This Week in Michigan Men's Golf: Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
10/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Oct. 22, 2015
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THIS WEEK
Mon-Tue., Oct. 26-27 -- at Royal Oaks Intercollegiate (Dallas, Texas)
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Next on the Tee: Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
The University of Michigan men's golf team will close out its fall season with a trip south to Dallas, Texas, for Baylor's Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 26-27. A 12-team field will play 54 holes over the two-day event held at the Royal Oaks Country Club. The field will open with 36 holes on Monday and a final 18 on Tuesday. The course will be set up for a par 71 and 7,068 yards.
The Royal Oaks Intercollegiate Field
There will be 12 teams in the field at the Royal Oaks intercollegiate including: Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Iowa, Kennesaw State, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, SMU, Texas, Texas-Arlington and Tulsa.
The Royal Oaks Intercollegiate Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 24 -- Travel Day
Sunday, Oct. 25 -- Practice Round (18), 1 p.m. CDT (shotgun)
Monday, Oct. 26 -- First Round (18), 8:15 a.m. CDT (shotgun)
Monday, Oct. 26 -- Second Round (18), continuous play following completion of first round
Tuesday, Oct. 27 -- Final Round (18), 8:15 a.m. CDT (tee times off Nos. 1 & 10)
The Royal Oaks Intercollegiate Lineup
Michigan will bring a five-member starting squad the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. Seniors Chris O'Neill and Brett McIntosh, junior Reed Hrynewich, sophomore Kyle Mueller and freshman Nick Carlson will all make the trip to Texas.
Last Year at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
Led by Kyle Mueller's tie for 24th individually, Michigan closed its 2014 fall season posting a 10th-place finish at Baylor's Royal Oaks Intercollegiate held at the Royal Oaks Country Club. Playing in the rare 6-count-5 format, U-M had a team tally of 1,124. After Mueller's top-25 finish, the Wolverines had a trio tie for 44th -- Chris O'Neill, Brett McIntosh and Noori Hyun. [ Recap ]
WOLVERINE BITES
• Michigan will be looking to post its fourth straight top-five team finish at the Royal Oak Intercollegiate. Over the last three fall events, U-M has finished as the runner-up at the Windon Memorial Classic, third at the Inverness Intercollegiate and fifth at the MacKenzie Invitational. The last time the Wolverines posted four straight top-5s was during the 2012-13 spring season.
• Michigan has had back-to-back tournaments with at least three Wolverines finishing with sub-par event tallies. First up was the Windon Memorial Classic -- Kyle Mueller (210, -3), Nick Carlson (210, -3) and Chris O'Neill (211, -2). Second was at the MacKenzie Invitational -- Mueller (198, -15), O'Neill (204, -9) and Brett McIntosh (211, -2).
• So far this season, Michigan has averaged 862.00 per 54-hole event. The Wolverines have descended their team totals with each round -- first (288.75), second (287.50) and final (285.75). Overall, U-M is averaging 287.33.
• Kyle Mueller has nearly won Michigan's last three fall events -- the Inverness Intercollegiate (2nd), Windon Memorial Classic (t-3rd) and the MacKenzie Invitational (4th). The three near victories give him five top-five finishes in his young career of just 17 total events. Overall, Mueller has finished as the top Wolverine in a tournament 12 times.
• With a U-M record-tying 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational, Kyle Mueller became the first Wolverine to crack 200 in a 54-hole event. He closed with a 198 (69-64-65, -15) to set the new U-M standard by four shots -- 202 (-8) held by Bill Rankin at the 2008 Maxwell. For his efforts, Mueller was honored as the Big Ten Golfer of the Week for the second time in his career.
• Chris O'Neill has continued to have a stellar final campaign, posting three straight top-10 finishes -- The Inverness Intercollegiate (t-6th), Windon Memorial Classic (t-9th) and the MacKenzie Invitational (t-10th). With five sub-par rounds -- including a season-best 66 (-5) in the first round of the MacKenzie -- he is averaging nearly two shots better than any of his three previous seasons -- 71.33. His previous best was 73.03 in 2013-14.
