David Puig hoping to lead Arizona State golf team to national championship

It did not matter that Arizona State golf standout David Puig  was a two-time All-American. The Solar Devils had performed nicely with out him so he thought he wanted to earn his spot within the lineup after lacking a while with a again damage.

Puig did simply that. Now he is hoping to propel the Solar Devils to the NCAA Division I Championship which began on Friday and runs via Wednesday at Scottsdale’s Grayhawk Golf Membership.

The Solar Devils, ranked fourth nationally, are coming off an excellent displaying within the Stockton (Calif.) Regional the place they shot 17-under within the third and last spherical to guide the staff to a 38-under, 10 strokes higher than the second-place finisher Stanford.

Puig, a local of La Garriga, Spain, missed the earlier two tournaments with a again damage and he did not play within the first spherical of the regional both. However Coach Matt Thurmond knowledgeable him later that night time on the staff resort he was going to be again within the lineup when the second spherical commenced.

Puig was subbed into the lineup for senior James Leow who hadn’t essentially performed badly.

“I actually did not suppose I used to be going to play, then he informed me that night time I used to be again in,” Puig mentioned. “Perhaps that was good as a result of I did not have a variety of time to consider it. I simply type of went on the market and performed. It was an enormous increase to my confidence that might assist the staff.”

Puig responded with rounds of 69 and 67, a mixed 8-under, proof he was certainly again higher than ever.

Thurmond admitted he did not know what to anticipate when he made the change.

“I had no thought what he’d do, whether or not he’d shoot a 69 or a 79. I simply thought it might be a good suggestion to get him within the lineup for a spherical or two earlier than we bought right here (to the nationwide championship event),” Thurmond mentioned. “Now trying again I feel possibly that break was good for him. It simply gave him an opportunity to regroup, get his physique proper, his thoughts proper.”

That seems to have helped. Puig has carried that momentum into the NCAA Match being held at Grayhawk for the second of what’s going to be three straight seasons. He opened play on Friday with an even-par 70, certainly one of simply 11 gamers within the 156-man discipline to shoot even par or higher.

He did not have fairly pretty much as good a day in Saturday’s second spherical, settling for a 4-over 74 for a two-day whole of 144.

Puig’s opening spherical consisted of six birdies, six bogeys and 6 pars and he did not make a par till the seventh gap however his spherical ended with a birdie on the par 4, 520-yard 18th gap, one of many harder holes on the course.

After the spherical Thurmond took to the rostrum within the media room 

“It is all the time a wild experience with David, regardless of how nicely he’s enjoying,” Thurmond laughed. “That is how it’s. That is a typical David spherical. What makes me most excited is that birdie on 18. To birdie 18, that’s such a tough gap, most everyone seems to be dropping pictures on that gap together with us and that was massive, to see it pop up late within the spherical was huge for us.”

Puig admits wanting to finish his season on a excessive word as a result of the season has been a little bit of a private disappointment. He struggled a bit within the fall occasions however regrouped and took medalist honors on the prestigious Southwest Intercollegiate at North Ranch Nation Membership in Westlake Village, California. It was an occasion he additionally gained final yr as a sophomore and it took a 7-under 65 within the last spherical to overhaul teammate Cameron Sisk for particular person honors.

A few weeks after that got here the again damage.

Now Puig, who additionally performed a variety of soccer rising up in his native nation, is hoping to complete his season on a excessive word. He’s enjoying within the No. 5 slot which he says fits him advantageous. The Solar Devils boast a lot depth that junior Ryggs Johnston, who positioned fourth individually final season at nationals, is not within the beginning lineup which now boasts two true freshmen in Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester.

Ballester, a local of Castellon, Spain, is the squad’s No. 2 participant. The 2 knew one another from aggressive tournaments of their native nation and all through Europe and Puig helped encourage Ballester to return to ASU.

The Solar Devils had been 12-over as a staff within the second spherical and discover themselves tied for eighth place at 22-over 582,  heading into Sunday’s third spherical play after which the sector will probably be trimmed from 30 to fifteen groups.

“David is type of the vitality barometer of our staff. How he goes, so does our staff,” Thurmond mentioned. “He is actually bought that vitality and that spirit. And when he isn’t at his finest, which is not typically, everybody feels that battle.”

Wildcats drop in standings

Arizona began the day tied for fourth place however shot a 26-over for the day and have dropped to twenty first place within the 30-team discipline at 32-over 592.

One of the best particular person end up to now is that of junior Chaz Aurilia who adopted a 1-under 69 up with a 7-over 77 for a complete of 146 that places him in a tied for forty fourth place individually. Sophomore Sam Sommerhauser is the second Wildcat at 9-over 149.

The Wildcats might want to end Sunday’s spherical in fifteenth place or higher to qualify for the fourth spherical of stroke play. They got here into the occasion seeded twentieth.

Native helps Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners got here in ranked No. 1 and an area product has been a giant a part of the equation. Sophomore Ben Lorenz, a graduate of Dawn Mountain, performs within the No. 3 spot.

Lorenz registered a 3-over 73 the primary spherical and a 6-over 76 the second day for a complete of 149 that places him in a tie for 79th place within the 156-player discipline.

Brother Blake can also be on the staff however is just not within the beginning lineup.

Attain the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602 444-4783.  Comply with her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.

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