Weekly Release #9

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., March 29-30 -- at Johnny Owens Invitational (Lexington, Ky.)
Sat-Sun., April 12-13 -- at Kepler Intercollegiate (Columbus, Ohio)

Next on the Tee: Johnny Owens Invitational
The University of Michigan men's golf team will continue its spring season with the Johnny Owens Invitational on Friday and Saturday (March 29-30) in Lexington, Ky. The Johnny Owens Invitational, hosted by Kentucky, will be played on the Big Blue Course at the University Club of Kentucky. The 54-hole tournament will feature 15 teams playing 36 holes on Saturday (March 29) and a final 18 on Sunday (March 30). The Big Blue will be set up for a par of 72 and 6,992 yards.

Johnny Owens Invitational Teams
The Johnny Owens Invitational will feature 15 teams: Arkansas-Little Rock, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Morehead State, Ohio, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and Xavier.

The Johnny Owens Invitational Schedule
The Johnny Owens Invitational will consist of 54 holes, 36 being played Saturday (March 29) and a final 18 Sunday (March 30). 

Friday, March 28	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Saturday, March 29	First Round	8:00 a.m. (shotgun start)
	Second Round	1:00 p.m. (shotgun start)
Sunday, March 30	Final Round	8:00 -- 10:15 a.m. (tee times)

The Johnny Owens Invitational Scoring Format
Scoring for the Johnny Owens Invitational will be five players, count the low four scores each round. Teams will be allowed one individual player.

The Michigan Lineup at the Johnny Owens Invitational
The Wolverines will carry five players for the Michigan squad at the Johnny Owens Invitational. The Maize and Blue lineup will be headed up by junior Dave Nichols (Mesa, Ariz./Rochester Adams HS, Mich.), junior/sophomore Scott Carlton (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and redshirt freshman Mark McIntosh (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord HS). The remaining two playing spots and individual spot will be determined after the practice round. Junior/sophomore Rob Tighe (Traverse City, Mich./West HS), redshirt freshman Jimmy Wisinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS) and freshman Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills School) will all be competing for final team positioning.

Last Year at the Johnny Owens: Matthews Leads Michigan to Sixth-Place Tie at Kentucky
The Wolverines climbed five spots on the final day to tie for sixth with a three-round total of 879 at the 2002 Johnny Owens Invitational (March 29-30) at the University Club in Lexington, Ky. The Maize and Blue shot 302 in the opening round and stood in a tie for 11th place after play was suspended by high winds and thunderstorms during the second round. The weather break turned out to be just what U-M needed as it rebounded to shoot the fourth-lowest round of the tournament (285), then added a score of 292 in the final round. Former Wolverine Andy Matthews (1999-2002) paced the Wolverines with a tie for seventh after he shot one-under-par 70s in the final two rounds to finish with a 214 total (74-70-70). Andrew Chapman (1999-2002) tied for 12th with a 54-hole score of 217 (79-67-71), Dave Nichols tied for 41st (74-74-75/223), and Scott Carlton tied for 49th (75-74-76/225) and Chris Kellogg (Traverse City, Mich./Central HS) tied for 87th (83-77-78/238)
 
Last Time on the Links: Wolverines End in 18th Place at El Diablo Intercollegiate
The Wolverines carded a final team round total of 314 and finished 18th in the 20-team field at the El Diablo Intercollegiate (March 15-16) at the El Diablo Golf Club in Citrus Springs, Fla. The Wolverines opened with rounds of 304 and 316 en route to their 935 total for 54 holes. Scott Carlton and Dave Nichols shared top honors for the Wolverines as they tied for 50th with 231 54-hole totals. Nichols fired a one-over 73 in the first round followed by back-to-back 79s, while Carlton had rounds of 74, 78 and 79. Mark McIntosh tied for 63rd with at 234 total (82-74-78), Rob Tighe tied for 86th with a 243 total (79-86-78) and Brandon Duff (Goodrich, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) tied for 91st with a 247 total (79-85-83). Jimmy Wisinski and Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury both competed in an individual tournament at Twisted Oaks Golf Club. The 36-hole event included 21 players from teams competing in the El Diablo. Wisinski and Svechota-Kingsbury both finished with 153 totals as Wisinski had rounds of 76 and 77, while Svechota-Kingsbury opened with an 81 but rebounded with an even-par 72.

Carlton Back in the Mix
Scott Carlton made his first appearance in the Wolverine lineup since playing in the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6) at the Coastal Carolina Invitational (March 10-11). He tied for 47th in Myrtle Beach, finishing with a 233 total. He then tied teammate Dave Nichols for top team honors at the El Diablo Invitational (March 15-16) as he tied for 50th with a 231 total, his third best of the season. For the season he is averaging 76.75 strokes per round.

Nichols Continues to Blossom in Junior Season
Dave Nichols continues to have a blossoming junior season, having led the Wolverines in their last four tournaments. Nichols' 54-hole total of 216 at the Landfall Tradition was a career best by two strokes. Earlier in the fall, Nichols tied his previous career best with a 218 at the 2002 Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6), matching his 218 from the 2001 Xavier Invitational (Oct. 8-9, 2001). Nichols' first- and third-round scores of one-under 71 at the Landfall Tradition were the third and fourth times this year he has broken par for 18 holes. He fired a one-under 70 in the first round at the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 28-29) and a career-best two-under 69 in the first round of the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6). He leads the Wolverines with a 75.08 scoring average.

Always Around
Mark McIntosh has made the most of his first true season with the Wolverines. After redshirting last season, McIntosh has played in all eight tournaments this season. He is third on the team with a 76.58 score average and has continued to be one of the more consistent Wolverines. He fired a career-best two-under 70 twice this season, in the third round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 28-29) and the second round at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6). His 220 total at the Northern Intercollegiate also was a career-best 54-hole tournament total.

Going Low
Jimmy Wisinski's final-round score of two-under-par 69 at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6) set a new career best by nine strokes, in what was just his third career collegiate tournament round. His previous best was 78 in the second round of the Wolverine Invitational and in the second round of the Ridges (Sept. 14-15). He then shattered his career-best 54-hole total with a 220 performance at the Xavier Invitational (Oct. 14-15). His total was eight strokes better than the 228 he tallied at the Wolverine Invitational. He has played in seven of the eight tournaments this season, averaging 78.90 per round.

Steadily Improving
After only playing in two of 11 tournaments last year, Rob Tighe has played in all eight tournaments this year. His second-round score of one-under 70 at the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6) set a new career best, topping the 72 he fired in the final round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 28-29). In addition, his 217 54-hole total at the Wolverine was also a career best, topping the 223 he had at the Ridges (Sept. 28-29). For the year, he is averaging 77.13 per round.

Rotation Continues
For the five fall tournaments the competition in the weekly qualifiers was tough, as the Wolverines used four different lineups in the five tournaments. With three spring tournaments already completed, the Wolverines have continued the trend, as there have now been seven different lineups in the eight tournaments this season. As a team, Michigan is averaging 304.41 per round and 916.30 for a 54-hole tournament average.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423