Michigan Golf Journal September 2021

Season Preview: Michigan Women’s Golf By Tom Wywrot Michigan Golf Journal ichigan Golf Journal College C rner With her entire roster back, U-M women’s golf coach Jan Dowling begins her ninth season leading the Wolverines with plenty of high expectations. The Wolverines excelled in their return of the 2021 spring season, etching seven straight top-five finishes, matching the best finish at the Big Ten Championships (t-2nd) as well as posting the best finish at an NCAA regional (t-5th), which helped the Maize and Blue advance to its fourth NCAA Finals appearance, and third under Dowling. Ashley Lau, U-M’s second All-American in program history, returns for her senior season after pacing the Wolverines with a 72.64 per-round average a year ago. The All-Big Ten first-teamer posted a Michigan-best nine rounds of par or better, carded a career-low 68 (-4) twice, and tallied a career-best 211 (-5) at the 2021 Big Ten Championships, tying for third. Receiving All-Big Ten second-team accolades for a second straight year, junior Hailey Borja will look to capitalize on her fifth- place finish at the NCAA Finals, as well as her Sweet 16 appearance in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur this summer -- her third straight trip to match play. The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-Big Ten first team member, Monet Chun, carried a 73.82 average last season and nearly won the NCAA Columbus Regional, tying as the runner-up with a 215 (-1) tally in Ohio. Ashley Kim returns for a fifth season per the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, and Mikaela Schulz, who won the 2021 GAM Women’s Championship and was the Michigan Women’s Amateur runner-up this summer. With the additional depth of Sophia Trombetta and Anika Dy, the Wolverines have the experience and drive to make another run to the NCAA Finals. The Wolverines start this fall by hosting the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 13-14) -- Michigan’s first home event in nine years. The event will showcase U-M’s home course, which will also serve as one of four NCAA regional sites in May. In total, U-M will play nine regular season events – four fall and five spring. MGJ Jan Dowling