Swinging in the rain: An insider's view of Michigan's improbable run through the NCAA Division I Golf Championships at Inverness Country Club

Michigan coach Andrew Sapp, right, hugs Bill Rankin after Rankin conceded his match to Texas A & M's Matt Van Zandt ending the Wolverine's run through the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, Friday, May 29th at Inverness C.C. in Toledo.

Rankin just misses chipping in for par on the 18th hole. 

Below: Alexander Sitompul watches his tee shot soar through the rain on the 8th hole during first round action Tuesday morning.

For whatever reason, the combination of me, a camera, and Inverness Country Club in Toledo, Ohio, equals precipitation and amazing finishes.

The first time I visited the storied club was a soggy PGA Championship Sunday in August of 1986. Australian golfer Greg  Norman was relatively unknown on these shores at the time, but that Sunday he found himself on the eve of history as he waited in a hospitality tent with a young golfer from Oklahoma by the name of Bob Tway. I was there too, waiting with both Tway and Norman, their caddies, a few officials, and a volunteer or two. 

As heavy rains pelted down, we would wait, and wait, and wait some more. After waiting nearly an hour, courtesy carts were dispatched to take the golfers and their caddies back to the clubhouse. I guess the fact Mallard ducks were swimming in the bunkers made it an easy call to move the final round to Monday. 

Of course the rest is history. Tway would start a string of heartbreaking losses for Norman by holing out of a greenside bunker on the 18th hole to defeat the Shark. To this day the bunker is known as Tway's Twap.

On Tuesday, nearly 23-years after my last trip to Inverness, it seemed like deja vu all over again as I stood in a downpour wrestling with my two cameras and an umbrella while trying to photograph Michigan's Alexander Sitompul teeing off on the 8th hole.

The fact I was there was somewhat miraculous. Michigan was the last team to qualify for the NCAA Division I Golf Championships at Inverness, and it took an amazing final round in their regional the week before in Austin, Texas, just to squeak in. Expectations were low, but there I was, covering the Wolverines in the first of three rounds of stroke play before the 30-team field was cut down to eight for the match play finals. 

Just being there seemed accomplishment enough, making it to the finals would be a pipe dream, right? After all, powerhouse teams like Georgia, Oklahoma State, and USC were in the field. Not to mention Florida, Duke and Wake Forest. I mean really, what were the chances Michigan could advance any further than 54 holes of stroke play?

Well, if the odds were slim, someone forgot to tell that to the Wolverine golfers who played three solid days of golf and found themselves alone in 6th place after the third day of competition. Led by sophomore's Alexander Sitompul, who finished in 6th place individually, and Lion Kim, who posted a top 20 finish, the Wolverines headed into the match play quarterfinals Friday morning against a USC team that came roaring back from oblivion on Thursday by posting a 5-under-par team score. Kim was the hero of the day sinking an 8-footer to save par on 18, starting a celebration among his teammates and coaches on the hillside next to the green. When I asked Kim if he was nervous standing over his critical putt, he just smiled and said, "Well, if I told you I wasn't nervous, I'd be lying."

Okay, so the Cinderella story ends here, right? This is where they get dusted, right? 

Wrong. 

Once again, lead by Sitompul and Kim, Michigan beat the Trojans 3 matches to 2, and found themselves in the golfing equivalent of the final four. Kim put the exclamation point on the victory when he stuck a 18-degree hybrid a foot from the pin on his 212-yard approach shot at the 17th hole, closing out his match with USC's Matt Giles.

Next up was Texas A & M. Amazingly, the Wolverines were only one win away from a berth in the finals, a completely unheard of proposition three days earlier.

But what started as a beautiful day, suddenly changed when a low front began sweeping through northern Ohio, clouding up the skies and dropping the temperatures nearly 15 degrees. Just for good measure, the front also started pumping 25 mph wind gusts across the course.

To this point it had rained at some point during every day of the competition, making me a perfect 4 for 4 on rainy days at Inverness. I thought my streak was over Friday morning when there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but sure enough, by Friday afternoon I was standing behind the 4th green (the furthest point from the clubhouse) when the skies darkened and rain began to fall.

