Season Preview: Michigan Women
By Tom Wyrott
It was a season of transition during head coach Jan Dowling's 2024-25 campaign. Now, in her 13th season, her 2024-25 University of Michigan women's golf team is poised to use its balance to regain its footing not only in the Big Ten – but nationally.
Without a senior on the roster last season, Michigan will be anchored by a trio of seniors -- Mara Janess, Lauren, and Sydney Sung. Janess, who earned an individual invitation to the NCAA Columbus Regional, led U-M, starting all 11 of her events, posting a career-low 73.94 average and recording seven top-20 individual finishes, with three top 10, including her career-best of tying for third at the Spartan Suncoast Collegiate Invitational.
Lauren Sung closed with a career-low 74.00 avg. while recording six top-20 finishes. Twin sister, Sydney, started eight of nine tournaments and carried a career-low average of 75.04. Adding to U-M's veteran presence will be junior Grace Wang of metro Detroit, who started seven of eight events a season ago, and sophomore Mimi Guo.
"We are excited about the makeup of our team,” Dowling said. “Our three seniors -- Mara (Janess), Lauren (Sung), and Sydney (Sung) have an incredible degree of ownership in our culture, and they have become great leaders both on and off the course. Adding three talented international freshmen to an already high-caliber roster, we are confident they will have an immediate impact on our program. Our group remains steadfast in its intentions to be not only great golfers, but great teammates."
The additions of three international newcomers -- Reese Ng (Philippines), Vanessa Zhang (Beijing, China), and Jaymie Ng (Singapore) -- help give the Wolverines the opportunity for Dowling to start a strong starting five throughout the season.
The Wolverines open their nine-event regular season hosting the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 7-8) at the U-M Golf Course. The event serves as a preview for the spring as Dowling's Wolverines will host one of six NCAA regional sites for the second time in the last four years.
Season Preview: Michigan Men
By Tom Wyrott
With the graduation of All-American Hunter Thomson of Canada, Yuqi Liu and Ben Hoagland — the University of Michigan men's golf program and coach Zach Barlow will be looking to take those next steps heading into the 2025-26 season. With a 10-golfer roster made up entirely of underclassmen, the young Wolverines will rely on the experiences gained last season by sophomores Dean Muratore and RJ Arone.
Muratore, who played the USGA double-double summer - U.S. Junior Amateur (Trinity Forest Golf Club) and U.S. Amateur (The Olympic Club), started 11 of 12 events in his U-M rookie campaign, while averaging 73.06 per round with four top 15 individual finishes. Arone started all 12 of his events and posted a 73.40 average, with three top-15 finishes.
The Wolverines will also look to sophomores Nicolas Simon (four events), Johnny Solis (three events), and redshirt-sophomore Caden Pinckes (seven events, three starts) to compete for starting spots this season.
"It’s going to be very competitive this year, not only in tournaments but with our qualifying,” Barlow said. “As a coach, you love this because it makes everyone better. Matt (Hoffman) and I are excited to coach this team. They are young in standing; however, we feel we have found a great balance of talent. They’re all eager to get after it and continue in our pursuit to build something special here."
Additionally, Barlow welcomed four newcomers, including the signing of 2025 NCAA Division III All-American Nilay Naik, who played his freshman season at Pomona Pitzer in Claremont, Calif. During the November signing period, U-M signed Jordan Hwang, Jack Harrington, and Tristan Wieland, who are all expected to battle for starting spots.
The Wolverines have a balanced regular season with five fall and five spring events. Opening with return trips to the Island Resort Intercollegiate (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) and Canadian Collegiate (Sept. 14-16), Barlow's squad highlights the fall playing in the inaugural Jim DeLapa Collegiate (Sept. 28-29) at Benton Harbor's famed Point O’ Woods Golf and Country Club.
