Weekly Release #2
9/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sat-Sun., Sept. 25-26 -- Mary Fossum Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)
Sat-Sun., Oct. 9-10 -- Wolverine Invitational (U-M Golf Course)
Next on the Tee
The Wolverines travel to nearby East Lansing to participate in Michigan State's Mary Fossum Invitational on Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 25-26). The three day tournament will be played at Forest Akers Golf Course. Last year, the Wolverines finished fifth out of 13 teams at the tournament. Former Wolverine Sharon Park finished tied for ninth and current junior Trish Watkins (Darien, Conn./Darien HS) finished tied for 14th. Michigan State web site: www.msuspartans.com.
Tournament Format
The two-day tournament will be a 54-hole format, with 36 holes played on Saturday and 18 played on Sunday. Tee times are scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun format on Sunday. With 18 teams participating, eight Big Ten teams will be among the field. Formerly the Spartan Invitational, the tournament was renamed in 1997 in honor of longtime Michigan State coach Mary Fossum, who retired in the spring of 1997.
The Michigan Lineup
Michigan will be traveling with six individuals. The lineup is led by sophomores Bess Bowers (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North HS) and LeAnna Wicks (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and junior Amy Talbot (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas HS). Rounding out the field is freshman Kim Benedict (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS), junior Trish Watkins and sophomore Cortney Reno (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile HS).
Women's Golf Opens Season
The Michigan women's golf team opened its season with a 10th-place finish at the 20-team Lady Northern Invitational Sept. 17-19 at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis. Michigan finished the tournament with team rounds scores of 325-324-317 for a three-day total of 966. That finish was a repeat of last year's 10th-place finish at the Lady Northern Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind., when the Wolverines shot 324-352-327 for a tournament total of 1,003.
Bowers Continues from Last Season's Rise
After starting her freshman season with solid round totals in the first five tournaments, Bess Bowers finished the year leading the Wolverines in three of the last five tournaments. She continued right where she left off in the opening tournament this season, finishing tied for 28th after round scores of 78-81-77 for a three-day total of 236 at the Lady Northern Invitational.
Wicks Hits Career Best Mark
Sophomore LeAnna Wicks finished in 36th after rounds of 82-79-77 for a 238 total at the Lady Northern Invitational. That 54-hole total marked a career best. Prior to her performance in Wisconsin, she shot a 242 at the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 12-13, 1998).
Benedict a Face in the Crowd
Kim Benedict, who finished tied for 63rd (84-84-81/249) at the Lady Northern Invitational in her first collegiate tournament, was highlighted in the GolfPlus section of the Sept. 27 issue of Sports Illustrated for her exploits this past spring and summer. Benedict, the Michigan Class A state champ last spring, won the Michigan Women's Amateur championship at Tecumseh Country Club and then the Golf Association of Michigan Championship at Radrick Farms Golf Club this summer.
Watkins Tops Summer with Trip to Amateur
Junior Trish Watkins (Darien, Conn./Darien HS) topped off her summer by qualifing for the U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Championship after finishing third with a score of 75 at the qualifier at Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville, N.J. In the Amateur at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C., Watkins shot rounds of 86 and 88.
In addition to her qualifying for the Women's Amateur, she finished fourth at the Connecticut State Amateur Championship after rounds of 78-78-76 and tied for 24th at the Women's Metropolitan Open at Spring Brook Country Club after rounds of 80 and 87.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
