Weekly Release #6

Upcoming Schedule
Sun-Tue., Feb. 22-24 -- at Puerto Rico Classic (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico)
Mon-Tue., March 8-9 -- at Coastal Carolina Invitational (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

Next on the Tee: Puerto Rico Classic
After traveling to Arizona to shake some of the winter rust, the University of Michigan men's golf team will head to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Sunday through Tuesday (Feb. 22-24) for the Puerto Rico Classic. The Wolverines will be making their second trip to the 54-hole tournament being held at the Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort and Country Club. The 18-team field features six of the top 10 ranked teams in the country. The tournament is going to be played on the River Course and will be set up for a par 72 and 6,945 yards.

The Puerto Rico Classic Field
The 18-team field for the Puerto Rico Classic features one of the strongest field the Wolverines will face all season, with six of the top 10 teams in the country. Competing will be: No. 2 Clemson, No. 23 Duke, East Tennessee State, No. 1 Florida, No. 5 Georgia, No. 4 Georgia Tech, No. 21 Illinois, Kent State, Michigan, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 26 Northwestern, N.C. State, Oklahoma, No. 9 Oklahoma State, Purdue, No. 11 Texas, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

The Puerto Rico Classic Schedule
The Puerto Rico Classic will consist of 54 holes, 18 being played each day.

Saturday, Feb. 21	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Sunday, Feb. 22	First Round	8 a.m. Atlantic Time (shotgun start)
Monday, Feb. 23	Second Round	8 a.m. Atlantic Time (shotgun start)
Tuesday, Feb. 24	Final Round	7:30 a.m. Atlantic Time (shotgun start)

The Puerto Rico Classic Scoring Format
Scoring for the Puerto Rico Classic will be five players, count the low four scores each round.

The Michigan Lineup at the Puerto Rico Classic
The Wolverines will carry five players to the Puerto Rico Classic. Sophomores Brandon Duff (Goodrich, Mich./Powers Catholic) and Christian Vozza (Traverse City, Mich./Grand Rapids Baptist) will head up the travel roster. Freshmen Will Kendall (Gerrards Cross, Bucks, England/Oundle School), Kevin Dore (Dundas, Ontario/St. Mary's) and Matt McLaughlin (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) round out the rest of the Maize and Blue field. Senior/junior Rob Tighe (Traverse City, Mich./West) will travel with the Wolverines to practice and to be an emergency substitute.

Last Year in Puerto Rico: U-M Improves Each Round in Spring Debut
The Wolverines opened their 2003 spring season at the prestigious Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 23-25) at the Westin Rio Mar Beach River Course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and improved each day with rounds of 328, 319 and 313 for a team total of 960 and 18th-place finish. Senior Dave Nichols (Mesa, Ariz./Rochester Adams [Mich.]) led the Wolverines as he tied for 70th (80-80-75/235). Junior/sophomore Mark McIntosh (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord HS) was 77th (87-75-77/239); junior/sophomore Jimmy Wisinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) was 84th (79-84-81/244); Brandon Duff was 88th (84-83-80/247) and Rob Tighe was 89th (85-81-82/248).

Last Time on the Links: Wolverines Open Spring in Arizona
After nearly three and a half months away from a golf course, the Wolverines participated in a friendly tri-match with Arizona State and Purdue on Saturday (Feb. 14) at ASU's Karsten Course in Tempe, Ariz. With the focus more on getting competition and shaking the rust from the winter offseason, Arizona State led the way in the match totaling a 289 total team total. Purdue was second at 290 and Michigan followed with a 299. Brandon Duff led the way for the Wolverines, carding a one-over-par 73, posting the fifth lowest individual total on the day. Other Michigan totals included: Christian Vozza (75), Will Kendall (75), Kevin Dore (76), Matt McLaughlin (79) and Dave Nichols (88). There was a scheduled afternoon friendly between Michigan and Purdue, but it was called due to darkness.