Still, the action was riveting. The Sitompul/Kim show came grinding to a halt that afternoon. Especially for the long-hitting Sitompul (when I say long-hitting, I mean long, he hit his drive pin high at the 353-yard 18th on Tuesday) who ran into a buzz saw in Texas A & M's Andrea Pavan. Pavan birdied the first three holes and five of the first nine in his match against Sitompul. Before he knew what hit him, Sitompul was staring at a 8 & 7 thumping.

Kim hung in there a little longer, although not much. Visibly tired by his week of coming through in the clutch for Michigan, Kim was beaten 4 and 3 by A & M's Bronson Burgoon leaving any lingering heroics up to teammates Nick Pumford, Bill Rankin and Matt Thompson. 

Pumford didn't disappoint, earning Michigan's first point of the day with a 2 & 1 victory over Conrad Schindler. Thompson too, was solid, battling it out against A & M's monster of a golfer, John Hurley. Hurley made mincemeat out of  Inverness's 8th hole earlier in the week, blasting a 381-yard drive and a 7-iron approach into the long par-5 setting up a relatively easy eagle, if that's even possible.

With Hurley and Thompson going back and forth, it came down to Rankin's match against A & M's Matt Van Zandt. Trailing 2 down with three holes to play, it didn't look good for Rankin, or Michigan. But Rankin knocked his approach to 15-feet on No. 16, while Van Zandt left his approach short. 

After chipping to 3-feet, it appeared Rankin would need to jar his birdie putt to win the hole - he missed. But with the nerves of the match perhaps getting the best of him, Van Zandt lipped out his short par putt and now his lead over Rankin was down to 1-up with two to play.

Both players hit wayward tee shots through the strong cross winds buffeting the 17th hole, Van Zandt's landing up against the lip of a fairway bunker on the right and Rankin's in the left rough. Van Zandt blasted out into the fairway, but Rankin could only advance his shot out of the rough about 100-yards, once again in the left rough.

Van Zandt then knocked his third shot to 18-feet putting the heat on Rankin, who somehow counterpunched by slashing out of the rough to 8-feet. When Van Zandt missed his par putt, Rankin found himself in position to draw all square in the match. The roar that echoed through the trees of Inverness told the story - Rankin dropped the putt.

With Thompson and Hurley still all square behind them with three holes to play, all eyes were on the Rankin/Van Zandt match as they headed to the 18th tee all square themselves. With the pressure mounting, both players blew their drives well right into the rough. From there, Rankin took several minutes to pull the trigger, backing off on at least three occasions before finally hitting his approach, which landed pin high at the back of the green, but with no spin coming out of the rough, there was nothing Rankin could do but plead as his ball trickled off the steeply sloped putting surface and into a bunker behind the green.

Van Zandt then countered with a similar shot from the rough, but 20-yards closer. From there Van Zandt was able to launch his approach high enough to get it to check up and stop pin high 18-feet from the hole. 

With the advantage firmly in Van Zandt's favor, Rankin could only hope to emulate Bob Tway 22-years before him. Unfortunately for the Wolverine senior captain, he blasted out of the trap only to watch in horror as his ball ran past the pin, then continued to run until it disappeared off the far side of the green. This time, from the deep rough, Rankin nearly did pull off a Tway, lipping out his par-saving chip before it too, ran several feet past the hole. Now staring at at least a bogey, Rankin, somewhat surprisingly, conceded his match without even making Van Zandt attempt a putt, thus ending the Wolverines improbable run from barely squeaking in, to actually making the final four of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Golf Championships.

With tears welling up in his already fatigued-reddened eyes, Rankin was hugged by his equally emotional teammates and coaches as Texas A & M players celebrated a few yards away. The Aggies went on to win the title on Saturday, defeating Arkansas 3 matches to 2, but something tells me their semifinal match with Michigan will be the one that sticks out most when they look back or their week in Toledo.