• Not to be outshined by Kyle Mueller's sub 200 (198) at the MacKenzie, Chris O'Neill set a new career-best 54-hole tournament total with a 204 (-9) at the same event. He had rounds of 66-69-69 to set the new record by two total shots -- 206 (-7) at the 2013 Wolverine Intercollegiate.
• As Kyle Mueller finished fourth and Chris O'Neill tied for 10th at the MacKenzie Invitational, the duo was 1-2 for the Wolverines for the ninth time in the 17 tournaments together. It is the fourth time the pair both led U-M and both finished among the top 10.
• Chris O'Neill made his 40th consecutive start at the MacKenzie Invitational and has yet to miss an event in his four-year career. He is expected to extend that streak this week with the Royal Oak Intercollegiate. Kyle Mueller has started the 17 straight tournaments of his young career.
• Nick Carlson will make his fifth straight start at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. After posting tallies of 228 and 229 during his first two collegiate events, he shattered all of his career bests with a 210 (-3) performance at the Windon Memorial Classic. He followed that with an even-par 213 at the MacKenzie Invitational, where he set a new career-best single-round tally with a 68 (-3) in the final round.
• Tom Swanson is averaging nearly one-and-a-half shots better than his previous best scoring average -- 74.08 compared to 75.33 (2014-15). He tied his career-best single-round tally with a 70 (-1) in the first round of the Windon Memorial as well as set a new career-best 54-hole total with a 218 at the same event.
CHIPS & PUTTS
• Kyle Mueller leads U-M with a 70.67 scoring average. He leads with seven total sub-par rounds.
• Kyle Mueller shot the lowest round of the season 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational.
• Kyle Mueller tallied a team-low 198 (-15) 54-hole tournament total -- MacKenzie Invitational.
• Kyle Mueller is a perfect 12-for-12 in rounds counted this season.
• Kyle Mueller has shot seven of his last nine round below par.
• Chris O'Neill has shot seven of his last nine rounds at par (2) or below (5).
• Michigan has shot 23 of its 63 total rounds at par (5) or below (18) -- 36.5 percent.
• Michigan has a record of 38-17-2 overall and 8-3 against the Big Ten this season.
• Michigan posted a season-low 272 (-12) in the first round of the MacKenzie Invitational.
• Michigan has a season-best 824 (-28) 54-hole tournament total -- MacKenzie Invitational.
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
• Kyle Mueller's 198 (-15) at the MacKenzie Invitational set the U-M 54-hole tournament by four shots. It is the first time a Wolverines has broken 200 in a 54-hole event. Previous mark: 202 (-8), Bill Rankin (2008 Maxwell).
• Kyle Mueller tied the U-M single-round record with a 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational with 11 pars and seven birdies. Additional 64s: Bill Rankin (2008 Bridgestone Intercollegiate, 2nd), Christian Vozza (2005 MacKenzie Invitational, 2nd) and Michael Harris (1998 Northern Intercollegiate, 2nd)
• Michigan tallied a U-M team single-round record 272 (-12) in the first round of the MacKenzie Invitational, lowering by three shots. Previous mark: 275, four times - last: 2010 Bridgestone Intercollegiate.
• Michigan posted a U-M 54-hole team tournament record 824 (-28) at the MacKenzie Invitational, lowering by 15 shots. Previous mark: 839 (-13) at the 2005 Wolverine Intercollegiate.
LAST TIME OUT
Keyed by a U-M-record individual performance by Kyle Mueller and a career-best tally from Chris O'Neill, Michigan posted its third straight top-five finish, closing fifth with a U-M-record 824 (-28) 54-hole team total at Cal's Alister MacKenzie Invitational held at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, California. [ Recap ]
UP NEXT
Fri-Sat., Feb. 12-13 -- at Big Ten Match Play Championships (Palm Coast, Fla.)
Sun-Tue., Feb. 21-23 -- at Puerto Rico Classic (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico)
Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
