Weekly Release #11
5/16/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Thu-Sat., May 18-20 -- at NCAA Central Regional (Victoria, Texas)
Wed-Sat., May 31-June 3 -- at NCAA Championships (Opelika, Ala.)
Next on the Tee
The University of Michigan men's golf team will continue with the championship portion of its schedule as the Wolverines will to Victoria, Texas, for the NCAA Central Regional Championships, Thursday through Saturday (May 18-20). This year's regional will be played at the Victoria Country Club, with Southwest Texas State University serving as the host institution. The 54-hole tournament will consist of 18 holes each day, and the course will be set up for a par of 72 and yardage of 6,870.
NCAA Championships Site
Southwest Texas State Men's Golf Site
NCAA Central Regional Scoring
Team scores shall be determined by adding the low four scores of each team for each round. A team shall consist of no more than five players per institution.
NCAA Central Regional Teams
Twenty-seven teams will compete in the Central Regional, including the top six regional teams from District IV, seven from District V, eight from District VI and six at-large teams. The regional lineup:
- District IV: 1. Northwestern (Big Ten champion), 2. Kent State (Mid-American champion ), 3. Ohio State, 4. Minnesota, 5. Michigan, 6. Toledo. Individual Selection -- 1. Lee Curry, Miami (Ohio)
- District V: 1. Oklahoma State (Big 12 champion), 2. Kansas, 3. Colorado, 4. Tulsa, 5. Oklahoma, 6. Arkansas State, 7. Wichita State (Missouri Valley champion). Individual Selections -- 1. Stuart Anderson, Illinois State; 2. Rohan Allwood, Southwest Missouri State
- District VI: 1. Houston (Conference USA champion), 2. Texas, 3. Baylor, 4. Texas A&M, 5. TCU, 6. North Texas.
- At-Large Selections: 1. Mississippi, 2. Southeastern Louisiana (Southland champion), 3. Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt champion), 4. Coastal Carolina (Big South champion), 5. Jackson State (Southwestern Athletic champion), 6. Oral Roberts (Mid-Continent champion), 7. Louisiana-Lafayette, 8. Southern Methodist. Individual Selections -- 1. Craig Lile, Arkansas; 2. Adam Babb, Texas-Arlington; 3. Lance Dunaway, Stephen F. Austin.
The 103rd NCAA Championship Breakdown
A total of 421 participants were selected for regional competition, with 30 teams (10 from each regional) and a total of 156 players advancing to the NCAA Championships, May 31-June 3 at the Lake Course at Grand National Golf Club in Opelika, Ala.
- Central Regional
Qualifiers: Six teams from District IV, seven from District V, eight from District VI and six at-large teams and six Central Regional individuals will make up the Central Regional field.
Course: Victoria Country Club in Victoria, Texas
Host: Southwest Texas State University
Dates: May 18-20, 2000
- East Regional
Qualifiers: Three teams from District I, four from District II, eight from District III North, eight from District III South, four at-large teams and one East Regional individual will make up the East Regional field.
Course: Glenmaura National Golf Course in Moosic, Pa.
Host: Temple University
Dates: May 18-20, 2000
- West Regional
Qualifiers: Six teams from District VII, 12 from District VIII, nine at-large teams and three West Regional individuals will make up the West regional field.
Course: Riverbend Golf Course in Fresno, Calif.
Host: Fresno State University
Dates: May 18-20, 2000
- NCAA Championships
Qualifiers: The top 10 teams and two top individuals not on a qualifying team from each regional will make it to the championship final field.
Course: The Lake Course at the Grand National Golf Club Complex Opelika, Ala.
