Michigan
Westbrook Spring Invitational
This Week in Michigan Women's Golf: Westbrook Spring Invitational
2/22/2019 2:41:00 PM | Women's Golf
» Michigan continues its spring season by heading to Peoria, Arizona, for Wisconsin's Westbrook Spring Invitational on the Vistas Course at Westbrook Village Golf Club.
» Seven teams in the 16-team field are from the Big Ten.
» This is the first of two straight Arizona events for U-M, which will close its spring break training at Arizona's Wildcat Invitational (March 11-12).
» Ashley Kim shared Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors after her career performance at the spring-opening Moon Golf Invitational.
THIS WEEK
Sun-Mon., Feb. 24-25 -- Westbrook Spring Invitational (Phoenix, Ariz.)
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On the Tee: Westbrook Spring Invitational
Following a solid showing at the spring season opener, the University of Michigan women's golf team heads out west for the first of two Arizona tournaments over the next few weeks. First up, the Maize and Blue head to Peoria, Arizona, to play in Wisconsin's Westbrook Spring Invitational, Sunday and Monday (Feb. 24-25). The two-day, 54-hole event will feature a 16-team field playing on the par-72, 6,432-yard Vistas Course at Westbrook Village Golf Club.
The Westbrook Spring Invitational Field
There will be 16 teams competing in the Westbrook Spring Invitational: Denver, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Tennessee, UC Davis, Washington State and Wisconsin.
The Westbrook Spring Invitational Schedule
Friday, Feb. 22 -- Travel Day
Saturday, Feb. 23 -- Practice Round, 10:10 & 10:20 a.m. MST (off the 10th tee)
Sunday, Feb. 24 -- First Round (18), 8:30 a.m. MST (shotgun start)
Sunday, Feb. 24 -- Second Round (18), continuous play following completion of first round
Monday, Feb. 25 -- Final Round (18), 8:30 a.m. MST (shotgun start)
The Michigan Lineup at Westbrook Spring Invitational
Michigan's starting five will be sophomore Ashley Kim, freshman Ashley Lau, junior Alisa Snyder, senior Elodie Van Dievoet and junior Hannah Ghelfi. Freshman Sophia Trombetta will travel and play as an individual.
Wolverine Bites
• Michigan will play its next two events in the state of Arizona. First the Wolverines hit the road for Wisconsin's Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 24-25) at the Vistas Course at Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Arizona. After returning for a week of school, the Maize and Blue will start its spring break training trip in Arizona and close the trip at Arizona's Wildcat Invitational (March 11-12) at Sewailo Golf Course in Tucson.
• Sophomore Ashley Kim opened her spring season in grand fashion with a career-best performance at the Moon Golf Invitational (Feb. 18-19). She carded three straight sub-par rounds -- 71 (-1), 71 (-1) and a season-best 69 (-3) -- for a 211 (-5) total was a new career best by seven shots, and she recorded her first career top-five finish. It was also the best finish for a Wolverines in over a season and a half, since Elodie Van Dievoet tied for fourth at the 2017 NCAA Finals. For her efforts Kim was named the Big Ten co-Golfer of the Week -- the first such honor of her career and first for a Wolverine since Oct. 4, 2017 (Van Dievoet).
• Michigan took a training trip to Naples, Florida. While there, U-M met up with Minnesota to play in a two-day match-play battle. First at Quail Creek Country Club, Michigan was able to take a 4-3 lead before the two squads headed to Bay Colony Golf Club for the second day. The Gophers recorded 4.5 points to secure the victory with a 7.5-6.5 tally. Five Wolverines notched victories during the event with Sophia Trombetta (2-0) and Ashley Kim (1-0-1) leading the way for the Maize and Blue.
• Elodie Van Dievoet is expected to play in her 34th career event at the Westbrook Spring Invitational. Alisa Snyder will make her 17th start, Ashley Kim is scheduled to start her 15th straight event since arriving in Ann Arbor and Hannah Ghelfi will get her ninth nod. Freshman Ashley Lau will make the sixth consecutive start of her young career, while classmate Sophia Trombetta will play as an individual in her seventh career event.
• In a battle for the scoring lead, sophomore Ashley Kim's career best at the Moon Golf Invitational helped her retake the lead at 73.79 per round. Freshman Ashley Lau is holding the second spot on the Wolverines with a 74.36 per round average. The two U-M Ashleys have posted six of U-M's eight sub-par rounds, and they remain the only Wolverines scoring below 75 per round.
• Michigan's "Ashley Duo" of sophomore Ashley Kim and freshman Ashley Lau have become a 1-2 punch for the Wolverines. They have finished as the top two Wolverines in four of the five stroke-play events with Kim leading in three events and Lau in one. Both have started all six events, and Lau has had all 14 rounds count for U-M, while Kim has had 13.
• Ashley Lau has continued to show consistent scoring for the Wolverines as she has not carded a round worse than 76. In fact, six of her 14 rounds this season are exactly 76s -- with three in the first round, one in the second and two in the final round. She posted a career-best 71 (-1) in the second round of the East & West Match Play stroke play qualifier.
Summer Offers Unique Opportunity for Dowling
• After serving as an assistant coach this past summer, U-M head coach Jan Dowling was named the Team International women's head coach for the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup at the Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas.
• A Ryder Cup-style tournament co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the event features the top university/college golfers and matches the United States against an International team.
• The 2019 event, to be played June 7-9, will mark the second time the event will be played under the expanded format to include men's and women's USA collegiate golfers, making it the only major tournament to feature men and women playing side by side as partners.
Inside the Maize and Blue
• Michigan made back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the NCAA Finals in 2016 and 2017. U-M had only one prior NCAA Finals appearance, in 2002, finishing 17th. The Wolverines tied for 18th in 2016 and followed with a tie for 16th in 2017.
• In five seasons under coach Jan Dowling, U-M has posted two top-five finishes at the Big Ten Championships -- 2015 (5th) and 2017 (5th). Prior to Dowling's arrival, U-M had recorded just eight total top-five finishes at the conference tournament. In fact, Dowling's squad just missed a third top-five in 2016 when it finished sixth.
• Elodie Van Dievoet had a remarkable 2017 postseason for the Wolverines. After winning the Big Ten individual title, her dramatic 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Columbus Regional helped send U-M to the NCAA Finals for a second straight season and gave her a top-10 individual finish (T9th). In the finals, she recorded the highest individual finish for a Wolverine (T4th) and paced U-M to its best finish at the championships (T16th).
Next on the Tee
• Mon-Tue., March 11-12 -- Arizona Wildcat Invitational (Tucson, Ariz.)
Players Mentioned
