NCAA Golf News

ASU Gets Back to Match Play With Thrilling Playoff Win Over Stanford

ASU Gets Back to Match Play With Thrilling Playoff Win Over Stanford


Sun Devil Men’s Golf is headed back to match play after a thrilling playoff win over the Stanford Cardinal Monday evening at Grayhawk. ASU and North Carolina will begin Tuesday morning at 7:10 a.m. MST.

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS – HOLE 1

Dylan Menante vs. Luke Potter – 7:10

Ryan Burnett vs. Ryggs Johnston 7:20

Austin Greaser vs. Josele Ballester – 7:30

David Ford vs. Michael Mjaaseth – 7:40

Peter Fountain vs. Summerhays – 7:50 



Arizona State (68-69-72-72=281/+1) and Stanford were knotted at 1,032 strokes following 72 holes of golf for the eighth and final spot in Tuesday’s national quarterfinal. The playoff was held from holes 14-18, with one player from each team on each hole, and cumulative score versus par tallied after each hole until one team led. 

Arizona State, North Carolina, and Pepperdine are the only three schools to advance to match-play in three consecutive years. In fact, ASU has the best average stroke-play finish during this time (fourth), followed by North Carolina and Pepperdine (4.5).

“I remember back at the Pac-12 Championship we were so devastated with not winning and losing to Stanford, and I remember it just hitting me like ‘yeah, this sucks, but it doesn’t change anything.'” said Sun Devil Head Coach Matt Thurmond. “We’re gonna find a way to get into match play. And once we find a way to get into match play, we’re right back where we were last year. And this is the thing: no matter what we do all year, this was what needed to happen.”

They were even after one and four completed players on the second hole, before Preston Summerhays knocked in a birdie on the par-4, 430 yard 14th to seal the playoff win by one stroke.

“It’s funny because you finish the hole and it’s really awkward because you don’t know whether to celebrate or to be disappointed,” said Summerhays.”But I knew that putt went a long way so I was excited. And then about 30 seconds later the guy told us we had made it to Match Play and that was fun.”

The Sun…

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