Host: Auburn University
Dates: May 31-June 3, 2000
The Michigan Lineup at the Central Regional
Michigan will use five individuals at the NCAA Central Regional Championships. Senior captain Michael Harris (Troy, Mich./Troy HS) and senior Mike Affeldt (Charlotte, N.C./Rochester [Mich.] Adams HS) head up the Wolverine squad. Junior Scott Hayes (Rochester, Mich./Rochester HS) gets the third position after a successful regular season. Sophomore Andy Matthews (Ada, Mich./Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central HS) qualified for the fourth position and junior/sophomore Kyle Kilcherman (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City HS) also used a qualifier to travel as the fifth player.
Last Time at the NCAA Central Regional
Michigan makes an NCAA appearance for the second time in four years. The 1996-97 season was the last time the Wolverines qualified for the NCAA Central Regional Championships. That year, U-M finished eighth at the regional in Norman, Okla., and advanced to the NCAA Championships in Evanston, Ill. The Maize and Blue went on to a 25th-place team finish. Current senior Michael Harris is the lone Wolverine returning from the 1997 NCAA squad. He finished tied for 30th in the regional (72-73-73/218) and tied for 86th at the championship (79-71/150).
The Final Rankings
The Michigan men's golf team finished fifth in the District IV regional rankings and qualified for the NCAA Central Regional Championship.
District IV Rankings (as of May 8, 2000 -- final)
| TEAM 1. Northwestern 2. Kent State 3. Ohio State 4. Minnesota 5. Michigan 6. Toledo 7. Purdue 8. Miami (Ohio) | | INDIVIDUALS 1. Luke Donald, Northwestern 2. Jess Daley, Northwestern 3. Ben Curtis, Kent State 4. Michael Harris, Michigan 5. Jon Mills, Kent State 6. David Wagensellar, Ohio State 7. Martin Lemesurier, Minnesota 8. Tim Rice, Toledo 9. Danny Sahl, Kent State 10. Mike Austin, Ohio State 11. Lee Curry, Miami (Ohio) 12. Lee Williamson, Purdue |
Wolverines Finish Seventh at Big Ten Championship
Michigan closed out the 2000 Big Ten Conference Championship with a seventh-place overall finish on May 5-7 in West Lafayette, Ind. The Wolverines carded a final-round team total of 311 at Purdue University's Kampen Course to finish with a 1,213 championship total. They fired rounds of 292-299-311 during the first two days of competition.
Senior Michael Harris paced the way for the Maize and Blue during the final round as he finished fifth after shooting a 75. He finished the championship with a 293 total (70-73-75-75). For his efforts, Harris was named to the All-Big Ten Championship Team as well as being selected to the All-Big Ten Conference first team.
Senior/junior Scott Hayes finished tied for 23rd with a 305 championship total after firing a final round of 81. Senior Mike Affeldt had Michigan's lowest final-day score with a 74 and moved up nine spots to finish tied for 26th with a 306 championship total. Sophomore Andrew Chapman finished tied for 42nd after shooting an 81 for a 313 championship total and sophomore Andy Matthews finished 47th after carding an 82 in the final round for a 315 championship total.
Harris Honored at Big Ten Conference Championship
Senior Michael Harris was named to the Big Ten Conference's All-Championship Team and selected to the All-Big Ten first team. Harris finished fifth at the Big Ten Conference Championship.
For the season, Harris helped the Wolverines to one of the finest seasons in school history. He helped the Wolverines collect two team titles -- Xavier Invitational (Oct. 11-12) and Marshall Invitational (April 7-8). He also collected four individual titles on the season, doubling his career total to eight. He finished in the top 10 in all but two of the team's 12 tournaments this season.
With a 72.30 scoring average, Harris is on pace to break his own single-season school record, which he set with a 72.35 average during the 1997-98 season. He has not missed a single tournament in four years, playing in 40 consecutive, and he has amassed 33 top-20, 16 top-10 and 15 top-five finishes in four years.
Besides his work on the golf course, Harris was named an National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-American Scholar for the second straight year and Academic All-Big Ten for the fourth year.
