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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State males’s golf alumni have historically been as huge part of the WM Phoenix Open as its loopy costumes and inebriated followers. This 12 months isn’t any completely different with 5 former Solar Devils within the subject. But it surely’s the ASU alums not within the event who’re most conspicuous.
Six former Solar Devils have jumped to LIV Golf, most notably Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, who’ve a mixed 64 PGA Tour victories. Mickelson as soon as performed 30 consecutive occasions at TPC Scottsdale.
The 5 remaining Solar Devils within the Phoenix Open subject have a mixed 5 PGA Tour wins (three by Chez Reavie and two by Grayson Murray).
“The ASU presence, I really feel prefer it’s not as a lot anymore,” Murray mentioned of the Phoenix Open subject.
However whereas LIV has drained the Solar Satan connection to the Phoenix Open, ASU coach Matt Thurmond mentioned he doesn’t consider it detracts from his program.
“Whereas I recognize every little thing that the PGA Tour does and has carried out, and I recognize every little thing LIV is doing, I don’t have a horse within the race,” Thurmond mentioned. “What I would like is what’s greatest for our gamers.”
The @livgolf_league begins the season at the moment in México.
Six @sundevilmgolf alums are on six completely different groups.
▪️@JonRahmOfficial ▪️@PhilMickelson ▪️@paul_casey▪️@PuigCorrius ▪️@mattjonesgolf ▪️Pat Perez
Anxious to see what this season seems like!
— Matt Thurmond (@MattThurmond) February 2, 2024
In 2022, Thurmond’s star participant – David Puig – determined it was greatest for him to depart faculty early and be a part of LIV. Puig now performs for Fireballs GC alongside Sergio Garcia.
“It acquired to the purpose the place we felt prefer it was such a no brainer for him,” Thurmond mentioned.
Puig initially performed in just a few LIV occasions as an novice whereas remaining on ASU’s workforce. However ultimately the deal “acquired even higher for him,” Thurmond mentioned. So, Puig turned professional in a groundbreaking improvement for the upstart golf league. The younger Spaniard paid his personal tuition to finish his diploma at ASU and nonetheless lives with three present Solar Devils golfers.
“Our relationship as buddies, it didn’t change a lot,” Puig mentioned.
Puig’s LIV choice foreshadowed the arrival of a much more well-known Spanish Solar Satan in Rahm. The reigning Grasp’s champion and world No. 3 participant dedicated to LIV in a stunning reversal final December.
Like Puig, Rahm nonetheless lives in Scottsdale. In his information convention earlier than the LIV Las Vegas occasion this weekend, he expressed unhappiness at lacking out on the Phoenix Open and mentioned he hopes to play within the occasion once more.
Rahm’s absence casts a shadow over the event – and the way forward for the PGA Tour. However the ASU alums nonetheless within the Phoenix Open subject say their relationships with Rahm are unchanged.
“Jon is certainly one of my greatest buddies,” mentioned Nicolo Galletti, a former Solar Satan making his first PGA Tour begin on the Phoenix Open. “He clearly simply went to LIV, and I feel it’s superior for him.
“Make your cash. That’s what it’s about. This can be a job.”
The gamers didn’t consider that ASU alums on LIV have been actively pulling different Solar Devils to the breakaway tour.
“I feel it was simply all on a person foundation,” mentioned Reavie, who has performed in 400 occasions on the PGA Tour since 2002.
Puig agreed that the ASU presence on LIV was not a significant component in his choice. However he did communicate to Rahm about LIV earlier than the two-time main winner made the swap.
“I don’t know if our talks helped or not,” Puig mentioned.
Puig and Rahm performed golf collectively regularly this previous offseason.
“We’ve got loads of issues in widespread, which is loopy as a result of he’s a famous person, and I’m simply beginning my skilled life,” Puig mentioned.
Whereas it has poached a few of the world’s greatest expertise, LIV nonetheless lags far behind the PGA Tour in reputation amongst followers. When each excursions have been reside final Saturday, the PGA Tour acquired greater than 11 occasions the viewership than LIV.
A 2022 survey famously discovered that solely about 22 p.c of golf followers permitted of LIV. The league not too long ago got here below hearth for allegedly threatening to imprison bankers that cooperated with the U.S. authorities investigation into the deliberate merger between it and the PGA Tour.
However the ASU males’s golf workforce appears to really feel in another way about LIV than most golf followers.
How do the faculty youngsters really feel about @livgolf_league individuals typically ask. This could possibly be a clue. pic.twitter.com/RZRNWZzDnr
— Solar Satan Males’s Golf (@sundevilmgolf) February 2, 2024
“It’s not simply ASU, it’s all groups,” Thurmond mentioned. “These youngsters are actually enthusiastic about what LIV’s doing.”
The workforce facet of LIV is especially intriguing for school golfers, based on Thurmond.
With three present gamers ranked among the many prime 20 amateurs on the planet, the Solar Satan presence on LIV may develop even bigger within the coming years. Thurmond mentioned he wouldn’t remark particularly on whether or not his present gamers – together with freshman Wenyi Ding, Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester – had already been approached by LIV.
“However I’ll say that they’ve had or actively have alternatives on a regular basis,” Thurmond mentioned.
Although essentially the most well-known ASU alums play elsewhere, the Solar Devils on the PGA Tour proceed to have an effect. Rookie Kevin Yu posted two top-10 finishes in January, placing him inside the highest 30 of the FedEx Cup standings. Yu accrued the second-best profession scoring common (70.46) in ASU historical past through the Golfstat period, trailing solely Rahm.
“One factor that stands out with Kevin is his ball-striking,” Thurmond mentioned. “It’s fairly beautiful to look at. He hits it as excessive and as far and as straight … as anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Murray received the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this 12 months, incomes his second profession victory and first since 2017.
Reavie, Galletti and Jesse Mueller – additionally a volunteer assistant for the Grand Canyon College males’s golf workforce – spherical out the Solar Devils within the 2024 Phoenix Open subject.
Phoenix resident Nicolo Galletti has made begins everywhere in the world on @PGATOURAmericas, @KornFerryTour and @DPWorldTour.
After Monday qualifying, he’ll make his first-ever TOUR begin in entrance of household and buddies @WMPhoenixOpen 👏 pic.twitter.com/qw9cj5mMiT
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 6, 2024
With ASU enjoying in Hawaii on the Amer Ari Invitational, LIV enjoying its second occasion of the season in Las Vegas and the Phoenix Open scrambling to complete after heavy rain delayed the schedule, it’ll inevitably be an enormous weekend for Solar Devils golfers.
“The golf program right here has at all times been only a main half (of the college),” Thurmond mentioned. “Golf is a very huge deal right here.”
King Jemison is a graduate pupil at Northwestern’s Medill College of Journalism.
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