The Michigan men's and women's golf teams traveled to Fripp Island, S.C. last weekend for their spring break. Unlike the majority of the jet-setting student body, the golfers didn't bum at the beach; instead, they found other ways to celebrate their week off from classes.
"This trip was great from the standpoint that we got nine days of real practice in," Michigan men's coach Jim Carras said.
The men's team took advantage of this winter-time bonus, tying for third with James Madison in the Fripp Island Intercollegiate. The Wolverines finished with a three-round total of 897 (295-297-305), behind only Methodist (886) and tournament champion Toledo (884).
"I was kind of down on the kids because instead of getting better each day, we got worse." Carras said. "We did well considering it was our first time out this year, but we didn't bring it home on the final day."
The women's team also finished with mixed results last weekend, finishing ninth out of 17 teams with a score of 973 (325-323-325). Despite finishing in the middle of the pack, the Wolverines feel positive about their performance.
"Most of the team is on the verge of playing better," Michigan women's coach Kathy Teichert said. "We made some mistakes on the last day which hurt us in the final standings."
The men were guided by superb performances from Michael Harris and Kyle Dobbs. Harris, a redshirt freshman, finished the tournament with an even-par total of 216. Harris shot a personal-best 69 in the first round last Friday.
"(Harris) is going to be one of the finer Michigan golfers of all time," Carras said. "No one has better work ethics."
Dobbs (72-70-75) tied for third with Jacksonville's Chris Campbell and Toledo's Richard Elliott with a one-over- par 217. Other Wolverines at the Fripp include David Jasper (tied for 31st), Isaac Hinkle (tied for 77th) and Brent Idalski (tied for 91st).
The Michigan women were paced by Wendy Westfall, who tied for ninth place with a three-day total of 231. Other finishers for the Wolverines include Sharon Park (tied for 36th), Ashley Williams (tied for 48th), Molly Vandenbark (tied for 74th) and Nicole Green (tied for 82nd).
Shauna Estes of second-place Georgia took the individual title with a total of 219 (74-73-72). Kate Gallina of third-place Auburn and Megan Morgan of tournament-champion North Carolina finished in a second-place tie with a three-day total of 226.
Michigan's men's and women's golf teams have returned back to winter-time reality this week in Ann Arbor-indoor golf. While this allows some practice for the Wolverines, it just can't replace what they had in South Carolina.
"It is hard to deal with hitting the ball off grass and contending with the wind conditions after practicing inside," Teichert said.