Ironically, Bob Tway was there all week as well, cheering on his son Kevin who plays for Oklahoma State. I wonder what was going through his head as he roamed the grounds of his incredible win over Norman nearly 23-years earlier. I also wonder how this group of Michigan golfers will feel the next time they visit or play at Inverness. They're young men right now; some of them may be headed to careers in professional golf, some may not, but I feel certain, that at some point in their future, each and every one of them: Kim, Sitompul, Pumford, Thompson and Rankin, will return to the course and remember this week as one of the best in their lives. 

 

Washtenaw Country Club - A beautiful day on a beautiful course

  

Top: Washtenaw Country Club head professional John Myers tees off on the third hole. Below: The club's 16th hole.

  Nothing beats playing a great golf course on a beautiful day. This is especially true if you're lucky enough to be playing in great company.

  This past Thursday (May 21) I was lucky enough to do just that.

  Earlier this year I wrote a column for The Ann Arbor News called "Thoughts on Golf." The column spoke specifically about the financial troubles of Washtenaw Country Club and the potential sale of the club to Washtenaw Community College (seemingly a perfect fit, wouldn't even have to change the initials).

  The potential sale of the private course (for a paltry $1.9 million) fell through after a storm of opposition began to swell publicly over the sale. It wasn't the loss of the course that had the public in an uproar, it was the loss of the tax base if the college took over the property. What got lost in all the bickering was just how nice a golf course WCC really is. 

  After my column ran I got an e-mail from John Myers, the head golf professional at WCC. Myers appreciated the fact that I had gone to bat for his home course and invited me out to play once golf season arrived (my column ran in February).

  I took Myers up on his offer, and late Thursday afternoon, the two of us set out to play the third oldest club in the state of Michigan.

  First off, let it be known that I've played WCC five or six times before, but never this early in the year, and never with a golf professional. If any of you have played with a professional before, then you know it can potentially be intimidating. Let's face it, none of us want to totally embarrass ourselves in front of anyone, let alone a pro.

  But John Myers is a great guy. Very forthright, funny, and probably the fastest player I've ever seen. Warming up wasn't even an option for Myers as we strolled to the third tee (skipping past a few groups to start on an open hole) where he pulled out his driver, teed up his Titleist and let it rip. (if I did that, the only thing ripping would be an oblique muscle, or perhaps a rotator cuff).

 The third hole at Washtenaw is a relatively easy par 5 that measures 511 yards from the tips. Playing downwind, I actually reached the green in two and managed a two-putt birdie. The next hole, No. 4, is a great par 3 measuring 172 yards - this time into the wind. Both John and I struck pretty solid iron shots that ballooned in the wind before drifting left and coming up short of the green. With the pin tucked a pace or two from the front left side of the green, I had no idea how I was going to  get the ball even remotely close to the pin on the firm, fast greens. After virtually declaring the shot unplayable, I holed out for birdie. Two holes, two birdies. Crazy start.

  For the next several holes, Myers and I talked about the uncertain future of the club as we strolled up and down (and sometimes in and out) of the tree-lined fairways. With the club in financial peril, Myers predicted the bank would settle for less than the $1.9 million previously offered as a selling point to the community college. Rumor mills have kicked out the idea of Eastern Michigan University ridding itself of Eagle Crest (selling it to the Marriott) and buying WCC. This option seemed to sit all right with Myers, as I expect it would with any Eastern Michigan University golf team member.

  Myers also pointed out that the public is invited to come play WCC this year with one day membership passes. The club has offered this deal to not only let non-members experience country club life for a day, but also to try and drive up future membership. Myers noted that the club has lost 10-15 members this year due to the club's situation.

  The cost of a membership at WCC also has dipped. Interested golfers now may join the club for $4,000 a year. This includes all the perks that come with a membership as well as 10 free guest passes. Normally a guest would pay $50-$75 to play WCC, so the free guest pass perk is a huge one.

  In between official club talk, Myers and I chatted about the course's beauty, and trust me, it is a beautiful course. With rolling hills, century-old hardwoods wreaking havoc on wayward shots and smooth-as-glass undulating greens, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of the one-day membership deal. 

