Michigan
NCAA Washington Regional
First Day of Regionals Ends with Carlson Tied for Third, U-M Ninth
5/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
» With sub-par rounds from Nick Carlson (68, -3) and Bryce Evon (69, -2), Michigan posted a 292 opening round and is ninth at the NCAA Washington Regional.
» Starting on the 10th tee, Carlson posted three of his four birdies on the day, while adding 13 pars as he posted his seventh sub-70 round at 68 (-3), tying him for third.
» Bryce Evon posted all four of his birdies on the opening nine, while parring his final eight holes for his fourth sub-70 round at 69 (-2), tying him for sixth.
» Kyle Mueller, who is tied for 14th after a 71 (E), double eagled (albatrossed) the par 5, 516 12th hole. After a 330 yard drive, he used a 9-iron from 186 yards to hit to the back of the pin and it rolled in for a two.
Site: Sammamish, Wash.
Course: Aldarra Golf Club (par 71, 6,885 yards)
Tournament: NCAA Washington Regional (Day 1 of 3)
U-M Team Standing: 9th Place of 14 Teams (292) after Day 1
Top U-M Individual: Nick Carlson, tie-3rd, 68 (-3)
Next U-M Round: Tue-Wed., May 16-17 -- at NCAA Washington Regional, 8 a.m. PDT (tee times)
SAMMAMISH, Wash. -- Led by a three-under 68 from sophomore Nick Carlson and two-under 69 from senior Bryce Evon, the University of Michigan men's golf team battled its way in rainy and chilly conditions to post a 292 opening team total today (Monday, May 15) at the NCAA Washington Regional at Aldarra Golf Club. The Wolverines are ninth overall, just five shots back of a top-five finish needed to advance to the NCAA Finals.
"We really like the golf course here and think we can play well," said U-M head coach Chris Whitten. "Three of our guys were very solid today while two obviously struggled. With just some small adjustments will be ready for a great round tomorrow. To not have everyone playing their best but still be right in the fight to qualify is OK. The guys have already made some good adjustments after the round today and I'm excited to watch them attack tomorrow."
Starting off the 10th tee of U-M's third straight regional appearance, the Wolverines found red numbers early and often. U-M produced 13 of its 14 total birdie count during its opening nine holes. Junior Kyle Mueller highlighted the strong start with a double eagle (albatross) on the par 5, 516-yard 12th hole.
After blistering his drive 330 yards, his 9-iron approach shot from 186 away sailed to the back of the pin and rolled back for a two. Using that momentum he made the turn four-under as he added three additional birdies. Missed chances on his front side cost him as he posted two bogeys and a double to close with a 71 (t-14th).
Carlson and Evon paced U-M the entire first day, as they got off to strong starts with three and four birdies of their own, respectively. As the Maize and Blue duo each turned three-under, Evon bogeyed his opening front side hole, but managed to grind eight straight pars to finish with his four sub-70 round of the season at 69 (-2) putting him tied for sixth in the 75 player field.
Carlson saw an errant tee shot on No. 5 produced the only bogey of his round, but he responded with a closing 15-foot birdie in strong rains on the No. 9 to card a 68 (-3). He is tied for third, four shots back of first-day leader Sean Crocker of USC, who fired an opening 64 (-7).
"The course is really unforgiving, you have to be hitting it well off the tee all the way around the course," said Carlson. "With the rain and the cold, it makes it a little more challenging to focus on your lines for the tee shots too.
"The team is really in a good spot as well," Carlson added. "We're all swinging it really well even the guys who didn't play their best today. So we're looking forward to having two more days to improve on our standing."
Florida State took the early regional lead with a 278 (-6), as three Seminoles individuals are among the top 10. Top-ranked USC is just two shots back after its 280 (-4), while Alabama is third after a 283 (-1).
Michigan will be paired with Penn State and Marquette for the second round Tuesday (May 16), going off the 10th tee at 8 a.m. PDT. The regional concludes Wednesday (May 17), with the top five teams moving on to the NCAA Finals in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Team Standings (After Day 1 of 3)
1. Florida State 278 (-6)
2. USC 280
3. Alabama 283
4. Kent State 287
Texas A&M 287
6. San Diego State 290
Penn State 290
8. Marquette 291
9. MICHIGAN 292
10. Washington 295
11. Texas El Paso 297
12. Michigan State 300
13. Seattle 305
14. Bryant 313
Top Individuals
1. Sean Crocker, USC 64 (-7) 2. Josh Lee, Florida State 67 3. Nick Carlson, U-M 68 Justin Suh, USC 68 Steven Setterstrom, Alabama 68 6. Bryce Evon, U-M 69 Cristobal Del Solar, Florida State 69 Cole Miller, Penn State 69 Andrew Paysse, Texas A&M 69 10. Rico Hoey, USC 70 Charles Corner, Texas El Paso 70 Josh Whalen, Kent State 70 Corey Carlson, Florida State 70
Other Michigan Individuals
T14. Kyle Mueller 71 (E) 74. Tom Swanson 84 75. Ian Kim 95
Players Mentioned
