
Runner-up Sung Rallies U-M to Top-Three Finish at Wolverine Invitational
9/8/2025 6:09:00 PM | Women's Golf
» Behind a third-round best 287 -- six shots clear of the field -- Michigan rallied to post an 878 total and finished tied for third at the season-opening Wolverine Invitational at the U-M Golf Course.
» With a second straight 68 (-3), Lauren Sung posted a career-best 209 (-4) to finish runner-up in the 81-player field — securing the first top-five finish of her career.
» Thomasine Bartholdson fired a career-low 220 (78-69-73) to earn her first career top-20 finish, tying for 14th. In her collegiate debut, Reese Ng added a tie for 21st with a 222 (72-76-74), giving U-M three Wolverines among the top 25.
» Vanessa Zhang impressed in her collegiate debut as an individual, tying for 16th with a 221 (72-74-75).
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Tournament: Wolverine Invitational
Course: U-M Golf Course (par 71, 6,227 yards)
U-M Team Standing: T-3rd Place of 15 (299-292-287/878)
Top U-M Individual: Lauren Sung, 2nd (73-68-68/209, -4)
Next U-M Event: Mon-Tue., Sept. 22-23 -- at Canadian Collegiate Invitational (Aurora, Ontario)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Saving its best for last, the University of Michigan women's golf team fired a third-round best 287 -- six shots better than the field -- to rally on Monday (Sept. 8) and finish tied for third with an 878 total at the season-opening Wolverine Invitational at the U-M Golf Course -- the program's first home event since 2022.
Getting off to a slower-than-usual start in the season opener, the Maize and Blue battled back in the latter half of Sunday's first round to post a 299-team total, placing them in a tie for eighth. They kept the momentum in round two, firing a 292 to sit sixth after 36 holes.
Saving its best for last, Michigan topped the field by six shots in the final round with a 287 (+3), finishing with an 878 total to tie Iowa State for third. Kent State captured the team title at 869, while Virginia finished runner-up at 875.
Leading the Maize and Blue, senior Lauren Sung fired a second straight 68 (-3) on her home course to card a career-low 209 (-4) and earn her first career top-five finish, placing runner-up to Iowa State's Pimkwan Chookaew, who claimed medalist honors at 208 (-5; 69-67-72). After a double-bogey on her second hole of Sunday's opening round, Sung settled in and played the final 52 holes at six-under par, collecting 36 pars, 11 birdies, and just five bogeys.
After opening with a 78, sophomore Thomasine Bartholdson responded with her first career sub-70 round -- a career-low 69 (-2) -- in round two. She added four birdies in the final round on her way to a 73 (+2), closing with a career-best 220 total to tie for 14th and secure her first career top-15 finish.
Rounding out U-M's trio of top-25 finishers, freshman Reese Ng posted a 222 (72-76-74) to tie for 21st in her collegiate debut and first career start. In her collegiate debut as an individual, fellow freshman Vanessa Zhang tied for 16th with a 221 (72-74-75), showing strong play in her first career event. In addition to Zhang, senior Mara Janess, who played as an individual, tied for 21st (222) after stringing three straight tallies of 74.
With their first event in the books, the Wolverines close their September schedule heading to Aurora, Ontario, for the Canadian Collegiate Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 22-23. Serving as co-hosts with Kent State and Golf Canada, the event will be played at the Beacon Hall Golf Club.
Final Team Standings
 1. Kent State             292-282-295 = 869 (+11)  2. Virginia               298-283-294 = 875  3. MICHIGAN               299-292-287 = 878    Iowa State             292-284-302 = 878  5. Illinois               295-292-293 = 880    Purdue                 291-294-295 = 880  7. Notre Dame             297-295-301 = 893  8. Indiana                300-300-294 = 894  9. Wisconsin              303-302-300 = 905    Rutgers                296-306-303 = 905    South Florida          304-297-304 = 905 12. Chattanooga            303-304-302 = 909 13. Kennesaw State         299-313-306 = 918 14. Florida International  307-314-307 = 928 15. Oakland                307-313-321 = 941
Top Individuals
 1. Pimkwan Chookaew, Iowa State  69-67-72 = 208 (-5)  2. LAUREN SUNG, U-M              73-68-68 = 209  3. Lauren Timpf, Purdue          70-69-72 = 211  4. Leon Takagi, Kent State       73-68-73 = 214  5. Ashley Kim, Purdue            75-70-71 = 216    Jaclyn LaHa, Virginia         71-73-72 = 216  7. Ann Ritter, Illinois          71-75-71 = 217    Kennedy Swedick, Virginia     73-70-74 = 217    Madison Dabagia, Indiana      75-70-72 = 217
Michigan Individuals
  2. Lauren Sung            73-68-68 = 209 (-4) T14. Thomasine Bartholdson  78-69-73 = 220 T21. Reese Ng               72-76-74 = 222 T38. Mimi Guo               76-79-72 = 227 T79. Grace Wang             82-83-80 = 245 T16. Vanessa Zhang          72-74-75 = 221 T21. Mara Janess            74-74-74 = 222 T48. Sydney Sung            75-77-77 = 229 * played as individuals