Arizona State University Golf: A Legacy of Notable Alumni
Arizona State University (ASU) has a rich history of athletic excellence, particularly in golf. Many talented golfers have honed their skills at ASU, going on to achieve remarkable success at the collegiate and professional levels. This article highlights some of the most notable alumni who have contributed to the program's esteemed legacy.
Early Pioneers
Bill Boutell holds the distinction of being the first ASU player to earn first-team All-America honors in golf, achieving this recognition in 1966. His exceptional amateur career culminated in being named Amateur Golfer of the Year in 1965 by all four major national golfing publications. Boutell's amateur achievements include winning the Arizona Amateur Championship in 1962, as well as the Eastern Amateur, Trans-Mississippi, and Tucker Collegiate Invitational titles in 1965. In 1975, he transitioned into coaching, taking the helm of the ASU golf program.
John Jacobs, described by legendary Head Coach Bobby Winkles as "the finest fielding first baseman in college baseball and one of the top clutch hitters," completed a rare feat at Arizona State as he earned the Charles Christopher Trophy in 1957, given to the freshman athlete of the year. Four years later, he received the Rosenzweig Award as the senior athlete of the year. He set four school records in 1960 as he helped the Devils climb to sixth in a poll voted on by collegiate baseball coaches, making that team the highest-ranked program of any sport in school history.
NCAA Champions and All-Americans
Jim Carter etched his name in ASU history by becoming the university's first NCAA men's golf champion in 1983. That same year, he also secured medalist honors at the Southwest Amateur and earned first-team All-Pac-10 and first-team All-American accolades.
Alejandro Canizares made an immediate impact as a freshman, winning the NCAA Individual Golf Championship in June 2003 with a score of 1-under 298 at the Karsten Creek Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Canizares's Sun Devil career was marked by consistent excellence, earning him back-to-back Pac-10 Player of the Year awards (2005, co-2006) and four All-America selections (First-Team 2003, 2006; Third-Team 2004, 2005), making him the fourth Sun Devil to achieve four All-America honors. He recorded 22 top-10 finishes and six tournament victories during his time at ASU. A native of Madrid, Spain, Canizares also set Palmer Cup career records in victories (13) and singles record (8-0) and earned the Arnold Palmer Award in 2003. He has competed on the PGA TOUR and secured two European Tour titles.
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Paul Casey distinguished himself as a three-time Pac-10 men's golf champion and three-time All-American during his ASU career. In the final round of the 2000 Pac-10 Men's Golf Championship, Casey's score of 67 broke Tiger Woods's conference par-72 record, securing his third consecutive Pac-10 title. He led ASU to its sixth-straight league title in 2000, with the Sun Devils setting Pac-10 records for low score (1,384) and best score under par (56-under). Casey's individual performance of 23-under 265 (66-65-67-67) surpassed Woods's previous record of 18-under 270 set in 1996. Casey ended his career with six championships, tied for third on the ASU wins list.
Scott Twitty earned All-American honors, first team in 1970 and 1972, and second team in 1971. He was a runner-up in the 1972 NCAA Championship Tournament. In 1970, he was rated the number three amateur in the country. He earned All-Western Athletic Conference recognition for three years. Twitty was the Porter Cup Champion in 1970 and finished second in the Tucson Open in 1976.
Record-Breaking Performances
Paul Casey shot a 15-under 265 at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle on the par-70 course in 1999, including a NCAA record 60 in the final round.
Jeff Quinney set an ASU Karsten Golf Course record with a 62 on April 18, 1999, in the final round of the ASU Thunderbird/SAVANE Invitational as he took home medalist honors. He became the first Sun Devil to win the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Amateur since Todd Kernaghan when he won the 1998 title and then he won it again in the summer of 2000.
Consistent Excellence
Dan Forsman followed up a season in which he was a first-team All-Pac-10 and third-team All-American selection in 1980 by becoming the Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year in 1981. He earned first-team Pac-10 Conference and second-team All-American honors and secured conference medalist honors in his final season.
