The UW men’s golf team climbed two spots in the final round at the Northern Intercollegiate tournament played on the University of Michigan golf course, the site of the 2004 Big Ten Championship. The team’s final 18-hole score of 296, combined with Saturday’s 302 and 290, totaled a seventh-place score of 888 in the 15-team tournament.
Xavier won the team medal with rounds of 288-285-280–853.
Junior Kevin Tassistro led Wisconsin in the final round, shooting a one-under-par 70 to total 221 for the tournament and tie for 22nd. It is the second time in as many tournaments Tassitro has shot Wisconsin’s low score, as he shot a UW-best 148 in the Badgers’ rain-shortened 36-hole season opener.
Rookie Ryan Conn shot a third round 73 Sunday for scores of 77-75-73–225 to tie for 38th in the tournament. Leading the Badgers overall was junior Brian Brodell, who shot 73-68-74–215 to tie for 10th place individually. Junior Dylan Esterling rounded out the team total in the third round with a 79. Also competing was freshman T.J. Blakemore, who shot an 81 on the final day, landing him in 87th place for the weekend.
The Wisconsin women’s golf team was also in action this weekend, placing fifth in the 2003 Mary Fossum Invitational held in East Lansing, Mich. UW senior Malinda Johnson once again led the Badgers, as she finished in a tie for fifth individually.
Johnson is on her way to padding an already impressive résumé, as she finished second overall in the Badger Invitational, Wisconsin’s first tournament of the season.
In UW’s 2002 campaign, the Eau Claire native broke Wisconsin’s all-time-best season average with a 75.94 through 33 rounds and was the Badgers’ top finisher on seven different occasions.
Wisconsin shot a final-round 314, which, combined with Saturday’s rounds of 320 and 306, totaled a 940 finish, good enough to take fifth place among the 16 teams competing. Host Michigan State clinched its victory with a Sunday round of 300 to finish at 901 and take the team medal.
Johnson shot a round three score of two-over-par 74 to tie with Spartan’s Sarah Martin and Heather Rose in fifth, all with 54-hole totals of 226. Next among the Badgers was sophomore Jackie Obermueller. Sunday’s round of 75 moved her into a tie for 18th with a 233 total.
Tying for 41st was freshman Nikki Morse with scores of 77-81-82–240. Just one stroke behind Morse was sophomore Lindsay McMillan, who shot 83 in her last 18 holes for a 241 finish to tie for 43rd. Freshman Taryn Rechlicz finished with rounds of 88-83-84 to post a 255 total.
Malinda Johnson and the Wisconsin women’s golf team will be in action again this weekend, Sept. 27-28, when they travel to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the 2003 Lady Northern Invitational.
The Wisconsin men’s golf team will travel to Columbia, Mo., to play in the Nestle Purina Classic Oct. 6-7.
— compiled from staff reports
