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2010 Detroit Titans Golf
2010 Detroit Golf Contents UDM Practice Center ................... IFC Titan Golf Quick Facts ..................... 1 2010 Roster ....................................... 2 2010 Titan Schedule ......................... 3 Detroit Golf Club .............................. 4 2009 Season Outlook ........................ 5 Head Coach Mark Engel ................... 6 Assistant Coach Luke LaFave .......... 7 The Titan Golfers .............................. 9 2009 In Review ................................. 28 2008-09 UDM Scoreboard ................29 Detroit Tournament Records ............30 The Horizon League .........................32 The Titan Tradition ..........................34 Detroit Post-Season History ............36
On The Cover: Three-time AllHorizon League Titan senior David Byrne
Credits The 2010 Detroit Titans Men’s Golf Guide is a publication of the UDM Sports Information Office. Photography: Tim Busch, Raf Suanes, Tim Zechar, UDM Sports Information, Pjotrs Necajevs, Mike Alberts Composition: Titan Graphics
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The University at a Glance Location ........................................................................................................... Detroit, MI Enrollment ................................................................................................................. 5,700 Founded ...................................................................................................................... 1877 Affiliation ............................................................................................. NCAA Division I Conference ................................................................................................ Horizon League Nickname .................................................................................................................. Titans School Colors ................................................................................... Red, White and Blue President ...........................................................................Fr. Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J. Faculty Athletics Representative ................................................................... Erick Barnes
Titan Athletics Staff Athletic Director ............................................................................................ Keri Gaither Senior Associate A.D. ......................................................................... Daron Montgomery Assistant A.D./Business/SWA ....................................................................... Teri Kromrei Assistant A.D. for Sports Information ............................................................. Mark Engel Assistant A.D. for Facilities ........................................................................... Glenn Knott Assistant A.D for NCAA Compliance ........................................................... Steve Corder Director of Marketing and Promotions ............................................. Brandon Longmeier Director of Ticket Operations/Sales ............................................................ Greg Haapala Office Manager ................................................................................................ Lezly Pruitt Administrative Interns ................................................. Emily Vannice, Michelle Cordero Olympic Sports Office Administrator ............................................................ Anita Foster Assistant SIDs .................................................................. P.J. Gradowski, Maggie Walsh Sports Information Assistant ................................................................... Scott Kretzmann Assistant Facilities Manager ...................................................................................... TBA Facilities Assistant ........................................................................................ Jarrett Alford Assistant Academics/Compliance Coordinator ............................................... Amy Paling Compliance Graduate Assistant ....................................................................... Joe Moore Strength and Conditioning Coach .................................................................... Joe Tofferi Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach ...................................................Nick Wilson Strength and Conditioning Assistants ................................ Adam Gentry, Stephanie Lieto Head Athletic Trainer ................................................................................ Michael Miller Assistant Athletic Trainers ........................................ Chris Hinderliter, Ashley VanMeter Graduate Assistant Trainer ............................................................................. Kristi Lewis Athletic Training Interns ...................................................... Leha Dior, Alexandria Perry Team Physician ............................................................................... Dr. Michael Workings Equipment Manager .................................................................................. Harvey Theeck Equipment/Facilities Assistant .................................................................. Casey Hornung
Detroit Titans Golf Head Coach ............................................................................ Mark Engel (Syracuse ’74) Assistant Coach ......................................................................... Luke LaFave (UDM ’02) Horizon League Championships ....................... 6 (1987, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007) NCAA Regional Appearances ............................................... 4 (2001, 2002, 2005, 2007) 2009 Lettermen Returning/Lost ....................................................................................5/1 Home Course ................................................................... Detroit Golf Club (Detroit, MI)
UDM Athletics Directory Athletic Department Phone ...................................................................... (313) 993-1700 Golf Coach’s Office Phone ...................................................................... (313) 993-1745 Coach Engel’s e-mail ................................................................ mark.engel@udmercy.edu Sports Information Office ........................................................................ (313) 993-1746 Golf/Sports Information Fax .................................................................... (313) 993-1765 Mailing Address .................................. 4001 West McNichols Road - Detroit, MI 48221
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The 2010 Titans
David Byrne
Jeff Clarridge
Mark Hicks
Adam Istvan
Britt Pronk
Simon Reyers
Brian Sparks
Alex Watkins
Sheldon Keyte
2009-10 Detroit Titans Golf Roster Name
Class
Hometown/High School
David Byrne
Sr.
Essex, ON/Essex
Jeff Clarridge
Jr.
Barrie, ON/Bear Creek
Mark Hicks
So.
Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON/Niagara
Adam Istvan
Jr.
Clarkston, MI/Seabury Hall (HI)/Hawaii Pacific
Sheldon Keyte
Fr.
Portage, MI/Hackett
Britt Pronk
Jr.
London, ON/St. Thomas Aquinas
Simon Reyers
Fr.
Kingston, ON/Holy Cross
Brian Sparks
Sr.
Shelby Township, MI/Lutheran North
Alex Watkins
Sr.
Coldwater, MI/Coldwater
Head Coach: Mark Engel (20th Season) Assistant Coach: Luke LaFave (3rd Season)
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2010 Detroit Titans Golf
2009-10 Detroit Schedule Sept. 19-20
Spartan Classic (The Kingsley Club – Traverse City, MI)
Sept. 27-28
DePaul John Dallio Memorial (Ruffled Feathers GC – Lemont, IL)
Oct. 11-12
D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate (Weibring GC – Normal, IL)
Oct. 19-20
Georgetown Intercollegiate (Members Club at Four Streams – Beallsville, MD)
March 12-14
Mission Inn Spring Fling (Mission Inn Resort – Howey in the Hills, FL)
March 27-28
BSU Cardinal Classic (Sultan’s Run GC – Jasper, IN)
April 3-4
Adidas Hoosier Invitational (Championship GC – Bloomington, IN)
April 16-17
Detroit Titans Invitational (Prestwick Village GC – Highland, MI)
April 26-27
Horizon League Championship (Kearney Hill Links – Lexington, KY)
May 20-22
NCAA Regionals (sites TBA)
June 2-5
NCAA Championship (The Honors Course, Chattanooga, TN)
The 2010 Detroit Titans (front row, from left) - Brian Sparks, David Byrne, Britt Pronk. Back Row - Sheldon Keyte, Adam Istvan, Jeff Clarridge, Simon Reyers, Alex Watkins, Mark Hicks, Head Coach Mark Engel.
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Detroit Golf Club The Titan golfers are continually grateful to the members and staff of historic Detroit Golf Club, who graciously allow the team to use the club as its home course. Located just five minutes from the UDM campus, DGC remains one of the most storied and prestigious country clubs in all of Michigan. William R. Farrand founded Detroit Golf Club in 1899. At that time, the first club members played on a six-hole course built on rented farm land near Woodward Avenue and Six Mile Road. In 1914, world-renowned architect Donald Ross — who also designed such championship courses as Oakland Hills and Pinehurst No. 2, both past U.S. Open sites — began surveying a parcel of still-
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rural land just north of that original DGC layout. Ross created Detroit Golf Club’s current 36 holes on that property. He was even careful to preserve a trail-marking tree — which still stands today — that Indians bent as a sapling to point the way from the Detroit River to Saginaw. Ross’ two courses at Detroit Golf Club — one of 14 charter members of the Golf Association of Michigan — opened in 1916. The North Course is still regarded as one of the top 10 courses in Michigan. Like the North, DGC’s devilish South is a true test of golf. Both courses are heavily bunkered, an ingredient in most traditional Ross designs, and are heavily wooded with large, mature trees. After Ross completed his two-course
project, his brother Alex was hired to serve as the club’s golf professional, and he held that position for 31 years. His successor as club pro was Horton Smith, who won the inaugural Masters in 1934 and played on seven Ryder Cup teams, never losing a match between 1929 and ’41. Smith shot the North Course record (29-33—62) in 1948, some 11 years before he was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame. A second former Ryder Cup player, Walter Burkemo — who won the 1953 PGA Championship — is another wellknown figure who has served as head pro at Detroit Golf Club as is 1980 PGA Club Professional champion John Traub. Jon Gates, a past President of the Michigan PGA Section, is now in his ninth year as the Club’s head professional. The UDM men’s golf team practices on both of DGC’s wonderful courses throughout the year. Additionally, the Titans make use of the club’s practice greens and bunkers as well as its driving range, which was renovated in 1998, as they work diligently to improve their games and get ready for their next tournament. The Golf Club annually hosts the Horton Smith Invitational on both of its courses. Some of the best players in the state are invited to this first major amateur tournament of each year. The field is always regarded as the strongest at any event in the state, with the possible exception of the Michigan Amateur. A number of past and present Titan golfers — among them Sean Hutchison, Adin Lohry, John Minnich, Jason Paholsky, Cam Smith, Johnny Strawser and Adam Walicki, who tied for seventh place in 2001 – have been invited to play in the Horton Smith over the years. In 1992, Detroit Golf Club hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship won by Danny Yates. The 1999 Michigan Amateur Championship was also staged at DGC during its Centennial Anniversary, and the tournament was won by Randy Lewis in a dramatic, 18th hole finish. The Golf Club also graciously opened its doors to still another tournament — the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship, hosted by UDM – in 2000.
