Michigan
Ruth's Chris Invitational
Kim's Career Best Leads U-M to 12th at Ruth's Chris Invite
10/15/2017 5:30:00 PM | Women's Golf
» Using a final round 69 (-3) from junior Elodie Van Dievoet along with senior Kathy Lim's even-par 72, Michigan used a closing 289 team tally to finish with an 875 total and place 12th at North Carolina's Ruth's Chris Invitational.
» With a career-best 218 (+2) performance, freshman Ashley Kim led U-M by tying for 37th in the 96-player field. She is the first freshman to lead U-M in an event since former All-Big Ten golfer Grace Choi paced U-M at the 2015 Lady Buckeye Invitational -- over three seasons ago.
» Van Dievoet's closing 69 (-3) tied her season best and marked her ninth career sub-70 round. She was the second-highest finishing Wolverine at 219 (75-75-69), tying for 43rd.
» Highlighting the second round, Kim used a bogey-free, six-birdie and 12-par round to post a career-best 66 (-6) and tie her for U-M's second-lowest round score in program history. She was just a single shot away from the record of 65 held by Grace Choi and Ashley Bauer.
» Including four of the top 10 teams, the Ruth's Chris Invitational featured 12 of 18 teams ranked among the top 50 nationally.
Site: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Course: UNC Finley Golf Course (Par 72, 6,379 yards)
Tournament: Ruth's Chris Invitational
U-M Team Standing: 12th Place of 18 Teams (299-287-289/875)
Top U-M Individual: Ashley Kim, tie-37th (74-66-78/218, +2)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sun., Oct. 27-29 -- Landfall Tradition (Wilmington, N.C.)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Paced by a final-round 69 (-3) from junior Elodie Van Dievoet as well as an even-par 72 from senior Kathy Lim, the University of Michigan women's golf team closed the Ruth's Chris Invitational with a 289 team total and placed 12th with an 875 54-hole total at Finley Golf Course.
"We didn't do ourselves any favors with our start on Friday. But, we certainly came back strong, and there's something to be said for that," said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "However, what a way to finish our fall, playing both in North Carolina's event and the Landfall next week. We are competing against so many great teams -- and you've got to show up. It's an awesome test for our team, and we are excited to prep for our final event of the fall."
In a high-caliber event featuring 12 top 50 ranked programs in the 18-team field, the Wolverines opened the three-day event with a 299 Friday (Oct. 13), paced by senior Emily White's even-par 72 and freshman Ashley Kim's 74 (+2), but found themselves tied for 14th -- just three shots away from the top 10.
As Kim inspired the Maize and Blue in the second round with her bogey-free, six-birdie, career-best 66 (-6), Lim followed with a season-best 71 (-1) to give U-M two sub-par tallies and a 287 (-1) total. With the field attacking the Finley Golf Course, scores were in the red across the leaderboard, and despite U-M improving 12 shots from the day before, the Wolverines moved up just one position to 13th with 18 holes remaining.
"So impressive, especially because it was a bogey-free round," said Dowling on Kim's second round. "Ashley also looked very comfortable under par and helped our team when we needed a low round. What a great feather in her cap and quite an accomplishment in her first semester in collegiate golf."
"I started off really well and I just wanted to keep the momentum going," said Kim of her career-low round. "All of my shots were solid, and I was pretty content with all my shots. I knew that my score was going to count, so I wanted to make every shot count."
After back-to-back rounds of 75, Van Dievoet found her rhythm on the final day, carding a bogey-free 69 (-3) with three birdies. Lim followed her 71 with an even-par 72, and senior Megan Kim fired a 73 (+1) to giving U-M a 289 total. Michigan's 12th-place showing matched the team's finish from a year ago.
Ashley Kim became the first freshman in three seasons to lead U-M at an event, as she tied for 37th at 218 (+2) after using rounds of 74, 66 (-6) and 78. Van Dievoet was the second-highest Michigan finisher, tying for 43rd a shot back at 219 (75-75-69), while Lim posted a top-50 finish, tying for 49th at 221 (78-71-72). Rounding out U-M's lineup, White tied for 51st at 222 (72-75-75) and Megan Kim tied for 80th at 230 (79-78-73).
The Wolverines' fall does not slow down as their fall finale yields yet another strong field and challenging course at UNC Wilmington's Landfall Tradition, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 24-27, at the Country Club of Landfall.
Final Team Standings
1. Duke 283-271-279 = 833 (-31)
2. Alabama 285-279-270 = 834
3. South Carolina 284-281-281 = 846
4. Arkansas 288-279-284 = 851
5. North Carolina 289-283-284 = 856
6. Wake Forest 289-289-284 = 862
7. N.C. State 286-286-291 = 863
8. Louisville 288-289-290 = 867
9. Virginia 298-283-287 = 868
10. Vanderbilt 298-284-290 = 872
Michigan State 297-282-293 = 872
12. MICHIGAN 299-287-289 = 875
13. Ohio State 292-286-298 = 876
14. Virginia Tech 304-287-291 = 882
15. Tulane 300-294-295 = 889
16. Rollins College 296-305-293 = 894
17. UNC Wilmington 303-301-299 = 903
18. Iowa 299-297-312 = 908
Top Individuals
1. Leona Maguire, Duke 69-66-69 = 204 (-12)
2. Ainhoa Olarra, South Carolina 70-67-68 = 205
3. Lauren Stephenson, Alabama 72-68-66 = 206
Ava Bergner, North Carolina 70-70-66 = 206
Emilia Migliaccio, Wake Forest 69-70-67 = 206
6. Kristen Gillman, Alabama 71-69-67 = 207
Anna Redding, Virginia 70-68-69 = 207
Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 66-73-68 = 207
9. Virginia Elena Carta, Duke 71-68-69 = 208
10. Molly Skapik, Louisville 66-73-70 = 209
Michigan Individuals
T37. Ashley Kim 74-66-78 = 218 T43. Elodie Van Dievoet 75-75-69 = 219 T49. Kathy Lim 78-71-72 = 221 T51. Emily White 72-75-75 = 222 T80. Megan Kim 79-78-73 = 230
Players Mentioned
