Weekly Release #3

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., Oct. 4-5 -- host Wolverine Invitational (U-M Golf Course)
Mon-Tue., Oct. 13-14 -- at Marilynn Smith/Sunflower (Manhattan, Kan.)

Next on the Tee: The Wolverine Invitational
The University of Michigan women's golf team will stay home for its annual Wolverine Invitational Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 4-5) at the U-M Golf Course. Nine teams from across the Midwest will compete in the 54-hole tournament. The two-day tournament will begin Saturday (Oct. 4) with 36 holes in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The final round will be Sunday (Oct. 5) with 18 holes in a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The U-M Golf Course will be set up for a par of 72 and 5,927 yards.
 
The Tournament Field
The Wolverine Invitational features nine teams and will include: Bowling Green, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, James Madison, Loyola (Ill.), Marshall, Michigan, Ohio and Xavier.

The Tournament Schedule
The Wolverine Invitational will consist of 54 holes, 36 of which will be played on Saturday (Oct. 4) followed by 18 on Sunday (Oct. 5).

Friday, Oct. 2	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Saturday, Oct. 3	First Round	8:30 a.m. (shotgun, playing in twosomes)
	Second Round	15 min. after first round (shotgun, playing in twosomes)
Sunday, Oct. 4	Final Round	9:00 a.m. (shotgun, playing in threesomes)

The Tournament Scoring Format
Scoring for the Wolverine Invitational will be six players, count the low four scores each round. Selected teams will be allowed an individual player.

Follow the Wolverine Invitational Live
Live scoring will be available for the Wolverine Invitational for all three rounds through Golfstat's website.

The Michigan Lineup at the Wolverine Invitational
The Maize and Blue will carry six players on the main Wolverine team and then three individuals seeing action in the home tournament. With team qualifying continuing right up until the Wolverine, pacing their way to the starting six could be junior Laura Olin (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS), sophomore Amy Schmucker (Cold Springs, Minn./Rocori HS), freshman Brianna Broderick (Richmond, Mo./Richmond HS) and freshman Ali Stinson (Penticton, B.C./Penticton Secondary). Others in position for the starting team include: sophomore Brandi Zielinski (Sylvania, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy), senior Sarah Kruer (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), senior/junior Courtney Goebel (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina HS), redshirt freshman Molly Spalding (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) and sophomore Kelly Easton (Port Huron, Mich./Northern HS).

Last Time at the Wolverine: Minnesotans Lead Wolverines to Second in Own Event
Michigan fired a final-round total of 309 to finish second in the 2002 Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15) at the U-M Golf Course. The Maize and Blue's 928 (309-310-309) total for 54 holes was 15 strokes behind Indiana, which finished with a new Invitational record of 913 (304-306-303). East Carolina (307-315-319/941) was third. For the Wolverines, Laura Olin and Amy Schmucker led the squad as they tied for fourth with a 229 total. Olin opened with back-to-back 77s before closing out with a 75 for her 229 total, while Schmucker, competing in her first collegiate tournament, opened with a 75, then carded a 79 before closing with a 75. Former Wolverine Kim Benedict tied for eighth after a final-round 79. After shooting 43 (+6) on the front, Benedict parred the next eight holes before closing with a bogey on No. 18. Her 233 tournament total included back-to-back rounds of 77 on the first day. Other Michigan finishes included: Courtney Goebel, tied for 15th (80-77-83/240); former Wolverine Stephanie Stasik, tied for 23rd (82-85-80/247); and Sarah Kruer, tied for 38th (85-83-85/253). Competing as individuals were: Brandi Zielinski, tied for 52nd (89-91-83/263); and former Wolverine Lauren Ham, tied for 56th (83-91-91/265).

Last Time on the Links: Final-Round 305 Helps U-M to Seventh at Lady Northern
Behind a season-best, even-par 72 final round by Laura Olin and a season-best 305 final-round team tally, the Wolverines maintained their seventh-place position at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 27-28) at OSU's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. The Maize and Blue finished with a 926 54-hole tournament total, opening with a 312 total in the first round Saturday and following with a 311 in the second, which began Saturday and was concluded Sunday due to darkness. Olin led the way for the Wolverines, tying for 16th with a 228 54-hole total. After getting off to a poor start with an 81, she began her recovery in the second round with a three-over 75 that included two birdies. In the final round, she found her pace, recording 14 pars and two more birdies en route to her season-best 72. Amy Schmucker tied for 31st with a 235 (81-78-76), and Ali Stinson tied for 38th with a 238 (79-79-80). Other finishes included Brianna Broderick and Sarah Kruer, both tied for 42nd with 239 totals (77-85-77 and 78-79-82, respectively), and Brandi Zielinski, tied for 59th (78-80-86/244).

Wolverines Lower Some Early Season Tallies
Michigan's final-round 305-team tally at the Lady Northern is a season best by six strokes, topping the 311 the Maize and Blue had in the second round in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan's 928 54-hole team total is a season best, topping the Wolverines' 941 total they had the previous week at the Mary Fossum Invitational.

Olin Gets Into the Swing of Things
Laura Olin's final-round, even-par 72 at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate is her season best by three strokes. She fired a 75 twice -- first round of the Mary Fossum Invitational and in the second round of the Lady Northern -- prior to the final-round performance last week.

Newcomers Continuing to Impress
Freshmen Brianna Broderick and Ali Stinson both made their collegiate debuts at the Mary Fossum Invitational. Broderick tied for 21st, leading the Wolverine squad with a 234 total (81-79-74), while Stinson tied for 31st with a 237 total (80-76-81). In their second tournaments, Stinson tied for 38th with a 238 total after firing back-to-back rounds of 79 and a final-round 80. In her 54 holes she recorded 32 pars and nothing higher than a bogey, while Broderick tied for 42nd with a 239 total (77-85-77).

And Making Her Debut ...
Brandi Zielinski made her season debut at the Lady Northern and tied for 59th. It was just the third tournament of her career. In addition, her 244 54-hole tournament total is a career best by 19 strokes, topping the 263 she recorded at the 2002 Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 14-15).

Streaks Continue To Grow
Laura Olin extended her consecutive tournament streak to 27 by playing at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate. She has not missed a tournament in her three seasons. Amy Schmucker also added to her streak as she sits at 15 straight tournaments. Former Wolverine Kim Benedict set the U-M record by playing in all 49 tournaments during her four-year career.

Inwood Walks On to Squad
Julie Inwood walked on to the Wolverine squad after an impressive preseason showing at tryouts and team qualifiers. She played four years of varsity golf at Chelsea High School, where she was named the MVP her junior season and won the Coaches Award as a senior. She was named Most Improved Player as a sophomore and Most Valuable Freshman in her first year.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423