This weekend, the Michigan women’s golf team hoped to build on its victory in the Michigan Invitational two weeks ago.
- Morgan Morel
- Senior Brianna Broderick finished in the top five for the third time this season. (FOREST CASEY/Daily)
But tough competition and inconsistent play led to a last-place finish for the Wolverines in the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville.
Michigan finished with a three-round total of 937 – 55 strokes behind champion Tennessee.
Senior Brianna Broderick was the lone bright spot for Michigan. After winning the individual title at the Wolverine Invitational, she finished in a tie for fifth – her third top-five finish this season.
Like the rest of the team, Broderick got off to a slow start, leaving her in a tie for 31st after the first day of the tournament. But a final-round 70 (1-under par) propelled her near the top of the leaderboard.
“I started poorly, but I just stayed patient and just grinded it out,” Broderick said through the athletic department. “I ended up getting some bogeys out of some bad shots, but (Sunday), I got on a birdie roll and just kept going with that.”
Broderick had little help from her teammates at the Mercedes-Benz. Freshman Ashley Bauer, junior Lindsay Davis and senior Ali Stinson all finished in the top 20 at the Wolverine, but none placed in the top 50 in Knoxville.
Putting was a problem for the Wolverines all weekend. Coach Kathy Teichert felt that practice on the U-M Course should have prepared the team for the greens at the Cherokee Country Club, but the Wolverines were unable to execute.
“It was just difficult to see us not be able to put ourselves in good positions around the greens,” Teichert said through the athletic department. “I just saw a poor display in almost every area.”
At the Mercedes-Benz, Michigan faced stiff competition – six of the nation’s top 25 teams competed. But the team, ranked No. 12 in the nation last week, hoped for a better finish after getting off to a good start this season.
“It was a very disappointing weekend for us,” Teichert said through the athletic department. “We’re a good team. If we are not into it, we are not going to compete. We need to make sure we focus and really compete against the teams we face, especially now. We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
The Wolverines are back in action at the Landfall Tradition in Wilimington, N.C. on Oct. 27.