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
UDM Spring Outlook In his 20th season as the Detroit Titans’ head golf coach, Mark Engel has seen a lot. And he definitely likes what he sees in his latest edition as they prepare to challenge for yet another Horizon League championship. Since recording UDM’s sixth men’s golf conference title in 2007, the Titans came in second by one shot in 2008, and second again, this time by five, a year ago. “Some teams would be happy, or satisfied, with a second-place finish in a very good league,” Engel noted. “But we’re just not one of those teams. The guys have worked hard since last spring, and we’ve talked a lot about the goal of getting back on top. It’s a reachable goal, a very reachable goal, as long as everyone stays focused on what they have to do to get to the finish line.” With two key seniors lost from that 2008 team which came so close after winning no less than four in-season tournaments – including three-time Horizon League Player of the Year Mark Sommerfeld – the Titans retooled quickly last season without a single senior on the roster, but didn’t really have the depth
Simon Reyers
they do now. And that added ingredient showed as they went through the fall with Top 6 finishes in all four of their tournaments and ended up ranked among the Top 125 teams in the country. The Detroit lineup features a threetime All-Horizon League senior in David Byrne, who comes off an amazing fall campaign. Byrne came back to school after winning his third straight Ontario Match Play championship and averaged 71.6 strokes during September and October play. He went 4-for-4 finishing in the Top 3 at UDM’s tournaments, including runner-up at DePaul’s John Dallio Memorial and the Georgetown Intercollegiate. “Dave has been a very dependable player since he came to UDM, and now he’s an even more consistent player,” coach Engel said. “He’s really learned how to keep so-so rounds – by his standards – from becoming bad ones. He’s completely focused on finishing his college career on a high note, and I’m looking for him to play at a very high level this spring.” The Titans also return a pair of juniors who have earned high marks during their first 2½ years at UDM. One, Jeff Clarridge, was the 2008 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. The other, Britt Pronk, claimed a berth on the 2009 All-Tournament team after tying Byrne for fourth place at the league championships. Each recorded a Top 10 finish in the fall, Clarridge (tie for 10th) at Michigan State’s Spartan Classic and Pronk (tie for sixth) at DePaul. And both of them are armed with ample experience to get the job done, having been installed in the lineup since the beginning of their freshman years. “Like Dave, we’ll lean on Jeff and Britt a great deal again this spring,” Engel confirmed. “They’ve each had some very good rounds, and some very good tournaments so far for us. The more consistent they ply this spring, the better for us, that’s for sure.” To the three holdover starters, the Titans quickly added talented freshman Simon Reyers, who saw action in each fall event. He, too, reached a high water mark
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David Byrne at DePaul, claiming 15th place in the 16team field as the Titans took second place as a team. The remaining spot in the lineup came down to a dogfight, with holdover starter Mark Hicks and freshman Sheldon Keyte both seeing playing time during the fall schedule. They’ll likely duel for a starting job again, with seniors Brian Sparks and Alex Watkins, along with junior transfer Adam Istvan, also in the mix. “I think the ability of the two freshmen, and Mark’s year of experience, make us stronger this year. Simon and Sheldon, for example, both came to UDM knowing what it took for their high school teams to win and what it took for them to be successful individually. They’ve brought a lot to the table,” Engel noted. “When you take that, and add it to what guys like Dave, Jeff and Britt have been giving us, I do think we’re stronger this year and it’s been showing. We all feel like there’s some unfinished business still out there and we’ll do everything we can to make sure it’s taken care of.”
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Head Coach Mark Engel
Coach Engel’s 20 Seasons at UDM 5 Horizon League Championships 4 NCAA Regionals 19 Tournament Championships 18 Medalists 13 All-Conference Honorees 3 HL Players of the Year 6 HL Newcomers of the Year 5 All-America Scholars
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Now in his 20th year as the head men’s golf coach at UDM, Mark Engel has built Detroit into an annual Horizon League championship contender and the proof is in the best place possible – in the Titans’ trophy case. UDM has been the league’s most consistent and dominant team over the last 11 seasons, winning five championships while also coming in second three times and third on still another occasion within that span. The Titans captured coach Engel’s first conference title in 1999, then followed in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007. They earned an automatic NCAA bid each of those latter four years. Engel – who was given the title of Director of Golf after launching the successful UDM women’s golf program in 2004 – was voted conference Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches in 1992, 1999 and again in 2007. All told, the Titans have won 19 tournaments and produced 18 individual medalists during his tenure. Coach Engel continually hits the recruiting trails hard and has brought a highly-decorated cast of players to the Titan roster over the years. One of his recent proteges, Mark Sommerfeld, was selected to the 2008 Canadian National Amateur Team. Another, Luke LaFave, is now UDM’s assistant men’s golf coach. Engel has coached 13 different AllLeague golfers as well as 23 Titans who have been recognized on the conference Academic Honor Roll and UDM’s first five GCAA All-America Scholars. Coach Engel’s former players are writing success stories for themselves in all walks of life, everywhere from professional golf to law and dentistry. One recent Titan, 2002 senior Adam Walicki, reached match play at the U.S. Amateur Championship, hosted at nearby Oakland Hills. In 2003, Walicki also won the Golf Association of Michigan Championship, and he turned pro in 2005 before embarking on a career in investment consulting. He was inducted into the Titan Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. The Titans’ assistant coach for four years before assuming the head coaching reins in September of 1990, Engel is also UDM’s Assistant Athletic Director for
Sports Information. He served as Media Coordinator when UDM hosted the 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional and 2009 Final Four. This is his 27th year at the University. He received the 2005 Kathy Best Award – which recognizes the “quality and tireless work performed by Detroit-area media professionals in sports-related public and media relations” – from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. Coach Engel is a product of the famed S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he shared play-by-play duties of SU sporting events with NBC’s Bob Costas during their college days. Over the years, Engel has covered many professional and amateur golf tournaments for Associated Press. Additionally, he worked in media relations for the PGA of America at the 2004 Ryder Cup. He has also been involved in the local youth roller hockey community, and served as manager of Team Michigan ’89 at the inaugural State Wars Championships 2005. The 57-year-old Baltimore native and his wife Jan are the proud parents of three sons – Dave (28), a graduate of UDM’s College of Engineering and Science, and twins Steve and Brian (21), hockey players themselves and two of the Detroit Red Wings’ biggest fans. Steve and Brian are juniors in UDM’s College of Business Administration.
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Coach Engel’s Medalists
David Byrne 2006 IPFW Classic 2007 Horizon League Champ. 2009 Titans Inv.
Jason Hartman 1999 MCC Championship
Kevin Kinney 1992 St. Clair Invitational
Brent McClung 2002 RMU/ Duquesne Invit.
Brian McMahon 1995 Dayton Invitational
Jason Paholsky 1993 Motor City Invitational 1994 Sandhills Collegiate
Jeremy Rothenberger 1994 Duquesne Inv. 1996 Motor City Inv. 1997 Titans Inv.
Mark Sommerfeld 2007 Ft. Lauderdale Cl. 2008 First Mkt. Bank Intercollegiate 2008 Titans Inv.
