Michigan
Wolverine Invitational
Record-Setting Performance Leads to U-M Title Sweep at Wolverine Invitational
9/14/2021 4:34:00 PM | Women's Golf
» With a U-M Golf Course 54-hole women's record total of 851 (-1), Michigan opened its 2021-22 season winning the Wolverine Invitational by 12 shots over runner-up Virginia (863, +11).
» With a career-low 210 (-3) individual total, Mikaela Schulz was co-medalist with Iowa State's Liyana Durisic.
» All five of U-M's starting five closed among the top 20, with three in the top 10.
» Overall, U-M posted 54 birdies as a team, led by tournament leader Schulz's 14.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Tournament: Wolverine Invitational
Course: U-M Golf Course (par 71, 6,232 yards)
U-M Team Standing: 1st place of 16 teams (280-282-289/851, -1)
Top U-M Individual: Mikaela Schulz, t-1st (68-70-72/210, -3)
Next U-M Event: Mon-Tue., Oct. 4-5 -- Windy City Invitational (Wilmette, Ill.)
• Complete Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- With the entire starting five finishing in the top 20 individually, including co-medalist Mikaela Schulz, the University of Michigan women's golf team opened its 2021-22 season winning the Wolverine Invitational on Tuesday (Sept. 14) by 12 shots. The Wolverines claimed their 11th home event title in 24 tries with a U-M Golf Course women's team record 851 (-1) -- the first sub-par tally at U-M's home course.
"This was just a special week for our team," said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "To win anywhere is special and meaningful, to do it at home, under the conditions we had today, was just icing on the cake. We've been knocking on the door several times in the past year, and to come so disciplined under the pressure of playing at home was phenomenal. Quite simply, the team was ready for today's challenge."
This week's 851 was not only the second-lowest team total in program history, it crushed the prior U-M Golf Course record by 18 shots -- 869 by USC at the 2007 NCAA Central Regional (May 10-12). Additionally, the team title marked the second for Dowling and her first 54-hole crown with the Maize and Blue. In 2016, Dowling's Wolverines posted a 304 total to win the Trinity Forest Invitational (Nov. 7-8) as weather canceled the remainder of the event.
The Wolverines got off to a red-hot start in Monday's 36-hole day, using three sub-par starter totals -- including Schulz's career-low-tying 68 (-3) -- to etch a U-M Golf Course women's single-round record of 280 (-4), which also gave the Wolverines the third lowest in program history. With two more sub-par tallies on the second 18, U-M finished the day posting a 282 (-2) to beat the prior course record of 283 twice. With a 562 (-6) tally, the Wolverines held a 12-shot lead over Virginia.
With hot, humid and sustained 15-20 mph winds in the final round, scores were up, but with an even-par 71 from senior Sophia Trombetta and 72s from Schulz and senior Ashley Lau, the Wolverines perserved with a 289 total to become the first women's team to post a sub-par 54-hole total.
With her tournament-best 14 birdies, Schulz won her second career event as she tied for medalist honors with a new career-best 210 (-3) total. After closing the first day tied for Iowa State's Liyana Durisic, the pair was separated on opposite ends of the course for the final round. After Schulz closed with a 72 (+1), she trailed Durisic, who had three holes remaining, by a shot. After bogeying the par-5 third hole, the duo drew even at 210 (-3) to share the individual title.
"I kept telling myself to be patient after I didn't have the best front nine because I knew that I would play a little bit better on the back," said Schulz. "I was playing great and I kept committing to my shots and plan. Overall I'm very happy with how I played.
"I've been working really hard, so it's really special to be able to go out there and shoot three under. After my round today, I knew I was in second and I would have been happy with that. When the scores were updated and I found I tied for the win, I was really stoked."
"What a great win for Mikaela," said Dowling. "She got off to bit of a rocky start, but pushed through and really had an awesome back nine in very windy conditions. She works so hard on every aspect of her game, including some very detailed mental work, and it's paying off for her in a big way."
With a 214 (+1) total, Lau helped U-M post two top-five finishers as she tied for fourth, while junior Hailey Borja tied for sixth with a 215 (+2). Lau and Borja combined for 77 pars over their combined 108 holes, with 39 by Lau and 38 from Borja, respectively.
With her final-round 71 (E), Trombetta vaulted herself 13 spots to tie for 11th with a 217 total, which was her best tally in two years and a shot off her career low of 216 (2019 Glass City Invitational, Sept. 16-17). Sophomore Monet Chun's 219 finish helped give the Wolverines all five starters among the top 20 as she tied for 19th. Playing as an individual, junior Anika Dy tied for 33rd at 222 (71-80-71).
"Our team has so much talent and we are finally starting to really capitalize on that and truly realize just how much we are capable of," said Schulz. "It was so cool to win both individually and as a team. We have been so close to winning for over a year now and finally have a win under our belt is so incredible.
"I'm so proud of my whole team and how hard we have been working. It's great to see some of the hard work paying off, I'm so proud of all of them.
The Wolverines will be off until they head to Chicago for Northwestern's Windy City Invitational, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 4-5. The two-day, 54-hole event will be played at the Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette, Ill. Technically, it will mark the fourth straight year U-M will play in the event after the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.
Final Team Standings
 1. MICHIGAN       280-282-289 = 851 (-1)  2. Virginia       288-286-289 = 863  3. Virginia Tech  289-286-293 = 868  4. Iowa State     297-279-295 = 871  5. Illinois       294-291-293 = 878  6. Louisville     285-293-301 = 879  7. Kent State     300-284-297 = 881  8. Northwestern   293-296-295 = 884  9. Ohio State     299-288-300 = 887    Kentucky       292-298-297 = 887 11. Washington     300-292-301 = 893 12. Xavier         303-300-309 = 912 13. Notre Dame     303-292-319 = 914 14. Indiana        299-305-311 = 915 15. Nebraska       306-301-309 = 916 16. Toledo         316-322-315 = 953
Top Individuals
 1. MIKAELA SCHULZ, U-M            68-70-72 = 210 (-3)    Liyana Durisic, Iowa State     71-67-72 = 210  3. Siyan Chen, Illinois           73-72-68 = 213  4. ASHLEY LAU, U-M                73-69-72 = 214    Jennifer Cleary, Virginia      73-71-70 = 214  6. HAILEY BORJA, U-M              70-71-74 = 215    Amanda Sambach, Virginia       69-73-73 = 215  8. Crystal Wang, Illinois         73-69-74 = 216    Aneka Seumanutafa, Ohio State  74-66-76 = 216    Lauryn Nguyen, Northwestern    73-71-72 = 216
Other Michigan Individuals
T11. Sophia Trombetta  74-72-71 = 217 T19. Monet Chun        69-73-77 = 219 T33. Anika Dy          71-80-71 = 222* 89. Jacqueline Young  89-92-88 = 269* * playing as individual
Players Mentioned