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Bob Gilder was the Western Athletic Conference golf champion in 1973 and earned three All-WAC selections and one All-America selection. He became a PGA professional in 1975 and quickly made his mark, becoming only the fourth player in PGA history to earn more than $100,000 in his first season. Gilder's first tournament victory came in Arizona, where he captured the 1976 Phoenix Open crown. He finished as a runner-up for the PGA Rookie of the Year title in 1976 and consistently ranked among the top PGA money winners since turning professional, finishing 36th among 283 PGA golfers in 1978.
Chris Hanell was a three-time All-American, including a first team honoree in 1996-97, and helped lead the Sun Devils to the 1996 NCAA Championship. He was a part of three Pac-10 Championship teams and two NCAA Regional Championships. Hanell earned First-Team Pac-10 All-Academic honors in 1995-96 and 1996-97 and received the Golfstat Cup in 1997, recognizing the college player with the lowest stroke average. He consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally as an individual in each of his four years and concluded his ASU career in 1997 by receiving the Golfweek and Golfstat Collegiate Player of the Year Awards. Throughout his career, he played in 58 tournaments and had a 71.44 stroke average with 24 rounds in the 60s. His 179 career rounds played represent the second most in the past 20 seasons of Sun Devil golf.
Billy Mayfair was a four-time All Pac-10 First-Team Conference selection (1985-1988). Amateur (1987). He is an ASU four-time All-American (1985-1988), earning First-Team accolades twice, Pac-10, NCAA and Golf Coaches Association of America's Player of the Year in 1987. He was the winner of the Haskins Award that same year.
Chez Reavie earned three All-American honors, including second-team honors in 2004 and honorable mentions in both 2001 and 2003. He finished his career with 22 Top-10 finishes in 43 collegiate events and a 72.05 stroke average. Public Links Championships, joining Billy Mayfair (1986) and John Jackson, Jr. (1969) as the only Sun Devils to win the title. Reavie, only 19 at the time, earned a trip to the 2002 Masters by way of his 2001 Public Links title. During his senior season in 2004, Reavie earned four top-5 finishes, one of which was second at the Pac-10 Championships.
Coaching Legends
Randy Lein, named the Pac-12 Men's Golf Coach of the Century, coached at USC from 1984-92 and Arizona State from 1993-2011. He led the Sun Devils to 44 tournament victories, eight Pacific-10 Championships, five NCAA West Regional wins, and 10 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including the title in 1996. ASU achieved solid NCAA finishes under Lein's guidance, including fifth-place showings in 1999, 1998, 1997 (tie), and 2009 (tie), a fourth-place finish in 1995, sixth-place finishes in 1993, 2001, and 2003, and a ninth-place finish in 1994. He was named Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year five times at ASU and twice while at USC. Lein is a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame and the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame. His teams from 1995-2000 put together a streak of six straight Pac-10 titles.
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Steve Loy coached the Arizona State program for six seasons (1987-1992). He led the men's program to its first national title in 1990 and also won two Pac-10 titles (1989 and 1990) and tied for 1991 NCAA West regional title. He mentored Phil Mickelson as he won 16 collegiate events, including three NCAA titles, and coached 10 Sun Devils to 20 All-American honors. Loy won Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1990 and led ASU to 26 team titles wins in his tenure and had 25 medalists. Loy's teams won four straight Thunderbird Invitational titles (1989-92) in his final four years. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honors at Eastern New Mexico in 1991 and the National Junior College Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992.
Bill Mann built a legacy in his fifteen years as head coach. From 1961-1975 and 1987, Mann brought home 26 team titles, including conference championships in 1969 and 1971. He led ASU to seven top-10 finishes in the NCAAs, including a third-place finish in 1969. His squads earned fifth-place NCAA finishes in 1966, and 1972.