Brad Spears 1997 Wright State Invitational
Adam Walicki 1999 Detroit Titans Invitational
Kevin Michalik 1990 Dayton Invitational
Tournament Wins Under Coach Engel 1993 Motor City Invitational
1999 Wright State Invitational
2006 IPFW Fall Classic
1994 Sandhills Collegiate
2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic
2007 Horizon League Championship
1994 Motor City Invitational
2001 MCC Championship
2007 DePaul John Dallio Memorial
1997 Oakland Invitational
2002 RMU/Duquesne Invitational
2007 IPFW Fall Classic
1999 MCC Championship
2002 Horizon League Championship
2008 Fort Lauderdale Spring Classic
1999 Kangaroo’s Colonial Classic
2005 Joe Cole Invitational
2008 Detroit Titans Invitational
2005 Horizon League Championship
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Asst. Coach Luke LaFave Luke LaFave, a 2002 UDM grad and a key contributor to the rise of the Titan men’s golf program during his playing days, returned to his alma mater last spring as an assistant coach. LaFave, 30, played an early, major role in the Titans’ recent run of success. The team has won five of the last 11 Horizon League championships and LaFave played on the first three of them. He also served as an assistant briefly during the 2004-05 season, one in which the Titans went on to win still another league crown. “Luke set the standard for his teammates during his playing days and he set the bar high for future Titans with all of the success he had with us as a college player. I’m really glad that he’s back with us as an assistant,” said Mark Engel, who’s in his 20th year as the Titans’ head coach. “Luke can teach our players a lot, between his technical knowledge and his background as a competitor. If there’s a ‘Titan Way’ of doing things, Luke knows about it because he helped create it.” LaFave broke in quickly at UDM, finishing fourth at the 1999 league championships as a freshman, earning allconference and MCC Newcomer of the Year recognition in the process. He was also second individually at the 2002 league championships,
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claiming a berth on the All-Tournament Team and helping the Titans to their second straight appearance in the NCAA Golf Regionals. The latter conference tournament marked LaFave’s eighth Top 10 finish as a college player. He broke par in two of his three rounds at Green Bay Country Club en route to his runner-up finish, and his even-par total 216 over 54 holes was a career-best. LaFave was highly-decorated off the course as well. He won the 2002 President’s Award as UDM’s most outstanding senior student-athlete. He also received All-America Scholar recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America in 2001 and again in 2002, making him UDM’s first two-time recipient of the award. He majored in marketing at UDM. LaFave came to the University after a very successful junior golf career which saw him finish in the Top 10 of the Ontario Junior Tournament of Champions on three occasions, and in American Junior Golf Association competition twice. He turned pro in 2003 and has competed successfully on the Great Lakes Tour and several other mini-tours. He also works as a national golf tournament director. LaFave and his wife Vanessa reside in Royal Oak.
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Meet The Titans
Titan Seniors Brian Sparks - David Byrne - Alex Watkins
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David Byrne
Senior • Essex, ON • Essex Secondary School • Best Career Finish: 1st, 2006 IPFW Classic 1st, 2007 Horizon League Ch. 1st, 2009 Titans Invitational
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Byrne Up Close: One of the premier golfers in the Horizon League over the last three years... Already one of just three Titans who have been voted All-HL on three occasions… Has posted 24 sub-par rounds and 19 Top 10 finishes as a Titan... Received the UDM Titan Club Award for academic and athletic excellence and was named a 2009 All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America… Fall ’09: Ranked 73rd in the country among the college golfers by Golfstat after a sterling fall run in which he put together four straight top three finishes… Took second place at DePaul and Georgetown and third at Michigan State and Illinois State… Last Season: Led the Titans with a 73.3 stroke average and was their top finisher at five tournaments… Won the Detroit Titans Invitational to end the regular season before tying for fourth place at the Horizon League Championship en route to his third straight berth on the AllTournament Team… Posted eight Top 20 finishes – five of them in the Top 10 – in nine events last year…
As A Titan: Was second in the Horizon League with a 73.0 scoring average in his second college season… Finished among the Top 5 in five tournaments as a sophomore, including runner-up at DePaul’s John Dallio Memorial and fourth at the HL Championships… Set a personal 54-hole low of 206 (66-68-72) as the Titans won a second straight team title at the IPFW Fall Classic… Was voted 2007 Newcomer of the Year and All-Horizon League by the conference coaches as a freshman... Set the 18-hole school scoring record with a 65 at IPFW en route to medalist honors... Posted a three-stroke victory at the HL Championship, firing an even-par 216… Was voted UDM’s Newcomer of the Year (all sports) for 2006-07… Personal: Has compiled an outstanding record in summer play since joining the Titans… Has become the first player ever to win three Ontario Men’s Match Play Championships, and he’s done it three years in a row (2007-08-09)… Also captured the 2009 Ontario Champion of Champions and Western Ontario Amateur crowns while finishing ninth at the Ontario Am and 29th at the Canadian Am last summer, ending up third in the ranking of Ontario men’s amateurs… In 2008, in addition to his Ontario Match Play title, was sixth at the Ontario Amateur, fourth at the Ontario Champion of Champions and 23rd at the Canadian Am… Also reached match play at the North and South Amateur while winning a local qualifier by five strokes to play in his first U.S. Amateur… Was ranked 44th nationally by the RCGA… Was ranked second among all men’s amateurs in Ontario in 2008 after taking the top spot in ’07… At the 2007 Canadian Amateur, won two matches to reach the Round of 16 before being ousted by the eventual runner-up... Ranked 23rd on the RCGA Men’s Order of Merit at summer 2007’s end... Earned a berth in the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship by winning the local qualifier held in West Bloomfield... A year later, he finished 13th at the Ontario Junior Championship, and 33rd at the Canadian Junior… Serving as President of UDM’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2009-10… Majoring in Education...
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Byrne’s Career Statistics Year Rounds 2006-07 24 2007-08 30 2008-09 22 Fall 2009 11 Totals 87
Strokes 1793 2190 1612 788 6383
Avg. 74.7 73.0 73.3 71.6 73.4
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Top 10/20 4/5 6/8 5/8 4/4 19/25
Low 18 65 (IPFW) 66 (IPFW) 68 (Dallio) 66 (twice) 65 (IPFW)
Low 54 215 (Yestingsmeier) 206 (IPFW) 214 (Dallio, Titans) 208 (Spartan) 206 (IPFW)
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Brian Sparks Sparks Up Close:
away from matching his college-low round…
An experienced player who quickly adapted to the college game when he joined the Titans... Did not see tournament action in the fall, but will again battle for regular playing duty this spring... Has worked hard since his freshman year to add distance off the tee... Relies heavily on his touch around the greens… A good student of the game who manages the golf course well… Knows how to play within himself...
As A Titan:
Last Season: Saw action in the Titan lineup six times as a junior… His best overall performance came at Cleveland State, when he tied for 48th place with a season-low 231 total… Fired a 73 in the closing round at CSU, his best tally of the year and one stroke
Senior • Shelby Township, MI • Lutheran North High School • Best Career Finish: T14, 2007 Fort Lauderdale Spring Classic
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Did not play as a sophomore while working on swing changes… Saw action in all 11 of the Titans’ tournaments as a freshman... Finished the year with a 77.9 stroke average... His best 18-hole score (72) and 54-hole total (221) both came at Ball State’s Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational as Sparks helped the Titans to second place in the 18-team field that fall... Had his top individual finish on the leader board when he tied for 14th place at the 2007 Fort Lauderdale Spring Classic... That was Sparks’ initial Top 20 finish as a collegian… Closed out the year with a solid, one-over 73 at the NCAA West Regional at Arizona State... Personal: Aligned himself with the Titans during the NCAA’s November, 2006 early signing period, right after the conclusion of his senior golf season in high school... Finished second at the Division III State Championships that fall, leading to his fourth appearance on the All-State Team at season’s end... Also finished runner-up in Regional competition... Won the 25team Gaylord Classic early in the 2005 high school season... One year earlier, was fifth at the state finals and won the Metro Conference crown... Like UDM teammate David Byrne, Sparks won one of the two Michigan local qualifiers to earn a berth in the 2004 U.S. Junior Championship at the famed Olympic Club in San Francisco... Caddied for his classmate, Byrne, at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship in Pinehurst… Was 17th at the Michigan Junior Amateur in 2004, then third in 2005 and 12th a year later... Picked up Top 30 finishes at the AJGA Buick Junior each of his last two summers before college... Qualified for his second straight Michigan Amateur in 2006... Loves college basketball’s “March Madness” almost as much as he does golf... Majoring in Business Administration...
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Sparks’ Career Statistics Year 2006-07 2008-09 Totals
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Rounds 26 22 48
Strokes 2027 1767 3794
Avg. 77.9 80.3 79.0
Top 10/20 0/1 0/0 0/1
Low 18 72 (Yestingsmeier) 73 (Cleveland) 72 (Yestingsmeier)
Low 54 221 (Yestingsmeier) 231 (Cleveland) 221 (Yestingsmeier)
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Alex Watkins Watkins Up Close:
Personal:
Came to UDM with an impressive playing resume... A member of UDM’s strong, three-man senior class… One of the longest hitters on the team, which gives him regular opportunities to reach par-5’s in two... Did not see action in the fall, but will continue to battle for playing time in his final spring at UDM… Last Season: Was part of the Titan lineup in two events last spring, at Indiana’s Hoosier Classic as well as the Titans Invitational… His lastday 78 at Indiana was his seasoon-low… As A Titan:
Senior • Coldwater, MI • Coldwater High School • Best Career Finish: T13, 2008 Bullock Intercollegiate
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As a sophomore, cracked the lineup in the first tournament of the 2007-08 season, tying for 53rd place at Bowling Green’s John Piper Intercollegiate… Also gained valuable experience playing as an individual in four other events… Finished the year with a 77.0 stroke average… Fired a career-low round of 70 in the closing 18 holes of Wright State’s Bullock Intercollegiate… Finished the tournament with a 222, his best 54-hole total at UDM… Saw his first college action as a freshman, playing as an individual in the final tournament of Detroit’s 2006 fall schedule... Carded rounds of 78 and 75 at the IPFW Fall Classic, a tournament which was won by Detroit...
