Michigan
Big Ten Championships
History Made! Medalist Chun Leads Wolverines to First Big Ten Championship
4/24/2022 7:04:00 PM | Women's Golf
» With an 857 total, Michigan won the program's first Big Ten Championship by four shots.
» Monet Chun, an All-Tournament selection, used a U-M record 205 (-8) total to win medalist honors by four shots.
» Mikaela Schulz gave the Wolverines two among the top 20 after tying for 17th with a 220 (73-74-73).
» Ashley Lau was the recipient of the Mary Fossum Award for the Big Ten's lowest scoring average (71.70).
Site: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Course: Fox Chapel Golf Club (Par 71, 6,045 yards)
Tournament: Big Ten Championships (Day 3 of 3)
U-M Team Standing: 1st Place of 14 Teams (285-284-291/857, +5)
Top U-M Individual: Monet Chun, 1st (70-66-69/205, -8)
Next U-M Event: Mon-Wed., May 9-11 -- at NCAA Ann Arbor Regional (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Led by Big Ten medalist Monet Chun, the 18th-ranked University of Michigan women's golf team made history as it used a final round 291 Sunday (April 24) to hold on and tally an 857 (+4) championship total and win the program's first ever Big Ten Championship title at the Fox Chapel Golf Club.
"This was a total team effort, from Friday on through Sunday, and we knew that's what it would take," said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "It was quite the battle out there today. Tough pin positions, a tricky wind and great golf. The team was ready, and they embraced the entire week. We were also able to tap into our experiences from earlier this year which helped. I am so proud of this team for winning our very first Big Ten Championship for Michigan!"
Heading into the championship seeded No. 1 for the first time in program history, the Wolverines set their pace early with a first round 285 (+1) to position U-M in second place after opening 70s (-1) by Chun and senior Sophia Trombetta. U-M made its move in the second round as Chun carded a 66 (-5) to vault herself into the individual lead, while senior Ashley Lau added a 70 (-1) and junior Hailey Borja fired a 71 (E) to give the Wolverines a 281 (-3) tally and the 36 hole lead as a team.
With championship pins set, the Wolverines started used 13 birdies in the final round front nine to maintain its advantage over Michigan State and Northwestern. With Chun playing one-under over her final nine holes and junior Mikaela Schulz closing even par, U-M tallied a 291 total to post an 857 (+5) championship total and win the program's first title by four shots.
"This is just incredible," said Borja. "I'm not sure how everyone felt in the morning but it was definitely a different kind of tension during our warm up. However, all day I thought everyone's spirits were high and we were playing with good momentum. This is the win we have wanted for a long time. Now, to finally have it, feels unreal."
In addition to the team title, Chun used her closing 69 (-2) to win the Big Ten individual title by four shots, posting a 205 (-8) championship total. Becoming just the second Wolverines to claim the conference medalist (Elodie Van Dievoet, 2017), Chun's title was the also the first of her career. She also lowered the U-M Big Ten championship 54-hole record by five shots (210, -6; Van Dievoet).
"There aren't enough words to really capture all my thoughts," said Chun. "However, for my first collegiate win to come at the Big Ten Championships, and the fact thatI was able to help this program win the first ever team title is just so special. I feel so lucky."
"Monet's game has been so solid all year long, her scoring just wasn't reflecting that quite yet," said Dowling. "She stayed so patient all year long, kept believing and kept plugging away. It was her time, and boy did she embrace it. What a time to turn it on."
After opening with three straight bogeys to start her championship run, Chun played 11 under par over her next 51 holes, leading the tournament field with 16 birdies. In six career Big Ten Championships rounds, she has yet to post a round above par -- 71 (-1), 72 (E), 72 (E), 70 (-1), 66 (-5) and 69 (-2).
Behind Chun's performance, Schulz gave the Wolverines two among the top 20 as she tied for 17th with her 220 (73-74-73) total. Borja bounced back from an opening 79 with scores of 71 and 72 to close with a 222 total and tie for 30th along with Lau (75-70-77), who was honored with the Mary Fossum Award for the Big Ten's lowest scoring average. Elder statesmen Trombetta (70-78-79) and graduate student Ashley Kim (72-78-77) rounded out the starting six as they both closed tied for 48th at 227.
"I'm so proud of this team," added Kim. "We've worked so hard not only this year but these past few years because this was our main goal. Coming back for the extra year, then missing the fall with injury was really hard. I'm just so happy that I could end my career making history for this school and this program! There's no other feeling. I can't wait to conquer our next postseason event with this group. It's true what they say… those who stay will be champions!"
The Wolverines will move on to the NCAA postseason and host one of six regionals at the U-M Golf Course, Monday through Wednesday (May 9-11). The three-day, 54-hole event features a 12 team field with six additional invited individuals. The 66 player field will be playing for four team and two individual spots for the NCAA Finals in Arizona.
Final Team Standings
1. MICHIGAN 285-281-291 = 857 (+5)
2. Michigan State 282-288-291 = 861
3. Ohio State 289-288-287 = 864
Northwestern 289-281-294 = 864
5. Illinois 288-284-298 = 870
6. Maryland 288-289-296 = 873
7. Nebraska 294-289-292 = 875
8. Purdue 285-299-294 = 878
9. Wisconsin 299-289-293 = 881
10. Penn State 304-296-292 = 892
11. Rutgers 296-305-302 = 903
12. Minnesota 299-301-309 = 909
13. Indiana 313-303-306 = 922
14. Iowa 309-307-312 = 928
Top Individuals
1. Monet Chun, Michigan 70-66-69 = 205 (-8) 2. Faith Choi, Ohio State 71-71-67 = 209 3. Jennifer Cai, Northwestern 71-68-72 = 211 4. Kirsten Baete, Nebraska 71-73-68 = 212 5. Maria Vittoria Corbi, Maryland 69-71-74 = 214 6. Emily Lauterbach, Wisconsin 72-74-69 = 215 Patricie Mackova, Maryland 70-74-71 = 215 Crystal Wang, Illinois 72-66-77 = 215 Lauryn Nguyen, Northwestern 74-70-71 = 215 Leila Raines, Michigan State 68-74-73 = 215
Other Michigan Individuals
T17. Mikaela Schulz 73-74-73 = 220 T30. Ashley Lau 75-70-77 = 222 T30. Hailey Borja 79-71-72 = 222 T48. Sophia Trombetta 70-78-79 = 227 T48. Ashley Kim 72-78-77 = 227
Big Ten Honors
Mary Fossum Award Winner: Ashley Lau, Michigan
All-Championship Team
Crystal Wang, Illinois
Patricie Mackova, Maryland
Maria Vittoria Corbi, Maryland
Monet Chun, Michigan
Leila Raines, Michigan State
Kirsten Baete, Nebraska
Jennifer Cai, Northwestern
Lauryn Nguyen, Northwestern
Faith Choi, Ohio State
Emily Lauterbach, Wisconsin
Players Mentioned
