Michigan
Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara CC
Borja's Top 10 Finish Paces Wolverines to Eighth at Collegiate Invitational
2/6/2023 8:27:00 PM | Women's Golf
» With a closing 294 team total, No. 29 Michigan closed eighth with a 902 54-hole total at Virginia's Collegiate Invitational at the Guadalajara Country Club in Mexico.
» Senior Hailey Borja paced the Wolverines and finished sixth with a 219 (+3) tally. It marked the third time she has led the Maize and Blue as well as her third top 10 finish of the season.
» Fellow seniors Mikaela Schulz (75-77-76) and Anika Dy (77-77-74) both tied for 28th with 228 totals.
» All 12 teams in the field are ranked among the top 50 nationally.
Site: Guadalajara, Mexico
Tournament: Collegiate Invitational at the Guadalajara Country Club
Course: Guadalajara Country Club (Par 72, 6,333 yards)
U-M Team Standing: 8th of 12 (304-304-294/902)
Top U-M Individual: Hailey Borja, 6th (74-75-70/219, +3)
Next U-M Event: Sun-Tue., Feb. 19-21 -- at Moon Golf Invitational (Melbourne, Fla.)
GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Paced by senior Hailey Borja's third top 10 finish of the season, the No. 29-ranked University of Michigan women's golf team opened its spring season posting a 902 54-hole total to finish eighth on Monday (Feb. 6) at Virginia's Collegiate Invitational at the Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara Country Club.
"It was so great to be competing together again, especially in beautiful Mexico, on a historic course against so many great teams," said U-M coach Jan Dowling. "The course proved to be a difficult test with firm and very undulating greens. It took us some time to adjust, but we did by the final round. Some of that is our first tournament back too, as to why it took us longer than normal to make adjustments. Overall, we had plenty of positives, and it was great to test ourselves on grass in a tournament again."
With all 12 teams in the field ranked among the top 50 nationally, the competition was played as a unique 27-hole, 27-hole, two-day event. The Maize and Blue positioned itself seventh after an opening 304 total in the first round. After finishing the second nine of the second round, U-M posted a second straight 304 to remain seventh at 608.
Capitalizing on Borja's closing 70 (-2) -- her team-best fifth sub-par round of the season -- along with event-best 74s from Anika Dy and Monet Chun, Michigan rallied with a 294 but closed eighth with a 902 total.
"After not being on grass and not doing any competitive rounds in the last couple months, we definitely needed to brush off some rust," said Borja. "You could see that over the first couple rounds/holes. Today, we, and especially me, I felt a lot smoother and more comfortable playing and it showed."
Opening with a 74 (+2), Borja positioned herself among the top 15. After the split second round was tallied together, she carded a 75 (+3), but moved up into the top 12 (t-11th) with a 149 total. She utilized four birdies in the final round to fire a 70 (-2), moving up five positions and finishing sixth with a 219 (+3) tally. The finish marked her third in the top 10 this season.
"Hailey hung tough all week, and it really came together for her in the final round seeing some putts drop," added Dowling. "A top six finish, in this field, right out of the gate, is really impressive!"
"It was great to be in Mexico and be around my culture," added Borja. "I had a lot of family come in to see me this weekend so it definitely was a week of familiarity and homey feelings."
Following behind Borja were fellow seniors Mikaela Schulz (75-77-76) and Anika Dy (77-77-74), who each tied for 28th with 228 spring opening totals. Junior Monet Chun tied for 37th at 230, while freshman Lauren Sung tied for 43rd (232).
After returning to Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will take a few weeks to train before heading back to the sun. Next up, U-M will play in Louisville's Moon Golf Invitational, Sunday through Tuesday (Feb. 19-21) in Melbourne, Fla., at the Suntree Country Club. It's been four years since Michigan played the Cardinals event, which was held in Arizona in 2019.
Final Team Standings
1. Baylor 292-294-286 = 872 (+8) 2. Florida State 296-292-294 = 882 3. Georgia 289-297-298 = 884 4. California 294-307-293 = 894 5. N.C. State 314-290-292 = 896 6. Arizona 305-305-287 = 897 7. Maryland 306-292-303 = 901 8. MICHIGAN 304-304-294 = 902 9. Tennessee 301-306-298 = 905 10. Virginia 299-303-305 = 907 11. Ole Miss 309-306-299 = 914 12. North Carolina 317-305-296 = 918
Top Individuals
1. Rosie Belsham, Baylor 72-72-66 = 210 (-6)
2. Jenny Bae, Georgia 71-69-71 = 211
3. Silje Ohma, Baylor 72-72-69 = 213
4. Charlotte Heath, Florida State 70-74-72 = 216
Lottie Woad, Florida State 74-69-73 = 216
6. HAILEY BORJA, U-M 74-75-70 = 219
7. Gile Bite Starkute, Arizona 73-73-74 = 220
Nicha Kanpai, Maryland 72-72-76 = 220
9. Annika Borrelli, California 68-81-72 = 221
Other Michigan Individuals
T28. Mikaela Schulz 75-77-76 = 228 T28. Anika Dy 77-77-74 = 228 T37. Monet Chun 78-78-74 = 230 T43. Lauren Sung 80-75-77 = 232
Players Mentioned
