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Without consistency, goals and aspirations become harder to reach.
While the Michigan men’s golf team failed to find consistent success earlier this week at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational — the first-ever NCAA golf tournament on Canadian soil — it produced enough bursts of stardom to place near the top of the field. The Wolverines scored 852 (286 – 279 – 287) to finish second place out of 10 teams, their best finish of the season.
Michigan did not defeat most of its opponents through consistent dominance. Rather, it defeated them through a significant surge in the second round. That day, the Wolverines competed at a high level and demonstrated brilliance at appropriate times, helping them climb up the leaderboard. Led by senior Hunter Thomson’s 66 and with no other players finishing over par, Michigan tallied 279 and jumped to second place after the second round. However, without consistency, things can go wrong any time, as the Wolverines experienced with a last-place finish in the Inverness Intercollegiate last week.
Michigan’s subpar performance in the third round almost cost it a second-place finish and sabotaged a chance at the winner’s circle. Freshman Dean Muratore totaled five bogies alongside three birdies and fell short of par, and fifth-year Ben Hoagland also had four bogies to wrap up the tournament.
To establish consistency, the Wolverines need to recreate their second-round performance as they make their way to Illinois for their fourth tournament, this time against heightened competition,
“We have to be ready come Friday, or we’re gonna find ourselves on the wrong side of things again,” Michigan coach Zach Barlow said.
Although the Wolverines have struggled with consistency throughout the season and even in this tournament, Thomson was the exception.
Thomson, a Canadian native, not only contributed significantly to the Wolverines’ success but also finished first overall in individual scoring to secure a spot at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. By far the most prolific player on the team for the past three years, Thomson once again delivered an outstanding performance to highlight his senior season. He scored 66 in both of the first two rounds and hit a whopping 15 birdies and only three bogies. He hit four more birdies — but added two more bogies — in his last round to finish on top for the second time in his career.
Barlow again pointed to consistency when asked about the secret behind Thomson’s success.
“Consistency is king, and he is the king of consistency,” Barlow said. ” … He’s starting to reap some of the benefits and all the hard work that he’s put in. … He’s on a different level.”
Aside from Thomson’s stellar performance, other Wolverines also demonstrated snippets of excellence throughout the tournament. Freshman RJ Arone, who followed Thomson’s lead, provided support for Michigan in a close battle with Missouri in the last round. Arone had five birdies in his third round but also nearly faltered with four bogies, finishing the tournament tied for 14th overall in individual scoring. Muratore, although scoring poorly in the last round, scored five birdies and four bogies in the second round, and concluded the tournament tied for 21st in individual scoring. Those moments of brilliance made for a relatively solid finish despite the Wolverines’ lack of consistency.
“We’re going to contend week in and week out. We’re that good, and we can go anytime, anyplace to win,” Barlow said. “It’s still early in the year, and so we’re getting a little more comfortable out here. … It’s just an adjustment period, but (the freshmen) are learning quick.”
The Wolverines demonstrated flashes of excellence at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, but establishing consistency is key to their sustained success.
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