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Sun Devil Golf Camp Coaches/Instructors  Randy LeinName the champion, and Arizona State University men’s golf coach Randy Lein has coached them. NCAA championship team? Notched that feat in 1996. NCAA individual champion? Done that twice. U.S. Amateur? Jeff Quinney took home the trophy in 2000. English Amateur, Arizona Amateur, U.S. Public Links…all of them have occurred under Lein’s ASU’s tutelage. “The secret has been to find what works best for the player and to help that player develop into the best player he can become both here and in their future. College golf is such a great sport because we are dealing with individual needs that might not pertain to the rest of the team. We are a family at ASU and the support continues well after graduation. We follow our players throughout their careers and lives. I have been most fortunate to have coached some incredibly talented players and have enjoyed watching them grow as people.” In an era of parity, Lein also has witnessed 10 NCAA team champions in his 15 years and has kept the program in the hunt for a national title in almost every year. In those 15 years, ASU has finished in the top six at the NCAA Championship eight times. And in that time the Sun Devils and Oklahoma State are the only teams to have two NCAA individual champions. “The landscape has changed, as you just don’t see any team or individual dominating because of the international players and the improved facilities across the country,” says Lein. “We know a lot is expected of us, and that is great because we strive to be the best. We have been as consistent as anyone over the past 15 years and when you get consistent you win championships. We want every player who puts on an ASU golf shirt to believe they can win a NCAA title.” That is exactly what happened in 2003, as freshman Alejandro Canizares became the fourth Sun Devil to win NCAA medalist honors. Along with 1993 champion Todd Demsey, Lein has now recruited two NCAA champions, a U.S. Amateur champion (Jeff Quinney in 2000), a U.S. Public Links Champion (Chez Reavie in 2001), an English Amateur champion (Paul Casey in 1999 and 2000) five Pac-10 Players of the Year (six occasions), a National Player of the Year (Chris Hanell in 1996) and, for some local flavor, an Arizona Amateur champion (Jesse Mueller). As alumni like Quinney and Casey turned the program over to players like Canizares and Niklas Lemke, who in turn have handed it down to the likes of Knut Borsheim and Jesper Kennegard, the Sun Devils have continued atop the leaderboard. Its sixth-place finish in 2003 marked the ninth top-10 finish for Lein at ASU, a feat only 2003 NCAA champion Clemson and 2006 NCAA champion Oklahoma State can top. And for those that bleed maroon and gold, Lein’s teams have finished better than rival Arizona 11 out of his 15 years at both the NCAA and Pac-10 Championships. In 2001-2002, the Sun Devils experienced a host of bad luck as it had a player leaving early to pursue a professional career (2001 All-American Matt Jones), an injury to another All-American (Chez Reavie) which had him out for five months and another player leaving the team to concentrate on academics (2001 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Brian Nosler). Add in losing his assistant coach as Mickey Yokoi was working with the women’s team, and it was a case of Murphy’s Law for Lein. Lein lost his top three players that fall, but he knew that with the newcomers arriving, Yokoi back on the staff and a healthy Reavie, ASU would get back to its usual spot in the rankings and at the NCAA Championships. “Recruiting quality people like Jeff (Quinney) and Chez (Reavie) and players like them is the most important part to keeping the program running, and I knew we had done that with a newcomer like Alejandro at that time,” says Lein. “ASU has a first-class university golf course, incredible practice facilities, great weather, a host of world class golf courses to play and a most supportive and enthusiastic alumni who are extremely proud of their golf programs. Former Sun Devils are all involved with the program. Our players see that and want to be part of the legacy.” “The area is growing, and with that comes more golf courses, which gives us a tremendous recruiting advantage. ASU is a special place and we are so fortunate to have the facilities and the strong support of athletic staff, alumni and community. There is no question we appreciate what we have with new facilities like the weight room, the sky is the limit for all of our programs.” The 15th-year ASU mentor entered the 2006-2007 season with 60 tournament victories in 24 seasons and 53 All-Americans at Arizona State and USC. No program was more dominant in its league and more consistent on a regular basis on the national scene in the 1990s. ASU has won six of the past 12 league titles after winning a Pac-10 record six straight from 1995-2000 and has posted five NCAA top-five finishes in the past 12 years to go along with four regional championships. The Sun Devils won the 1996 title in Chattanooga, Tenn., with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Honors Course. Lein also tutored first-team All-Americans and Academic All-Americans Chris Hanell and Scott Johnson in 1997, and had two of the top collegiate golfers with 1999 All-American Jeff Quinney and three-time All-American Paul Casey (1998-2000). Quinney earned a dramatic win of the 2000 U.S. Amateur Championship, while Casey claimed his second straight English Amateur in the summer of 2000 and posted a great initial season on the European Tour as he was named Rookie of the Year in 2001.
