(Photo: Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)
After an incredibly intense match on day one of the Copper Cup between Arizona State freshman golfer Raul Gomez and University of Arizona sophomore golfer Matej Baca, Gomez put the forks up, securing the first singles victory of the day.
The Spaniard’s debut win secured a 3-1-1 lead for the Sun Devil squad with seven singles matches left to be played. The established momentum seemed to favor a tremendous result for ASU, but little did it know that Gomez’s win would be the last of the day.
On Jan. 20, 2026, the Copper Cup, hosted by the University of California and held at the El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel, California, concluded with No. 7 ASU finishing third out of the four teams that competed: No. 21 University of California, Los Angeles, No. 24 University of Southern California and eventual winners No. 30 U of A.
The first day included a rivalry showdown between ASU and U of A, but after the Wildcats triumphed in a 8-1-3 victory, they advanced into day two with a shot at winning the tournament against UCLA. The Sun Devils, on the other hand, settled against USC in a battle for third place.
The Sun Devils’ unsuccessful performance against Arizona boiled down to crucial mistakes in the singles matches. ASU sophomore golfer Peer Wernicke played in two singles matches, and after losing each in a 2&1 fashion, the tone had been set for the day.
Wernicke established leads in both duels, including birdieing the first three holes against freshman golfer William Wistrand, but the inability to expand upon his lead ended up costing the team crucial points. Wernicke’s fellow Sun Devils struggled as well in thickening leads, which created a snowball effect that ended with a day-one victory slipping from their grasp.
Standout ASU junior golfer Connor Williams, who is currently on the Ben Hogan Award watch list, did not bogey a single hole in his match against senior Arizona golfer Zach Pollo. Still, his efforts fell short in a 2&1 defeat to the veteran wildcat.
In total, there were forty-three lead changes in the singles matches between the Sun Devils and Wildcats, but the Maroon and Gold still found themselves on the wrong side in nearly all of the showdowns.
ASU refocused itself in another tough head-to-head bout against USC on the tournament’s second day. In their previous match, the Trojans fell flat to UCLA and were determined to upset the Maroon and Gold.
In a similar manner to its competition with Arizona, ASU won two of the four foursomes matchups against USC, but it made sure not to make the same mistakes in the singles department.
ASU won six of the eight singles matches, with senior golfer Michael Mjaseeth being the only loss and freshman Boston Bracken tying his match.
Gomez continued to impress all those on the links with an astonishing 4&3 win, in which, once he grabbed the lead on the first hole, he did not give up.
Junior golfer Fifa Laopakdee followed in the footsteps of Gomez, securing a 5&4 win in his respective match.
The common denominator with the Sun Devils’ success on day two related to the iron game. Laopakdee hit multiple clutch approach shots to put himself in positions to win the hole while mounting pressure on his opponent in the process.
Williams, Gomez and Wernicke also continued to hit darts on the green that consistently overpowered the Trojans’ line-up.
While a third-place result is certainly not what ASU hoped for, Gomez’s promising debut performance, coupled with a solid bounce-back showing, led to positive takeaways to be put on the table. The Maroon and Gold showcased its talent to recruit the next big thing with Gomez and showed grit when faced with adversity.
Next up on the schedule for the Sun Devils is The Amer Ari, located at the Mauna Lani Golf Resort in Waimea, Hawaii, from Feb. 5-7.