A November, 2005 signee who inked a National Letter of Intent with UDM right after his senior golf season in high school... Was a Division II All-State selection in 2004 and again in 2005... Played in three straight Michigan high school state finals, only missing out by a single stroke in his bid to return as a senior... Did claim medalist honors in the district tournament, and also captured first place at the Traverse City Invitational early in the 2005 high school season... Finished seventh at the 2005 Michigan Junior Amateur, and was fifth in the state finals of the Big I Junior Classic as he earned a berth in the national championship... Won two events and had the leading scoring average, while finishing second in Player of the Year Points, on the PowerBilt Junior Tour the same summer… Also finished 13th at the Plantations Junior Tour Tournament of Champions in 2005... Qualified for the Michigan Open three straight years (200608)... Had a win, and three other Top 10 finishes, on the PowerBilt Tour in 2006 as he ended up eighth in stroke average and ninth in Player of the Year points... Has played a number of Fidra Midwest Collegiate Series tournaments the last two summers to add competitive experience... Played varsity tennis as well as golf in high school... An Academic All-State selection in 2005, Watkins is majoring in Finance at UDM…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Watkins’ Career Statistics Year 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Totals
Rounds 2 14 6 22
Strokes 153 1078 490 1721
Avg. 76.5 77.0 81.7 78.2
Top 10/20 0/0 0/1 0/0 0/1
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Low 18 75 (IPFW) 70 (Bullock) 78 (Hoosier) 70 (Bullock)
Low 54 – 222 (Bullock) 236 (Hoosier) 222 (Bullock)
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Jeff Clarridge Athlete of the Week following his sixthplace finish (71-72–141) at the Treasure Coast Classic…
Clarridge Up Close: A good ball striker who has been a fixture in the Detroit playing rotation since arriving on campus as a freshman... Has already posted eight sub-par rounds and eight Top 10 finishes through 2½ years…
As A Titan:
Fall ’09: Got off to a strong start at the Michigan State Spartan Classic as he helped the Titans to a top five finish as a team by finishing 10th individually… Put together a 68-72-74-214 card there, the opening 68 representing his one-round best as a Titan… Also took 15th at Illinois State... Last Season:
Junior • Barrie, ON • Bear Creek Secondary School • Best Career Finish: T3, 2008 Spartan Classic
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Matched his then career low, 69, while closing in a third-place tie individually at Michigan State’s Spartan Classic, helping Detroit to a runner-up finish as a team… Was also UDM’s top individual on three other occasions… Was named both Horizon League Golfer and Scholar-
Became the third Titan in four years to be voted Horizon League Newcomer of the Year when he received the award in 2008… Finished third on the team, and fifth in the league, with a 74.1 stroke average… Was Detroit’s top individual finisher when he claimed a share of 10th place at the Georgetown Intercollegiate… Personal: Has put together an impressive list of accomplishments during summer play in his native Canada… Was a quarter-finalist at the 2009 Ontario Match Play Championship… Also finished 11th at the Glencoe Amateur in Alberta, 14th at the Toronto Star Amateur, 43rd at the Ontario Am and 45th at the Canadian Championships… Won a hotly-contested 2008 Toronto Star Amateur title with a clutch eight-foot par putt on the final hole… Also finished 21st at the Ontario Amateur and 14th at the Canadian Am that summer… Finished the year ranked 11th among men’s amateurs by the Golf Association of Ontario… Signed with Detroit in November of 2006... Finished fourth at the 2007 Ontario Junior Tournament of Champions, 14th at the Ontario Junior Boys Championship and 77th at the Canadian Juniors...Finished runner-up at the inaugural Greens and Dreams Invitational in his final junior tournament... Was the individual medalist at the 2006 Williamson Cup competition as Ontario won the team title... Clarridge also finished tied for fourth at the 2006 Ontario Junior Championship, and was 26th at the Canadian Junior and 43rd at the Ontario Men’s Amateur as well.... Ended the 2006 summer season as the 11th-ranked junior in Ontario, while standing 46th on the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s national Order of Merit... His sister, Tori, was an All-Mountain West Conference swimmer at New Mexico... Majoring in Business Administration…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Clarridge’s Career Statistics Year Rounds 2007-08 27 2008-09 25 Fall 2009 11 Totals 63
Strokes 2001 1866 829 4696
Avg. 74.1 74.6 75.4 74.5
www.DetroitTitans.com
Top 10/20 4/8 3/5 1/2 8/15
Low 18 69 (3 times) 69 (Spartan) 68 (Spartan) 69 (4 times)
Low 54 214 (Yestingsmeier, IPFW) 220 (Hoosier) 214 (Spartan) 214 (3 times)
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Adam Istvan Personal:
Istvan Up Close: Joined the 2009-10 Titan roster after transferring to UDM during the late summer from Hawaii Pacific University… Arrived at Detroit with some solid college experience at the Division II level under his belt, and is anxious to make a contribution at Detroit… Did not play during the fall campaign… One of the longest hitters on the team, which he can use to advantage, especially on par-5s… College Career:
Junior • Clarkston, MI • Seabury Hall High School (HI)
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Spent two seasons as a starter at Hawaii Pacific… Led the Sea Warriors to fourth place at the 2009 PacWest Conference Championships, finishing the tournament in ninth place individually… Was selected second-team all-conference as a sophomore… Claimed 15th place at the 2008 PacWest Championship – again Hawaii Pacific’s top individual finisher – as a freshman…
A graduate of Seabury Hall Academy in Maui, HI... Finished 11th at the Hawaii high school championship as a prep junior… Also played volleyball and basketball, in addition to golf, in high school... Received the Spartan Award, 2005 Player of the Year, and MIL champions for basketball in his senior year… Qualified for the 2009 Michigan Amateur Championship in summer golf play… Finished 11th in Player of the Year points on the 2006 Adams Junior Golf Tour, with top 10 finishes in five of the six events he played… Was the 2005 Player of the Year on the Top 50 Junior Tour… Favorite athlete is Tiger Woods... Was a recipient of the 2007 DSIF Yasuko Asada Memorial College Scholarship Award, presented to Hawaiian high school seniors for academic achievement, active participation on their high school golf teams and full-time enrollment at an accredited U.S. college or university… His uncle, Jerry Coyne, is a former U-D basketball player… Majoring in Finance…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
www.DetroitTitans.com
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Britt Pronk Detroit Titans Invitational with an 18thplace finish, then capped off the season by tying teammate David Byrne for fourth place at the 2009 Horizon League Championship…
Pronk Up Close: A two-year starter as a Titan... The team’s lone lefthander ... Has soft hands around the greens and one of the best swings on the team... Has broken par in six rounds so far as a Titan…
As A Titan:
Fall ’09: Finished second on the team during the fall with a 74.9 stroke average… Was among the Titans’ top three scorers on the team in three of the team’s four tournaments… Repeated his success at the 2008 John Dallio Memorial by coming back to claim a share of sixth place this year (72-73-75-220)… Last Season:
Junior • London, ON • St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School • Best Career Finish: 2nd, 2008 John Dallio Memorial
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Posted his top finish as a collegian at DePaul’s John Dallio Memorial when he grabbed second place individually… Shot a career-best five-under-par 211 for 54 holes with rounds of 72, 71 and careerlow 68 in leading Detroit to third place as a team… Cracked the Top 20 at the
Played in all of Detroit’s 11 tournaments as a freshman and finished the year with a 75.5 stroke average… Had four Top 20 finishes, with a personal best of 11th place at the Horizon League Championship… Personal: Made a great showing at the 2009 Toronto Star Amateur, finishing in sixth place… Broke through with a big win a year earlier when he captured the 2008 Ontario Champion of Champions title… Also finished 13th at the Toronto Star Amateur… Ended that year ranked 31st among men’s amateurs in his native province by the Golf Association of Ontario… Signed with UDM in November of 2006, early in his final year in high school... Finished the 2007 summer season ranked 15th in Canada on the RCGA Junior Boys Order of Merit... Finished seventh at the Ontario Junior Boys Championship and 10th at the Canadian Junior in 2007... In men’s amateur competition, came in 39th at the Ontario Am, while reaching the second round of match play at the Canadian Championships... Ended the summer of 2006 ranked 14th among junior boys by the Golf Association of Ontario... Finished eighth at the 2006 Ontario Junior, 13th at the Junior Tournament of Champions and 17th at the Ontario Future Links Championship, while also helping Team Ontario win the annual Williamson Cup matches... Won the 2002 Ontario Bantam Championship as a 13-year-old, and is also a past winner of the Tyson Tour, a championship previously claimed by current PGA Tour standout Mike Weir... His brother, Blake, plays professional hockey in the Netherlands... Pronk’s father, Bob, was a five-time Canadian wrestling champion... Majoring in Business Administration…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Pronk’s Career Statistics Year Rounds 2007-08 30 2008-09 25 Fall 2009 11 Totals 66
