Upsets of Penn State, Michigan State Send U-M to B1G Match Play Semifinal

Upsets of Penn State, Michigan State Send U-M to B1G Match Play Semifinal

» Upsetting No. 7 seed Penn State 3-2 and No. 2 seed Michigan State 3.5-1.5, Michigan advanced to the winner’s bracket and semifinals at the 2023 Big Ten Match Play Championships.

» The Wolverines face No. 3 seed Indiana in the semifinal on Saturday morning. The other semifinal features No. 1 seed Northwestern vs. No. 5 seed Minnesota.

» Hunter Thomson won both of his matches — Jake Griffin (PSU), 1-up and Drew Hackett (MSU), 6-and-4.

» U-M is now 23-19-2 all-time at the Big Ten Match Play.

Site: Palm Coast, Fla.

Tournament: Big Ten Match Play Championship (Day 1 of 2)

Course: Hammock Beach, Ocean Course (Par 72, 6,981 yards)

Results: #8 Michigan defeated #7 Penn State, 3-2; #8 Michigan defeated #2 Michigan State, 3.5-1.5

Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 4 — at Big Ten Match Play Championship Semifinals (Palm Coast, Fla.), 8 a.m.

PALM COAST, Fla. — With back-to-back upset wins over No. 7 seed Penn State (3-2) and No. 2 seed Michigan State (3.5-1.5) on Friday (Feb. 3), the No. 8 seeded University of Michigan men’s golf team advanced to the winner’s bracket at the Big Ten Match Play Championship held at the Hammock Beach Ocean Course. The Wolverines will face No. 3 seed Indiana on Saturday morning (Feb. 4) in the semifinal.

As weather forced the reduction of the opening matches to nine holes, the Wolverines saved their best for last in rallying to defeat the Nittany Lions 3-2 in the opening match.

After James Allen got an early point for PSU with a 3-and-1 victory over Jude Kim, the remaining four dramatic matches provided an early glimpse of what would come for the Maize and Blue. Down one in his first match, Hunter Thomson won two of the final three holes and made a huge final putt on the ninth hole to claim a 1-up win over PSU’s Jake Griffin.

Following Thomson’s lead, Will Anderson also captured two of his final three holes and added a dramatic match-tying putt of his own to earn a half point with PSU’s Patrick Sheehan. Rallying from a three-down deficit, Ben Hoagland gave U-M another half point as he halved his match with PSU’s Morgan Lofland.

Standing tied, 2-2, Yuqi Liu provided the dramatics in his battle with PSU’s Jimmy Meyers. In…