Nov. 3, 2009

Site: Austin, Texas
Course: Onion Creek Club (par 70, 5,938 yards)
Tournament: Challenge at Onion Creek
U-M Standing: 15 Place of 21 Teams (294-292-291/877)
Top U-M Individual: Ashley Bauer, tie-8th (70-71-71/212)
Next Event: Sun-Tue., Feb. 7-9 -- at Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico)

AUSTIN, Texas -- With career and season bests up and down the Wolverine lineup, the University of Michigan women's golf team closed the fall with a season-best 877 54-hole total in 15th place today (Tuesday, Nov. 3) at the 2009 Challenge at Onion Creek at the Onion Creek Club.

For the first time this fall, the Maize and Blue closed an event with three straight sub-300 team tallies and posted just its second team total under 900. With an even-par 70 from senior captain Ashley Bauer (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and a one-over 71 from fellow senior Andrea Ratigan (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino), U-M opened with a 294 first-round tally on Monday (Nov. 2). With delays on the course, the 21-team field finished about 12 holes in the second round before play was called due to darkness.

Coming back early this morning to finish the second round, Ashley Bauer's strong play continued as she carded a one-over 71 in the second round, while junior Min Yean Tan (Penang Island, Malaysia/Hills International College [Australia]) and sophomore Meagan Bauer (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) had rounds of 73 to give U-M a 292 second-round total, keeping U-M in 15th after 36 holes.

With a career-best, even-par 70 from Ratigan and Ashley Bauer's second straight one-over 71 in the final round, the Wolverines set a new season best with a 291 team total to help give U-M a season-best 877 total and a 15th-place finish.

For the 10th straight event, Ashley Bauer closed as the top Wolverine as she tied the U-M 54-hole tournament record of 212 (70-71-71), putting her in a tie for eighth place on the event leaderboard. The tally marked the second time this fall she has equaled her school-record round -- a score she has posted three times in her career and shares with Kim Benedict (2000-03). With her eighth-place finish, she has three top-10 finishes in the five fall events.

Ratigan closed behind Ashley Bauer, tying for 27th with a career-best 216 54-hole total, including a career-best single-round tally of 70 in the final round. She bettered her previous-best 54-hole tally by six strokes. Tan followed in 64th with a season-best 222 (75-73-74), while Meagan Bauer tied her career best for the second straight week with a 228 total (79-73-76), giving her a tie for 84th. Rounding out the Wolverine starters was junior Katelin Davis (Dexter, Mich./Dexter), who closed 102nd at 234 (78-78-78).

The Wolverines have completed their fall season and will now have nearly four months away from competition. The next time the Maize and Blue hit the course will be in the 2010 spring opening event -- the Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 7-9). The opening event will be at the Coco Beach Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Team Standings

 1. Texas A&M              286-275-278 = 839 (-1)
 2. San Francisco          265-288-289 = 842
 3. Texas State            283-291-289 = 863
 4. Texas                  288-290-286 = 864
 5. Indiana                297-286-283 = 866
 6. Augusta State          287-292-288 = 867
    Iowa State             298-276-293 = 867
 8. Texas Tech             292-296-281 = 869
 9. Wisconsin              295-284-291 = 870
10. Nebraska               290-292-289 = 871
11. Kentucky               293-296-284 = 873
12. Kennesaw State         293-285-296 = 874
13. Baylor                 292-288-295 = 875
    Arkansas-Little Rock   289-292-294 = 875
15. MICHIGAN               294-292-291 = 877
16. Washington State       291-282-309 = 882
17. Illinois               287-294-302 = 883
18. Texas-San Antonio      292-292-303 = 887
19. Iowa                   304-285-299 = 888
20. Missouri               313-283-302 = 898
21. Boise State            303-295-309 = 907