Spring Schedule Kicks Into High Gear
The Maize and Blue got an early start to the spring season with the Arizona State/Michigan/Purdue tri-match in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 14), and now will head to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, for the Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 22-24). South Carolina will be the next two stops for the Wolverines head to Myrtle Beach for the Coastal Carolina Invitational (March 8-9) before heading down to Greenville for the Furman Intercollegiate (March 26-28). The Wolverines will then close out the spring season in Big Ten country with trips to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Boilermaker Invitational (April 10-11), Columbus, Ohio for the Kepler Intercollegiate (April 17-18) and East Lansing, Mich., for the Fossum Intercollegiate (May 1-2). The championship season begins with the Wolverines hosting the 2004 Big Ten Championships at the U-M Course (May 7-9). If the Wolverines qualify, the NCAA Central Regional will be in West Lafayette, Ind., at Purdue's Birck Boilermaker Complex (May 20-22). The NCAA Championship is in Hot Springs, Va., at the Homestead Resort (June 1-4).

Coming Together as a Team
Michigan's first-round team tally of 290 at the Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28) was a fall season-best total. Prior to that tally, the Wolverines' best team total was a 297 in the third round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 20-21). In 13 total rounds this year, the Maize and Blue have shot under 300 eight times. The Wolverines averaged 299.00 per team round this season.

Second Year Itch
Sophomores Brandon Duff and Christian Vozza have continued to make an impact on the Wolverines. Duff has led the Wolverines in the last two tournaments. He has played in four events this season and leads the Maize and Blue with a 74.30 per round average. Vozza has played in all five events and is second in scoring average at 74.69. The last time a sophomore led the team in scoring average was during the 1997-98 season when redshirt-sophomore Mike Harris (1997-2000) led the team iwth a 72.35 pre round average.

Freshmen Make Impact
The rookie trio of Kevin Dore, Will Kendall and Matt McLaughlin continue to make significant strides in their first year with the Wolverines. Dore has played in all five tournaments and is averaged 75.84 strokes per round, while Kendall and McLaughlin have played in four and are averaging 75.60 and 76.30 strokes per round, respectively.

Four In the Fall
Kevin Dore's two-under 69 in the first round of the Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28) marked the fourth time in the fall season a U-M player broke the 70-stroke barrier. Dave Nichols had a two-under 69 in the third round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 20-21), while Christian Vozza had a two-under 69 (second round) and four-under 67 (third round) at the Northern. The Wolverines only recorded two rounds under the 70-stroke barrier all of the 2002-03 season.

Nichols Hits Career Mark at Home ... Again
Dave Nichols' final-round, two-under 69 at the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 20-21) was the second time in his career he has broken the 70-stroke barrier. Both have come at the U-M Golf Course, as he also shot a two-under 69 in the first round of the 2002 Wolverine Invitational (Oct. 5-6).

Dore Goes Low
Kevin Dore fired a career-best, two-under 69 in the first round of the Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28). It also marks the first time in his young career he has broken the 70-stroke barrier. His 214 54-hole tournament total is also a new career best by 14 strokes, after he tallied a 228 total in last week's Northern Intercollegiate.

What a Finish In Indiana
Kevin Dore's tie for seventh (69-71-74/214) individually at the Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28) was the highest finish for a U-M freshman since the 2000-01 season, when Dave Nichols tied for ninth at the 2001 Kepler Intercollegiate (April 14-15).

What a Weekend for Vozza
Christian Vozza carded a four-under 67 in the final round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 20-21) to set a career-best tally, topping the two-under 69 he had in the second round. Vozza's 67 marks the first time a Wolverines has recorded a single round below 69 since former Wolverine Andy Matthews (1999-2002) had a 67 in the third round of the 2001 Badger Invitational (Sept. 8-9). Ironically, Matthews was on hand to watch Vozza's final round. In addition, Vozza's third-place individual performance was the best since the Wolverines had two medalists during the 2000-01 season, when Scott Hayes (1998-2001) won the 2000 Inverness Intercollegiate (Sept. 18-19) and Andrew Chapman (1999-2002) won the 2001 Wolverine South (March 3-4).

What a Homecoming
Coming back to his hometown, Matt McLaughlin set three career bests at the Franklin Street Partners Invitational. For the third and fourth times this season, he tied a career-best single-round performance, carding rounds of 74 in the first and second round. He also hit the career-best round in the second round of the Northern Intercollegiate and the third round of the Hoosier Invitational. In addition to the round scores, McLaughlin lowered his career-best 54-hole tournament total for the third consecutive tournament. His 226 total lowered his best by two strokes after tallying a 228 last week at the Hoosier Invitational. In addition, his 15th-place finish is a new career best, topping the tie for 52nd he had at the Hoosier.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423