Kim, Sitompul Finish Run at All-American Golf Classic

Nov. 24, 2009

Site: El Paso, Texas
Course: El Paso Country Club (par 71, 6,842 yards)
Tournament: Western Refining College All-American Golf Classic (Day 2 of 2)
U-M Standing: No Team Scoring
Top U-M Individual: Lion Kim, tie-13th (67-73-73/213); Alexander Sitompul, 31st (75-73-77/225)
Next Event: Fri-Sat., Feb. 12-13 -- at Big Ten Match Play Championship (Coral Springs, Fla.)

EL PASO, Texas. -- The University of Michigan men's golf junior duo of Lion Kim (Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary Prep School) and Alexander Sitompul (Jakarta, Indonesia/Bradenton Prep Academy [Fla.]) completed its run at the 35th annual Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic today (Tuesday, Nov. 24) at the El Paso Country Club. Kim tied for 13th at an even-par 213, while Sitompul was 31st at 225. Kim's finish is the best for any Wolverine ever at the prestigious tournament.

Beginning the day tied for 14th, Kim had a slow start as he bogeyed six of his first 10 holes to sit six over, falling as far as 20th in the standings. However, with five holes remaining, Kim caught fire, reeling off four straight birdies on holes 14 through 17 to close with a two-over 73. With his four-under 67 in the first round and a two-over 73 in the second Monday (Nov. 23), Kim closed with a 213 total to move up one position and tie for 13th. Kim was the top Big Ten finisher of the five total in the 32-man field.

Sitompul found early troubles in his final round, shooting a 77 to finish at 31st with a 225. Starting on the back nine in the final round, he opened with a double bogey a birdie on No. 11 helped his score. Three more bogeys and a double bogey on No. 17 pushed him to six over through nine holes. Sitompul rallied on the front side, playing it even par as a bogey on No. 4 was erased with a birdie on No. 5. In 27 holes on front side, he played two over par. Combing his 77 today with his opening-round 75 and tournament-best 73 on the first day, he completed play at 225.

The Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic, sponsored by the Sun Bowl Association, is considered the nation's No. 1-ranked collegiate tournament and has featured the game's top players for more than three decades. The 54-hole event invites the top players from around the nation to compete individually for medalist honors. As part of the invitation, each participating school is awarded a $1,000 scholarship for golfers

The Wolverine duo garnered the invitation by virtue of earning All-America status last season at the 2009 NCAA Finals in Toledo, Ohio. The next time the Maize and Blue hit the course will be in the 2010 spring opening event -- the Big Ten Match Play Championship -- Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13. The conference match play event will be at the TPC of Heron Bay in Coral Springs, Fla. Last year, U-M placed runner-up in the inaugural event.

Top Individuals

 1. Hunter Hamrick, Alabama           66-67-69 = 202 (-11)    Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State   65-68-69 = 202 3. Dustin Garza, Wichita State       64-67-72 = 203 4. Russell Henley, Georgia           68-66-70 = 204 5. Nick Taylor, Washington           69-65-71 = 205 6. David Holmes, Tennessee           68-67-71 = 206    Richard Lee, Washington           65-73-68 = 206 8. John Hahn, Kent State             67-72-68 = 207 9. Corey Nagy, Charlotte             64-72-72 = 20810. Andrew Putnam, Pepperdine         67-71-71 = 209

U-M Individuals

T13. Lion Kim             67-73-73 = 213 31. Alexander Sitompul   75-73-77 = 225

N O T E S

• Lion Kim finished as the low Big Ten player in the 32-player field. In addition of Kim, there were five total Big Ten players competing at the Western -- Ohio State's Bo Hoag tied for 15th at 214 (69-69-75), Illinois' Scott Langley tied for 17th at 215 (72-72-71), Penn State's Kevin Foley tied for 20th at 216 (70-71-75) and U-M's Sitompul was 31st at 225 (75-73-77).

• Prior to the start at the Western Refining College All-American Golf Classic, Alexander Sitompul won the 2009 Titleist Long Drive competition. Sitompul became the first player in the history of the event to officially launch a drive more than 360 yards, when his second drive landed 368 yards out.

Titleist Longest Drive Contest Top 15
1. Alexander Sitompul (Michigan), 368; 2. George Bryan IV (South Carolina), 360; 3. Dustin Garza (Wichita State), 353; 4. Corey Nagy (Charlotte), 351; T5. Scott Pinckney (Arizona State) and Andrew Putnam (Pepperdine), 345; 7. Harris English (Georgia), 344; 8. Knut Borsheim (Arizona State), 342; 9. Matthew Giles (USC), 337; 10. John Hahn (Kent State), 333; 11. Russell Henley (Georgia), 332; 12. Nick Taylor (Washington), 331; 13. Matt Hill (North Carolina State), 330; 14. Kevin Tway (Oklahoma State), 327; 15. Richard Lee (Washington), 326.

• Lion Kim began the first day paired with TCU's Tom Hoge and USC's Matthew Giles. Kim defeated Giles in the quarterfinal of match play to help secure U-M's win to advance to the Final Four at last year's NCAA Finals at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

• Lion Kim and Alexander Sitompul are the first Wolverine golfers to participate in the Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic since Michael Harris in 1998; Harris finished 19th. It also marks just the third year a Michigan golfer has been in the field. The first appearance by a Wolverine came in 1980, when John Morse finished 19th in the event.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

Kim, Sitompul Finish Run at All-American Golf Classic

Players Mentioned

Lion Kim

Alexander Sitompul

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