Dobbs wins Big Ten golf title

Michigan golfer Kyle Dobbs made a great final impression Sunday at the Big Ten championships at Ohio State.

Dobbs

Dobbs, a senior, waited until the waning weeks of his career at Michigan before winning a coveted Big Ten individual championship - a feat that no Wolverine has accomplished since 1980.

Dobbs shot an even par 72 Sunday, defeating Indiana's Randy Leen by two strokes. Dobbs fired rounds of 73, 71, 71 and 72 to finish one under par.

"It's been one of my goals ever since I came to Michigan to come back with a Big Ten championship ring," Dobbs said. "That's what's going to hit me later on down the road."

As a sophomore, Dobbs made his first run at a Big Ten championship when he posted a 67 midway through the tournament. But the lead slowly dwindled and he came up short, finishing third.

Dobbs' performance led the way for the Wolverines at the Big Ten tournament this weekend.

Michigan finished third, despite leading the tournament after 36 holes. The Wolverines shot a score of 1193, while Ohio State won the prize, capturing its third-straight team title with a 1187.

"We have a really strong team," Dobbs said. "Ohio State is one of the hardest golf courses in the country. But our guys didn't play bad. They hung in there."

Following its third-place finish, Michigan will travel to the NCAA Central Regional tournament that begins tomorrow in Norman, Okla. The top 10 teams will move on to the NCAA championship on May 28.

05-14-97