Weekly Release #3
10/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Upcoming Schedule
Fri-Sun., Oct. 13-15 -- at Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Fri-Sun., Oct. 27-29 -- at Landfall Tradition (Wilmington, N.C.)
On the Tee: The Fall Tests Keep Coming
After getting off to strong start to the 2006-07 season with two tournaments against highly competitive fields, the 14th-ranked University of Michigan women's golf team will get no break for its third tournament this fall, as the Wolverines will face one of their toughest tests of the season. The Maize and Blue will head to Knoxville, Tenn., Friday through Sunday (Oct. 13-15) for the prestigious 2006 Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship at the Cherokee Country Club. From the 15 teams in the field, 13 are ranked among the top 50 in the country, featuring No. 1 Georgia. The Cherokee Country Club will be set up for a par 71 of 5,932 yards.
The Tournament Field
The Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship will feature a strong field of 15 teams, including 13 top 50 ranked programs. The 2006 field will include: No. 38 Alabama, No. 27 Arkansas, No. 10 Auburn, No. 25 Florida, No. 41 Furman, No. 1 Georgia, No. 23 Kent State, No. 14 Michigan, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 16 Northwestern, Penn State, No. 32 SMU, Swedish Junior National Team and No. 12 Tennessee. Ratings are according to the Golfweek/Sagarin rating system as of Oct. 9.
The Tournament Schedule
The Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship will consist of 54 holes, with 18 holes being played each day Friday through Sunday (Oct. 13-15).
| Date | Event | Time |
| Thursday, Oct. 12 | Practice Round | Tee times start at 8:30 a.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 13 | First Round | 8:30 a.m. (tee times off No. 1 and 10) |
| Team Dinner | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Saturday. Oct. 14 | Second Round | 8:30 a.m. (tee times off No. 1 and 10) |
| Legends Banquet | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Sunday, Oct. 15 | Final Round | 8:30 a.m. (tee times off No. 1 and 10) |
The Tournament Scoring Format
Scoring for the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship counts the lowest four scores from each round out of five participating players. Selected teams will have invited individuals.
The Tournament Pairings
Teams will be playing in threesomes all throughout the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship. The tournament first-day breakdown is listed below. The teams will be grouped the same all weekend.
First-Day Pairings
Hole 1: 8:30 a.m., Florida, Furman, Northwestern
Hole 1: 9:14 a.m., Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee
Hole 1: 9:59 a.m., Individuals
Hole 10: 8:30 a.m., Alabama, Kent State, Swedish Junior National
Hole 10: 9:14 a.m., Arkansas, Michigan State, North Carolina
Hole 10: 9:59 a.m., Michigan, Penn State, SMU
Follow the Tournament Live
The Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship will be carried live via the Internet. Fans can follow all the tournament action live through the Golfstat website.
The Michigan Lineup
The Wolverines will carry five players for the main team at the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship. After their performances at the Wolverine Invitational, four players earned exemptions for the starting lineup. Heading to Knoxville will be senior Brianna Broderick (Richmond, Mo./Richmond HS), senior Ali Stinson (Penticton, British Columbia/Penticton Secondary), freshman Ashley Bauer (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) and junior Lindsay Davis (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS). After the weekend's qualifiers, freshman Andrea Ratigan (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) earned the fifth starting spot and sophomore Audra Walter (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) will travel as the invited individual for the Wolverines.
Maize and Blue Move Up Rankings
After winning their home tournament (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), the Wolverines vaulted into the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Rating Top 25. The Wolverines are 14th in the rankings through Oct. 9 and are among five Big Ten teams in the top 25. The team carries a performance rating of 73.50. In the individual rankings, a trio of Wolverines have cracked the top 100 nationally. Brianna Broderick is the top-rated individual among Big Ten players, sitting in the 19th spot (71.71). Ali Stinson is 67th with a 73.34 rating, while Ashley Bauer is 89th at 73.83.
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Team | Individual
Home Cookin' ... Wolverines Add the Hardware Again
Michigan won its fourth Wolverine Invitational team title in the last five years. The title gives the Wolverine program its eighth trophy in 23 events at the U-M Golf Course, putting it atop the record book for most team titles in the Ann Arbor event. With Brianna Broderick's medalist honor, a Michigan player has won the individual title at the Wolverine Invitational four times in the last eight events held at the U-M Golf Course.