Lein (pronounced “Line”), a 1975 graduate of CS Northridge, led USC to the NCAA Championships every year from 1984 through 1992. The Trojans won 23 tournaments in 10 seasons and had 21 All-Americans. He was an associate coach at USC for four seasons prior to earning the head position (1980-83). USC earned Pac-10 titles in 1984 and 1986, finishing eighth at the NCAAs in both seasons. Lein was named Pac-10 and District VIII Coach-of-the-Year for his efforts in 1980 and 1986. Prior to that, he served as head pro at Westlake Village Golf Course. “We want ASU to have quality student-athletes in our golf programs who have a strong desire to play at the professional level and show that desire in practice. A college coach works mainly with developing the right attitude and teaching course management. We give them a great golfing and academic experience at ASU.” “I have been most fortunate to have coached three NCAA champions, two Amateur Champions, five players with Walker Cup experience and a U.S. Public Links Champion. All of these players were outstanding athletes and young men. I cannot think of a better place for a student-athlete to get a quality education and prepare for life as a professional golfer. I want our former players to know our staff made a positive impact on them. ASU is a great place for great golf and great student-athletes, and I am proud to be a part of it. When I hear our former players say how proud they are to be Sun Devils, that means we are doing things the right way.”
In her sixth season, she hopes to eclipse the stellar effort the Sun Devils put forth in the 2006-2007 season. In recognition of her outstanding coaching efforts, Luellen was named both the 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and West Region Coach of the Year by the National Golf Coaches Association, for the second consecutive year. The Sun Devils currently own the nation’s second-longest streak of consecutive NCAA appearances at 16. Last season, Luellen’s Sun Devils proved again to be a top-tier women’s golf program finishing in the first place in five tournaments on the season, including four straight first place finishes in the spring season. Under Luellen's tenure, ASU has made six postseason appearances, three top-ten national finishes, and has recorded ten team touranament victories. In addition, she has coached five All-Americans and two NGCA Freshman of the Year recipients. Luellen came to ASU after spending two seasons as the head women’s golf coach at her alma mater, the University of Tulsa (2001-02). Luellen, a four-time All-American for the Golden Hurricane, succeeded her mother, Dale McNamara, who retired in 2000 following a 26-year career that saw her Tulsa teams win four national championships. In her two seasons as Tulsa’s head coach, Luellen led her team to seven tournament titles including back-to-back Western Athletic Conference and NCAA Central Regional championships in each year. The 2001-02 season saw her team win five tournaments, including the 2002 PING/ASU Championship at Karsten Golf Course, earn a No. 3 national ranking for most of the season and finish 12th at the 2002 NCAA Championships. Luellen was named the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in each of her two seasons and was the 2002 Central Regional Coach of the Year.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Tulsa in 1988, Luellen competed on the Futures and the Ladies European Tours in 1988 and 1989 before qualifying for the LPGA Tour in October of 1989. She spent 11 years on the LPGA Tour, winning the 1991 Stratton Mountain LPGA Classic and teaming with Mike Springer to win the 1993 JC Penney Classic. She was also elected to the LPGA Executive Committee in her final two years on the tour and is currently a non-exempt member of the LPGA. Prior to entering college, she was a three-time Oklahoma state high school champion and American Junior Golf Association All-American (1982-84). In 1983, she was named the AJGA Player of the Year. Luellen was inducted into the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1998 and the University of Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. Luellen, 39, and her husband, Mark, were married on Dec. 14, 2002 in Scottsdale. The couple lives in Cave Creek. They have a son, Drake (18), and a daughter, Sydney (15) and one dog, Seamus and one cat, Kitty Moe.