www.DetroitTitans.com
Strokes 2265 1883 824 4972
Avg. 75.5 75.3 74.9 75.3
Top 10/20 0/4 2/4 1/2 3/10
Low 18 70 (2 times) 68 (Dallio) 71 (Spartan) 68 (Dallio)
Low 54 215 (IPFW) 211 (Dallio) 218 (Spartan) 211 (Dallio)
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Mark Hicks Hicks Up Close: An experienced sophomore who made an immediate dent in the Titan playing rotation when he joined the team last year… Among the longest hitters on the UDM roster… Works hard on his touch around the greens, an element that leads to good scoring… Fall ’09: Played in the first three tournaments of the fall season, with his best placing (T-35) at
Sophomore • Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON • Niagara Secondary School • Best Career Finish: T7, 2008 John Piper Intercollegiate
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DePaul’s John Dallio Memorial and his best 54-hole total, 229, in the seasonopening Spartan Classic… Shot a fall-low round of 75 over the second 18 holes at the Spartan… Ended up with a 78.7 stroke average over nine rounds… Last Season: Played in all 10 of the Titans’ tournaments as a freshman… Really broke from the gates quickly as he tied with teammate David Byrne for seventh place individually at the season-opening John Piper Intercollegiate at Bowling Green… Shot 221 at the Piper, still his best 54-hole score at Detroit… His second-round 70 was the lowest 18-hole card he put together in his first college season… Took 14th place at the Horizon League Championship – his second career Top 20 finish – after closing the tournament with an even-par final round… Finished the season fourth on the team with a 76.6 stroke average… Personal: Enjoyed a good summer of 2009 in which he qualified for both the Ontario Match Play Championship – where he advanced to the Round of 32 – and the Toronto Star Amateur… Arrived at UDM in the Fall of 2008 after standing out in his final season of junior golf… Tied for seventh at the Ontario Junior Championship, 11th at the RCGA Future Links Ontario and 41st at the Canadian Junior in ’08… Finished runner-up at the 2007 provincial high school championships after finishing fifth in Ontario as a junior… Led his high school to the OFSSA team championship on each of those occasions… Won the 2006 Ontario Junior Match Play Championship… En route to the victory, Hicks defeated his future college teammate Jeff Clarridge – a current UDM junior – in the quarter-finals of that tournament… Hicks finished eighth at the RCGA Future Links Quebec Championship in 2007, and 73rd at the Canadian Junior the same summer... Majoring in Business Administration…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Hicks’ Career Statistics Year Rounds 2008-09 25 Fall 2009 9 Totals 34
Strokes 1914 708 2622
Avg. 76.6 78.7 77.1
www.DetroitTitans.com
Top 10/20 1/3 0/0 1/3
Low 18 70 (Piper) 75 (Spartan) 70 (Piper)
Low 54 221 (Piper) 229 (Spartan) 221 (Piper)
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Sheldon Keyte Keyte Up Close: A talented freshman who brought a solid all-around game with him to UDM… Has what it takes to make a contribution to the Titan fortunes this spring… Can hit it long off the tee, and has shown an ability to get up-and-down on the greens… Fall ’09: Joined the Titan starting lineup in time for the last tournament of the fall, and posted a 75-76-151 score card at the Georgetown Intercollegiate… That showing earned him a share of 28th place in the rainshortened event… Personal:
Freshman • Portage, MI • Hackett High School • Best Career Finish: T28, 2009 Georgetown Intercollegiate
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A three-time winner of the Kalamazoo Junior Golf Association Player of the Year Award (2006, 2008, 2009), as he became the first-ever multiple winner in KJGA history… Also won the 2009 Kalamazoo
Men’s City Championship… Was a threetime All-State selection in high school… Finished his prep career in great fashion, leading Kalamazoo Hackett to its first state golf championship in 33 years… Individually, he lost in a three-hole playoff for Division 4 medalist honors… A year earlier, as Hackett finished third in Division 3, Keyte ended up third individually as well… An all-conference choice all four years in high school… Signed with the Titans in November of 2008, bringing an impressive junior golf resume with him to UDM… Scored a pair of Top 10 finishes in American Junior Golf Association tournaments (second at the Woodward Video Junior at the Greenbrier and ninth at the Randy Wise Junior Open in Flint) earlier that year… Missed qualifying for the U.S. Junior by just one shot… Was sixth at the Michigan PGA Junior… Finished the year ranked 117th nationally by the AJGA and 163rd by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard… In addition to golf, also played high school basketball… Majoring in Business Administration…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Keyte’s Career Statistics Year Rounds Fall 2009 2
www.DetroitTitans.com
Strokes 151
Avg. 75.5
Top 10/20 0/0
Low 18 Low 54 74 (Georgetown) –
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Simon Reyers Personal:
Reyers Up Close: Detroit’s latest recruit from Ontario who has shown he is among the most talented newcomers in the Horizon League this year… At 6-4, the tallest of the Titans drives it straight off the tee, and has a solid short game to match… Grabbed his share of playing time right out of the gate… Fall ’09:
Freshman • Kingston, ON • Holy Cross Secondary School • Best Career Finish: T15, 2009 John Dallio Memorial
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Claimed a starting job right from the fall’s outset and never gave it back… Played in all four of Detroit’s tournaments and finished with a 75.9 stroke average over 11 rounds… His low 54-hole total (224) came at the season-opening Spartan Classic… His top individual placing also resulted in his first Top 20 finish as a collegian as he collected a share of 15th place at DePaul’s John Dallio Memorial… Shot an 18-hole low round of 73 at both Michigan State and Illinois State…
Arrived at UDM after keeping his game well-honed during the summer months… Finished third at the 2009 Ontario Better Ball Championship, a two-man team event, and 34th at the Ontario Men’s Amateur… Also qualified for the Canadian Am… Signed with Detroit in November of 2008, following some stellar play during his final year of junior golf… Placed 17th at the Ontario Junior Classic, 20th at the RCGA Ontario Future Links Championship, 59th at the Ontario Men’s Amateur and 19th at the Ontario Junior Am… Culminated his summer with a 44th-place finish at the Canadian Junior… Also won the 2008 Kingston District Men’s Amateur and his third straight Kingston Junior title… Ended the summer ranked 28th among Ontario junior golfers by the GAO… Later took 14th place at the provincial high school championships, helping Holy Cross to a third-place team finish… Majoring in Business Administration…
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Reyers’ Career Statistics Year Rounds Fall 2009 11
www.DetroitTitans.com
Strokes 835
Avg. 75.9
Top 10/20 0/1
Low 18 73 (twice)
Low 54 224 (Spartan)
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2009 Season Review Tough graduation losses aside, the Titans still crafted quite a successful season in 2009. It might not have been expected by some outsiders, what with a pair of fouryear starters – three-time Horizon League Player of the Year Mark Sommerfeld and dependable Mikhial Pasic – no longer in a lineup that won four tournaments in 200708 and no senior on the 2009 playing roster at all. But UDM was quite solid nonetheless and battled hard for the conference championship, losing by five strokes after a two-day duel with Cleveland State. Three veterans anchored the lineup beginning with David Byrne, an AllLeague golfer who succeeded Sommerfeld in the top spot in the Detroit lineup. Byrne recorded Top 20 finishes in every tournament but one last year, averaged 73.3 strokes on the season to pace the Titans and recorded his third straight top four finish at the HL championships. The season started off on a good note as Detroit claimed second place at Michigan State’s Spartan Classic. Byrne and sophomores Jeff Clarridge and Britt Pronk maintained their positions at the top of the lineup as the season unfolded, while freshman Mark Hicks made his debut at No. 4, where he’d play all season. Later in the fall, the Titans would continue to shine, boasting high finishes at DePaul (third) and Cleveland State (fifth) along the way. As the spring unfolded, Detroit started slowly on the course, but kept
2008-09 Headlines Tournament Runner-Up Finishes Spartan Classic Horizon League Championship Individual Medalist David Byrne, Detroit Titans Invitational All-Horizon League David Byrne Horizon League All-Tournament David Byrne Britt Pronk GCAA All-America Scholar David Byrne Horizon League Golfer of the Week Britt Pronk, Sept. 25, 2008 Jeff Clarridge, March 11, 2009 David Byrne, April 22, 2009 David Byrne
gathering momentum as it headed into the post-season. In the final tune-up before meeting all of their Horizon League rivals, Detroit kept climbing the leader board and took third place at its own Titans Invitational while Byrne fired a twounder-par 214 to capture medalist honors.
