The Michigan women’s golf team looked to cap off a strong fall season with a stellar performance at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational. However, fighting the elements and an uncharacteristic final round, the Wolverines fell short.
Throughout the fall, Michigan consistently coupled a slow start with a recovering finish. In the prior three events, the Wolverines’ lowest score came in the final round. Unfortunately, a third-round push was not apparent this past weekend as Michigan rounded out the tournament with its highest score on Sunday, shooting 288-293-300 over the weekend to finish 10th out of 15.
“This week, we didn’t bring our best overall as a team,” Wolverines coach Jan Dowling said. “There were certainly some great performances and some very nice rounds, but I wouldn’t say we brought it all together.”
Multiple of those great performances for Michigan came in the opening round. Senior Sydney Sung exploded out of the gate, finishing the front nine shooting 2-under-par. While hampered by three bogeys through the back nine, she completed her day leading the Wolverines at 1-over-par (71). And Sung was not alone in her early success.
Freshman Reese Ng and redshirt junior Mara Janess also contributed strong rounds of their own, each posting 2-over-par. Senior Lauren Sung’s slow start was salvaged by three consecutive birdies on the back nine to end at 3-over-par.
The team finished the day shooting 288, enough for eighth place out of 15. With a better understanding of the course, Michigan looked to ride its momentum into the rest of the weekend.
Nonetheless, the Wolverines’ success faded fast. On Saturday, the team ran out of gas early. Three Michigan players shot higher in the second round compared to the first, a trend that refused to improve. In a similar fashion, neither did the conditions of the course.
The weather and the layout of the Finley Golf Club, from high winds to deep Bermuda roughs, managed to play a pivotal role in Michigan’s struggles.
“The weaknesses that we did bring this week were really amplified based on the conditions of the course,” Dowling said. “I mean, it is honestly some of the toughest conditions I’ve seen in college golf, period. I would have said that even before (the third round) with the wind.”
While the Wolverines have consistently found ways to bounce back come round three, the team shot its highest score on Sunday. Countering previous success, Ng and Janess shot 9- and 10-over par, respectively. While Sydney and Lauren Sung led the way at 3-over-par, the team could not consistently find its footing, burdened by a collective nine double bogeys. Michigan finished in 10th place, the highest finish of the fall.
With their fall schedule wrapped up, Michigan turns right back to the drawing board. And while the wind may not have blown their way down at Chapel Hill, the Wolverines look to use the fall season as a foundation to build upon.
