Michigan
NCAA Finals, Stroke Play
Borja, Kim Help U-M Move into Tie for 14th After Day Two of NCAA Finals
5/22/2021 10:57:00 PM | Women's Golf
» Michigan posted a 296 team total to move into a tie for 14th at the NCAA Finals with a 600 36-hole total.
» Hailey Borja fired U-M's first NCAA Final sub-par round with a 71 (-1) and is tied for 22nd with a 146 (+2) total.
» Ashley Kim carded an even-par 72 -- the first since the end of March -- moving her into a tie for 62nd (150).
» U-M will be paired with UCLA (T12th; 595) and No. 1 Alabama (T14th; 600) for the third round off the first tee at 11:30 a.m. MST/PDT.
Site: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Tournament: NCAA Finals (Day 2 of 6)
Course: Grayhawk Golf Club (par 72, 6,384 yards)
U-M Team Standing: Tie-14th place of 24 teams (304-296/600) after Day 2
Top U-M Individual: Hailey Borja, tie-22nd (75-71/146, +2)
Next U-M Round: Sunday, May 23 -- at NCAA Finals - Third Round, 11:30 a.m. MST/PDT (tee times)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Despite battling gusting winds for a second straight day, sophomore Hailey Borja fired a 71 (-1) and senior Ashley Kim carded and even-par 72 to help the 23rd-ranked University of Michigan women's golf team move up three spots into a tie for 14th on Saturday (May 22). The Wolverines tallied a second-round total of 296, giving the Maize and Blue a 600 total after 36 holes of the NCAA Finals being played at the Grayhawk Golf Club.
Michigan is tied with No. 1 South Carolina, which rallied from an opening-round 312 with an even-par 288 to move up 10 spots and crack the top 15. The Wolverines have set themselves up for a dramatic third round as they are right in thick of a pack of seven teams trying to advance to the fourth round on Monday (May 24). The top eight teams after 72 holes will move on to match play to compete for the national title.
"It was one tough day out there," said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "There was just so much wind, and 30-mph gusts throughout the entire round, but boy did our team fight hard. We had a really rough start. However, the team just kept plugging away and using their experience to get the job done. We will continue to do what we've been doing all season and adjust to the conditions presented tomorrow, remain patient and fight hard."
After nine total birdies in Friday's first round, the Wolverines nearly matched that with eight of its 16 second-round total coming on the front nine alone. Three of those first eight birdies belonged to Borja, who added 11 pars as she started three in the red through 14 holes. Despite two shorted chip approaches leading to bogeys in two of her final four holes, she was able to etch the Wolverines first sub-par tally of the finals, and sixth of the season, with a 71 (-1) and move her into the top 25 as she is tied for 22nd at 146 (+2).
"Today was all about being patient," said Borja. "We talked about it as a team because you are going to have your bad shots and especially here, we are playing in tough conditions. The course is playing very tricky with a lot of wind. So today, I really emphasized my focus on a one-shot-at-a-time mentality and that really paid off.
"Tomorrow is going to be similar conditions. We know what we will need to do, and most of that is continuing to stay patient. Anything can happen."
Kim found herself three-over halfway through her first nine holes, but a birdie on the par-5 seventh and another on the par-4 ninth helped her gain two shots back, heading to the back-nine at one over par. A missed approach on the par-5 11th hole yielded a bogey, but she rallied again with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to draw even. A fifth birdie on 17 aided Kim to post her first even-par round since the end of March. With a 150 total, she is tied for 62nd in the 132-player field.
"I was very pleased with how I played, considering how tough it was with the wind," said Kim. "After staying within my thoughts, I really tried to fight hard because I knew my, or any round, isn't over until you make that last putt. I was happy to be able to contribute with a solid round."
Junior Ashley Lau recovered from a slow start, playing her final nine holes at even par for a second straight day to post a 77. After rising to five-over through her first five holes, she rallied using four second-round birdies to play even par over her final 13 holes. Lau is tied for 81st at 152 (75-77). Sophomore Mikaela Schulz is tied for 96th at 156 (78-76), while freshman Monet Chun is tied for 116th at 157 (76-81).
"Our team is fighting right now and staying super patient," said Kim. "We cannot wait for tomorrow. That's why we came here. We want to be able to put ourselves in position to advance. We will not force anything and just keep grinding and playing our games. If we do that, the birdies will come."
U-M will be paired with South Carolina and UCLA -- for a third straight round -- on Sunday (May 23) off the first tee at 11:30 a.m. MST/PDT (2:30 p.m. EDT) for the third round.
Team Standings (After Day 2 of 6)
1. Stanford 291-278 = 569 (-7) 2. Duke 292-281 = 573 3. Texas 289-288 = 577 4. Florida State 298-285 = 583 5. Wake Forest 292-293 = 585 6. Oklahoma State 297-289 = 586 7. Ole Miss 296-291 = 587 8. LSU 296-292 = 588 9. Oregon 290-300 = 590 Arizona 292-298 = 590 11. Arizona State 300-291 = 591 12. UCLA 302-293 = 595 Michigan State 301-294 = 595 14. MICHIGAN 304-296 = 600 South Carolina 312-288 = 600 16. Baylor 308-293 = 601 17. Kent State 292-310 = 602 Georgia 307-295 = 602 19. Maryland 306-297 = 603 20. Auburn 305-299 = 604 21. Kentucky 299-307 = 606 Virginia Tech 302-304 = 606 23. USC 307-300 = 607 24. Alabama 308-310 = 618
Top Individuals
1. Rachel Heck, Stanford 69-67 = 136 (-8) 2. Gina Kim, Duke 74-67 = 141 Lauren Hartlage, Louisville 73-68 = 141* 4. Emma Spitz, UCLA 72-70 = 142 5. Phoebe Brinker, Duke 73-70 = 143 Jaravee Boonchant, Duke 72-71 = 143 Lianna Bailey, Oklahoma State 74-69 = 143 Sophie Guo, Texas 73-70 = 143 Briana Chacon, Oregon 71-72 = 143 Ya Chun Chang, Arizona 73-70 = 143
Michigan Individuals
T22. Hailey Borja 75-71 = 146 T61. Ashley Kim 78-72 = 150 T81. Ashley Lau 75-77 = 152 T96. Mikaela Schulz 78-76 = 156 T116. Monet Chun 76-81 = 157 *playing as individual
