Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Wolverines Ready to Tee It Up for Big Tens at Pumpkin Ridge
4/30/2026 9:04:00 AM | Men's Golf
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's golf team opens postseason play this weekend at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, scheduled for Friday through Sunday (May 1–3) in North Plains, Ore. The three-day, 54-hole event will feature all 18 conference programs competing at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, a par-72 course measuring 7,015 yards.
Notes
• With all 18 programs ranked and seeded by Scoreboard, the 2026 Big Ten Championships field is set as follows: Illinois (12), USC (26), UCLA (33), Purdue (42), Northwestern (48), Washington (52), Oregon (60), Ohio State (65), Minnesota (71), Michigan State (74), Nebraska (83), Iowa (84), Rutgers (86), Michigan (87), Indiana (97), Maryland (98), Wisconsin (108) and Penn State (121).
• Michigan's championship starting lineup features sophomores RJ Arone, Dean Muratore, Nilay Naik, freshman Jordan Hwang and redshirt-junior Jason Gordon. Sophomore Johnny Solis will travel with the team and serve as the Wolverines designated substitute/reserve.
• The Wolverines tee off Friday (May 1) at 11:10 a.m. PT on the first tee and will be paired with Rutgers and Indiana in the opening round. Second- and final-round tee time will be determined by team standings after each day.
• Heading into the Big Ten Championships, Arone (t-58th, 222) and Muratore (t-65th, 223) return after gaining valuable experience in last year's event, where Michigan finished 15th with an 879 54-hole total at Baltimore Country Club's Five Farms East Course.
• The 2026 Big Ten Championships will be a homecoming for Naik, who hails from Lake Oswego, Ore. -- just 33 minutes (24.7 miles) from North Plains and Pumpkin Ridge.
• Through 10 regular-season tournaments, Michigan has posted 58 sub-par rounds and carries a 72.85 individual scoring average. The Wolverines are averaging 285.69 per team round, with 16 of 29 rounds coming in under par.
• Michigan has recorded 20 sub-par 54-hole totals this season and is averaging 218.35 for three-round events. Highlighting this list is Muratore's program-record 196 (-14) at the Jim DeLapa Collegiate, marking just the second sub-200 total in school history. Arone leads U-M with six sub-par 54-hole finishes, while Muratore is close behind with five.
• Arone has 19 of his 29 rounds at or below par and leads the Wolverines with a 71.07 stroke average, just ahead of Muratore (71.38). He has seven sub-par totals (six 54-holes) and one even-par total in 10 events this season, along with six top 15 finishes. Carrying a 213.44 54-hole average, Arone recorded a career-low 205 (-11) at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
• Just behind Muratore has 18 of his 29 rounds at or below par and ranks just behind Arone (71.07) with a 71.38 scoring average. He fired a career-low 64 (-6) in the second round of the Jim DeLapa Collegiate en route to his first career individual title and program record 196 (-14) total. Muratore has added five sub-par 54-hole totals this season and owns a 213.00 average.
• Naik has made an immediate impact in his first season with Michigan, averaging 72.72 strokes per round with seven sub-par rounds and five at even par. One of three Wolverines to start all 10 events, he owns three sub-par tournament totals, highlighted by a career-best 208 (-8) at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
• Hwang has impressed in his freshman campaign, competing in all 10 events with nine starts. He holds a 72.89 scoring average with eight sub-par rounds, including a career-low 67 (-5) in his collegiate debut at the Island Resort Intercollegiate. He has three sub-par 54-hole totals, with a best finish of 212 (-1) at the Moraine Intercollegiate.
Players Mentioned
