Michigan
Island Resort Intercollegiate
Anderson Leads Wolverines to Third Place at Island Resort Intercollegiate
9/6/2021 4:34:00 PM | Men's Golf
» Michigan opened the fall season with a third-place finish at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
» Will Anderson recorded a career-best tie for seventh (69-75-74/218) as well as his second career top-10 individual finish. His opening 69 (-3) was also a career low by two shots.
» Six of the eight Wolverine individuals posted a round of par or better at Sage Run.
» The Maize and Blue's 880 team total is its lowest score since October 2019.
Site: Bark River, Mich.
Tournament: Island Resort Intercollegiate (Day 2 of 2)
Course: Sage Run Golf Course (Par 72, 7,375 yards)
U-M Team Finish: 3rd Place of 10 Teams (290-285-305/880)
Top U-M Individual: Will Anderson, tie-7th (69-75-74/218)
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., Sept. 25-26 -- at Macdonald Cup (New Haven, Conn.)
BARK RIVER, Mich. -- With a career-best finish from sophomore Will Anderson and three starters among the top 20, the University of Michigan men's golf team opened its fall season by posting an 880 54-hole total to finish third at the Island Resort Intercollegiate that wrapped up today (Monday, Sept. 6) at Sage Run Golf Course.
"It was great to compete again as we have navigated a tough road over the last year and a half," said U-M coach Zach Barlow. "We got off to a solid start on day one as there were tons of positives to build on. Today, being in the final group and with the course set with tough conditions, we needed to perform better. We just could not get back after an ugly start. I kind of equate it to a basketball game -- the film from day two is going to get tossed and we move on. But again, there is plenty to build off of, and we look forward to getting back and working on it."
Playing in its first fall event since 2019, U-M posted a first-round 290 tally led by Anderson's season-opening, career-low 69 (-3), with junior Pier Francesco De Col tying his career best with a 71 (-1) and senior Patrick Sullivan adding an even-par 72. Heading straight into the second round, the Wolverines used 20 birdies and an eagle (Anderson on par-5 ninth hole) to etch a 285 (-3) tally -- the team's lowest total in nearly two years (one year, 10 months and 14 days).
Freshman Hunter Thomson rallied from an opening 79 to card six birdies and a career-low 69 (-3), while sophomore Jude Kim posted a career-best 72 score that was matched by De Col and Sullivan. With that 285, the Wolverines left the first day in second place with a 575 (-1) 36-hole total.
With new and challenging pin placements, the final day saw team tallies elevate from the previous day. Anderson's 74 (+2) paced U-M in the final 18 as the Wolverines finished with a 305 and an 880 total and third-place finish -- the lowest 54-hole total and best team finish since October 2019 (Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, 4th, Oct. 21-22).
With a 218 (+2) individual total, Anderson led the Maize and Blue for the third time with his career-best tie for seventh -- his second career top-10. Overall, U-M had three starters among the top 20 as De Col closed 16th at 221 (71-72-78) and Sullivan tied for 17th at 222 (72-72-78). In his first career start, Kim carded a career-best 225 (78-72-75) to tie for 27th.
The Wolverines added two additional top-25 performers as graduate student Brendan O'Reilly and freshman Yuqi Liu each tied for 21st (224) as individuals. Liu highlighted U-M's final round as his four birdies erased three bogeys, helping him card a career-best 71 (-1). Overall, six of the eight Wolverines recorded a round of par or better in the opening event.
With the first fall event in the books, the Wolverines will have nearly three weeks of training before heading to New Haven, Conn., for the 2021 Macdonald Cup. The two-day, 54-hole event will be played on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 25-26, at The Course at Yale.
Final Team Standings
1. Michigan State 278-281-290 = 849 (-15)
2. Central Florida 286-296-290 = 872
3. MICHIGAN 290-285-305 = 880
4. Middle Tennessee State 292-293-300 = 885
Kentucky 290-299-296 = 885
6. South Dakota State 292-292-304 = 888
7. Bowling Green State 298-301-312 = 911
8. Detroit Mercy 305-303-312 = 920
9. Green Bay 302-315-310 = 927
10. Northern Michigan 316-321-323 = 960
Top Individuals
1. James Piot, Michigan State 70-68-71 = 209 (-7)
Troy Taylor II, Michigan State 69-70-70 = 209
3. Clement Charmasson, UCF 66-73-74 = 213
Hugo Archer, Kentucky 68-71-74 = 213*
5. Matthew Schaefer, South Dakota State 71-70-75 = 216
6. August Meekhof, Michigan State 72-70-75 = 217
7. WILL ANDERSON, U-M 69-75-74 = 218
Jacob Cook, Kentucky 73-74-71 = 218
Bradley Smithson, Michigan State 71-73-74 = 218
Other Michigan Individuals
16. Pier Francesco De Col 71-72-78 = 221 T17. Patrick Sullivan 72-72-78 = 222 T27. Jude Kim 78-72-75 = 225 T39. Hunter Thomson 79-69-80 = 228 T21. Brendan O'Reilly 73-75-76 = 224* T21. Yuqi Liu 76-77-71 = 224* T68. Bavake Sihota 83-80-82 = 245*
* played as individual
Players Mentioned
