This Week in Michigan Men's Golf: Big Ten Championships
4/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 19, 2016
• Men's Golf Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Golfstat Team Ranking: 58th
• Golfweek Team Ranking: 53rd
THIS WEEK
Fri-Sun., April 22-24 -- at Big Ten Championships (Newburgh, Ind.)
Live Scoring | B1G Championship Central | Victoria National
Next on the Tee: Big Ten Championships
Postseason play is finally here! The University of Michigan men's golf team will shift its focus toward the Wolverines' second season as they travel to Newburgh, Indiana, Friday through Sunday (April 22-24) for the 54-hole Big Ten Championships. For the fifth straight year, the conference tournament will be held at a neutral site as this year's conference event will be held at Victoria National for a second consecutive championship. The conference tournament will be played in a 5-count-4 format with the Victoria National set up for a par of 72 at 7,239 yards.
The Big Ten Championships Field
All 14 conference schools will participate in the 2016 Big Ten Championships. The seeding (1-14) with GolfStat relative rankings (as of April 12th) include:
#1 Illinois (2)
#2 Penn State (31)
#3 Purdue (33)
#4 Michigan State (38)
#5 Michigan (58)
#6 Northwestern (63)
#7 Iowa (69)
#8 Ohio State (72)
#9 Maryland (80)
#10 Minnesota (94)
#11 Indiana (114)
#12 Wisconsin (161)
#13 Rutgers (197)
#14 Nebraska (209)
The Big Ten Championships Schedule
Thursday, April 21 -- Practice Round (18), TBD (based upon final seeding)
Thursday, April 21 -- B1G Championships Banquet 6:45 p.m.
Friday, April 22 -- First Round (18), tee times off No. 1 and No. 10, 9 a.m.
Saturday, April 23 -- Second Round (18), tee times off No. 1 and No. 10, 9 a.m.
Sunday, April 24 -- Final Round (18), tee times off No. 1 and No. 10, 8 a.m.
The Big Ten Championships Pairings
First Round (Player Order 5-1)
Tee #1 (9 a.m.) -- #1 Illinois, #2 Penn State, #3, Purdue
Tee #1 (9:45 a.m.) -- #4 Michigan State, #5 Michigan, #6 Northwestern
Tee #10 (9 a.m.) -- #7 Iowa, #8 Ohio State
Tee #10 (9:40 a.m.) -- #9 Maryland, #10 Minnesota #11 Indiana
Tee #10 (10:25 a.m.) -- #12 Wisconsin, #13 Rutgers, #14 Nebraska
Second Round (Player Order 5-1)^
Tee #1 (9 a.m.) -- #1 Team, #2 Team, #3 Team
Tee #1 (9:45 a.m.) -- #4 Team, #5 Team, #6 Team
Tee #10 (9 a.m.) -- #7 Team, #8 Team
Tee #10 (9:40 a.m.) -- #9 Team, #10 Team, #11 Team
Tee #10 (10:25 a.m.) -- #12 Team, #13 Team, #14 Team
Final Round (Player Order 5-1)^
Tee #1 (8 a.m.) -- #1 Team, #2 Team, #3 Team
Tee #1 (8:45 a.m.) -- #4 Team, #5 Team, #6 Team
Tee #10 (8 a.m.) -- #7 Team, #8 Team
Tee #10 (8:40 a.m.) -- #9 Team, #10 Team, #11 Team
Tee #10 (9:25 a.m.) -- #12 Team, #13 Team, #14 Team
^ Second-round and final-day pairings will be based on each team's position on the leaderboard.
The Big Ten Championships Lineup
Michigan will have five players travel to the conference championships, including sophomore Kyle Mueller, senior Chris O'Neill, freshman Nick Carlson, junior Reed Hrynewich and junior Tom Swanson.
Big Ten Championships Experience
• Chris O'Neill -- fourth: 2013 (t-13th, 297), 2014 (t-24th, 304), 2015 (17th, 295)
• Reed Hrynewich -- third: 2014 (t31st, 306), 2015 (t-38th, 304)
• Kyle Mueller -- second: 2015 (t-42nd, 305)
• Tom Swanson -- first Big Ten championship
• Nick Carlson -- first Big Ten championship
Last Year at the Big Ten Championships
Led by Chris O'Neill's 17th-place individual finish, Michigan tallied a 1,208 team total to finish 11th at the Big Ten Championships (April 24-26, 2015) at Victoria National in Newburgh, Indiana. The Wolverines posted team rounds of 307, 308, 286 and 307. [ Recap ]
Michigan at the Big Ten Championships
Michigan has won 12 Big Ten championships throughout the history of the program with the last coming in the 1952 season. Individually, U-M has had 15 players win medalist honors at the conference event with the last in 1999 by Michael Harris.
WOLVERINE BITES
• Chris O'Neill is one of five finalists for the prestigious Byron Nelson Award, which is given annually to a graduating senior who excels not only on the golf course but also in the classroom and community. O'Neill is one of three B1G players up for the honor, joining Illinois' Alex Burge and Charlie Danielson. There are two major awards for college golf -- the Ben Hogan Award (POY) and the Byron Nelson.
• Michigan has posted four top-five finishes in this season's eight stroke-play events. U-M has had runner-up finishes at the Windon Memorial Classic (Sept. 27-28) as well as the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate (March 5-6). The Wolverines were also third at the Inverness Intercollegiate (Sept. 21-22) and fifth at the MacKenzie (Oct. 12-13). Overall, U-M has a 65-46-3 team record.
