(Photo: Ben Parris/Sun Devil Athletics)
Fresh off of their second-place finish at the Fighting Illini Invitational the Sun Devils look to continue their blazing start at the Ben Hogan Collegiate.
The Ben Hogan Collegiate is a yearly tournament in which some of the top programs in the country are invited to the Colonial Country Club. The venue is known for hosting one of the PGA Tours longest running events, the Charles Schwab Challenge, an event Arizona State golfer Phil Mickelson won in 2008.
The Sun Devils take on the Ben Hogan Collegiate September 30 through October 1, packed with some of the best talent collegiate golf has to offer. Of the 15 teams competing, 12 of them are among the top ranked programs in the country. Arizona State is ranked No. 2 and will have to take on the No. 1 ranked program this week in Auburn. They also take on Oklahoma and Alabama which both rank in the top 10.
The Sun Devils will be without Josele Ballester this week, coming off one of his best outings as a collegiate golfer last week, winning the individual title at the Fighting Illini Invitational and propelling the Sun Devils to a second place finish. He finished T2 in the Sahalee Players Championship in the first competition of the season.
He will be unable to compete on Monday and Tuesday after competing in the Spanish Open. He played in the DP World Tour event in his home country alongside former Arizona State golfers John Rahm and David Puig who finished second and third respectively while Ballaster did not make the cut.
The Sun Devils will be sending Michael Mjaaseth, Nick Prieto, Preston Summerhays, Peer Wernicke and Connor Williams to Fort Worth.
This season ASU won the Sahalee Players Championship and finished second in the Fighting Illini Invitational. The team has finished top-3 in its last five non-postseason matchups dating back to last season.
Arizona State will try to win the Ben Hogan Collegiate for the first time in program history. It is the second year that Arizona State will play in the Ben Hogan Collegiate after finishing in third. Luke Potter, who transferred during the offseason to Texas, led the charge for the Sun Devils with his seventh place finish.
