Sept. 10, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Fresh off its season-opening tournament win, the Baylor men's golf team looks to ride that momentum at the Wolverine Intercollegiate to be held Sept. 12-13 at U-M Golf Course.
Last week in Verona, N.Y., Baylor battled rainy conditions for an 11-stroke victory at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate. All five Bears finished the tournament in the top 1, including three top-10 performers.
"I thought everyone played well in our win at Turning Stone," head coach Greg Priest said. "Our freshmen played extremely well as did our veterans. After a performance like last that, we can definitely compete with anyone."
Michigan is the host school for the two-day, 54-hole event at the par-71, 6,687-yard U-M Golf Course. The first and second rounds will tee off Monday at 7 a.m. CDT, while the final round will begin Tuesday at 7 a.m. CDT. In addition to Baylor and host Michigan, the 11-team field includes Cal, Detroit, Iowa State, IUPUI, Marquette, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina and Oakland.
For the second consecutive tournament, Priest will rely on the lineup of seniors Joakim Mikkelsen and Lorenzo Scotto, junior Ryan O'Rear and freshmen Mikkel Bjerch-Andresen and Kyle Jones. Bjerch-Andresen finished fifth at Turning Stone, while Jones led through 36 holes before finishing tied for 10th.
"At some point, they are all going to have bad rounds," Priest said. "Unfortunately for (Kyle Jones), his bad one came with him having a 36-hole lead last week. He really wanted to do well in the final round, but getting into that position and being in the final group will pay off for him in the long run."
Baylor will be making its third appearance - and second in the last three seasons - at a Michigan-hosted event. The Bears won the 2001 Wolverine Invitational by a five-stroke margin, while Ryan Baca won a playoff to capture the individual tournament title. Two seasons ago, Baylor shot 3-under to finish fourth at The Wolverine at Radrick Farms.
"We want to continue to play well in each event," Priest said. "It was great to win the first tournament, but it's time to put that behind us and get ready for the next one. It's a new tournament, a new field and different golf course.
"Our main goal each week is to win," Priest said. "If we play the way we are capable of, then we can do that."
As a team, Baylor combined for 11 rounds of par or better in its season-opening win at Turning Stone. Bjerch-Andresen owns a team-best 71.0 scoring average through three rounds, followed by Mikkelsen and Jones with a 71.7 average.
WOLVERINE INTERCOLLEGIATE INFORMATION
Dates: Mon., Sept. 12-Tue., Sept. 13
Location / Course: Ann Arbor, Mich. / U-M Golf Course
Par / Yardage: 71 / 6,687
Format: 36-18
Field (11 teams): Baylor, California, Detroit, Iowa State, IUPUI, Marquette, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Oakland
Live Scoring: www.GolfStat.com