Keeping the Trophy Case Full
Michigan has now won at least one tournament in each of the last four seasons. The title also marks the 27th for the Maize and Blue in the history of the program. The team crystal marks U-M coach Kathy Teichert's 20th title in her 14 seasons with the Wolverines.
Chalk Up No. 2 In the Stellar Career
After winning the playoff, Brianna Broderick's medalist honor at the Wolverine Invitational was the second in her collegiate career. She won her first title at the 2004 Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 18-19), and also has five top-five career finishes. Broderick made it back-to-back tournaments raising a trophy, after she opened the season earning the runner-up trophy at the 2006 Mary Fossum Invitational.
En Route to Title, Broderick Sets Career Mark
With her first-round, one-under 70 at the Wolverine Invitational, Brianna Broderick set a new career best for a single-round tally. During the round she posted 13 pars, three birdies (Nos. 7, 10, 14) and two bogeys (Nos. 3 and 4). Broderick topped her previous single-round best of 71, which she has recorded four times in her career. Overall, it marked her 10th career round under par.
Seniors Continue to Be Lineup Staples
By playing in the Wolverine Invitational, Brianna Broderick and Ali Stinson played in their 37th straight tournaments for the Maize and Blue. The duo has yet to miss a tournament in their entire career, starting all 37 contests they've participated in. Former Wolverine Laura Olin (2002-05) holds the U-M record for consecutive tournaments, playing in 50 straight in her career.
Miss Consistency Starts Up Again
Arguably one of the most consistent golfers in Michigan history, Ali Stinson opened her senior campaign by earning the fourth top-five finish of her career, tying for fifth at the Lady Northern Invitational. She followed that with a top 20 performance at the Wolverine Invitational, helping the Maize and Blue to its fourth title in the last five years. She is second on the team with a career-best pace 75.17 scoring average, and has yet to shoot a round over 78 this season. In 37 career tournaments, Stinson has 16 top 20 finishes for the Wolverines.
Playing Like a Veteran
In her first two collegiate tournaments, Ashley Bauer has collected two top-20 finishes with a tie for seventh at the Wolverine Invitational, and a tie for 17th at the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 16-17). With her second-round, one-over 72 at the Wolverine Invitational, she lowered her career best single-round total, topping the 74 she had in the third round of the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 16-17). For the season, Bauer is averaging 75.67 strokes per round.
Davis Gets New Career Best Total
With her second-round one-under 70 at the Wolverine Invitational, Lindsay Davis set a new career best for a single-round tally. During the round she posted 11 pars, four birdies (Nos. 3, 7, 13, 17) and three bogeys (Nos. 4, 5 and 18). Davis topped her previous single-round best of 72, which she has recorded three times in her career. Overall, it marked her fourth career round under par.
Maize and Blue Debuts
Andrea Ratigan played and started in her first collegiate tournament at the Wolverine Invitational. She tied for 59th with a 252 stroke total. The freshman will look to gain valuable experience as she will be the fifth starter heading to the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship. Also, Grand Valley State transfer Audra Walter made her Michigan debut at the Wolverine Invitational, tying for 61st with a 259 total. She will be in the lineup again as an individual when the team heads to Knoxville this weekend.
Continuing the Postseason Trend
As the start of the 2006-07 season continues, the Wolverines will be looking to keep their postseason successes rolling. Michigan has had a team or individual representative receive invitation to an NCAA Regional in five of the last six years. In fact, this year's Maize and Blue will host the 2007 NCAA Central Regional at the U-M Golf Course (May 10-12). In addition to the NCAA success, the Wolverines have also finished among the top five at the Big Ten Championships in five of the last six years as well, including the program's best finish ever, closing as the runner-up in 2005. U-M has also had at least one player be named an All-Big Ten Golfer the last three straight years.
Golf Digest Ranks Wolverines Among Top 50 Programs
The Wolverines were named one of the NCAA's 50 Best Colleges for Women's Golf in the September issue of Golf Digest, which is highlighted by the second annual College Golf Guide. The Wolverines received a No. 38 ranking on this prestigious list. The Maize and Blue joins three other Big Ten programs honored as the NCAA's best golf institutions: Ohio State (No. 18), Purdue (No. 36) and Michigan State (No. 46).
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
