Wolverines to Head to Chapel Hill for Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's golf team heads to Tobacco Road for its third fall event -- the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational, Friday through Sunday (Oct. 11-13). The three-day, 54-hole event features a 17-team field playing at the newly renovated Finley Golf Club in Chapel Hill, N.C. The first two rounds are scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start, with Sunday's final round starting at 9:30 a.m.

Notes

• The Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational will be made up of 17 teams, including: Duke, East Carolina, Florida International, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina (host), NC State, Rollins College, Tennessee, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Wilmington, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina and Wake Forest.

• U-M will travel five starters to Chapel Hill. Junior Sydney Sung and redshirt sophomore Mara Janess head up Michigan's starting lineup. Freshman Suzie Tran, junior Lauren Sung and sophomore Grace Wang round out U-M's five.

• Michigan is making its ninth trip to North Carolina's home event. Over its last three trips, U-M has posted three straight top-seven finishes after its seventh place showing in 2021 with its lowest 54-hole tally of 866 at the Finley Golf Club. The Maize and Blue followed by tying for fifth in 2022 (883) at the Governors Club after former Wolverine Anika Dy's even-par tally (216, E) and top-10 finish (t-8th). Last season, led by former Wolverine Monet Chun's third-place individual finish, the Maize and Blue etched a sixth-place finish (875)

• North Carolina's Finley Golf Club underwent a major renovation and is now ready to host again. Starting with an updated course layout, flipping the current front and back nines, with two new frontside holes. New Bermuda greens and sand areas were created throughout the course. Finally, a short course and range dedicated to Carolina golf teams with a new team building and training facility was constructed.

• With a career-low 216 (E; 72-71-73), Janess led U-M tying for seventh at the Mary Fossum Invitational, while Sydney Sung's career-best 218 (+2; 73-71-74) tied her for ninth, helping the Maize and Blue place two among the top 10. Additionally, Janess lowered her prior 54-hole best by nine shots, while Sung topped her prior best by a shot.

• In their collegiate debuts, Tran and fellow freshman Mimi Guo paced the Maize and Blue in the season-opening Boilermaker Invitational as they both recorded top 20 finishes. Tran's 224 (73-76-75) total helped her to 15th, while Guo tallied 225 (73-78-74) to tie for 16th. The duo had all six rounds count towards team scoring and carded the lowest round of the event, opening their U-M careers with first-round 73s (+1).

• On the professional front, recent graduates Monet Chun and Hailey Borja advanced to the October LPGA Q School qualifying round after Chun tied for 49th (285) and Borja tied for 70th (287) in pre-qualifier action. The next step will be Tuesday through Friday (Oct. 15-18) at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla. (Bobcat and Panther courses). Former Wolverine great Ashley Lau was the runner-up at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells with a 269 (-15; 68-69-66-66).