Michigan
El Diablo Intercollegiate
Wolverines End in 18th Place at El Diablo Intercollegiate
3/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
CITRUS SPRINGS, Fla. -- The University of Michigan men's golf team had a final team round total of 314 today (Sunday, March 16) and finished 18th in the 20-team field at the El Diablo Intercollegiate. The Wolverines carded rounds of 304 and 316 Saturday en route to their 935 total for 54 holes at the El Diablo Golf Club.
Senior/junior Scott Carlton (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and junior Dave Nichols (Mesa, Ariz./Rochester Adams HS, Mich.) shared top honors for the Wolverines as they tied for 50th with 231 54-hole totals. Nichols fired a one-over 73 in the first round followed by back-to-back 79s, while Carlton had rounds of 74, 78 and 79.
Redshirt freshman Mark McIntosh (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord HS) was just behind U-M's leaders with a 234 total, which tied him for 63rd. McIntosh opened with an 82 but rallied in the second round with a two-over 74 before closing out the tournament with a 78. Junior/sophomore Rob Tighe (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) tied for 86th with a 243 total (79-86-78), and freshman Brandon Duff (Goodrich, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic HS) tied for 91st with a 247 total (79-85-83).
Redshirt freshman Jimmy Wisinski (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS) and freshman Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills School) both competed in an individual tournament at Twisted Oaks Golf Club. The 36-hole event included 21 players from teams competing in the El Diablo. Wisinski and Svechota-Kingsbury both finished with 153 totals as Wisinski had rounds of 76 and 77, while Svechota-Kingsbury opened with an 81 but rebounded with an even-par 72.
Wichita State held onto its first-day lead to win by nine strokes with a plus-13 tournament total of 877 (286-292-299). Kent State had a final-round charge as it moved up two spots to finish as the runner-up with an 886 total (293-301-292), while West Florida maintained its first-day position and finished third at 888 (290-302-296).
Colorado State's Martin Laird used a four-under 68 in the final round to jump from fourth place after the first day into medalist honors with a seven-under 209 total (67-74-68). Laird finished one stroke ahead of runner-up Kevin Warrick of West Florida (68-72-70/210) and two strokes ahead of first-day leader Adam Horton of Methodist (73-66-72/211).
The Wolverines will have two weeks off before hitting the road again, traveling to Lexington, Ky., to participate in the Johnny Owens Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, at the University Club on the University of Kentucky campus.
Team Standings
1. Wichita State 286-292-299 = 877 (+13) 2. Kent State 293-301-292 = 886 3. West Florida 290-302-296 = 888 4. Colorado State 291-299-299 = 889 Ball State 295-303-291 = 889 6. Methodist 301-294-301 = 896 7. Indiana 305-307-296 = 908 Louisville 298-309-301 = 908 9. Miami (Ohio) 301-298-311 = 910 Elon 299-297-314 = 910 11. Penn State 294-304-315 = 913 Xavier 302-302-309 = 913 13. Eastern Kentucky 307-309-301 = 917 14. William & Mary 306-307-307 = 920 Richmond 302-311-307 = 920 16. Iowa State 307-310-304 = 921 17. James Madison 306-312-309 = 927 18. MICHIGAN 305-316-314 = 935 19. Rhode Island 316-314-309 = 939 -- Marshall 313-306-DNF = WD
Top Individuals
1. Martin Laird, Colorado State 67-74-68 = 209 (-7) 2. Kevin Warrick, West Florida 68-72-70 = 210 3. Adam Horton, Methodist 73-66-72 = 211 4. Kenny Cook, Ball State 70-68-76 = 214 5. Julien Trudeau, Wichita State 71-71-74 = 216 6. Jason Novascore, Wichita State 69-74-75 = 218 7. Judd Easterling, Wichita State 73-70-76 = 219 8. Joe Hurtuk, Kent State 75-77-68 = 220 Ryan Yip, Kent State 70-77-73 = 220 Josh Crutcher, Eastern Kentucky 74-71-75 = 220 11. Heath Peters, Indiana 76-76-69 = 221 Tyler Randol, Richmond 70-78-73 = 221
Michigan Scores
T50. Scott Carlton 74-78-79 = 231 T50. Dave Nichols 73-79-79 = 231 T63. Mark McIntosh 82-74-78 = 234 T86. Rob Tighe 79-86-78 = 243 T91. Brandon Duff 79-85-83 = 247
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Andrew Sapp
On the tournament ..."We just didn't gut it out this week. We finished poorly in a lot of our rounds and it is just a matter of having the guts and the heart to make a bad round better. We are not doing that right now. We've got to get better and we need to get more desire out there on the golf course, especially when the going gets rough, to turn it around."
On the keys to maintaining consistency ... "Basically, we played fairly well the first round because our two veterans played well and then they didn't play well the last two rounds and so goes the team. I think for a lot of reasons Dave (Nichols) and Scott (Carlton) are going to be keys to our good scoring and if they are able to play well, we can post some decent scores like we did in the first round. When we can get someone to step up and play solid we can start posting some lower numbers. Hopefully, Dave and Scott will take that lead for us. Right now we just do not have the depth to afford our two older guys to shoot in the 78-79 range; we need to keep them down around the 73-74 range for us to be successful."
On preparing for the stretch run to Big Tens ... "I think that we really need to find some consistency. I think that not having that is affecting our entire lineup because we have not had the same lineup for two consecutive tournaments this year. So, hopefully we can solidify a lineup, at least after the tournament in Kentucky, so we can get the same faces in there to carry us through the stretch run to Big Tens. With that consistent lineup hopefully we can get some consistent play."
Junior Dave Nichols
On his tournament inconsistency ... "I don't even know what to say. I feel like I have been saying the same thing each tournament. I think it just comes down to a mindset for me and for the team. When I am playing good, I am comfortable playing one or two under par. Now, if I am three or four over after 12, I feel like that is where I should be now ... like I am comfortable at that level. That shouldn't be the case. I am not being comfortable being there. I just need to get out of this mindset and get back to playing the way I should be."
On what the team needs to do to improve and find consistency ... "Gosh, I don't know. All we can do is keep doing what we are doing. Good things will happen. Guys are showing promise. We really need one guy -- hopefully I can be that guy -- to have good tournament and help push the other guys to do better. We just need to do better. We have to finish better. We can't be satisfied with the way we have been playing."
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
