The Best Golfer in School History? Hard to Argue Against Mueller
5/25/2018 11:00:00 AM | Men's Golf, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Kyle Mueller owns pretty much every men's golf record at the University of Michigan, and it's time to view the remarkable senior as perhaps the best player the program has ever produced.
He's the first to lead the Wolverines in scoring average in four seasons and the only one to average less than 72 strokes per 18 holes, doing so three times and also setting the career mark of 71.6. He averaged 70.23 this season, becoming Michigan's first winner of the Les Bolstad Award for the lowest scoring average in the Big Ten Conference.
Mueller begins play today (Friday, May 25) at the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He joined Lion Kim (2011) as Wolverines who claimed an NCAA Regional title after making seven birdies in a final-round 66 and finishing five under par in Columbus, Ohio. Two years earlier, Mueller joined Kim as the lone Michigan players to participate in a PGA Grand Slam event while in school by qualifying for the U.S. Open.
So, it is indeed a pretty impressive resume for the inspirational ball-striker from Athens, Georgia, who also won the 2018 David Toms Overcoming Adversity Award for excelling despite losing his mother, Monica, in a car crash two years ago.
Jim Carras coached 20 seasons at Michigan, beginning in 1982, and has perhaps as good an overview of the school's links history as anyone. He also coached Michael Harris, whom Mueller joined this season as the Wolverines' only three-time All-Big Ten first team selections. Harris was honored in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and Mueller also this year equaled Harris' tournament victory total of six.
Carras is familiar with Mueller, the recipient of a scholarship named for Carras, but wanted Mueller's list of accomplishments read to him in order to have an even better grasp of where he fits in history.
"If he's a better player than Mike Harris, then that speaks volumes," said Carras, "and I think he is from what you just said. He's done so much more. But Mike Harris was probably the best player that I ever had. Mike was phenomenal. For Kyle to be a step or many steps ahead of Mike speaks very, very well for Kyle."
So, might Mueller be the best golfer Michigan's ever had?
"Now, that's a tough call," said Carras. "John Schroeder was phenomenal, but even that was before my time."
Schroeder, a 1968 Michigan All-American, went on to record 34 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, scoring one win in 1973 and tying for fourth in the 1981 U.S. Open.
The Wolverines have yet to produce a first team All-American, but Schroeder and Bill Newton (1965 and 1966) rank as their only second-team selections.
"Then you go back to the 1930s era," Carras continued, mentioning the years Michigan won its only NCAA team championships in 1934 and 1935. "But that was another era."
John Fischer (1932), Chuck Kocsis (1936) and Dave Barclay (1947) are the Wolverines' three national champions, and Mueller gets his shot at making it a foursome this weekend in Stillwater.
"So, picking the best involves comparing apples to oranges," said Carras. "Kyle Mueller, as good as he is, may or may not make it on the (professional) tour. But the world of golf today is a whole world apart from what it used to be. Now, I'm not taking anything away from Kyle, not at all. But there were other players who, in their time, were phenomenal.
"But for this era, I 100 percent agree, and there's no question about it. This is Kyle's time, and you have to give the kid credit. He hits the ball long. Kyle deserves all the pats and the accolades he gets because he's done phenomenal. I don't know him very well, but I got a beautiful letter from him because he's the recipient of the scholarship that's in my name."
Michigan men's golf greats (from left): John Fischer, Chuck Kocsis, Dave Barclay, John Schroeder, Michael Harris
When the words of the legendary coach were relayed, Mueller said, "That's definitely very special. There's a lot of history here, and we've had some national champions. There have been a lot of good players come through here and some really good teams that have made it pretty far. And coming from a guy like Coach Carras, who I've gotten to know a little bit, it's definitely humbling, and I do appreciate it. It's very nice."
Chris Whitten, who has coached Mueller his entire Michigan career and been the head coach for seven seasons after becoming part of the coaching staff in 2006, agreed with Carras that comparing players from different eras is difficult.
"I've talked to some of Michael Harris' teammates that said how impressive his consistency was," said Whitten. "I don't think Michael was known as a long hitter, but he would wear you out with his consistency. Considering how high he finished in some key events, I think is pretty impressive.
"But even though Michael didn't play that long ago, maybe it's not even fair to compare because of the advancements in college golf and the courses we play on, the equipment, and the way the guys train year round. Our training facility has only been here seven years."
What does Mueller see as his place in program history?
"I remember my very first event," Mueller said, recalling his first rounds as a freshman in 2014-15. "I didn't know if I was going to crack the lineup. I was pretty worried about having a chance to play.
"Now, I know there are some scoring records and stuff that I've broken. But I hope that my legacy is a little bit more than that. I want to be known as a good teammate, not only to my teammates but to my coaches."
Mueller was too modest to mention that he won that very first event, the Wolverine Intercollegiate at the University of Michigan Golf Course on Sept. 6-7, 2014, shooting a seven-under-par 206.
How was that for shaking off initial doubts about competing at the college level?
Mueller strikes the ball at a "world-class level," according to his coach.
Carras noted that when he coached, the top ball-strikers hit drives 270 to 280 yards. Mueller hits it about 40 yards farther than that, and he actually ranks with the longest hitters currently on the pro tour.
"We compare our golfers' statistics to those of PGA Tour leaders," said Whitten. "From the data we have, he could be one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA Tour right now in terms of his driving length and accuracy and his iron approaches.
"His drives fly about 318 (yards) in the air, and then there's the landing conditions and how it rolls out. At Ohio State last week, he was hitting it 335 on average and on one hole where he caught it particularly good, it went 387. And hitting his 9-iron 180 yards is not normal."
Whitten said Mueller's clubhead speed with a driver consistently exceeds 120 mph and noted that his ability to hit at great speed while maintaining accuracy is what sets him apart.
"That's the main reason he's ranked as highly as he is right now," added Whitten. "He hits the ball at a world-class level. But when he putts well, it's average PGA Tour putting.
"So, we've had to raise our level of expectations. He doesn't want to be just the best scoring-average guy in the Big Ten any more. He wants to start looking at a world stage. So, that's been pretty cool to see."
What is Mueller's pro tour potential?
"Unlimited, I think," said Whitten. "I mean, it's really that strong. But there's no draft, and you can't be a first-round pick with guaranteed money. You have to prove yourself over and over again.
"But the last two NCAA champions both won on the PGA Tour two years after winning NCAAs. So, it's possible, if everything goes well for him, that he could win in the next two years on the PGA Tour. He's got the game to do it, for sure."
Mueller could put the discussion about Michigan's greatest golfer to rest in the week ahead with a strong final showing. He might do it as a pro. But one thing's pretty certain: It's hard to argue against him right now.
• On PACE: Mueller Carries Mom's Lasting Lesson to Final NCAA Event (5/24/2018)
Players Mentioned