  It's not a long course, tipping out at 6,564 yards, but that doesn't mean it's easy. "When I saw the yardage on this course I thought I would eat it up." Myers said. "But that's not the case." Stray off the tee even a little, and soon you'll be an expert at punching out from under trees. Myers is a particular master of this skill, because, as he put it, "I've had a lot of practice."

 Perhaps Myers and I hit it off so well because we're both Ohio natives. In fact, it turns out he grew up playing with Buddy Bell's sons when Bell played for the Cleveland Indians (Bell was my childhood hero). Over the course of our round we talked as much about Buddy Bell and Jack Brohammer as we did about golf.

  Myers came to WCC last year after former professional Jim Wilson left for another job. Prior to that, he worked several years as an assistant pro under Doug White at Barton Hills CC. A very boyish-looking 37, Myers looks as if he just graduated from high school, but he's a traditionalist at heart. He appreciates the beauty of a course like WCC over the modern-era golf community courses. He fondly recalls the days of persimmon and balata, and he easily relates to the joy of a well-struck iron shot, no matter where it ends up.

  "I always thought a good round was one where I struck the ball well," he said, "no matter what I shot."

  After a much-too-quick nine holes, Myers had to leave for family plans, but he was more than happy to let me continue my round solo. With nary a sole on the course, I had the place to myself. The rest of my round was magical. The light was stunning, the course was in pristine shape and I actually found I'm a pretty good putter if I'm putting on good greens, and these greens were better than good.

  For me, the best part of WCC is the variety of shots that you must hit. This is no blast it off the tee and wedge it to the green golf course. Several holes take the driver out of your hand, and those are the holes you remember best once your round is through.

  The 7th and 8th holes, for example, are two of the best little par 4's you'll ever play. No. 7 plays from an elevated tee and doglegs slightly right to a severely-sloped green tucked up nice and snug next to a pond. (It's the hole you can see from Packard as you drive by the club). Eight is just the opposite, an uphill, dogleg left to an elevated, two-tiered green that Myers admits "has only two places you can put a pin."

 The collection of par 3's at WCC are off the charts as well. All are fairly long, save for No. 12 which tops out at 150-yards, and all are well protected by bunkers, or, in the case of No. 12, a water hazard behind the green.

  Still, for my money the best two holes on the course are No.'s 15 and 16. Tracking in opposite directions, both holes carve through the woods and put a premium on putting your tee shot in the perfect place if you want to have a reasonable shot at the pin. Measuring only 373 yards, but bending to the right just enough to make you wish you were Jack Nicklaus pounding a 300-yard power fade, No. 15 is just a classic-looking, old, golf course hole. 

  The 16th is even better. From an elevated tee box, the 16th hole tempts you to blast away, but beware, a water hazard sits in wait 250-yards down the fairway. At 330-yards you need to do the math and realize (as I amazingly did) you need only to hit a 200-yard tee shot to be in good shape. The three-iron I hit downhill and downwind came to rest a mere 100-yards from the green. A little gap wedge later, and I had a stress-free par. 

  The finishing holes at WCC give you more of the same. No. 17 is a 400-yard, dead-straight par 4 that has a green sloping so severely from back to front, you can roll something all the way to the back of the green and know it will come back.

  The last hole at WCC has you teeing off to a blind landing spot. Not a problem if you don'tget too greedy. Like No. 16, a pond lies in wait at the base of the hill where you are trying to land your tee shot. Luckily, the nice folks at WCC leave a first cut of rough in front of the water hazard to help keep your ball dry in case you catch one a little too well.

  The 18th green sits at the base of a hill next to the clubhouse making a nice spectator spot for any friends (or foes) to make you nervous while you try avoiding an embarrassing three-putt to finish your round.

  Any way you slice it (or hook it) WCC is a great golf course. And now, thanks to Myers and the rest of the club's courteous members, you get the chance to play it. Take my advice, don't pass it up.

   

Linemen on the Links

Former Michigan running back Mike Hart laughs after hitting a brutal drive off the 10th tee at the University of Michigan Golf Course during Sunday, May 17th's Brian Griese and Steve Hutchinson Champions For Children's Hearts Golf Classic.

