» Morning rains and threatening storms forced the cancellation of the final round, giving U-M a tie for ninth place at the Aggie Invitational with a 594 (301-293).
» Kyle Mueller is now a two-time medalist this season as his U-M 36-hole record-tying total of 138 (-6) gave him a one-shot victory in the rain-shortened event. Overall, it is his third career individual title.
» The Wolverines have only one regular-season event remaining before the start of postseason — the Boilermaker Invitational (April 15-16).
Site: Bryan, Texas
Course: Traditions Club (par 72, 7,146 yards)
Tournament: The Aggie Invitational
U-M Team Standing: Tie-9th of 13 Teams (301-293/594)
Top U-M Individual: Kyle Mueller, 1st (69-69/138, -6)
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., April 15-16 — at Boilermaker Invitational (West Lafayette, Ind.)
BRYAN, Texas — As rains delayed the start of the final round and with additional storms in the area, the Aggie Invitational was reduced to 36 holes today (Sunday, April 2), giving junior Kyle Mueller his second medalist honor of the season, while the University of Michigan men’s golf team tied for ninth with a 594 36-hole team total at the Traditions Club.
“We were hoping to get the chance to play today and move up the leaderboard, but there was no way to get it in with all of the storms,” said U-M head coach Chris Whitten. “After a rough start in round one, the guys regrouped in round two, and I was happy to see them get focused mentally. This is one of the more challenging courses that we play all year, and the field was obviously very strong. The event had a postseason feel to it, which we will use going forward.”
After getting off to a slow start in yesterday’s (Saturday, April 1) opening tournament round, U-M produced a 301 team tally, while Mueller was the lone bright spot, positioning himself among the top five individually with the first of his two straight 69s (-3). In the second round, Nick Carlson mirror Mueller with a 69 (-3) of his own, as the Wolverines rallied with a 293, giving them a 594 36-hole total and tie for ninth, where the Maize and Blue stayed in the ninth position to close the event.
Individually, Mueller used 10 birdies throughout his first 36 holes to put him atop the leaderboard after day one with a 138 (-6) total. Earlier this the fall, Mueller won the Windon Memorial Classic (Sept. 25-26), and he now has three total in his career. In addition, his 138 total ties the U-M record for lowest 36-hole event total in program history.
“Kyle played great golf, and I’m proud of him to get his second win of the season,” said Whitten. “This was the second tournament in a row where his putter was really the best part of his game. He’s one of the best ball strikers I’ve ever coached, and if he can putt this way consistently, he can compete to win any tournament he plays.”
“It’s always great to get a win, even if we only play two rounds,” said Mueller. “I wish we had a chance to play today so we could improve our team standing, however, this win is a little more gratifying due to how strong the field is. I know I can play and win competing against the best players in college golf. I hit the ball decent this week, but my putting is what allowed me to score. I’m starting to gain a lot of confidence in my putter, and I’m really excited to finish out the rest of the season.”
U-M highlights include senior Reed Hrynewich tying for 31st with a 149 (72-77) total, while Carlson rebounded from an opening 82 with his second-round 69 to tie for 50th (151).
The Wolverines have only one regular-season event remaining before the start of postseason. In what could be a preview of an NCAA regional site, U-M heads to West Lafayette for Purdue’s Boilermaker Invitational on Saturday and Sunday (April 15-16). The 54-hole event will be played on the Kampen Course. The Boilermakers host one of six regional sites in mid-May.
Final Team Standings
1. LSU 282-283 = 565 (-11)
2. Baylor 278-288 = 566
3. Texas A&M 288-289 = 577
4. Oklahoma State 299-281 = 580
5. Texas 291-290 = 581
North Carolina 298-283 = 581
7. Kent State 298-291 = 589
8. Texas Tech 296-296 = 592
9. MICHIGAN 301-293 = 594
Arkansas 302-292 = 594
11. North Texas 305-290 = 595
12. UTSA 307-306 = 613
13. New Mexico State 311-306 = 617
Top Individuals
1. KYLE MUELLER, U-M 69-69 = 138 (-6)
2. Cameron Champ, Texas A&M 69-70 = 139
Zachary Olsen, Oklahoma State 70-69 = 139
Cooper Dossey, Baylor 67-72 = 139
Garrett May, Baylor 67-72 = 139
6. Sam Burns, LSU 71-70 = 141
Brandon Pierce, LSU 72-69 = 141
8. Scottie Scheffler, Texas 71-71 = 142
Luis Garza, Arkansas 72-70 = 142
Eric Ricard, LSU 67-75 = 142
Matthew Perrine, Baylor 72-70 = 142
Viktor Hovland, Oklahoma State 73-69 = 142
Andrew Hudson, North Texas 69-73 = 142*
Other Michigan Individuals
T31. Reed Hrynewich 72-77 = 149
T50. Nick Carlson 82-69 = 151
T64. Bryce Evon 80-78 = 158
T72. Tom Swanson 80-82 = 162
