2004-05 GFM at Duke Golf Classic -- Notes & Quotes
10/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Q U O T E S
Michigan Coach Andrew Sapp
On getting off to a slow start ... "There were probably a number of factors. The first day we were paired with Washington and North Carolina -- two top 25 teams -- so, maybe there were a little bit of nerves getting out of the gate. It shouldn't have been that we haven't played in a few weeks. Guys take a few weeks off the tour and comeback and win a tournament. So I don't think that is an excuse. We have been practicing hard, working hard on our games and playing a lot in qualifying so they should have been sharp. But you never know."
On finding that one time to put a complete team round together ... "You try to work on it, but it has to happen on its own. At least four guys played one or more rounds really well this tournament and that has been happening to us all season. We will get two good rounds in a tournament, but still have to count two others in the upper 70s, low 80s even. It really has to do with getting off to a good start. I think we try to prepare our players every morning before we tee off properly. Maybe we need to look and see what we can do to get off to a better start. It's puzzling sometimes."
On where the team goes from here with two big events coming up ... "Hopefully we can look at the positives from this tournament. We did a good round of almost everybody and build on that. Kevin (Dore) and Brian (Ottenweller) coming back in the final round will hopefully give them some confidence and the way Christian (Vozza) and Rob (Tighe) played on the first day should also help with theirs. We just want to build off of that and start to gel a little bit as a team."
On whether he has found a true starting lineup ... "You still never know (if it is the right combination). You hope so, but there are some guys at home that are going to look at our scores and say I want to get a shot to get in the lineup. I am pretty confident with at least four of our guys because they have been consistent putting one or two good rounds a tournament so far this fall. Hopefully, we are getting closer to having five guys step up each week. When you have young guys sometimes you never know what is going to come from week to week."
Sophomore Kevin Dore
On the differences from his first day to the final round two-under 70 ... "Yesterday was just an all-around bad day. I didn't really do anything that well. I hit it okay, but I left myself in spots where I couldn't get up and down or had no chance to save a shot. I just didn't have the focus that I needed. Coming off the course, I was just so disappointed. I knew the team needed some good rounds. I just felt like I let them down. But today, I thought if I came out and tried a little harder, looked for specific targets and really committed to each shot, I thought I would play a lot better and I did. It was a nice way to finish off the tournament because yesterday was quite a downer."
On how this team can get off to a good tournament start ... "Well, off the top of head, I don't really know. I would have to sit down and think about it. In very few tournaments we have got off to a good start. That really has been the difference between having a fairly solid tournament, contending for a top five finish and finishing near the bottom of the pack. We seem like we get off to slow starts. I don't know if we have to be more aware of that when we are starting or if it is something in our preparation. I think this year we have been more conscious of getting acclimated to the course and its conditions. I think we just have to sit down and see what else we can do because these slow starts are really hurting us."
N O T E S
Kevin Dore fired the sixth career round below par with his two-under 70 in the third round of the Duke Golf Classic.
Dating back to the last season, in seven of the last eight tournaments Kevin Dore or Christian Vozza have finished first or second among all Wolverine players in tournament play.
With Kevin Dore's two-under 70 at the Duke Golf Classic, the Wolverines have eight total under par rounds in the first three tournaments of the season. During the entire 2003-04 season, the Maize and Blue recorded eight red numbers.
Freshman Brian Ottenweller has started all three tournaments in the fall season.
Jimmy Wisinski played in his second event of the season at the Duke Golf Classic. In both tournaments, he has played as an individual C the Radrick Farms Intercollegiate and the Duke Golf Classic.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