Regular Season Was One for the Books
With a seventh-place showing at the Fossum Invitational (April 29-30), Michigan finished the regular season placing in the top four in all but three of its 11 tournaments. The Wolverines won two tournaments on the season -- Xavier Invitational (Oct. 11-12) and Marshall Invitational (April 7-8) -- and had five third-place finishes and one fourth-place finish.
In addition to the overall success in finishes, the Wolverines' current team stroke average of 297.05 ranks as the second best in 10 years, which the Wolverines will be hoping to lower with the trip to the NCAA Central Regional. The top average of 295.29 was set the last time the Wolverines went to the NCAA Championship, during the 1996-97 season.
Winning Two Hasn't Happened in Five Years
With Michigan winning the team overall title at the Marshall Invitational (April 7-8), it marked the second time this season the Wolverines have raised the championship trophy. Earlier this season, the Wolverines won the Xavier Invitational (Oct. 11-12) by two strokes, ironically over Marshall. The last time the Wolverines won two tournaments in a season was in 1994-95 when they took the trophies at the Marquette Intercollegiate (Sept. 24-25, 1994) and the Florida Atlantic/PGA Intercollegiate (Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 1994).
Hayes Continues to Have Strong Campaign
Senior/junior Scott Hayes has continued to have a stellar season. He has quietly moved up to second on the team in scoring average as he is firing 75.50 strokes per round. At the Big Ten Championships (May 5-7) he fired a career-best 67 in the opening round -- one of just four total rounds under 70 at the championship. But illness caught up to him on the second and third days, slipping him to a tie for 23rd. Hayes collected his career-best finish by tying for fourth at the Mauna Kea Collegiate (Nov. 25-26). He also has one top-10 finish and four top-20 finishes this season which helps give him 10 top-20 or better finishes in his career. With his work on the links and classroom, he learned at the senior banquet (May 2) that he will be awarded with a scholarship for his senior year.
Chapman and Affeldt ... Models of Consistency
Sophomore Andrew Chapman and senior Mike Affeldt have become two of the Wolverines' most consistent players. Chapman currently is third on the team with a 75.57 stroke average and has collected five top-20 finishes and one-top five finish, coming in fourth at the Wolverine South Invitational (March 4-5). Affeldt is currently fifth on the team with a 76.47 stroke average and had a career tournament at the Marshall Invitational (April 7-8) as he finished in a tie for second. In addition to the runner-up finish, he also has collected three top-20 finishes and two top-10 finishes.
Harris' Four Wins Raise Career Total to Eight
Michael Harris has been the individual winner in one-third of the Wolverines' 12 tournaments, as he has collected four championship trophies and one runner-up this season.
He got his senior campaign off to a good start at the Falcon-Cross Creek Invitational (Sept. 17-19), playing the last three holes in one under par to win medalist honors with a tournament-record score of 207 (67-71-69). On Michigan's two-tournament trip to Hawaii to close the fall schedule, Harris twice earned medalist honors, winning the Stan Sheriff Invitational (Nov. 22-23) and then shooting even par to take the Mauna Kea Resort Invitational (Nov. 25-26).
He collected his fourth title of the season with a 10-under-par finish at the Tanglewood Intercollegiate (March 25-26). That finish gave Harris the lowest score for a Wolverine in head coach Jim Carras' 18-year career.
Harris and Raising the Trophy
| Tournament | Finish | Date |
| Tanglewood Intercollegiate | 1st | March 25-26, 2000 |
| Mauna Kea Resort Invitational | 1st | Nov. 25-26, 1999 |
| Stan Sheriff Invitational | 1st | Nov. 22-23, 1999 |
| Falcon-Cross Creek Invitational | 1st | Sept. 17-19, 1999 |
| Big Ten Championships | t-1st | May 14-16, 1999 |
| Marshall Invitational | 1st | April 10-11, 1998 |
| Persimmon Ridge Invitational | 1st | Oct. 20-21, 1997 |
| Kroger Intercollegiate | 1st | Oct. 13-14, 1997 |
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