The Titans on the Internet Regular updates and information on the Titan Golf program, along with Detroit’s other 18 varsity teams, are available throughout the year at UDM’s official athletics web site:
www.DetroitTitans.com
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At the league championships, the Titans moved up from second place after Round 1 and vaulted into the 36-hole lead with a three-shot advantage heading into the final day. They maintained their edge for another nine, but were caught by a Cleveland State charge as Detroit ended up settling for second place at the league tournament for a second straight season. Byrne and Pronk tied for fourth place individually as they both earned a spot on the 2009 All-Tournament Team, while Byrne also collected a third straight All-Horizon League Award from the coaches. Byrne closed out the year by receiving All-America Scholar recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America. As a team, the Titans received a Presidential Award from the GCAA for posting one of the seven highest Division I grade point averages in the country.
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
2008-09 UDM Statistics 2008-09 Titan Tournament Results Tournament John Piper Intercollegiate (Stone Ridge GC, Bowling Green, OH) *Spartan Classic (The Kingsley Club, Kingsley, MI) DePaul John Dallio Memorial (Ruffled Feathers GC, Lemont, IL) Cleveland State Invitational (Sand Ridge GC, Chardon, OH) *Georgetown Intercollegiate (Members Club, Beallsville, MD) Treasure Coast Classic (Indian Hills GC, Fort Pierce, FL) First Market Bank Intercollegiate (Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, VA) adidas Hoosier Invitational (IU Championship GC, Bloomington, IN) Detroit Titans Invitational (The Golden Fox, Plymouth, MI) Horizon League Championship (Kearney Hill Links, Lexington, KY) (*Shortened due to weather)
Team Result 5th of 13 - 891 (295-295-301) 2nd of 6 - 290 3rd of 15 - 875 (290-300-285) 5th of 14 - 891 (296-293-302) 10th of 12 - 619 (306-313) 6th of 7 - 592 (298-294) 16th of 22 - 612 (311-301) 13th of 15 - 914 (297-304-313) T-3rd of 13 - 903 (303-302-298) 2nd of 7 - 892 (300-296-296)
Top Detroit Player Byrne/Hicks - T7 (221) Clarridge - T3 (69) Pronk - 2 (211) Byrne - 8 (220) Clarridge - T27 (153) Clarridge - T6 (143) Byrne - T14 (147) Clarridge - T19 (220) Byrne - 1 (214) Byrne/Pronk - T4 (220)
2008-09 Individual Scoring Averages Golfer David Byrne Jeff Clarridge Britt Pronk Mark Hicks Nolan Knill Brian Sparks Alex Watkins Team
Rounds 22 25 25 25 9 22 6 25
Strokes 1612 1866 1883 1914 718 1767 490 7479
Avg. 73.3 74.6 75.3 76.6 79.8 80.3 81.7 299.2
Low 18 68 (Dallio) 69 (Spartan) 68 (Dallio) 70 (Piper) 71 (Spartan) 73 (Cleveland) 78 (Hoosier) 285 (Dallio)
2009 Fall Tournament Results Date Tournament Sept. 19-20 Spartan Classic (The Kingsley Club, Kingsley, MI) Sept. 27-28 John Dallio Memorial (Ruffled Feathers GC, Lemont, IL) Oct. 11-12 D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate (Weibring GC, Normal, IL) Oct. 19-20 *Georgetown Intercoll. (Four Streams, Beallsville, MD) (*Shortened due to weather)
Team Result 5th of 13 - 864 (281-285-298) 2nd of 16 - 898 (305-289-304) T-3rd of 15 - 905 (302-297-306) 6th of 12 - 597 (299-298)
Top Detroit Player Byrne - T3 (208) Byrne - T2 (218) Byrne - T3 (218) Byrne - T2 (144)
2009 Individual Fall Scoring Averages Golfer David Byrne Britt Pronk Jeff Clarridge Sheldon Keyte Simon Reyers Mark Hicks Team
Rounds 11 11 11 2 11 9 11
Strokes 788 824 829 151 835 708 3264
Avg. 71.6 74.9 75.4 75.5 75.9 78.7 296.7
Low 18 66 (Spartan, Dallio) 71 (Spartan) 68 (Spartan) 75 (Georgetown) 73 (Spartan, Weibring) 75 (Spartan) 281 (Spartan)
Britt Pronk
www.DetroitTitans.com
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Tournament Records 54-Hole Team Tournament Total 832 – 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (270-275-287) 848 – 2007 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (280-285-283) 848 – 2006 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (286-274-288) 851 – 2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic – Beechwood GC (282-281-288) 856 – 2000 MCC Championship – Detroit Golf Club (285-285-286) 864 – 2009 Spartan Classic – Kingsley Club (281-285-298) 865 – 2001 Titans Invitational – Arbor Hills CC (290-281-294) 867 – 2005 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (289-292-286) 867 – 1999 The McLaughlin – Bethpage Park GC (296-286-285) 875 – 2008 John Dallio Memorial – Ruffled Feathers GC (290-300-285) 875 – 2004 APSU Intercollegiate – Links at Novadell (291-283-301) 878 – 2008 Detroit Titans Invitational –Golden Fox GL (294-2880296) 879 – 2004 John Piper Intercollegiate – Stone Ridge GC (293-287-299) 880 – 2007 John Dallio Memorial – Ruffled Feathers GC (270-275-287) 880 – 2003 Eastern Kentucky Invitational – Arlington GC (297-292-291) 881 – 2001 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – The Players Club (290-289-302) 882 – 2008 Bullock Intercollegiate – Greene CC (295-294-293) 882 – 1999 MCC Championship – Quail Hollow GC (292-293-297) 883 – 2004 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (294-293-299) 884 – 2005 John Piper Intercollegiate – Stone Ridge GC (289-290-305) 887 – 2007 NCAA West Regional – Karsten GC (297-297-293) 887 – 2006 John Dallio Memorial – Prairie Landing GC (305-293-289) 888 – 2003 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – The Players Club (291-293-304)
36-Hole Team Tournament Total
Kyler Murphy
560 – 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (281-279) 567 – 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (284-283) 576 – 2008 First Market Bank Intercollegiate – Kingsmill Resort (290-286) 578 – 2007 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (296-282) 589 – 2007 William & Mary Invitational – Kingsmill Resort (294-295) 592 – 2009 Treasure Coast Classic – Indian Hills GC (298-294) 592 – 2001 Florida A&M Invitational – Hilaman GC (300-292) 593 – 1999 Wright State Invitational – NCR CC/Greene CC (288-305) 593 – 1998 Wright State Invitational – NCR CC/Greene CC (290-303) 594 – 2006 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (301-293)
18-Hole Round Total 270 – 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (1st round) 274 – 2006 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational (2nd) 275 – 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (2nd) 279 – 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (2nd) 280 – 2007 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (1st) 281 – 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (1st) 281 – 2009 Spartan Classic – Kingsley Club (1st) 281 – 2001 Titans Invitational – Arbor Hills CC (2nd) 281 – 2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic – Beechwood GC (2nd) 282 – 2007 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (2nd) 282 – 2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic – Beechwood GC (1st) 283 – 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (2nd) 283 – 2007 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (3rd) 283 – 2004 APSU Intercollegiate – Links at Novadell (2nd) 284 – 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (1st)
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Mikhial Pasic
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
54-Hole Individual Totals 205 – Kyler Murphy, 2005 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (67-69-69) 206 – David Byrne, 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (66-68-72) 207 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (66-68-73) 208 – David Byrne, 2009 Spartan Classic – Kingsley Club (66-66-76) 208 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (65-68-75) 209 – Mikhial Pasic, 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (69-67-73) 210 – Kyler Murphy, 2006 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (70-70-70) 210 – Kyler Murphy, 2004 APSU Intercollegiate – Links at Novadell (71-67-72) 211 – Britt Pronk, 2008 John Dallio Memorial – Ruffles Feathers GC (72-71-68) 211 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2006 Horizon League Ch. – Plum Creek GC (69-69-73) 211 – Johnny Strawser, 2001 Titans Invitational – Arbor Hills CC (69-68-74) 211 – Brent McClung, 2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic – Beechwood GC (69-68-74) 211 – Brad Spears, 2000 Ohio Collegiate Classic – Beechwood GC (69-68-74) 211 – Johnny Strawser, 2000 MCC Championship – Detroit Golf Club (68-73-70) 211 – Brad Spears, 1999 The McLaughlin – Bethpage Park GC (70-73-68) 212 – Adam Walicki, 2001 Titans Invitational – Arbor Hills CC (73-70-69) 213 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2008 Detroit Titans Invitational – Golden Fox GL (69-70-74) 213 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2006 John Dallio Memorial – Prairie Landing GC (74-69-70) 213 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2005 John Piper Intercoll. – Stone Ridge GC (68-71-74) 213 – Adam Walicki, 1999 Titans Invitational – Arbor Hills CC (72-73-68)
36-Hole Individual Totals 135 – David Byrne, 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (65-70) 136 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (70-66) 137 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2008 First Market Bank Intercoll. – Kingsmill Resort (68-69) Brad Spears 138 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (68-70) 139 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 William & Mary Invitational – Kingsmill Resort (70-69) 140 – David Byrne, 2008 Ft. Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (71-69) 141 – David Byrne, 2008 First Market Bank Intercollegiate – Kingsmill Resort (72-69) Supporting Titans Golf 141 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 Cincinnati Invitational – Hueston Woods GC (67-74) 141 – Mikhial Pasic, 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (72-69) The Titans would like to thank 142 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (73-69) the many generous alumni, 142 – Kyler Murphy, 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (71-71) family members and friends of 143 – Jeff Clarridge, 2009 Treasure Coast Classic – Indian Hills GC (71-72) the men’s golf program whose 143 – David Byrne, 2007 William & Mary Invitational – Kingsmill Resort (77-66) donations to the Titan Club 143 – David Byrne, 2007 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (76-67) directly contribute to the 143 – Adam Walicki, 2002 Florida A&M Invitational – Hilaman GC (68-75) success of the team. Funds 143 – Brad Spears, 1998 Wright State Invitational – Greene CC (70-73)
18-Hole Round Totals 65 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (1st) 65 – David Byrne, 2006 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (1st) 66 – David Byrne, 2009 John Dallio Memorial – Ruffled Feathers GC (2nd) 66 – David Byrne, 2009 Spartan Classic – Kingsley Club (1st) 66 – David Byrne, 2009 Spartan Classic – Kingsley Club (2nd) 66 – David Byrne, 2007 IPFW Fall Classic – Deer Track GC (1st) 66 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational – Delaware CC (1st) 66 – David Byrne, 2007 William & Mary Invitational – Kingsmill Resort (2nd) 66 – Mark Sommerfeld, 2007 Fort Lauderdale Classic – Grande Oaks GC (2nd) 67 – on 11 occasions
www.DetroitTitans.com
designated to support UDM Golf are used in a variety of ways by the Titans, including tournament travel, practice and equipment purchases. Please contact Coach Mark Engel for more information on how you can support Titans Golf.
