Tour to Tempe: The Journey of ASU’s Newest Assistant Men’s Golf Coach

(Photo: Riley Horn/WCSN)

Just a few months ago, two-time PGA Tour winner James Hahn was preparing to coach his daughter’s middle school flag football team.

Then, the phone rang.

On the other end was Arizona State Men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond, who was offering Hahn a different kind of coaching opportunity. Now, Hahn joins the Sun Devils’ staff as an assistant coach, as the program looks to add more hardware to their already-crowded trophy room.

“I remember when I was in college, I wanted to go to ASU, and that was more than 20 years ago,” said Hahn. “They’ve won so many times. They’re known worldwide for excellence, greatness, and working hard.”

Hahn comes to ASU after a 20+ year career as a professional golfer. The 44-year-old played collegiate golf at The University of California-Berkeley before turning pro in 2003. He grinded his way through the Korn Ferry and Canadian tours before earning his PGA Tour card in 2013.

Hahn earned two victories on the PGA Tour and climbed as high as 54th in the World Golf Rankings.

This impressive resume is one of the reasons why head coach Matt Thurmond picked up the phone and reached out.

“There’s a certain credibility that comes with [the PGA Tour], especially with our players,” Thurmond said. “These are the pros they look up to. They all want to be on the PGA Tour, so having somebody who’s played out there for so many years, whom they can talk to, get advice from and be coached by, is great.”

The experience on tour wasn’t what mattered most to Thurmond, however. He cited Hahn’s character and resilience as key qualities he brings to the program.

“What was especially attractive to me is that he wasn’t a silver-spoon kid.” Thurmond said. “He wasn’t a superstar at 14, 16, or 20. He had to grind through hard times, make himself and overcome the odds.”

“James was a bit of a long shot, and he still did it…that’s a story our guys need to be around.”

Hahn himself admits that his journey to the PGA Tour was not the smoothest of roads. During his late 20s, when he was playing on the Canadian Tour, Hahn struggled to make ends meet.

With only a few hundred dollars to his name, he started to wonder whether he should quit golf to pursue a more traditional career. Rather than giving up on his dream during that moment, he recommitted to the hard work that’s necessary to compete at the highest level.

“I’m going to give it 110%,” Hahn remembers telling himself that week. “I’m going to be the last guy on the range, the first guy to show up…I’m just going to do everything right.”

He credits that week as being a major turning point in his career. After making those promises to himself, he made enough money to sustain himself for the rest of the season.

“That moment hit hard because I feel like if I hadn’t reached that point, when I was pretty much at rock bottom, I wouldn’t have had the drive to continue playing for the next 20 years.”

The work ethic Hahn committed to during that crucial week eventually got him promoted to the PGA Tour, where he earned victories at the 2015 Northern Trust Open and the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship.

Both of his PGA wins came by way of playoff. The lessons he learned from the intensity of those playoffs are some of the things he’s hoping to pass on to the ASU golfers.

“I feel like I can help with the pressure they experience and the situations that make them uncomfortable because I’ve been there and done that,” Hahn said. “If you stick to your routine and follow your game plan, you’ll be OK.”

“We all get nervous. It’s how you deal with those nerves in those situations and how you overcome them that determines whether you’re a champion.”

While his accomplishments as a professional can certainly act as motivation for his players, Hahn believes they can learn more from his mistakes than from his success. One of his biggest regrets is not making golf a priority until he was out of college.

It wasn’t until he was chasing the dream of being a professional that he realized the importance of practicing well, working out more, and getting enough sleep. Those things may seem obvious, but Hahn is hoping to help the ASU golfers better understand how building those habits early can lead to success later.

“I didn’t make the PGA Tour until I was in my 30s,” he said. “One of the things I want to do is help these guys get there in their early 20s.”

After playing professionally for the better part of two decades, Hahn is excited to be involved in the collegiate game again. College golf offers a unique experience of being a part of a team and Hahn says he’s missed that aspect of the game during his time as a pro.

Having teammates to compete against daily, being surrounded by people who can pick you up when you’re down, and building lifelong relationships are a few of the things about college golf Hahn thinks are sacred.

Rejoining the college golf scene with the Sun Devils feels like a perfect fit.

“We’re talking about ASU golf. This is one of the best programs in the nation,” he said. “I have an opportunity to come in here and make an impact on these guys…being accepted here not only by the coach but also the teammates is a huge blessing in my life right now.”

The Sun Devils are already off to a strong start this fall, with a tournament win at the Fighting Illini Invitational in late September and a tied-for-first-place finish in Big 12 Match Play last week. With the addition of Hahn to the coaching staff, the squad will look to compete for their third national title.

Despite still having his PGA Tour card, Hahn is fully committed to his assistant coach role and doesn’t plan on competing professionally any time soon. After dealing with some injuries the last few years, this felt like the right time and opportunity to transition into coaching.

That doesn’t mean he’s done swinging the clubs, though. One of his favorite parts of his new job is being able to compete with the players on the team. It’s hard to turn off the ego after playing at the highest level for so long, but he admits they give him a good challenge, especially on their home course.

“[These guys] are so good and it makes me feel confident in my decision to step away from the game,” Hahn said with a smile. “If I can’t beat anyone on the ASU men’s team, maybe I shouldn’t be trying to compete with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler out there on tour.”