Michigan
Detroit Golf Club Invitational
Michigan, Hyun Claim Titles at Detroit Golf Club Invitational
4/12/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Site: Detroit, Mich.
Courses: Detroit Golf Club North Course (Par 72, 6,936 yards); South Course (Par 68, 5,967 yards)
Tournament: Detroit Golf Club Invitational
U-M Team Standing: 1st Place of 6 Teams (366-343/709)
Top U-M Individual: Noori Hyun, 1st (70-68/138)
Next U-M Event: Thu-Sat, April 26-28 -- at Big Ten Championships (French Lick, Ind.)
DETROIT, Mich. -- Sophomore Noori Hyun's (Seoul, Korea/Centreville HS [Va.]) first career medalist honor helped the University of Michigan men's golf team post a 709 team total and claim the team title today (Friday, April 12) at the Detroit Golf Club Invitational played at the historic Detroit Golf Club. The event was a late addition to U-M's schedule.
The Wolverines used depth in the rare 6-count-5 format to post team tallies of 366 on the par-72 North Course and a 343 total on the par-68 South Course to stake claim to the program's 42nd team title by 13 shots over runner-up Xavier (722).
Hyun opened with a two-under 70 on the north side and tied his career best with an even-par 68 on the south side to win his first career tournament title with a 138 total, just one shot better than runner-up Otto Black of Toledo (70-69/139). Overall, Hyun's win gives U-M its 40th career individual title.
Freshman Chris O'Neill (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run HS) was just three shots back to finish third. His career-best one-under 67 in the second round helped him to a 141 total and a career-best third-place finish. Senior Miguel Echavarria (Medellin, Colombia/The Columbus School) had his first top-five finish of the season as he was fourth at 142 (72-70), while freshman Brett McIntosh (London, Ontario, Canada/Saunders Secondary School) posted his team-best fourth top-10 finish of the season, tying for eighth with a 143 total (75-68).
Paced with a career-best 71 in the second round, freshman Andrew Yeager (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) tied for 14th at 146 (75-71), while senior Matt Alessi (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Birmingham Brother Rice) helped all six starters finish among the top 20 as he tied for 19th at 147 (77-70). Sophomore Andrew Wong (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Pompano Beach HS) played as an individual and closed 42nd at 161 (84-77).
With the regular season now completed, the Wolverines will turn their attention towards the Big Ten Championships at the end of the month. For the second straight year, the Big Ten's men's and women's programs will compete during the same weekend -- Friday through Sunday (April 26-28) -- as well as play at the same resort -- the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind. The men's championships will be played on the Pete Dye course, and the women's event will be held on the Donald Ross Course.
Final Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN 366-343 = 709
2. Xavier 373-349 = 722
3. Eastern Michigan 378-347 = 725
Toledo 374-351 = 725
5. Bowling Green 388-353 = 741
6. Dayton 387-355 = 742
Top Individuals
1. NOORI HYUN, U-M 70-68 = 138
2. Otto Black, Toledo 70-69 = 139
3. CHRIS O'NEILL, U-M 74-67 = 141
4. MIGUEL ECHAVARRIA, U-M 72-70 = 142
Casey Olsen, EMU 72-70 = 142
Aaron Siekmann, Xavier 74-68 = 142
Tanapol Vattanapisit, Xavier 70-72 = 142
8. BRETT McINTOSH, U-M 75-68 = 143
Yuki Kato, Xavier 73-70 = 143
Other Michigan Individuals
T14. Andrew Yeager 75-71 = 146 T19. Matt Alessi 77-70 = 147 42. Andrew Wong 84-77 = 161* * played as individual
N O T E S
• Michigan claimed its 42nd team title in the history of the program and the first in Chris Whitten's career. It is the first team title since U-M won the 2011 NCAA Central Regional.
• Noori Hyun's first career medalist honor produced U-M's 40th career individual title. It is the second individual title for Whitten; former Wolverine Matt Thompson claimed the 2011 Windon Memorial Classic title last season.
• Michigan has finished among the top three in its last four events. U-M won the Detroit Golf Club Invitational, was the runner-up at the Colleton River Collegiate (March 6-7) and the C&F Bank Intercollegiate (March 24-26) and tied for third at the Hoosier Invitational (April 6-7).
• Noori Hyun's second-round 68 (E) matched his career-best single-round tally, which he first fired earlier this season in the second round (68, -3) at the 2012 Fightin' Irish Gridiron Classic (Oct. 7-9).
• Chris O'Neill lowered his career-best single-round tally with a one-under 67 in the second round. He topped the two-under 69 he had in the first round of the 2012 Alister MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 15-16).
• Chris O'Neill has posted four straight top-20 finishes, including two among the top 10. Overall, he leads U-M with six top-20 finishes on the season.
• Andrew Yeager shot a career-best 71 in the second round. It bettered his prior best of 74 recorded in the second round of the Colleton River Collegiate (March 6-7).
• With the win, Michigan is close to evening its overall record as the Wolverines stand 61-62-1 on the season.
• The Detroit Golf Club Invitational was a late addition to the schedule. It was added following the cancellation of the final two rounds of the C&F Bank Intercollegiate (March 24-26) due to weather.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Chris Whitten
On the Detroit Golf Club Invitational ... "The guys were confident coming in, and they were really playing well. From top to bottom it was a very solid effort. It was a six-count-five format, which really puts more pressure on the depth of your team. Normally, you only count four scores. We were able to put together six solid scores in each round, and that was the difference."
On the play of Noori Hyun in Detroit ... "All the guys know that he is really talented. He has been swinging great for weeks and just trying to get his putter to cooperate. Today, he really hit a lot of good shots. Even when he missed he had some great recovery shots, and his putter helped him as well, which is a really good sign. He should feel very good about his game going forward."
On the team's attitude heading into Big Tens ... "It's the tournament we talked about all year. The guys really have some good momentum. The finishes are nice, but they really are playing the best they have all year. We keep learning and getting better, and that is really all we can control. We are happy with where are, and we are ready to go and mix it up."
On getting his first team title under his belt ... "I am proud of the guys. It's nice to break the ice. I just hope there is more to come."
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
