The Michigan women’s golf team prepared to rely on its veteran players for steady play in the season-opening contest. But the opposite rang true as two freshmen took control on center stage.
Freshmen Suzie Tran and Mimi Guo shined in their debuts, while Michigan’s experienced golfers lagged in a ninth-place finish at the Boilermaker Classic, shooting 300-314-301.
Tran and Guo immediately seized their chance to prove themselves. And as two of the newest Wolverines, they didn’t hesitate to start swinging on their way to top-20 individual finishes. While Michigan’s end results fell short, the rookie golfers provided a glimmer of hope for the upcoming season.
“I just saw so much potential in our group of young women out there this past weekend,” Wolverines coach Jan Dowling said. “Plenty of positives on a very difficult course, but a really difficult course helps expose the areas we need improvement.”
Michigan wasn’t the only program to struggle as the demanding course made its mark on the entire tournament. Host Purdue walked away with the championship title, but Minnesota’s second place finish came at a difference of 14 strokes, with two other teams only falling by a mere swing.
The conditions remain the same for the 15-team field, and regardless of course difficulty, the Wolverines were bested.
Even Michigan’s tournament-low score in the first round came with a stumble. Juniors Lauren and Sydney Sung found trouble in the back nine with a handful of bogeys. While redshirt sophomore Mara Janess supported with two birdies, she also came down with her own case of bogeys on the round. But among the disappointment, Tran and Guo hit their first balls as Michigan golfers and ended the day as the lone bright spots for the Wolverines.
“Both (Guo) and (Tran) play a very different game, but there’s a lot of different ways to play this game,” Dowling said. “We’re all very impressed with their maturity, their courtliness, their golf IQ and excited to continue helping them get better.”
Identical finishes of 73 from the pair built a solid foundation for Michigan heading into round two. But instead of finding the rhythm the Wolverines craved, further problems arose.
Tran remained consistent, finishing with a 76 — the lowest score on the day — but the Wolverines collectively struggled. Two Michigan golfers reached the 80s, with the rest following in the high 70s. With Lauren going on a six-hole streak of bogeys, and scattered double bogeys among the team plaguing the round, the damage was already done. The Wolverines’ hole was too deep to recover from.
Looking to shake off the previous round, the final 18 holes put Michigan back in its comfort zone. Tran and Guo tallied 75 and 74, respectively, with Sydney putting up the team’s cleanest performance on a rigorous back nine with just one bogey and a plethora of pars. Ending the tournament back in the low 300s put the Wolverines in the middle of the pack, just how they started.
With four new members on a team of just eight, Michigan is starting anew. Without All-Big Ten heavy hitters Hailey Borja or Monet Chun to anchor the team, the Wolverines are searching for stability. And they’re hoping Guo and Tran will be part of the answer.
“Players come in and new cultures are created,” Dowling said. “I think our values always remain the same. New personalities come in and change things, to make it really exciting and fun.”
While the bulk of Michigan’s season lies in the spring, the early tournaments offer chances for the young team to get swings in. Not only do their stellar debuts stand tall amid the veteran shakiness, but they also bring hope for the future.
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