• So far this season, Michigan has averaged 868.29 per 54-hole event. The Wolverines have continued to be consistent from round to round descending each round -- first (291.75), second (290.38) and final (288.57). Overall, U-M is averaging 290.30 per team round.
• Chris O'Neill made his 45th consecutive start at the Kepler Intercollegiate (April 9-10) and has yet to miss an event in his four-year career. He is expected to extend that streak this week at the B1G Championships. Sophomore Kyle Mueller has started the first 22 tournaments of his young career.
• Chris O'Neill has continued to have a stellar final campaign, posting five top-10 finishes -- the Inverness Intercollegiate (t-6th), Desert Mountain Intercollegiate (t-8th), Windon Memorial Classic (t-9th) and the MacKenzie Invitational and Aggie Invitational (t-10th). With eight sub-par rounds -- including a season-best 66 (-5) in the first round of the MacKenzie and 66 (-6) in the first round of the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate -- he is averaging 72.39, a little less than a shot better than any of his three previous seasons (73.03 in 2013-14).
• Kyle Mueller, who leads U-M with a 71.78 scoring average, has nearly won three events this season -- the Inverness Intercollegiate (2nd), Windon Memorial Classic (t-3rd) and the MacKenzie Invitational (4th). Those three near victories give him five top-five career finishes in his young career of just 22 total events. Overall, Mueller has finished as the top Wolverine in a tournament 13 times -- 60 percent.
• Aided by a U-M record-tying 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 12-13), Kyle Mueller became the first Wolverine to crack 200 in a 54-hole event. He closed with a 198 (69-64-65, -15) to set the new U-M standard by four shots -- 202 (-8) held by Bill Rankin at the 2008 Maxwell. For his efforts, Mueller was honored as the Big Ten Golfer of the Week for the second time in his career.
• Nick Carlson will make his 10th straight start at the B1G Championships. In his first season, he is averaging 73.87 per round and has a 221.57 54-hole average. He posted a career-best 210 (-3) performance at the Windon Memorial Classic (Sept. 27-28) and set a career-best single round with a 68 (-3) in the final round of the MacKenzie Invitational (Oct. 12-13).
• Reed Hrynewich, who has started six events this season, posted his first top-10 finish of the season with a career-best-tying 214 (-2) total at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate (March 5-6). He followed tying for 20th at the Aggie Invitational with a 222 tally. For the season, he is averaging 74.64 per round.
• Tom Swanson, who has started all nine events this season, is averaging a half of a shot better than his previous best scoring average -- 74.87 compared to 75.33 (2014-15). This season, he tied his career-best single round twice with a 70 (-1) in the first round of the Windon Memorial (Sept. 27-28) and a 70 (-2) in the final round of the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate (March 5-6). He also set a career-best 54-hole tournament score with a 212 (-4) at Desert Mountain.
CHIPS & PUTTS
• Kyle Mueller leads U-M with a 71.78 scoring average. He leads with 10 total sub-par rounds, including his lowest round of the season and a U-M record-tying 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational.
• Michigan has never had a player finish a season averaging below 72 per round. Currently, U-M is on pace to have two -- Mueller (71.78) and Chris O'Neill (72.39).
• Mueller tallied a team-low and U-M-record 198 (-15) 54-hole tournament total at the MacKenzie Invitational.
• O'Neill has five top-10 finishes in seven 54-hole events this season. Mueller has posted six top-20 finishes, which include five top-10 and three top-five.
• Seven of U-M's eight-man roster have posted a sub-par round this season; as a team U-M has 32 total.
• U-M have had three Wolverines finish an event among the top 20 individually three times.
• Michigan has a record of 65-46-3 overall and 13-14 against the Big Ten this season.
• U-M posted a season-low and U-M-record 272 (-12) in the first round of the MacKenzie Invitational.
• Overall, the Wolverines have posted eight sub-par team totals this season.
• Michigan has a season-low U-M record 824 (-28) 54-hole tournament total at the MacKenzie Invitational.
• U-M has finished three of its seven 54-hole team events under par.
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
• Kyle Mueller's 198 (-15) at the MacKenzie Invitational set the U-M 54-hole tournament by four shots. It is the first time a Wolverine has broken 200 in a 54-hole event. Previous mark: 202 (-8), Bill Rankin (2008 Maxwell).
• Mueller tied the U-M single-round record with a 64 (-7) in the second round of the MacKenzie Invitational with 11 pars and seven birdies. Additional 64s: Bill Rankin (2008 Bridgestone Intercollegiate, 2nd), Christian Vozza (2005 MacKenzie Invitational, 2nd) and Michael Harris (1998 Northern Intercollegiate, 2nd).
• Michigan tallied a U-M team single-round record 272 (-12) in the first round of the MacKenzie Invitational, lowering by three shots. Previous mark: 275, four times - last: 2010 Bridgestone Intercollegiate.
• Michigan posted a U-M 54-hole team tournament record 824 (-28) at the MacKenzie Invitational, lowering by 15 shots. Previous mark: 839 (-13) at the 2005 Wolverine Intercollegiate.
UP NEXT
Thursday, May 5 -- NCAA Regional Selection Show (Golf Channel), 9:30 a.m.
Mon-Wed., May 16-18 -- at NCAA Regional (TBD, if selected)
Fri-Wed., May 27-June 1 -- at NCAA Championships (Eugene, Ore.)
Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot
