College recruiters face immense pressure when selecting players for D1 golf programs, as demonstrated by a pivotal decision Arizona State University (ASU) had to make for their 2019-20 class between David Puig and Ludvig Aberg.

With only one roster spot available, ASU chose David Puig, who became a multiple-time All-American and helped the team finish as runner-up in the 2022 NCAA D1 Men's Golf Championship before joining LIV Golf. Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg went to Texas Tech, where he won 10 college tournaments, earned two Ben Hogan Awards, one Haskins award, and topped the PGA Tour U rankings.

ASU men's associate head coach Thomas Sutton explains that such decisions occur annually:

"I'm recruiting yesterday and watching four kids, and you have to say for sure, this kid as a 16-year-old is going to be the guy that helps our team three years from now...that's hard to do."

The pressure is heightened because rejected players often join direct competitors. As Sutton notes, "It's not like if you say no, they're going to Arizona and we're playing against Arizona every week."

Despite ASU's reputation, maintaining consistent excellence is challenging. Sutton admits to experiencing imposter syndrome, saying, "People assume you're ASU so you're going to always be good. It's really hard to be consistently good...If you're not good, you almost have to look in the mirror."

The key, according to Sutton, isn't about rising to the occasion but performing consistently under pressure: "You don't have to rise to the occasion and be someone you're not. You just have to be able to do what you can do with all the distractions, with all the pressure, at the right time."

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