Michigan
Big Ten Championships
Benítez Colón Posts Career-Best 69 in Big Ten Third Round
4/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Site: State College, Pa.
Course: Penn State Blue Course (par 72, 6,288 yards)
Tournament: Big Ten Championships (Day 2 of 3)
U-M Standing: Tie-5th Place of 11 Teams (303-309-298/910) after Day 2
Top U-M Individual: Min Yean Tan, tie-12th (74-75-77/226)
Final Round: Sunday, April 27 -- at Big Ten Championships (State College, Pa.), 8 a.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Paced by a career-best, three-under-par 69 from junior co-captain Lydia Benítez Colón (Dorado, P.R./Pendleton School), the University of Michigan women's golf team posted a 298 team total -- the third-best team score of Saturday's (April 26) third round -- to move up one position and sit in a tie for fifth after 54 holes of the 2008 Big Ten Championships at the Penn State Blue Course. The Wolverines' 910 total (303-309-298) gives them a share of fifth place with Wisconsin.
Freshman Min Yean Tan (Penang Island, Malaysia/Hills International College [Queensland, Australia]) and sophomore Ashley Bauer (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) continue to lead the Wolverines at the conference championships as they both sit among the top 20 individually. Tan is tied for 12th after shooting 77 Saturday for a 226 total (74-75-77), while Bauer also posted a 77 in the third round and is tied for 16th with a 227 total (74-76-77).
But the day belonged to Benítez Colón as she posted just the second sub-par round for the Wolverines this season. Starting off of No. 1, she birdied two of her first four holes -- Nos. 2 and 4 -- before a double bogey on No. 7 brought her back to even par. She then strung together seven straight pars before birdieing Nos. 15, 16 and 18 and parring 17 to finish with the career-best 69. She vaulted herself from 55th to a tie for 32nd in the individual standings with a 232 total (83-80-69).
Sophomore Andrea Ratigan (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) is also tied for 32nd after posting a 75 in the third round for a 232 three-round total (76-81-75). Other Michigan scores after three rounds include: freshman Louisa Shu (West Bloomfield, Mich./Birmingham Seaholm HS), tied for 50th with a 239 total (80-78-81), and senior co-captain Lindsay Davis (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS), 65th with a 247 total (79-83-85).
With four Boilermakers among the top five individuals, No. 6 Purdue (298-288-286/872) extended its lead and will enter the final round with an 18-stroke edge over No. 21 Michigan State (292-303-295/890). No. 36 Ohio State is third at 903 (307-293-303). Individually, Purdue's Maria Hernandez used a six-under 66 to vault herself into the lead with a four-under total of 212 (75-71-66). Boilermakers teammates Christel Boeljon is second at 218 (73-70-75) while Maude-Aimee Leblanc is third at 220 (74-73-73).
The Big Ten Championships concludes Sunday (April 27) with the final 18 holes at the Penn State Blue Course. Michigan will be paired with Wisconsin and Indiana and go off No. 1 starting at 9 a.m.
Team Standings
1. Purdue 298-288-286 = 872 (+8)
2. Michigan State 292-303-295 = 890
3. Ohio State 307-293-303 = 903
4. Indiana 306-302-300 = 908
5. MICHIGAN 303-309-298 = 910
Wisconsin 314-292-304 = 910
7. Northwestern 306-307-303 = 916
8. Minnesota 308-310-305 = 923
9. Iowa 325-291-308 = 924
Penn State 305-308-311 = 924
11. Illinois 314-315-305 = 934
Top Individuals
1. Maria Hernandez, Purdue 75-71-66 = 212 (-4)
2. Christel Boeljon, Purdue 73-70-75 = 218
3. Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Purdue 74-73-73 = 220
4. Junthima Gulyanamitta, Purdue 76-74-72 = 222
Laura Kueny, Michigan State 78-73-71 = 222
6. Aimee Neff, Michigan State 73-75-75 = 223
7. Kellye Belcher, Indiana 77-74-73 = 224
Tyrette Metzendorf, Iowa 81-70-73 = 224
9. Sara Brown, Michigan State 70-82-73 = 225
In-Hong Lim, Ohio State 77-71-77 = 225
Kelsey Verbeten, Wisconsin 77-72-76 = 225
Michigan Individuals
T12. Min Yean Tan 74-75-77 = 226 T16. Ashley Bauer 74-76-77 = 227 T32. Lydia Benítez Colón 83-80-69 = 232 T32. Andrea Ratigan 76-81-75 = 232 T50. Louisa Shu 80-78-81 = 239 65. Lindsay Davis 79-83-85 = 247
NOTES
• Michigan's 298 third-round tally at the Big Ten Championships equaled the team low this season and was its third sub-300 round of the season. The Wolverines also shot 298 in the second round of the Mountain View Challenge (March 29-30).
• Lydia Benítez Colón set a career best with a three-under 69 in the third round of the Big Ten Championships. It marked the first under-par round of her career, and she is only the second Wolverine under par this season. Benítez Colón's prior best was an even-par 72 posted in the third round of this season's first tournament, the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 8-9).
• Lindsay Davis is playing in her fourth straight Big Ten Championship, while Ashley Bauer, Lydia Benítez Colón and Andrea Ratigan are playing in their second conference tournament. Louisa Shu and Min Yean Tan are competing in their first conference championship.
• Ashley Bauer started her 23rd straight tournament for U-M at the 2008 Big Ten Championships. She has yet to miss a start for U-M during her career. Lindsay Davis has started her last 14 events. In addition Bauer and Davis, Min Yean Tan are the only Wolverines to have started all 11 tournaments this season.
Players Mentioned
