Weekly Release #10

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., April 12-13 -- at Kepler Intercollegiate (Columbus, Ohio)
Sat-Sun., April 26-27 -- at Bruce Fossum/Spartan Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)

Next on the Tee: The Kepler Intercollegiate
The University of Michigan men's golf team has two regular-season tournaments left before the 2003 Big Ten Championships. Both remaining tournaments will be in Big Ten country as the Wolverines will head to Ohio State and then Michigan State to close out the regular season. First up is a trip to Columbus, Ohio, Saturday and Sunday (April 12-13) for the Kepler Intercollegiate at the OSU Scarlet Golf Course. The 54-hole tournament, hosted by Ohio State, will feature a 16-team field with seven of the 11 Big Ten teams in attendance playing 36 holes Saturday (April 12) and a final 18 Sunday (April 13). The Scarlet Course will be set up for a par of 72 and 7,251 yards.

The Kepler Intercollegiate Field
The Kepler Intercollegiate will feature 16 teams: Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Kent State, Kentucky, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio, Ohio State, Purdue, Toledo and Wisconsin.

The Kepler Intercollegiate Schedule
The Kepler Intercollegiate will consist of 54 holes, 36 being played Saturday (April 12) and a final 18 Sunday (April 13).

Friday, April 11	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Saturday, April 12	First Round	8:30 a.m. (shotgun start)
	Second Round	12:30 p.m. (shotgun start)
Sunday, April 13	Final Round	8:00 a.m. (tee times off No. 1 and No. 10)

The Kepler Intercollegiate Scoring Format
Scoring for the Kepler Intercollegiate will be five players, count the low four scores each round.

The Michigan Lineup at the Kepler Intercollegiate
The Wolverines will carry five players for the Michigan squad at the Kepler Intercollegiate. The Maize and Blue lineup will be headed up by junior Dave Nichols (Mesa, Ariz./Rochester Adams HS, Mich.), senior/junior Scott Carlton (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and redshirt freshman Mark McIntosh (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord HS). Filling the rest of the Wolverine line-up card will be junior/sophomore Rob Tighe (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) and freshman Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills School).

Last Year at the Kepler Invitational: U-M Takes 11th at Rain-Shortened Kepler Intercollegiate
With rainy conditions canceling the final-day competition at the 2002 Kepler Intercollegiate, the Wolverines kept their two-day, 36-hole total of 598 (303-295/598) and finished 11th at OSUs Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. Dave Nichols led the way for the Wolverines as he tied for 17th (76-71/147), Andrew Chapman (1999-2002) tied for 24th (73-75/148) and Kyle Kilcherman (1999-2002) finished in a tie for 50th with fellow teammate Andy Matthews (1999-2002) with 152 totals. Kilcherman finished with rounds of 78 and 74, while Matthews carded rounds of 77 and 75. In addition, Scott Carlton was 59th (77-80/157).
 
Last Time on the Links: U-M Battles Weather to Take 12th in Kentucky Tourney
Four Wolverines carded five-over 77s in the final round as the Wolverines tallied their second straight team total of 308 and finished 12th at the Johnny Owens Invitational (March 29-30) at the Kentucky's University Club in Lexington, Ky. The Maize and Blue shot 318 and 308 on the first day of play and totaled 934 for the 54-hole tournament total. Dave Nichols and Mark McIntosh led the Wolverine charge as they tied for 22nd at 231. Nichols shot 78-76-77 to give him a 231 total for the third consecutive tournament. After an opening 81, McIntosh came roaring back in the second round with a one-over 73 and closed with 77 for his 231 total, which was a career-best finish. Scott Carlton tied for 46th (81-79-77/237), Rob Tighe tied for 50th (78-83-77/238), Jimmy Wisinski tied for 67th (84-80-79/243) and Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury, playing as an individual, tied for 39th (83-78-75/236), a career-best placing.

Nichols Continues to Lead Wolverines
Junior Dave Nichols has led the Maize and Blue in their last five tournaments, which includes all four spring tournaments. Nichols' 54-hole total of 216 at the Landfall Tradition (Nov. 1-3) was a career best by two strokes. Earlier in the fall, Nichols tied his previous career best with a 218 at the 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 75.29 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 nine tournaments this season. He is third on the team with a 76.63 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. His recent tie for 22nd at the Johnny Owens Invitational (March 29-30) was a career-best finish.

Carlton Back in the Mix
At the Coastal Carolina Invitational (March 10-11), Scott Carlton made his first appearance in the Wolverine lineup since playing in the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6). Since then, he has been one of the top three finishing Wolverines. He had a season-best 228 at the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 28-29) and has fired a season-best 72 two times -- second round of the Northern and the final round of the Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6). For the season he is averaging 77.20 strokes per round.

Coming on Strong
Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury has made a late season charge as he has played in the last two tournaments for the Wolverines. At the Johnny Owens Invitational Svechota-Kingsbury had a career-best placing as he tied for 39th, bettering his 69th-placing showing at the Ridges (Sept. 14-15). He fired a career-best 72 in the second round of the El Diablo (March 15-16) and has had a career-best 236 54-hole total twice -- at the Johnny Owens and the Ridges. He has played in four career tournaments and is averaging 79.00 per round.

Steadily Improving
After only playing in two of 11 tournaments last year, Rob Tighe has played in all nine tournaments this season. 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 77.37 per round.

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. 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 eight of the nine tournaments this season, averaging 79.17 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 four spring tournaments already completed, the Wolverines have continued the trend, as there have now been eight different lineups in the nine tournaments this season. As a team, Michigan is averaging 306.07 per round and 918.20 for a 54-hole tournament average.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423