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The Horizon League In its 31st season of operation in the 2009-10 academic year, the Horizon League continues to aspire toward its goal of being one of the nation’s leading athletics conferences while being recognized as a leader in the development of student-athletes as leaders and role models. The Horizon League membership features ten public and private institutions that have impressive academic reputations and a storied tradition of broad-based athletic programs. Membership includes Butler, Cleveland State, Detroit, IllinoisChicago, Loyola, Valparaiso, WisconsinGreen Bay, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wright State and Youngstown State. The Horizon League’s primary focus is on adding value to the educational experience through its four platforms: athletic performance, academic achievement, community outreach, and personal responsibility and accountability. It is the League’s belief that athletics is a
powerful and visible resource tool that can be used to enhance student-athletes’ collegiate experience. The Horizon League’s goals are to enhance the holistic university experience for the studentathlete, to create an affiliation of institutions with similar athletic goals, and to adhere to the principals of integrity, diversity, excellence and growth. The Horizon League sponsors competition in 19 sports - nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and tennis) and ten for women (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis and volleyball). In addition to men’s golf, the League also receives automatic bids to NCAA championships in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, and for the
first time in League history, women’s golf. The Horizon League is headquartered in Indianapolis, the “Amateur Sports Capital of the World,” with offices in the Pan American Plaza, located a block from Lucas Oil Stadium and just minutes from Conseco Fieldhouse, the State Capitol Building, Victory Field (home of the Indianapolis Indians) and the NCAA national office. A PROUD HISTORY Founded on June 16, 1979, as the Midwestern City Conference with six charter members, the League changed its name to the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1985 and added women’s sports for the 1986-87 academic year. Detroit joined in 1980 On June 4, 2001, the Horizon League unveiled its current name and ushered in a new dynamic direction that has brought the League closer to its stated goal of being one of the nation’s top ten collegiate athletic conferences with a
The Titans’ Horizon League Honor Roll All-Conference Titans
Player of the Year
Bob Beyer – 1988 David Byrne – 2007, 2008, 2009 Mike Cairns – 1987, 1988 Norm Dickson – 1987, 1988 Jason Hartman – 1998, 1999 Dan Janssen – 1986 Luke LaFave – 1999 Jesse Maytham – 2004 John Minnich – 1984 Kyler Murphy – 2006 Jason Paholsky – 1992, 1995 Jeremy Rothenberger – 1996 Corey Spanke – 1991 Brad Spears – 1999, 2000 Mark Sommerfeld – 2005, 2006, 2007 2008 Johnny Strawser – 2000, 2002, 2003 Adam Walicki – 2001, 2002
Mark Sommerfeld – 2006, 2007, 2008
Coach of the Year Mark Engel – 1992, 1999, 2007 Brad Kinsman – 1987
Newcomer of the Year David Byrne – 2007 Jeff Clarridge – 2008 Luke LaFave – 1999 Brent McClung – 2001 Jason Paholsky – 1992 Mark Sommerfeld – 2005 Johnny Strawser – 2000
All-Tournament Team
Conference Medalist David Byrne – 2007 Jason Hartman – 1999
Jeff Clarridge
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David Byrne – 2007, 2008, 2009 Sean Hutchison – 2005 Luke LaFave – 2002 Brent McClung – 2001 Jesse Maytham – 2001 Kyler Murphy – 2004, 2005 Mikhial Pasic – 2007 Britt Pronk – 2009 Mark Sommerfeld – 2005, 2006, 2007 Johnny Strawser – 2002, 2003 Adam Walicki – 2001
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
focus on enhancing the student-athletes’ experience by upgrading the League’s market and competitive positions. ATHLETIC SUCCESS In the past few years, the Horizon League has enjoyed unprecedented success on the national stage, highlighted by three Sweet Sixteen appearances (Butler 2003, 2007; Milwaukee 2005) and nine wins in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in the past seven seasons. In other sports, League teams have won at least one game in their respective NCAA Championships each of the last seven seasons in men’s soccer (Milwaukee 2002-05, UIC 2006-08), with UIC just one win away from the College Cup in 2007. In softball, League teams won a game in the national tournament four straight years earlier in the decade (UIC 2002, 2004; Wright State 2003; Green Bay 2005) while advancing into the second round in women’s soccer three of the last six seasons (Detroit 2004, Milwaukee 2005-06). HORIZON LEAGUE NETWORK The Horizon League and WebStream Productions announced the launch of the completely redesigned Horizon League Network web site this fall. The site, which can be found at www.HorizonLeagueNetwork.tv, serves as a portal to hundreds of live and ondemand videos while giving its users the ability to interact on an array of social media platforms. HLN is the premier destination for free, live video of Horizon League games and other on-demand features. The Network will web cast more than 400 events during the 2009-10 academic year. The HLN programming schedule includes more than 170 Horizon League live basketball games, highlights of all 19 Horizon League post-season championships, behind-the-scenes stories of Horizon League student-athletes, coaches and teams, and special events such as the UDM commencement ceremony In addition to the incorporation of Facebook and Twitter, the new HLN also features hundreds of photos, an integrated blog and a news aggregator.