Top Individuals

 1. Julia Boland, Texas A&M              67-70-69 = 206 (-4)
 2. Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M            74-66-67 = 207
 3. Tinna Johannsdottir, San Francisco   64-73-71 = 208
 4. Krista Puisite, Texas State          67-71-71 = 209
 5. Christina Stockton, San Francisco    70-71-69 = 210
 6. Kimberly Kaufman, Texas Tech         73-73-65 = 211
    Natasha Podmore, San Francisco       65-71-75 = 211
 8. Ashley Bauer, U-M                    70-71-71 = 212
    Laurence Herman, Iowa State          73-68-71 = 212

Other Michigan Individuals

T27. Andrea Ratigan   71-75-70 = 216
T64. Min Yean Tan     75-73-74 = 222
T84. Meagan Bauer     79-73-76 = 228
102. Katelin Davis    78-78-78 = 234

N O T E S

• Michigan closed the fall season with a season-best 877 54-hole tournament total at the Challenge at Onion Creek. It topped the 895 the Wolverines tallied at the Windy City Collegiate.

• Michigan descended all three of its team rounds for the first time this season at the Challenge at Onion Creek. In fact, it was the first tournament this season U-M posted three rounds under 300 -- 294, 292 and 291.

• With a 291 team total in the final round of the Challenge at Onion Creek, Michigan ended the fall season with a season-best single-round tally. It bettered the 292 U-M had in the second round at the Challenge and 292 U-M tallied in the second round of the Windy City Collegiate.

• For the second time this fall, Ashley Bauer tied her own school-record round for a 54-hole tournament total with her 212 tally at the Challenge at Onion Creek. She shot 212 earlier this season at the Windy City Collegiate. Bauer also shot a 212 at the 2007 Mountain View Challenge and shares the honor with Kim Benedict (2000-03), who shot her 212 at the 2001 Shootout at the Legends.

• Ashley Bauer's tie for eighth place was her third top-10 finish in five fall events. She has now finished as the top Wolverine in 24 of her 41 career events. Today's top finish also marked her 10th straight event finishing as the top Wolverine dating back to last season.

• With her start at the Challenge at Onion Creek, Ashley Bauer has still yet to miss a tournament in her career, playing in 41 straight events. Bauer is one of two Wolverines with consecutive-event streaks along with Min Yean Tan, who has played in 29 straight events in her three seasons.

• With her final-round 70 at the Challenge at Onion Creek, Andrea Ratigan set a career-best single-round tally. Starting off at the ninth hole, she played her first 10 holes even with two birdies, Nos. 13 and 16, to erase a double bogey on No. 14. She made the turn to the front and birdied Nos. 1 and 5 to sit two under with three holes left. An unfortunate double bogey on No. 6 put her back at even where she finished the round. The senior topped the 71 she had during the second round of the 2007 Mountain View Challenge.

• After closing with a 216 54-hole tournament total at the Challenge at Onion Creek, Andrea Ratigan lowered her career best by six strokes. Her prior-best 54-hole total was a 222 at the 2007 Mountain View Challenge during her first season with U-M. The fall-closing tally gives her five career 54-hole events under 230 and her second straight.

• For the fourth time in five fall events, Meagan Bauer set or tied her career best for a 54-hole tournament total. With her 228 at the Challenge at Onion Creek, Bauer equaled her 228 output from her last event at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate.

• Min Yean Tan closed the fall season with a season-best 222, just a stroke off her career best. She topped the 223 she had at the Windy City Classic earlier this season.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Cheryl Stacy
On the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate ... "I was really happy with the way our seniors led us in the final event. Ashley (Bauer) is disappointed, but that is because she has high expectations. With this event being par 70, she has some goals that she just missed. But her drive and mentality at events is rubbing off on the other girls and you like to see that. Andrea (Ratigan) has been playing well as of late and it show in her scoring. I am proud of the way she has handled her game over the last two events. The seniors are really leading the way for us. It was good to get three scores under 300 to close the fall, and to descend each of those as well. It just goes to show the girls are working hard each time out. With the close of the fall season here, I am pleased with the way we have played, but I know we have some work to do. We know what we need to work on. We know what our strengths and weaknesses are and we are going to do what we can to improve on both this winter. We are going to take a little bit of time off, but then come right back and get back to work preparing for the spring season."

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423