BY MATT SLOVIN
For the Daily
Published October 4, 2010
Several weak finishes on the back nine contributed to a rocky weekend for the Michigan women's golf team in South Bend.
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Notre Dame, the host of the affair, claimed the trophy while the Wolverines finished 10th out of 13 teams during the two-day tournament at the William K. Warren Irish Invitational.
“As the tournament went along, we were in 5th place for a long time, but our backside did not play well so it was disappointing to drop lower,” Michigan coach Cheryl Stacy said after the tournament.
Freshmen Alyssa Shimel and Yugene Lee finished tied for 47th, a result that neither were particularly pleased with as they continue to test the waters of competition at a higher level.
The young team has had problems adjusting to the grind of NCAA play so far, and the rigorous schedule has not helped.
The team total of 936 strokes was easily bested by the Fighting Irish (905), as well as conference foes Illinois (925) and Indiana (929).
Despite the struggles of Michigan's youth, the Wolverines had several upperclassmen leaders post impressive finishes.
Senior Min Yean Tan missed cracking the top 10 by a single stroke, scoring a weekend total of 228 that included a one-over-par second round. And junior Meagan Bauer propelled herself into the top 20 with a two-over-par final round.
“I was extremely pleased with the way (Tan) and (Bauer) played, and although the younger girls were not happy with their performances, they still gained some valuable experience,” Stacy said.
It is possible that the team's recent poor play down the stretch is due to fatigue, though Stacy was quick to dismiss that idea. Nonetheless, it is important to fix the concerning pattern of unimpressive scores on the closing holes before it becomes a recurring, season-killing trend.
“It's kind of a mental thing," Stacy joked. "Bringing in a sports psychologist to help the girls could do it.”
Next up for Michigan is a trip to the Lady Northern Invitational early next week in Glencoe, Illinois. The Wolverines have had this event circled on their calendar as it presents a chance to play the course that will host the Big Ten Championships next April.
