Weekly Release #5
10/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Mon-Tue., Oct. 23-24 -- at 49er Collegiate Classic (Concord, N.C.)
Wed-Thu., Nov. 22-23 -- at Aloha Purdue Collegiate Invitational (Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii)
On the Tee: Closing Out the Three-Tournament Stretch
The University of Michigan men's golf team will close out the fall tournament swing with its third tournament in the last three weeks, as the Wolverines travel to Concord, N.C., Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 23-24) for the 2006 49er Collegiate Classic. The 54-hole tournament, hosted by Charlotte, will be played at the Cabarrus Country Club. There will be 14 teams among the tournament field playing 36 holes Monday (Oct. 24) and a final 18 Tuesday (Oct. 25). The Cabarrus Country Club will be set up for a par 72 and 7,116 yards.
The Tournament Field
The 49er Collegiate Classic features 14 teams in the field, including: Ball State, Charlotte, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, George Washington, Iowa, Iowa State, Jacksonville State, Michigan, Pacific, Richmond, South Florida and UNC-Wilmington. Host Charlotte will be playing a 'B' team to make the field round out to 15 teams.
The Tournament Schedule
The 49er Collegiate Classic will consist of 54 holes, with 18 holes being played each day Friday through Sunday (Oct. 15-17).
| Date | Event | Time |
| Sunday, Oct. 22 | Practice Round | Tee times beginning at Noon |
| Monday, Oct. 23 | First Round | 8:45 a.m. (shotgun) |
| | Second Round | Continuous play following first round completion |
| Tuesday, Oct. 24 | Final Round | 8 a.m. (tee times off No. 1 and 10) |
The Tournament Scoring Format
Scoring for the 49er Collegiate Classic will be five players, count the low four scores each round. Selected teams will be allowed an invited individual.
The Michigan Lineup
The Wolverines will carry five players for the main Michigan squad at the 49er Collegiate Classic. After three straight top 10 finishes junior Tim Schaetzel (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) has been given an exemption from qualifying and will start his 23 career tournament in North Carolina. The rest of the Wolverine squad will include: senior Kevin Dore (Dundas, Ontario, Canada/St. Mary's); sophomore Bill Rankin (Traverse City, Mich./Central HS); senior Matt McLaughlin (Tucson, Ariz./Millbrook HS [Raleigh, N.C.]) and sophomore Nick Pumford (St. Charles, Mich./St. Charles HS). Freshman Michael Slovitt (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier HS) will travel with the team and could have an opportunity to play as an invited individual if the tournament field has an open position available.
TOURNEY NO. 4: Schaetzel Makes It Three Straight Top 10s
Tim Schaetzel made it three straight top 10 finishes after his tie for third place individual finish at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-17) at the Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, Okla. Schaetzel posted a 222 54-hole tournament total (75-73-74) to led the Wolverines to an eighth place team finish at the length and difficult Oak Tree course. The Maize and Blue closed with a 924 total after team rounds of 315, 299 and 310. Kevin Dore was the next highest finishing Wolverine with a 234 total (81-74-79), which tied him for 30th. Other Michigan starter finishes include: Bill Rankin, 34th with a 236 total (84-75-77); Nick Pumford, tied for 39th with a 240 total (83-77-80) and freshman Billy McKay (Grand Blanc, Mich./David Leadbetter Golf Academy [Bradenton, Fla.]), starting his first collegiate tournament, tying for 42nd with a 243 total (76-82-85).
Finding His Groove Gets Him Three Straight Top 10s
With his season-best tie for third at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate, Tim Schaetzel has finished among the top 10 individually in his last three consecutive events. Two weeks ago, he tied for eighth at the Wolverine Intercollegiate and followed that with a tie for seventh at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. He now has five top 10 finishes in his career with three of those among the top five.
The Staple of the Lineup
With the start at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-17), Tim Schaetzel has started the last 20 tournaments for the Maize and Blue. His streak extends three seasons, after starting the final four tournaments of the 2004-05 season, all 12 last season and all four this season. In 23 career tournaments, he has 22 starts. He leads U-M with a 74.08 scoring average this season.
More Staples of the Wolverine Lineup
So far this season three Wolverines have started all four tournaments. Tim Schaetzel, Kevin Dore and Bill Rankin are the only Wolverines to have been given the nod in all four tournaments this season. Schaetzel leads the Wolverines averaging 74.08 per round, with Dore third at 76.17 and Rankin fourth at 76.42. Together the trio has posted six top 20 finishes together and has recorded seven rounds of par or better. All three are scheduled to start at the 49er Collegiate Classic.
The Starting Nod
Billy McKay made his collegiate start at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate. He tied for 42nd with a 243 total (76-82-85). It marked his third overall career tournament for the Maize and Blue. In his first two tournaments of his career he played as an individual tying for 20th at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate (229) and tying for 63rd at the Wolverine Invitational. For his first season he is averaging 77.67 strokes per round.
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling in Red Numbers
After not getting a red number in the first tournament, Michigan posted nine rounds par or better at the Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 16-17). The Wolverines added two more at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate (Oct. 7-8) giving them 11 total on the season, with five rounds under 70. For the season, the Maize and Blue are averaging 303.08 strokes per round as a team. In the 12 regular season tournaments last season, the Wolverines tallied 42 total rounds of par or better, 31 rounds under par with 17 total rounds under the 70-stroke mark.
Etching Another Red Round Tally
With a six-under 278 team total in the first round of the Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 16-17), Michigan posted its fourth all-time team round under 280. In fact, the 278 ranks as the fourth best team total all-time. In the Michigan record books, of the top three all-time rounds under 280, three have come at the U-M Golf Course. The Wolverines set the all-time record last year at the 2005 Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 24-25) with a 275 team total in the second round.
Rankin Gets Second Top 20 Finish of Season
With Bill Rankin finishing 18th individually at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate he posted back-to-back top-20 finishes for the Wolverines. Two weeks earlier, he tied for 17th at the Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 16-17) in Ann Arbor. So far this season, he has started all four tournaments and is averaging a career-best 76.42 strokes per round. He fired a career-best three-under 68 in the final round of the Wolverine Intercollegiate.
Pumford Breaks Out at Wolverine Intercollegiate
Despite playing as an individual and in just his second collegiate event at the Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 16-17) two weeks ago, Nick Pumford set career bests throughout the weekend. He had a career-best finish with his runner-up showing, a career-best 54-hole tournament total at four-under 209, and a career-best four-under 67 single-round tally in the first round. In the second and third rounds he posted back-to-back even-par 71s as he tallied his three top career rounds during the weekend. Overall, Pumford smashed his previous best mark of two-over 73 shot in the second round of the 2005 Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 24-25).
Dore Equals Marks at U-M Golf Course, Again
Kevin Dore's first-round three-under 68 at the Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 16-17) tied his career-best round. He equaled his three-under 68 he had in the third round of the 2004 Big Ten Championships (May 8-9) which was also played at the U-M Golf Course. In addition to his single round tally, for the fourth time in his career Dore equaled his career-best 54-hole tournament total with a 214 at the Wolverine Intercollegiate. He has now posted the career-best total three times at the U-M Golf Course, the 2005 and 2006 Wolverine Intercollegiate and the 2004 Big Ten Championships. The other 214 was at the 2003 Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28).
New Face Joins the Maize and Blue
There will be a few changes to the Wolverines this season, as Chris Whitten joined the program as an assistant coach. Before joining the Wolverines staff in May 2006, Whitten was the assistant golf professional at the prestigious Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Prior to his work at Inverness, Whitten served as an assistant coach at his alma mater Notre Dame for two years (2003-05).
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