Phil Mickelson: A Sun Devil Icon
Phil Mickelson is widely regarded as one of the best amateur golfers of all time. During his time at ASU, he won 16 collegiate tournaments, including NCAA titles in 1989, 1990, and 1992, and was a four-time first-team All-American. He led ASU to its first NCAA crown in men's golf in 1990 and earned a degree in psychology in 1992. Mickelson's amateur achievements include winning the U.S. Amateur in 1990. He shot a collegiate career-low 63 in the first round of the 1992 NCAA Championships and also earned the 1990 Porter Cup title, the 1992 Dave Williams Award Winner, and was Pac-10 Player of the Year three times (1990-92), including Pac-10 medalist in 1990. He won the Haskins Award (coaches' vote) three times (1990-92) and the Nicklaus Award Winner (tournament finishes) three times (1990-92). Mickelson became the first player to win back-to-back NCAA men's golf titles since Scott Simpson of USC in 1976-77.
Other Notable Alumni
Tom Purtzer, who earned his PGA membership in 1975, won the 1971 and 1973 Arizona Collegiate.
Baseball
Jay Barrs competed for ASU from 1983-84 and was a two-time national intercollegiate champion before winning gold and silver medals at the 1988 Olympics. Olympic teams (1976, 1984, 1988), Rick McKinney captured silver medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. intercollegiate titles during his Sun Devil career and earned All-America honors four times. In addition, he was a member of four national championship teams at Arizona State University.
Chris Jogis, a 2007 inductee, was a three-time national menâs singles and doubles champion.
Roger Detter, a three-sport athlete at ASU, Roger Detter cemented himself as one of the most decorated Sun Devils in school history. Heâs a member of two National Championship teams for Sun Devil Baseball (1967, 1969), one of four players in team history to win a pair of national titles. He captained the 1969 championship team and set the then-College World Series record for stolen bases while making the All-CWS team at shortstop. Detter was the 1968 Most Valuable Player for Sun Devil Basketball, serving as the teamâs star point guard and captain in back-to-back seasons (1968-1969). Detter also competed in all home events for the Sun Devil Track and Field 1968 season, completing double-headers for baseball before racing to the track to throw the javelin.
Jason Kipnis, With an impressive debut season at Arizona State in 2008, Jason Kipnis earned Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year honors and multiple All-America selections. He hit .371 with 14 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases while starting all 62 games. He played various positions with standout performances, including a grand slam against Michigan. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 4th round (135th overall) of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Mike Leake, one of the most accomplished pitchers in ASU history, posted a 40-6 record with a 2.91 ERA across 390.1 innings. Serving as the Friday night starter for most of his three seasons, he threw 11 complete games and struck out 360 batters. Leake was key in ASUâs three Pac-10 titles and two College World Series appearances. His standout junior year saw him lead the nation with a 16-1 record, a 1.71 ERA, and 162 strikeouts, earning National Player of the Year honors and a unanimous First-Team All-American selection. Leake was also named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year twice. After being drafted eighth overall in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, he made his MLB debut without first playing in the minors. He also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ron Davini, as ASUâs starting catcher in 1967, Ron Davini was instrumental in the Sun Devilsâ second National Championship. His .409 batting average at the College World Series earned him Most Valuable Player honors. Davini led the Devils that year with a .311 batting average and a school-record .992 fielding percentage. Ron was selected as the 1967 College Baseball Player of the Year by the Columbus, Ohio Touchdown Club and was a two-time all-Western Athletic Conference selection. Davini was a first-round selection of the Chicago White Sox in the 1969 Major League Baseball January Draft-Secondary Phase and played five pro seasons. After playing, Davini became one of Arizonaâs top High School baseball coaches, serving 28 years as the Head Coach at Tempe Corona Del Sol and Tempe McClintock.
Casey Myers, one of the greatest catchers in the history of the Pac-10, Casey Myers earned three All-American honors and back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year awards in 2000 and 2001. He ranked among ASUâs all-time leaders in multiple offensive categories, including second in RBI (275) and third in hits (313). A standout defensively, he was named the 2000 Collegiate Baseball National Defensive Player of the Year. Myers was also a two-time Academic All-American of the Year. Drafted in the ninth round by the Oakland Athletics, he played eight seasons in the minors before transitioning to coaching and is now with the San Diego Padres system.
Dustin Pedroia, ASUâs All-American standout shortstop, Dustin Pedroia, started all 185 games in his three-year career, hit .384, and ranked among ASUâs all-time leaders in hits (298), doubles (71), and runs (212). He became only the fourth ASU player to earn three consecutive First-Team All-Pac-10 honors. He was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-American in multiple publications, and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award. He also represented Team USA in 2002 and 2003, helping secure a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games. In the 2004 MLB Draft, he was selected 65th overall by the Boston Red Sox.