Last year, Farr-Kaye helped the Sun Devils win their first Pac-10 Championship in eleven years. She is instrumental in running the Thunderbird Pro-Am, ASU's largest fundraiser, and the PING/ASU Invitational, which is one of the most prestigious collegiate tournaments in the country. Farr-Kaye has returned to her alma mater, where she was a model of consistency on the Sun Devil women's golf team from 1985-90. She won the 1986 Trojan-Desert Bruin Classic in her collegiate debut. A second-team All-Pac-10 selection and two-time Phoenix City champion, she finished in the top 10 in five events in 1989-90 and capped off her collegiate career by helping Arizona State win the 1990 NCAA Championship, the first of the team's six NCAA titles in the 1990s. "It's just a thrill to be here as an assistant coach. This university, this athletic department, and especially this golf program are very special to me and always have been," said Farr-Kaye, who is the sister of the late Heather Farr, a Sun Devil All-American and LPGA star. "To have an opportunity to come in and work with Melissa Luellen is an exciting opportunity to me." Following her graduation from ASU in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in organizational communication, Farr-Kaye played professional golf. She then served as the club professional at the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale from 1991-93. "When I thought about all of the things that I was looking for in an assistant coach, Missy covered the bases on all of them. She's a homerun," Luellen said. "She is a great player and she's a positive person to be around with great inspiration. Missy's organizational skills will help me a lot, and she's a good friend." Farr-Kaye regained her amateur status in 1996 and has spent the last six years playing in amateur events. She has won the Arizona State Amateur Championship twice and captured the 2002 Arizona Women's Open. She also finished as the runner-up at the 2001 U.S. Public Links Championships. "Melissa and I have known each other for over 20 years, and I think we will complement each other very well," Farr-Kaye said. "We have both won national championships and we both have similar standards and goals. We both know that this program can be the best in the country, and that's where we want to take it together. Coach Linda Vollstedt laid a tremendous foundation and tradition for us to continue to build upon." A 1985 graduate of Xavier High School in Phoenix, Farr-Kaye has three children, Dalton (13), Riley (9), and Cameron (3)
He also served as the fifth head coach of the Sun Devil women’s golf program in 2001-2002 and led the Sun Devils to a ninth-place NCAA finish. He led the program to a top-10 finish in all 12 tournaments. Prior to Arizona State, Yokoi oversaw operations as a head professional at the Country Club of the North in Dayton, Ohio, from 1994-95 and assisted the head professional from 1993-94. He also served as the vice chairman of the Children’s Medical Center LPGA Tour Event in 1995. “Mickey is the best in the nation, and we are very fortunate to have him with our program,” said Lein, who first worked with him when Yokoi served as Lein’s assistant coach at USC in 1989-90. “We both have the same goals, and we want to keep this program in the hunt for a national title every year.” Yokoi played collegiate golf at UCLA from 1977-82 before beginning a professional career. At UCLA, he earned All-America and All-Pac-10 honors. He also played on the 1982 Pac-10 Championship team which included Corey Pavin and Steve Pate. After leaving UCLA, Yokoi went on to play on the Asian Tour, the Canadian and Australian PGA Tours and the PGA Hogan Tour. He has been a member of the PGA Tour since 1994. After ending his professional career, Yokoi went back to UCLA to complete his studies and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1997. Yokoi lives in Ahwatukee with his wife, Carole, son, Justin (16) and daughter, Alyssa (14).
Tim Suzor is the Director of Instruction of Kinetic Golf Academy. Tim has been a PGA Professional since 1995 and utilizes his comprehensive knowledge and extensive golf instruction background to head the overall teaching operations of Kinetic Golf. He is a certified Level 3 Kinetic Swing Instructor and is now a Regional Certification Director for the Kinetic Swing System. Tim was also recently rewarded with the PING regional club fitter of the year award for his expertise in club fitting and in Fall of 07 Tim completed his level 3 Titleist Performance Institute Fitness certification. A native of Michigan, Suzor graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Management with emphasis on Professional Golf Management. Voted as one of America's top instructors Suzor coaches players at all levels including LPGA and PGA Tour players.  Kathy Murphy2001 LPGA Teacher of the Year!! This recognition tops the list of Kathy's credentials. During her 25-year career, the LPGA and her peers have consistently recognized her for her teaching and coaching skills. She is on Top Teacher lists produced by Golf For Women Magazine, Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. Be open to the possibilities. This describes Kathy's philosophy for teaching and learning. Along with her knowledge of the science behind club fitting, psychology of performance and kinesiology, she demonstrates an intuitive ability to create an effective learning experience for each individual client. You will always leave a session with the resources you need to improve your golfing experience. Kathy is dedicated to 'grow the game of golf' and welcomes all new golfers. Golf programs are offered for individuals and groups. Kathy has extensive experience with competitive players having worked with top-ranked juniors, members and coaches of the ASU Women's Golf program and golf professionals.  Matt TrimbleA Class "A" member of the PGA, Matt Trimble brings many years of instruction experience to his students. Matt has served as a full-time golf instructor at the ASU Karsten Golf Course for the past 12 years. He also works on cooperative efforts with Arizona State University's nationally ranked golf programs. As a consultant to Titleist, Matt worked on the development of the 1994-95 club fitting program and design. Prior to joining the ASU Karsten team, Matt spent 7 years at Desert Highlands Golf Club in Scottsdale, the private Nicklaus designed course most recognized as the originator of the popular "Skins Game." Matt's students include standout high school golfers, mini-tour players as well as local scratch amateurs. However, beginners comprise a significant portion of his student base, as do women golfers. Knowledge, clarity of communication, patience and success rate are the key reasons to invest your efforts with Matt Trimble. Teaching Philosophy Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals... Let me show you what good players do. Let me show what you are doing via video playback. Then, lets develop a practice routine to help you quickly transition to a more productive set of mechanics. I want my students to know what to practice and how to practice. But most importantly, I want my students to understand WHY good players do what they do. After a lesson with me, you will understand how the practice will improve your game. |
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