A "PT42" golf bag honoring Pat Tillman. (Courtesy of Tim Mickelson) Junior Jon Rahm was carrying a different bag than his teammates at the men's golf team's first tournament of the season.
Throughout the weekend, Rahm carried a camouflage bag emblazoned with the familiar "PT42" logo.
This bag, in honor of Sun Devil legend Pat Tillman, will be carried by a different player at each tournament throughout the season.
ASU is always looking for ways to honor Tillman, the former Sun Devil and Arizona Cardinal safety.
For every birdie and eagle the player carrying the Tillman bag records, money will be donated to the Pat Tillman Foundation.
“We’ve identified a donor, and he has basically made a commitment to donate a certain amount of money for every birdie and eagle made by that person carrying that bag,” said coach Tim Mickelson. “At the end of the year, whatever that amount of money is, half will go to the Pat Tillman Foundation and half will go to the joint account for men’s and women’s golf.”
The donor is Bob Hobbs, who, along with his wife Karen, has long been a supporter of ASU athletics and helped build Karsten Golf Course in Tempe and the team’s clubhouse.
“They helped raise money and find money to help build this golf course,” Mickelson said. “They’re huge when it comes to athletics, but even bigger when it comes to ASU golf.”
This is particularly special for Mickelson, who attended ASU at the same time as Tillman and has fond memories of seeing him around campus.
“I remember seeing him in the gym and remember watching him on the field,” Mickelson said. “So knowing him and his career and knowing what he did, the ultimate sacrifice for our country, it’s an honor for us to be able to carry that bag this year.”
Pat Tillman, former linebacker for the Sun Devils, lines up before a play. (Photo courtesy of ASU Athletics)Mickelson obviously knows Tillman's stories. But even the international athletes who were not in the country when Tillman passed away are aware of what he means to the school and the country.
“You can’t not know who Pat Tillman is if you go to Arizona State,” Mickelson said.
Junior Max Rottluff, who led the team at their first tournament of the season with a score of 207 (3-under par), will carry the Tillman bag at their next tournament.
“It would be a great honor for me,” Rottluff said. “He’s a great guy to look up to and everything he stood for, so definitely it’s an honor to carry that bag.”
Mickelson said the top players will all get the chance to carry the bag and then it will be awarded to the player who performed the best in the previous tournament.
“Until the entire top five or top six or seven guys get a chance to carry it we’re basically just going to rotate it because I want everyone to have the opportunity,” Mickelson said.
While it does bear the Pat Tillman logo, Mickelson says the bag is also the team’s way of honoring all American veterans.
“Obviously we’re honoring Pat Tillman specifically because of the logo, but it’s also our way to show everybody in the military that we appreciate their service,” Mickelson said. “Whether they’re current service, former service or fallen heroes we appreciate everything they do for us.”
Reach the reporter at wslane@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @bill_slane
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