Andre Ethier, In his career at ASU, Andre Ethier hit .371 with 164 hits, 113 runs, 27 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs, and 118 RBIs. He was drafted by the Oakland Aâs in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2003 MLB Draft. As a junior in 2003, he earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors, hit .377 with 68 RBIs, and ended the season with a 23-game hitting streak. He had 49 multi-hit games in his career and was named Pac-10 Player of the Week twice. In 2002, as a sophomore, he was named first-team All-Pac-10 and hit .363 with 50 RBIs, despite missing time due to a thumb injury.
Willie Bloomquist, Named the Head Coach for the Arizona State University baseball program in 2021, Willie Bloomquistâs accomplishments are many. Heâs a three-time All-American, a two-time first-team All-Pac-10 performer and an academic All-American. With 175 career starts, he finished his collegiate career with the third-best batting average in school history at .394. He is the only player to record four steals in two separate games and 100 hits in consecutive seasons (1998-99). He played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 1998, and the Seattle Mariners selected him in the third round of the 1999 MLB Draft. He made his debut for the Mariners in 2002. In his first three seasons as head coach of ASUâs program, Bloomquist has seen 18 players drafted in the MLB Draft, five All-Americans and three freshman All-Americans.
Mike Benjamin, Earning All-America and All-Pac-10 honors in 1987, Mike Benjamin was one of five Sun Devils to hit above .300 in 1987 with a .327 average, 18 home runs and 55 runs batted in. Benjamin fielded a .950 clip, making nine errors in 383 chances in 1986. He was named ASU Baseballâs Assistant Coach in 2012.
Fernando Vina, First Team All-Pac-10 in 1990, Fernando Vina hit .387 with 108 hits in his only season in Tempe. The .387 average led the Pac-10 South division. Vina was the 9th round pick of the New York Mets in 1990 and a two-time Gold Glove winner. He was a 1998 All-Star and played 12 big league seasons for the Mariners, Mets, Brewers, Cardinals and Tigers. Vina served as a Major League Baseball analyst for ESPN and now works in the same capacity for Comcast on Oakland Athletics broadcasts in the Bay Area.
Mike Sodders, Was one of the most dominating hitters ever at ASU, Mike Sodders ranked among the top 10 in school history in batting average (.389) and home runs (36), despite playing just two seasons of college baseball. Sodders led the Pacific-10 Conference in batting in 1981 with a .424 average, the fifth-best single-season batting average in ASU history. He also had 22 home runs and 100 RBI in 1981, and was named Baseball Americaâs National Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American, and Pac-10 Player of the Year that season. The 100 RBI in 1981 also makes him one of only three players in school history to reach that mark in a season. The Sun Devils won their fifth national championship in 1981, and Sodders earned a spot on the All-College World Series team. The Minnesota Twins selected him in the first round of the 1981 draft.
Paul Lo Duca, a catcher and designated hitter on Jim Brockâs 1993 team, played only one season at ASU but was named the National Player of the Year by The Sporting News and the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was also a First-Team All-American and Golden Spikes Award finalist after posting an ASU record .446 batting average and leading the team in RBI.
Jim Merrick, helped lead the Sun Devils to their first College World Series berth and their first National Championship. He pitched the winning innings in the 1965 National Title game against Ohio State, giving up only one run over six innings. That season, he won 13 games, including 10 complete games. Merrick became the head baseball coach at McClintock High School, where the field was named after him in 2005.
Clay Westlake, the 37th member of the Hall of Fame representing the baseball team, was a four-year letter winner and produced one of the best offensive careers in the programâs history. A career .336 hitter, Westlake still holds career records for hits (322), doubles (88) and at-bats (958) and is second with 505 career total bases. An All-WAC selection all four years of his career, he produced one of the best freshman seasons on record by hitting a .382 clip with 20 doubles. An All-College World Series team selection in 1973, Westlake was drafted twice in his career, including being selected in the 15th round of the 1976 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos. Westlake earned a Bachelorâs degree in Elementary Education in 1978.
