ASU men’s golf alumni finding success worldwide

PHOENIX – The recent LIV Golf Mexico City tournament had a decidedly Spanish flair, with Jon Rahm, David Puig and Josele Ballester taking home the top three spots, respectively. 

On closer inspection, however, there was another connection in the April tournament. All three golfers played for Arizona State.

“They were great players before they got here, they were great players while they were here and they continue to be great players wherever they are,” ASU men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond said. “It was especially fun to see three Sun Devil Spaniards finish first, second and third.”

The performance highlighted an enduring ASU reality. 

The NFL has featured 283 Sun Devils including current San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and New York Giants running back Cameron Skattebo. Thirty-two ASU alumni have played in the NBA, including Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Luguentz Dort and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard James Harden. 

The Sun Devils boast 117 players who have gone on to MLB, including Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly and Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson. ASU is represented in the NHL with Buffalo Sabres forward Josh Doan and Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord, and in other sports with Leon Marchand (swim), Colby Neal (Major League Volleyball) and Anna Nordqvist (LPGA).

But no sport has produced more individual success stories than the men’s golf program. Driven by iconic alumni Rahm and Phil Mickelson, former ASU men’s golfers have won nine major PGA titles, and more than 100 PGA titles overall. 

At present, Arizona State men’s golf has more than a dozen players competing across various golf leagues in 2026. Five Sun Devils play on the LIV Tour, a smaller-field series that travels the globe. 

The success in Mexico City is nothing new for Rahm, whose worst finish is tied for eighth in the seven events staged so far on the LIV Tour this season. Rahm is also the championship leader. The Mexico City win was his second of the season in his championship defense.

“If you had told me last Thursday I was going to win by six this week, I would say you’re crazy because it felt horrible,” Rahm told reporters after struggling through his first round at the Masters one week earlier. “Seemed to have found something that can work, but still needs to get a little bit more refined to say that it’s complete.” 

The Mexico City second-place result was Puig’s fourth top-10 finish of the season and vaulted him to seventh in the standings. In addition to LIV, Puig plays on the DP World Tour, the main worldwide golf league. 

In the 2025-26 season, Puig has only played five events with three top-10s, including a win at the BMW Australian PGA Championship. Those good results have him 12th in the standings. 

“Very proud of that,” Puig told reporters in Mexico City. “The second spot obviously gives me a lot of points for world rankings, but at the same time for leverage, it’s great.”

Ballester is having a strong first full season on the tour. His four consecutive top-12 finishes have put him eighth in the standings after a slower start. 

Puig and Ballester both compete on the same LIV team, Fireballs GC.

“One thing cool about the LIV Tour is that it’s all about the team,” Thurmond said. “That’s one thing that LIV allows is that team atmosphere, and that’s allowed them to thrive.”

The trio all live in Scottsdale and are all good friends who often play together. They even come to the Arizona State facility at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix to practice and play with the current team.

“Seeing those two names up there, two friends makes me want to beat them even more, but also be cautious because I know exactly what they’re capable of,” Rahm said.

Paul Casey and Mickelson also compete on the LIV tour. The older pair has struggled as Casey sits 34th (of 56 regulars) in the standings and Mickelson played poorly in the lone tournament he played.

Wenyi Ding played 10 of the 17 events on the DP World Tour this season, his second. His best result of the season was second in the BMW Australian PGA Championship to Puig. He sits 25th in the standings. Ding only played one season of college golf.

“Honestly, I thought he’d do even better,” Thurmond said. “He’s a superstar player.”

Alejandro Del Rey sits at 37th after his first top-10 of the season this past weekend in China.

Farther down the DP World Tour standings are Niklas Lemke and Ryggs Johnston. They sit 127th and 135th, respectively.

In American golf, Chun-an (also known as Kevin) Yu is having a decent season on the PGA Tour. He sits in 111th place and recently recorded his best performance with a seventh at the Valero Texas Open.

“He’s a world-class player, and we saw him last week,” Thurmond said.

Mason Anderson sits 18th on the Korn Ferry Tour, the feeder series to the PGA Tour. The top 20 players earn PGA Tour cards, and his consistent results with a pair of top-10s and only two missed cuts have put him in a solid position to battle for a promotion.

Nicolo Galetti is 42nd on the Korn Ferry Tour, but is heating up with three top-15 results in his last four tournaments.

Farther down on the Korn Ferry Tour points list, Chan Kim is in 77th place. Chez Reavie sits in 95th place. Preston Summerhays is 140th.

Neither Kim nor Reavie is fully exempt on the PGA Tour.

“I know each of those guys wants to be back on the PGA Tour and probably will be,” Thurmond said.

Current ASU golfer Fifa Laopakdee played in the Masters and will play in the British Open, as he won the Asia-Pacific Amateur championship, granting him invitations to play in those tournaments as an amateur. This is the second year in a row that an ASU golfer played in the Masters as an amateur, as Ballester won the U.S. Amateur. 

“Until two years ago, I’d never had a (current) player there,” Thurmond said.  “To have it two years in a row (is) really cool, and I’m a little spoiled. I’m hoping for a third next year.”

Even when they’re competing against each other on tour, the former Sun Devils maintain a camaraderie by spending time together, cheering on their old teammates and their old team, which will compete in the 2026 NCAA Regionals at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington, from Monday to Wednesday. The Sun Devils earned a No. 1 seed for the regional, marking their fourth consecutive year as a top seed under Thurmond.

“I’ve spent a lot of my last two years with David Puig,” Rahm said. “We have the same trainer, same swing coach, Spencer Tatum and Dave Phillips (respectively). We’re members of the same courses. 

“I think I’ve spent more time with him than I do with my wife or my kids.”

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