Former offensive lineman Steve Everitt displays his best golf apparel while preparing to hit a driver off the deck from 195 yards out on the 18th hole. Oh. did I mention the pond in front of the 18th green? Everitt's ball now swims with the fishes.

  

  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and all around were tour-sized staff bags filled with Mizunos, Callaways, Titleists, Nikes and Pings. 

  Millionaire athletes strolled about the putting green of the famed Alistir MacKenzie layout. Yes sir, this was a golf tournament all right, and like most tournaments there was a ton of money to be raised for charity. But this was no ordinary group of millionaire golfers striping 300-yard tee shots with a slight draw down the middle of the fairway. No, this group was more likely to contain 300-pounders than 300-yarders.

  Welcome to the Brian Griese and Steve Hutchinson Champions For Children's Hearts Golf Classic at the University of Michigan Golf Course. 

  Held Sunday, May 17th, the tournament once again brought in a ton of money for the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital (more than $650,000) while also bringing together some of Michigan's finest gridiron stars, both young and old.

  I've covered many high-profile golf tournaments in my career: the Ryder Cup, a U.S. Open, two PGA's, as well as several Buick Opens, but until Sunday, I'd never covered a UM charity scramble, and when I say scramble, I mean that literally.

  When photographing a professional golfer, it doesn't really matter all that much where you set up as long as you wait until he's struck the ball before you press the shutter (see "Tiger Woods tantrums" if you shoot too soon) This is not the case when shooting a professional football player. It became painfully obvious that hitting another human being in shoulder pads and a helmet is not exactly akin to hitting a golf ball off a tee - no matter how expensive the driver.

  This, of course, made it extremely challenging for me, a photographer, to try and get a decent shot of these monsters at play. For example, just how far off the intended target line should I stand in hopes of getting a decent shot without having to worry about taking my teeth home in my hand?

  The answer to that question turned out to be - it doesn't matter where you stand, your life could be in grave danger (never underestimate the power of a golf ball ricocheting off the curb of a paved cart path).

  After watching former Michigan lineman Adam Kraus nearly kill a cart girl who was parked roughly 50 yards in front, and 50-yards left of the 10th hole tee box, with a drive hit pretty much sideways off the heel of his driver, traveling roughly at the speed of sound about foot off the ground, I decided standing behind the golfer may be the safest place.

  That's not to say that some of these former players can't play. When Elvis Grbac, Michigan quarterback from 1989-92, strolled onto the grounds with his name emblazoned on his Mizuno staff bad, I kind of figured he could play. Turns out I was right, Grbac is a scratch player who competes regularly on the celebrity golf circuit.

  Other sticks included kicker Jay Feeley, who can crush a drive about the equivalent of a 60-yard field goal, and tournament host Brian Griese, himself.

  For some reason, quarterbacks and kickers make for the best golfers. Lineman and running backs? Not so much. I'm guessing it has something to do with weight transfer. Whether you're throwing a ball or kicking one, you have to shift your weight for power, same as a golf swing. Of course shifting weight doesn't mean a damn thing to a ball carrier, receiver, blocker or tackler, unless the weight you're talking about is the 280 pound opponent being put on his ass. And this lack of being able to transfer weight correctly shows up in embarrassing fashion on the links.

  But hey, these guys are totally cool - cooler than you would ever expect. Every player was extremely gracious and some even let yours truly join in on the fun and smack a drive or two with their group.

  Aaron Shea, Tyrone Wheatley, Steve Everitt, Jake Long, Mike Hart, Kraus and Grbac, friendly guys all. As I'm sure most of the other players I didn't meet were as well. Besides, it wasn't really about the golf, it was about the charity. And this event has gotten so popular over the years they're actually talking about adding another course (perhaps Radrick Farms?) for next year so they don't have to turn anyone away.

  At any rate, it was a fun day spent with some superstar athletes on a place I feel more comfortable than anywhere on earth - a golf course. Although I'm pretty sure I can safely say they didn't feel quite the same level of comfort - at least from a golfing perspective.

