Pac-12 Champion Sun Devil Men’s Golf Season Ends at Rancho Santa Fe Regional

The Arizona State men’s golf team never overcame a tough round one start and fell five shots short of advancing to the NCAA Championship as it closed its season in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional Wednesday afternoon.

 

The Pac-12 champions shot 15-over 855 (286-285-284) at The Farms Golf Club, as North Florida grabbed the fifth spot at 10-over 850 (277-286-287).

 

Ryggs Johnston closed his career with a top-10 finish, as he tied for ninth at 1-over 211 (73-69-69). Both Josele Ballester and Connor Williams tied for 13th at 3-over 143 (71-72-70).

NOT THE ONLY ONE

Each year, several top-30 teams get knocked out of NCAA contention at regionals, and ASU had avoided that since 2014. This year nine top-30 teams didn’t advance, including five top-10 teams, as third-ranked ASU, Ole Miss (7), Arkanas (8), Alabama (9), Washington (10), Georgia (20), Oregon (24), Duke (25) and Northwestern (28) all didn’t make the regional cut.

THE FORMAT

Six 54-hole regional tournaments were conducted May 13-15. The top five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional now advance to the finals. Team and individual medalist titles will be decided May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Texas is the host institution for the 2024 championships.

REGIONAL ALWAYS TOUGH, LOOK AT LAST YEAR

NCAA golf regional action annually is a time when several possible championship contenders don’t make it through to NCAA Championships. The following note puts into perspective how difficult it is to advance from 2023…eight of the Top-30 Golfstat teams did not make the cut in 2023: #7 Auburn, #8 Oregon, #11 Arizona, #19 UCF, #20 Iowa State, #21 Florida, #23 Ohio State and #29 Kentucky.

NCAA MEN’S GOLF RANCHO SANTA FE REGIONAL

THE FARMS GOLF CLUB

MAY 13-15, 2024

PAR 70/6,962 YARDS/TOP 30 RANKING IN PARENTHESES

Oklahoma (16) 284-284-269=837/-3

California (22) 280-284-279=843/+3

Oklahoma State (26) 278-288-279=845/+5

West Virginia 285-280-280=845/+5

North Florida 277-286-287=850/+10

Arizona State (3) 286-285-284=855/+15

San Diego 285-284-288=857/+17

Washington (10) 290-291-279=860/+20

South Florida 293-288-281=862/+22

Chattanooga 294-288-286=868/+28

Kansas 297-298-288=883/+43

Wright State 298-306-289=893/+53

Seton Hall 302-303-293=898/+58

Winthrop 305-308-303=916/+76

SUN DEVIL MEN’S REGIONAL FINISHES UNDER MATT THURMOND

2024: 6th/Rancho Santa Fe, California

2023: 1st/Las Vegas, Nevada

2022: 1st/Stockton,…