May 14, 2012

From Golfweek Magazine, 'A magical year' not likely to equaled

Undefeated. It's a word that's rarely uttered in college golf circles. Even as Arizona State won one tournament after another from 1994 to'95, no one even mentioned the possibility.

"I dont remember anyone bringing it up," former ASU coach Linda Vollstedt said. "The goal was to win the national championship, and we just happened to win tournaments along the way."

The Sun Devils were 155-0-1 that season. Their lone "blemish" came at the NCAA West Regional, where they shared the title with San Jose State. Vollstedt's team was so deep that her fifth player - whom Vollstedt put in the lineup at the last minute based on a gut feeling - won the national title for her first college victory.

"I didn't think she had played her best golf yet," said Vollstedt of senior Kristel Mourgue d'Algue, who never turned professional.

A Sun Devil won the individual title at nine of 10 tournaments that season. Five players were All-Americans, with Wendy Ward, Kellee Booth, Heather Bowie and Mourgue d'Algue being named to the first team. ASU beat fields by an average of nearly 26 strokes. "We expected to win," Vollstedt said.

"It wasnt egotistical. . . . Not only win, but how many can we win by?"

It's a domination thats unlikely to be repeated, especially as Title IX continues to heighten competition and broadens its scope. Arizona State won its third-consecutive national title that season and went on to win a total of six that decade. Not since Duke won three consecutive from 2005 to'07 has a team gone into the postseason with such swagger. The past four years have produced four different schools as national champions. The wealth these days extends far beyond Tempe, Ariz.

"It was just a magical year," Vollstedt said. "I don't know that anyone will ever do it again."

- Beth Ann Baldry, Golfweek Magazine