Mike Kelly, hit .350 in his three-year career and 46 home runs, second only to Bob Horner in the Sun Devil record books. He was a three-time All-American, won the 1991 Golden Spikes Award and was the consensus 1991 National Player of the Year.
Jeff Pentland pitched in 54 games as a Sun Devil, starting 44, and posted a career record of 32- 12 and a 2.25 ERA. He was 14-5 with a 2.05 ERA and 12 complete games in 1967, helping lead ASU to its second NCAA College World Series Championship. Pentland earned his BA in physical education (secondary education) in 1969 and his MS in physical education in 1976, both from Arizona State.
Kendall Carter, who set an NCAA freshman record with 19 wins in 1981, capped off his four-year Sun Devil career in 1984 with ASU records for most victories (47) and most appearances (102). The Texas Rangers drafted Carter in 1984 and served on the ASU coaching staff from 1986 to 1990. He twice earned All-Pac-10 honors (1981 and 1983).
Barry Bonds, ranked third in the schoolâs history with 45 home runs and is also in the top 10 in hits (247), slugging percentage (.616), and total bases (438). He earned All-American honors in 1985 and All-Conference recognition in 1984 and 1985 and was part of the 1983 and 1984 All-College World Series teams. Bonds went on to a legendary MLB career, earning three MVP trophies and leading numerous offensive categories in the 1990s. He holds MLB records for RBIs (1,064) and walks (1,132), is second in slugging percentage (.601), third in home runs (353), and sixth in stolen bases (342). In 1998, he became the first player to hit 400 home runs and steal 400 bases in a career.
Fred Nelson, was a second baseman for the ASU College World Series Championship Team in 1967. He was a District and Western Athletic Conference First-Team Selection and a 1968 All-American. He led ASU in hitting at a .351 clip in 1968. Nelson still holds the individual record for the most walks in a game with five. He coached at Scottsdale Community College for nine years before coaching for the Chicago White Sox.
Kevin Romine, From Exeter, N.H., Kevin Romine has the highest career batting average in Sun Devil history, batting .408 over his two seasons in Tempe. He is ASUâs leader in career stolen bases (86), including a single-season record 59 in 1981. Romine was a second-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox in the 1982 draft, playing seven seasons for the team. Kevinâs son, Andrew, was also a shortstop for ASU, wearing his fatherâs number 12.
Mike Pagel, is among the most prolific passers to play at ASU. He earned Honorable Mention honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News in 1981. He was also named to the All-Pac-10 first team that year. He had the best game of his college career against Stanford in 1981 when he connected on 26 of 34 passes (.765) for 446 yards and seven touchdowns. His seven touchdowns that game and 29 in the season were still ASU records at the time of his induction.He was voted team captain and MVP for the 1981 season. He played in the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl games in 1981. Pagel also played baseball while at ASU. He sported a .320 batting average and had 44 RBIs, scoring 49 runs during the 1982 season. The NFLâs Baltimore Colts drafted him in the fourth round, 84th player overall, in the 1982 draft.
Roy Coppinger, played baseball and basketball for the Sun Devils, and the university inducted him in 1993.
Tom Futch, a three-sport star at ASU, Tom Futch was a three-year starter in basketball, earning second-team All-Border Conference accolades in 1956. The ASU Hall of Fame inducted him in 1992.
Oddibe McDowell, was a standout baseball player for Arizona State, earning first-team All-American honors twice (1983 and 1984). He won the 1984 Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player of the year. McDowell ranks seventh in ASU history for career batting average (.380) and sixth in slugging percentage (.644). He is among the top 10 in career steals (72) and home runs (30). In 1984, he set a single-season record with 101 runs scored and 220 total bases. McDowell hit .405 in his senior year, leading the team in home runs (23), RBIs (74), and stolen bases (36). He was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection and Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year in 1984. Olympic team and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft.
John Pavlik, played baseball at Arizona State University from 1964 through 1966. His career record was 22-1, which ranks as the second-highest winning percent…
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