www.DetroitTitans.com
Detroit’s Horizon League Golf Champions 1987 Site: Golf Club of Indiana (Lebanon, IN) Lineup: Bob Beyer, Mike Cairns, Norm Dickson, Dan Janssen, Scott Sosnowski Coach: Brad Kinsman Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: Dayton, 12 strokes 1999 Site: Quail Hollow Resort (Concord, OH) Lineup: Jason Hartman, Chris Hicks, Luke LaFave, Adin Lohry, Brad Spears Coach: Mark Engel Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: Wright State, 27 strokes 2001 Site: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club/Dubsdread Course (Lamont, IL) Starters: Luke LaFave, Brent McClung, Jesse Maytham, Johnny Strawser, Adam Walicki Coach: Mark Engel Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: UW-Green Bay, 6 strokes 2002 Site: Green Bay Country Club (Green Bay, WI) Lineup: Luke LaFave, Brent McClung, Jesse Maytham, Johnny Strawser, Adam Walicki Coach: Mark Engel Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: Wright State, 10 strokes 2005 Site: Royal American Links (Galena, OH) Lineup: Sean Hutchison, Kyler Murphy, Mikhial Pasic, Mark Sommerfeld, Mitch Starr Coach: Mark Engel Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: Wright State, 6 strokes 2007 Site: Shaker Run Golf Club (Lebanon, OH) Lineup: David Byrne, Kyler Murphy, Mikhial Pasic, Mark Sommerfeld, Brian Sparks Coach: Mark Engel Runner-Up/Margin of Detroit Victory: UW-Green Bay, 16 strokes
The 2001 Horizon League Champion Titans, Detroit’s first men’s golf team to advance to the NCAA Regionals
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The Titan Golf Tradition Men’s golf was reinstated as a varsity sport at Detroit in the fall of 1977 and, since that time, has become one of UDM’s strongest intercollegiate programs. UDM has won six Horizon League golf titles, matching Oral Roberts for the most by any conference member in history. The Titans have reached a zenith in the last 11 years, dominating the Horizon League by winning their conference championship five times while finishing second on three occasions and third still another. The most recent title came in 2007, when Detroit led from start-tofinish en route to the coveted crown. Detroit crowded the top of the leader board – medalist David Byrne, Mark Sommerfeld and Mikhial Pasic finished 13-4 individually – as the threesome each
made the All-Tournament squad and propelled the Titans to a berth in the West Regional at Arizona State. Detroit’s recent conference trophy haul began in 1999, when the Titans won their initial MCC (as the Horizon League was originally known) Championship under coach Mark Engel, and second ever. The win was claimed at Quail Hollow Country Club, near Cleveland, by a staggering 27 strokes. Detroit paced that tournament from start-to-finish, too. The ’99 Titans placed three players – Jason Hartman, Brad Spears and current UDM assistant coach Luke LaFave – on the allconference team for the first time ever. Hartman fired a one-under-par 215 to become UDM’s first individual conference champion. In 2001, Detroit earned its first-ever
automatic bid to the NCAA Golf Regionals – UDM would finish 24th in the West at Oregon State that year – after capturing another conference crown. The Titans led wire-to-wire at Cog Hill Country Club’s famed Dubsdread Course – longtime home of the PGA Tour’s Western Open – and they ended up topping UW-Green Bay by six shots. Titans Brent McClung, Jesse Maytham and Adam Walicki each finished in the top six individually to make the AllTournament Team. A season later, the Titans – using the same starting five as a year earlier – captured a second straight league title, coming in 10 strokes ahead of the field at Green Bay Country Club. LaFave and Johnny Strawser finished 2-3 in the individual standings to earn All-
Prof. William Kelly Joyce Men’s Golf MVP Award Winners
Corey Spanke
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1980 — Mickey Jacob 1981 — Mickey Jacob 1982 — John Minnich 1983 — John Minnich 1984 — Allan Brink 1985 — Bob Schmid 1986 — Bob Siminski 1987 — Dan Janssen 1988 — Mike Cairns 1989 — Norm Dickson 1990 — Bob Beyer 1991 — Kevin Michalik 1992 — Corey Spanke 1993 — Kevin Kinney 1994 — Jason Paholsky 1995 — Jason Paholsky 1996 — Jeremy Rothenberger 1997 — John Golen 1998 — Jeremy Rothenberger 1999 — Brad Spears 2000 — Adam Walicki 2001 — Brent McClung 2002 — Adam Walicki, Johnny Strawser 2003 — Johnny Strawser 2004 — Jesse Maytham 2005 — Mark Sommerfeld 2006 — Mark Sommerfeld 2007 — Mark Sommerfeld 2008 — Mark Sommerfeld 2009 — David Byrne
Mark Sommerfeld
2010 Detroit Titans Golf
Tournament honors as the Titans went on to their second straight berth in the NCAA West Regionals, held that spring at New Mexico. After a three-year absence from the top of the standings, Detroit retooled successfully and added another HL championship in 2005. This time, the Titans came from off the pace as they grabbed the lead with a blistering second round and extended their margin over the last 18 holes for a 10-shot victory. Three Titans – Kyler Murphy, Sean Hutchison and Sommerfeld – made the AllTournament Team en route to the championship and a berth in the NCAA Central Regionals at Notre Dame. Looking back past the start of the recent run, the 1999 championship was actually the Titans’ second MCC golf title ever. The first came in 1987, when they won the school’s initial MCC championship in any men’s sport. Under coach Brad Kinsman, Detroit led wire-towire over 54 holes at the Golf Club of Indiana, paced by sophomore Mike Cairns, who came in second place individually. In addition to their six league golf championships, the Titans have also finished second in the conference five different times (1986, 1988, 2000, 2008 and 2009) and placed third on three other occasions (1989, 1992 and 2005). Seventeen different Titans have earned All-League honors in the past, with Sommerfeld, a 2003 senior, the first to do it four straight times. Strawser and Byrne received the honor three times, while seven others – Hartman, Cairns, LaFave, Spears, Walicki, Norm Dickson and Jason Paholsky – have all accepted the award twice. In 2006, Sommerfeld became the first Titan to be named Horizon League Player of the Year, and he repeated the award in each of the next two years. Additionally, seven UDM golfers have been named Newcomer of the Year since 1992. The “original” era of Titans golf, which spanned the period of 1926 to ’61, saw the team make three entries into the NCAA Championships. Their best
Bob Babbish
www.DetroitTitans.com
showing came in 1951, when the Titans were fourth in the tournament staged at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course. Detroit junior Sam Kocsis was the qualifying medalist that year, earning the Number 1 seed for the match play tournament which determined the individual national champion. Kocsis is one of six individuals with golf ties who are now members of the University’s Sports Hall of Fame. Also included are Walicki, who was inducted in 2010; Kinsman, who coached the Titans for 13 seasons and served as athletic director for 25 years; Bob Babbish, the 1938 Western Amateur winner who was a match play semi-finalist the next year at the national college championships; Tom Watrous, who was a three-year qualifier for the NCAA Tournament and was also one of the top senior golfers in the state; and Prof. William Kelley Joyce, the team’s coach for 26 years. The Titan golf MVP has received an award in his name since 1980.
Walicki joins Titan Sports Hall of Fame The first player from the “modern era” of Detroit golf – since the program was reinstated in the late Seventies – to join the prestigious Titan Sports Hall of Fame is a member of the 2010 induction class, Adam Walicki. Walicki was a two-time all-conference honoree who led UDM to Horizon League Championships in 2001 and 2002 as well as its first two berths in the NCAA Regionals. He won the first tournament he ever played for UDM, the 1999 Detroit Titans Invitational, and led the conference with a 73.7 stroke average in 1999-2000. A two-time team MVP, Walicki went on to reach match play in the 2002 U.S. Amateur and won the 2003 Golf Association of Michigan Championship.
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Titan Post-Season History Since NCAA Golf’s post-season format initiated automatic qualification for all Division I conference champions in 2000, the Detroit Titans have made four Regional appearances.
The first came in 2001, when UDM won its third-ever Horizon League Championship to earn a selection to the NCAA West Regional, hosted at Oregon State. Led by All-League golfer Adam
Walicki and Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Brent McClung, the Titans stood 13th after a stellar first round before finishing 24th at the end of 54 holes. Walicki, McClung and the other three golfers who represented UDM at Oregon State – Luke LaFave, Jesse Maytham and Johnny Strawser – all made an NCAA return trip in 2002, competing in the West Regional at the University of New Mexico. The Titans have also played in the 2005 Central Regional at Notre Dame and, more recently, the 2007 West Regional at Arizona State. On the old home course of former ASU All-American and current PGA star Phil Mickelson, the Titans put together their best score card, 297-297-293—887, in four trips to the NCAA Regional. Mark Sommerfeld, who was honored as the 2007 Horizon League Player of the Year, also carded the Titans’ lowest three-round total (219) in Regional play. The “original” era of Detroit golf, which ended in 1961 when the program was disbanded for nearly two decades, saw the Titans make three appearances in the NCAA Championship – 1947, 1951 and 1955. Detroit junior Sam Kocsis was the 1951 qualifying medalist.
The 2007 Titans at the NCAA West Regional
Detroit’s NCAA Regional History Year 2001 2002 2005 2007
Tournament Finish West Regional 24th (Trysting Tree GC - Corvallis, OR) West Regional 26th (UNM Championship GC - Albuquerque, NM) Central Regional 26th (Burke Memorial GC - South Bend, IN) West Regional 25th (Karsten GC - Tempe, AZ)
Low Titan Brent McClung, Jesse Maytham (231) Johnny Strawser (228) Mark Sommerfeld (226) Mark Sommerfeld (219)
Regional Record Book Individual Low Round: 70, Jesse Maytham (2001 West Regional, 1st round) 70, David Byrne (2007 West Regional, 2nd round) Team Low Round: 293 (2007 West Regional, 3rd round) Individual 54-Hole Score: 73-74-72–219, Mark Sommerfeld (2007 West Regional) Team 54-Hole Score: 297-297-293–887 (2007 West Regional) Individual Finish: T-90, Johnny Strawser (2002 West Regional) Team Finish: 24th (2001 West Regional)
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Johnny Strawser
2010 Detroit Titans Golf