA Championship from 2008-2011.

START IT OVER
Back in 2002, Randy Lein saw ASU's 18-year NCAA championship consecutive streak snapped in a season that had injuries and bad luck. ASU is back in the saddle with nine straight, and to show you how competitive the NCAA men's golf champioships is, that streak already is tied for the third-best active streak. Only four teams have made the NCAAs in each of the past nine seasons.

CURRENT CONSECUTIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPERANCES
Oklahoma State, 1947-2011, 65
Florida, 2001-2011, 11
Arizona State, 2003-2011, 9
UCLA, 2003-2011, 9

CHAMPS FROM THE PAC-10
Pac-10 teams ASU (1996), Cal (2004), Stanford (2007 and 1994) and UCLA (2008) have won NCAA men's golf titles in the past 17 years. Other Pac-10 teams to win the title are: Stanford (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953), UCLA (1988) and Arizona (1992). This year there are five Pac-10 teams in the 30-team field, second only to the SEC's six. The Big Ten also has five.

COACH LEIN IN TOP FIVE
Coach Randy Lein has finished in the top five at the NCAA Championship six times in his 18 years, behind only Oklahoma State (11), Georgia Tech (eight) and Clemson (seven) in that time.

NCAA TOP-FIVE FINISHES (1993-2010)
Oklahoma State-11
Georgia Tech-8
Clemson-7
Arizona State, Stanford, Texas-6
Florida, Georgia-5

UNDER LEIN
ASU has finished first (1996), fourth (1995), fifth (1998 and 1999), tied for fifth (1997 and 2009), sixth (1993, 2001 and 2003), tied for eighth (2010), tied for ninth (1994), tied for 11th (2005), tied for 17th (2008), tied for 18th (2007), tied for 21st (2004) and tied for 25th (2001) under 19th-year coach Randy Lein in the NCAA Championship.

RECENT INDIVIDUAL FINISHES
A look at top-10 Sun Devil individual finishes at the NCAA Men's Golf Championships dating to Jim Carter's 1983 NCAA Championship both by place and chronologically.

ASU NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (LISTED BY BEST FINISHES)
Alejandro Canizares (Fr.) 1st/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Todd Demsey (So.), 1st/1993 (Lexington, Ky.)
Phil Mickelson (Sr.), 1st/1992 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Phil Mickelson (So.), 1st/1990 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Phil Mickelson (Fr.), 1st/1989 (Edmond, Okla.)
Jim Carter (Jr.), 1st/1983 (Fresno, Calif.)
Darren Angel (Fr.), T3rd/1996 (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Chez Reavie (Fr.), T4th/2001 (Durham, N.C.)
Phil Mickelson (Jr.), T4th/1991 (Pebble Beach, Calif.)
Paul Casey (So.), 4th/1999 (Chaska, Minn.)
Joey Snyder (Jr.), T5th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio)
Darren Angel (Jr.), T7th/1998 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Todd Demsey (Jr.), T7th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Scott Johnson (So.), T8th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio
Jesper Kennegard (So.), T9th/2009 (Toledo, Ohio)
Chez Reavie (Jr.), 9th/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Billy Mayfair (Sr.), T9th/1988 (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Scott Johnson (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Chris Hanell (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Chris Hanell (Fr.), T10th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)

