U-M Closes Fall Season 16th at Palmetto Intercollegiate

Monday, October 28

Kiawah Island, S.C.

8:45 AM

Michigan

Palmetto Intercollegiate

U-M Closes Fall Season 16th at Palmetto Intercollegiate

10/28/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf

Oct. 28, 2013

Site: Kiawah Island, S.C.
Course: Turtle Point Golf Course (par 72, 5,972 yards)
Tournament: Palmetto Intercollegiate
U-M Team Standing: 16th Place of 19 Teams (306-316-317/939)
Top U-M Individual: Grace Choi, tie-20th (77-74-74/225)
Next U-M Event: Sun-Tue., Feb. 16-18 -- at Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico)

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. -- Recording her first top-20 individual finish with a career-best 225 total freshman Grace Choi (Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson HS) led the University of Michigan women's golf team to 939 team total and a 16th-place finish today (Monday, Oct. 28) at the Palmetto Intercollegiate held at the Turtle Point Golf Course.

The Wolverines opened their fall finale led by junior Lauren Grogan's (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson HS) three-over 75 and sophomore Catherine Peters' (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence HS) four-over 76. With those scores in tow U-M opened with a 306 total to sit ninth Sunday (Oct. 27). As the second 18 holes of the day began, the Wolverines fell off the pace when play was cut short due to darkness as U-M had roughly three holes each remaining in the round.

Closing the second round, Choi paced the Wolverines with her first of two straight two-over 74s, as she led U-M tying for 20th with a career-best 225. With her tallies, U-M posted closing team totals of 316 and 317 to finish 16th with a 939 total.

Following Choi, Grogan was the next-highest Wolverine finisher tying for 63rd at 236, while Peters and senior Chelsea Pezzola (Bradenton, Fla./Saint Stephens Episcopal Prep) each tied for 81st at 243. Senior Alyssa Shimel (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood HS) rounded out U-M's scoring as she was 92nd at 251.

The Wolverines have concluded their fall schedule and will now turn their attention to the winter training schedule. Competition will begin in mid-February when U-M travels to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, for the Lady Puerto Rico Classic held at the Rio Mar Beach Resort.

Final Team Standings

 1. Kansas                  297-295-284 = 876 2. Georgia State           308-288-283 = 879 3. East Tennessee State    294-306-299 = 899 4. Augusta State           298-311-292 = 901 5. College of Charleston   299-303-300 = 902    Illinois                301-302-299 = 902 7. Maryland                305-312-288 = 905 8. Xavier                  307-314-292 = 913 9. South Florida           304-305-310 = 919    Coastal Carolina        311-310-298 = 91911. James Madison           308-316-298 = 92212. Jacksonville State      304-311-311 = 92613. Elon                    317-305-307 = 92914. Cincinnati              315-305-311 = 93115. Eastern Michigan        310-319-306 = 93516. MICHIGAN                306-316-317 = 93917. Missouri State          317-327-304 = 94818. Charleston Southern     322-314-320 = 95619. Bucknell                320-320-317 = 957

Top Individuals

 1. Melissa Siviter, Georgia State             77-70-67 = 214 2. Laura Fuenfstueck, College of Charleston   69-73-74 = 216    Jessica Haigwood, Augusta State            71-73-72 = 216 4. Maria Palacios, Georgia State              76-72-69 = 217    Pornvipa Sakdee, Kansas                    74-74-69 = 217 6. Vivienne Chin, East Tennessee State        70-75-73 = 218 7. Heidi Baek, Maryland                       72-80-68 = 220    Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Kansas               75-76-69 = 220    Lena Schaeffner, Coastal Carolina          75-73-72 = 220    Morgan Webber, College of Charleston       74-73-73 = 220*

Michigan Individuals

T20. Grace Choi         77-74-74 = 225T63. Lauren Grogan      75-82-79 = 236T81. Catherine Peters   76-83-84 = 243T81. Chelsea Pezzola    84-79-80 = 243 92. Alyssa Shimel      78-81-92 = 251 * playing as individual

N O T E S

• Grace Choi, who started all four fall events, set a new career best for a 54-hole tournament with her 225. She lowered her best by six shots -- 231 at the Challenge at Onion Creek.

• Grace Choi earned her first top-20 finish of her career. She is just the second Wolverine to record a top-20 finish on the season -- Lauren Grogan, tied for 19th at the Challenge at Onion Creek.

• After starting all 10 events last season, Lauren Grogan has continued playing in every event this season. Overall, she has started her last 17 straight events for U-M.

• Chelsea Pezzola started her first event of the season. Overall, she has seven starts in her 16 career events.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Jan Dowling
On the fall finale Palmetto Intercollegiate ... "There were definitely some positives through the weekend. However, like in our other events, we really needed to do a better job on minimizing our mistakes. We made a lot of big numbers this weekend and over the course of the fall season. The team and I are going to use this as great motivation as we work in the winter and get a game plan together for the spring season. We are going to work our butts off. There is no better way to get motivated then to come away with that bitter feeling after the way some things went this fall. I know they are ready to work hard and they have a lot of potential. We are just excited to get to work."

On the closing tournament play of Grace Choi and her fall season ... "Grace (Choi) really strung some very solid holes of golf together (this weekend). She is really starting to feel comfortable. It's great for her to start feeling that and great for us as well. As a freshman making that transition she is starting to feel more comfortable with her golf game, golf swing, living in Ann Arbor and being a student at Michigan. It was a great way for her to finish the fall."

On getting ready for the winter training program ... "We have developed a core of players. There have been four of them that have shot some really good rounds for us. So we are going to build off of that. We are going to open it up and see who works the hardest and see who is the hungriest for it to help take this team to the next level. As it gets cold we are really going to find out who wants it. That is exciting for me. This team does want it. They have been working hard. We are working on the right things. We are going to continue to do that and keep getting better."

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423