Weekly Release #11

Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., May 1-2 -- at Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)
Sat-Sun., May 8-9 -- host 2004 Big Ten Championships (U-M Golf Course)

Next on the Tee: Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational
In its third straight Big Ten hosted tournament and regular season finale, the University of Michigan men's golf team will head west across the state to East Lansing, Mich., Saturday and Sunday (May 1-2) for the Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational at Michigan State's Forest Akers West course. The 54-hole tournament will feature a 14 teams fielding including nine of the 11 Big Ten schools with Forest Akers West will be set up for a par 72 and 7,013 yards. It will be the final weekend of preparation for the Wolverines as they continue battle for positioning in the conference race as the season closes in on the Big Ten Championships, which will be hosted by the Maize and Blue Saturday and Sunday (May 8-9).

The Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational Field
The Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational field will have 14 schools competing from around the Midwest. Competition schools include: Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Toledo and Wisconsin.

The Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational Schedule
The Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational will consist of 54 holes, 36 holes being Saturday (May 1) and a final 18 holes Sunday (May 2).

Friday, April 30	Practice Round	Tee times throughout the day
Saturday, May 1	First Round	8:30 a.m. (shotgun start)
	Second Round	12:30 p.m. (shotgun start)
Sunday, May 2	Final Round	9 a.m. (shotgun start)

The Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational Scoring Format
Scoring for the Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational will be five players, count the low four scores each round.

The Michigan Lineup at the Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational
The Wolverines will carry five players to Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational. Sophomore Christian Vozza (Traverse City, Mich./Grand Rapids Baptist HS) and freshman Kevin Dore (Dundas, Ontario/St. Mary's) will head up the Maize and Blue travel squad. Senior Dave Nichols (Mesa, Ariz./Rochester Adams [Mich.]), freshman Matt McLaughlin (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) and junior/sophomore Mark McIntosh (Gaylord, Mich./Gaylord HS) will round out the Michigan squad.

Last Year in East Lansing: Wolverines Finish 14th at MSU to Close Regular Season
The Wolverines finished 14th at the 2003 Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational (April 26-27) at Forest Akers West Course in East Lansing, Mich. The Maize and Blue finished with a 918 team total after tallying team totals of 311, 300 and 307. Senior/junior Rob Tighe (Traverse City, Mich./West HS) led all weekend long as he recorded the third best 54-hole tournament tally of his career, finishing with a 222 total. After opening with a 76, he followed with an even-par 72 in the second round and closed with a 74 to tie for 21st. It marked the third time this season that Tighe was the top-finishing Wolverine. Mark McIntosh tied for 62nd (88-73-73/234), former Wolverine Bruce Svechota-Kingsbury (2003) tied for 65th (74-78-84/236), fifth-year senior Scott Carlton (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) tied for 69th with a 237 total (79-77-81), while Dave Nichols finished 73rd with a 242 total (82-81-79).

Last Time on the Links: Dore, Vozza Guide U-M to 14th at Ohio State
The Wolverines took a 14th-place finish at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate (April 17-18) at the Ohio State's Scarlet Golf Course in Columbus, Ohio. The Maize and Blue finished with a 922 54-hole total (308-311-303), jumping two spots in the final round. Kevin Dore led the Wolverine charge as he tied for 17th with a 225 total. After opening with a 77, Dore shot back-to-back 74s to give him his third top-20 finish of the season. Christian Vozza tied for 28th with a 227 three-day total (73-75-79), Rob Tighe tied for 70th with a 235 total (82-82-71), sophomore Brandon Duff (Goodrich, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) tied for 83rd (77-82-79/238) and freshman Will Kendall (Gerrards Cross, England/Oundle School), 93rd (81-80-85/246).

Big Ten Championships are On the Way
With less than two weeks to go, the Wolverines will be the host school for the 2004 Big Ten Championships. The U-M Golf Course will be the host course Saturday and Sunday (May 8-9). The format was altered due to academic scheduling as the championships will now be a 54-hole tournament, with 36 holes on Saturday (May 8) and a final 18 Sunday (May 9). The first day, playing in twosomes, will begin with tee times at 8 a.m. and then 1 p.m., with the final round of threesomes beginning with tee times at 8 a.m. Each Big Ten team will have a five-member squad competing for the conference crown.

Seeding for the 2004 Big Ten Men's Golf Championships will be based upon the final regular-season GolfWeek Sagarin ratings. Championship seedings will be determined after the Bruce Fossum Invitational (May 1-2) in East Lansing, Mich.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings (April 26, 2004)

Rank	School
No. 11	Minnesota
No. 42	Northwestern
No. 44	Indiana
No. 48	Illinois
No. 49	Ohio State
No. 54	Purdue
No. 70	Penn State
No. 77	Michigan State
No. 137	Michigan
No. 155	Wisconsin
No. 174	Iowa

Breaking Through
With the third place team finish at the Furman Intercollegiate (March 28-29), the Wolverines had their highest team finish in three years. It had been 31 straight tournaments since the Wolverines last cracked into a top three finish, which was at the 2001 Kepler Intercollegiate (April 14-15, 2001).

A Model of Consistency
Michigan has recorded four tournament totals under 900 strokes. In fact, the Maize and Blue are averaging just above 900 with a 905.20 per 54-hole tournament tally. In the first round of tournaments the Wolverines are shooting 302.40 strokes per round, lowering it in the second with a 300.50 per team round total. In final rounds the Wolverines are tallying a 301.80.

Youth Taking Over
The underclassmen have continued to make a solid impact for the Wolverines during the 2003-04 season. Kevin Dore has led the Wolverines in three tournaments this season, matching Christian Vozza, who has also led the Maize and Blue in three tournaments. In fact, a sophomore or freshman has led the way for the Maize and Blue all season -- Dore (3), Vozza (3), Brandon Duff (2), and Matt McLaughlin (2).

All Knotted Up
Five Wolverine players sit atop the Maize and Blue scoring lead separated by just over a stroke. Christian Vozza remains atop the Maize and Blue scoreboard with a 75.35 per round average and Kevin Dore is right on his heels averaging 75.71. Rob Tighe is third on the team with a 76.20 average followed by Brandon Duff's 76.24 and Mark McIntosh's 76.44.

Streaks Growing and Growing
Christian Vozza and Kevin Dore have now competed in all 10 events this season for the Wolverines. Vozza, who has 25 of 28 rounds under 80 strokes, leads the Wolverines with a 75.35 scoring average and fired a career-best and Michigan season best 67 in the final round of the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 20-21). He also had a second round under 70 with a 69 in the second round of the Wolverine. Dore has now fired 14 straight rounds under 80 strokes. For the year, he has just four total rounds above 80 as he has 24 of 28 rounds below the mark.

Four Top Rounds
Kevin Dore's two-under 69 in the first round of the Hoosier Invitational (Sept. 27-28) marked the fourth time in the fall season a U-M player broke the 70-stroke barrier. Dave Nichols had a two-under 69 in the third round of the Northern Intercollegiate (Sept. 20-21), while Christian Vozza had a two-under 69 (second round) and four-under 67 (third round) at the Northern. The Wolverines have not broken the 70 barrier in the spring season. In addition, the Maize and Blue only recorded two rounds under the 70-stroke barrier all of the 2002-03 season.

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423