  

  

 

Ode to Rossie

  I just got home and flipped on ESPN to see what was going on in the sports world today. As is my usual custom, I checked out the scroll on the bottom of the screen and the first thing I saw was that former PGA champion Bob Rosburg had died at the age of 82.

  "No, not Rossie." I thought to myself.

  Strange how we feel we know someone we've never met, but that's exactly how I, and I'm guessing many other golfers from my, and older generations, feel about Rossie.

  Truth is I never saw Bob Rosburg hit a single golf shot, but boy could be describe one. Hell, I didn't even know what Rossie looked like for several years, but I sure knew his voice.

  Aside from Ken Venturi, who else would you trust with the correct knowledge of what was about to be attempted by a professional golfer?

  I vividly remember my friend Joe Simpson mimicking Rossie on every shot that he, I, or my cousin John would attempt, that was even remotely difficult while roaming the fairways of Thunderbird Hills in Huron, Ohio as a 13-year-old (the year I took up golf).

  Even if it was something as simple as a punch shot out from underneath a fairly high overhanging branch, Joe would do a spot-on Rossie, declaring "he's got absolutely no shot, Kenny" before we'd miraculously pull it off.

  Of course we took Rossie's famous on-course line and started applying it to ridiculously easy shots like 3-foot putts (oddly prophetic for me these days since I can't seem to make a damn one) as well as other incredibly easy tasks, like passing my driving test. To this day, when the three of us somehow stumble together to actually play a round of golf, we usually utter Rossie's famous phrase right before we tee off on the first hole.

  I guess I'm getting old, because the broadcasters I grew up with, all seem to be falling by the wayside, either through death or retirement. I'll miss Rossie, just like I miss Ken Venturi and Pat Summerall.  One of Rossie's fellow golf broadcasters, and Ann Arbor resident, Mike Tirico, a co-worker of Rossie's for 12 years at ABC, called him "the smartest man I ever worked with."

That's a pretty hefty compliment coming from a broadcaster who has done as much, and covered as many sports as Tirico has over the years.

  That's not saying that there aren't a lot of talented on-course broadcasters out there today. Peter Kostis, Roger Maltbie, David Feherty, Gary McCord, heck, even Bobby Clampett and Dottie Pepper come to mind. But I'm sure if you asked any of them if they could fill the void left behind by Bob Rosburg's death, they'd be the first to quote his famous line -

"there's absolutely no chance."

  What more can you say than that? 

  

Welcome golfers

  Just an introduction.

  My name is Lon Horwedel and for the past 15-years I've been a staff photographer at The Ann Arbor News.

  For the past three years I've also written a weekly column and last year I was the golf writer for The News.

  Why start a blog about golf?

  Well, last year I received such a positive response to both the golf course reviews and the feature stories that ran each week in The News, that it only made sense to continue. The only problem is this year, after 174-years in the business, The Ann Arbor News will cease publication in July. Many folks in the golf community have asked if I would continue writing. The answer is yes.

  This blog will pick up where I left off last year with course reviews and feature stories dealing with the local (southeast Michigan) golf scene.

  Why should I read your blog?

  With over 30-years of golfing experience, never worse than a 6 handicap, never better than a 1.6 (currently a 2) I'm a golfer who can relate to the good player as well as the novice.

  I'm a short hitter who plays nearly all of his golf solo, meaning I hook up with a lot of folks I don't know. 

  That's OK, I enjoy meeting people on the various links in the area, be they players, teaching pros, or even the average hacker. Whatever the skill level, I feel I can relate.

  I also play all my golf on foot so I get a real feel for a course and its design. 

  And since I'm a professional photographer,  you will benefit by seeing better than average photo galleries from the courses I review and the subjects I feature.

  Also, in the near future you will be able to access the archive I built up from last year's golf season.

  Starting next week, I'll kick off the season with Washtenaw Country Club, a private course in Ypsilanti.

  The feature on WCC will include both a course review as well as an interview with their new pro John Myers dealing with the odd situation the club has found itself in due to our lovely economy.  

  Stay tuned -

Lon