ASU NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (LISTED MOST RECENT UP FIRST)
Jesper Kennegard (So.), T9th/2009 (Toledo, Ohio)
Alejandro Canizares (Fr.) 1st/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Jr.), 9th/2003 (Stillwater, Okla.)
Chez Reavie (Fr.), T4th/2001 (Durham, N.C.)
Paul Casey (So.), 4th/1999 (Chaska, Minn.)
Darren Angel (Jr.), T7th/1998 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Scott Johnson (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Chris Hanell (Sr.), T10th/1997 (Chicago, Ill.)
Darren Angel (Fr.), T3rd/1996 (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Joey Snyder (Jr.), T5th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio)
Scott Johnson (So.), T8th/1995 (Columbus, Ohio
Todd Demsey (Jr.), T7th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Chris Hanell (Fr.), T10th/1994 (Dallas, Texas)
Todd Demsey (So.), 1st/1993 (Lexington, Ky.)
Phil Mickelson (Sr.), 1st/1992 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Phil Mickelson (Jr.), T4th/1991 (Pebble Beach, Calif.)
Phil Mickelson (So.), 1st/1990 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)
Phil Mickelson (Fr.), 1st/1989 (Edmond, Okla.)
Billy Mayfair (Sr.), T9th/1988 (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Jim Carter (Jr.), 1st/1983 (Fresno, Calif.)

NCAA CHAMPS FROM ASU/PAC-10
ASU has had four NCAA medalists on six occasions: Jim Carter (1983), Phil Mickelson (1989, 1990, 1992), Todd Demsey (1993) and Alejandro Canizares (2003). Other Pac-10 winners include: Frank Tatum Jr. of Stanford (1942), Scott Simpson of USC (1976 and 1977), Ron Commans of USC (1981), Tiger Woods of Stanford (1996), James Lepp of Washington (2005), Jamie Lovemark of USC (2007) and Kevin Chappell of UCLA (2008).

IMPRESSIVE
Randy Lein has recruited a European Amateur champion (Stephan Gross in 2008), a NCAA champion (Alejandro Canizares in 2003), a U.S. Amateur champion (Jeff Quinney in 2000), a U.S. Public Links champion (Chez Reavie in 2001), an Arizona Amateur champion (Jesse Mueller, 2001) and an English Amateur champion (Paul Casey, 1998 and 1999) to ASU.

NCAA CHAMPIONS
A look at the schools that have produced the most NCAA individual champions and the year the most recent champion took home the title:

NCAA MEN'S GOLF MEDALISTS BY SCHOOL
13-Yale, Tom Aycock, 1929
8-Harvard, J.W. Hubbell, 1916
8-Houston, Billy Ray Brown, 1982
8-Oklahoma State, Jonathan Moore, 2007
7-Princeton, G.T. Dunlap, 1931
6-Arizona State, Alejandro Canizares, 2003
6-Texas, Justin Leonard, 1994
5-Ohio State, Clark Burroughs, 1985
4-USC, Jamie Lovemark, 2007

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
Counting its 2011 appearance, ASU has made 18 NCAA Championship appearances in Randy Lein's 19 years (1993-2011), tied for the second-best mark in the nation with Florida.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES (1993-2011)
Oklahoma State-19
Arizona State and Florida-18
Arizona-17
Georgia Tech-16
Clemson, Texas-15
Wake Forest-14
Georgia, North Carolina, UNLV-13
Auburn, New Mexico-12

COACH LEIN IN TOP TEN
Randy Lein has finished in the top ten at the NCAA Championships 11 times in his 18 years at ASU, behind only Oklahoma State (12) and tied with Clemson and Georgia Tech in that time.

NCAA TOP-10 FINISHES (1993-2011)
Oklahoma State-12
Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia Tech-11
Florida-8
Texas, Georgia, Washington, UNLV-7

TOP 10
Coach Lein's 11 top-10 NCAA finishes in his 18 years is second only to Oklahoma State for the most in that span. In that time, there have been 13 different NCAA team champions, while ASU and Oklahoma State are the only schools to have two NCAA medalists in his 18 years. ASU has finished in the top six nine times under Randy Lein.

NCAA CHAMPIONS AS FRESHMAN
2007-Jamie Lovemark, USC
2006-Jonathan Moore, Oklahoma State
2003-Alejandro Canizares, Arizona State
1998-James McLean, Minnesota
1989-Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1982-Billy Ray Brown, Houston
1974-Curtis Strange, Wake Forest
1971-Ben Crenshaw, Texas