The next edition of The Rocket Mortgage Classic will be played June 26-July 2, 2023Statement from Jason Langwell – Executive Director, Rocket Mortgage Classic
“By all measures, the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic was a smashing success. From the second playing of THE JOHN SHIPPEN the weekend before our tournament to the many special events leading into competition rounds and the beautiful Detroit summer weather we experienced all week, we could not be more proud of how everything came together to make it a special week for Detroit. To crown a champion such as Tony Finau on Sunday afternoon after watching his magnificent performance over the course of four days at Detroit Golf Club was truly special. Once again, the Rocket Mortgage Classic has shined a spotlight on all the positive things happening in Detroit and will make a meaningful impact on our communities through the Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide. “We are already looking forward to next year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and are excited about our dates, which fall during the same week as our inaugural event in 2019 and last year’s tournament, both of which produced tremendous crowds. We’ll land two weeks after the U.S. Open and two weeks before The Open Championship, and that puts us in a nice position to assemble a very strong field of players again.” Finau wins Rocket Mortgage for 2nd straight PGA Tour victoryDETROIT Tony Finau has changed the conversation about him in less than a calendar year. Finau ran away with the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club to become the first player in three years to win consecutive PGA Tour events in the regular season. He closed with a 5-under 67 for a five-shot victory and a tournament-record 26-under 262 total. It was his fourth career victory, and third title in 11-plus months. Finau began his stretch of success last August at The Northern Trust, where he had his first victory in five years and 142 PGA Tour starts. TOP VIDEOS WATCH MORE × MLB Next Game - Los Angeles Dodgers “I’m proud of the way I’ve fought through adversity in my career," said Finau, a Salt Lake City native with Tongan-Samoan heritage. “They say a winner is just a loser who kept trying, and that’s me." Finau ended a drought in Detroit, winning for the first time in six attempts when he had or shared the 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event. And, he did it easily. Taylor Pendrith (72), Patrick Cantlay (66) and rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (68) tied for a distant second. “I wasn't that close," Young said. “Tony put on a show." Indeed. Finau hit 66 of 72 greens in regulation, trailing the accuracy of just two players since 1980 in a PGA Tour 72-hole event. Peter Jacobsen hit 69 greens in regulation at Pebble Beach in 1995 and a year later, Willie Wood hit 67 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Find more sports news, plus coverage from Sports Illustrated. READ MORE With Finaul's sixth birdie at No. 17 and a closing par, he broke Nate Lashley's tournament record of 25 under set in 2019 during the inaugural PGA Tour event. The PGA Tour will close the regular season at the Wyndham Championship, with the North Carolina event opening Thursday. Players on the bubble will have one last shot to finish in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings to earn a spot in the playoffs and a full card next season. Finau and Pendrith started Sunday tied after a third round that seemed like match play, and a potential Detroit duel turned into a dud.
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/article264027481.html#storylink=cpy 
Which 3 holes will determine the Rocket Mortgage Championship?Former Head Detroit Golf Club Pro Jon Gates shows the three holes that may decide the championship
Richland’s Max VanderMolen Wins 44th Michigan Junior State Amateur
KEWADIN – By Greg Johnson- Max VanderMolen has been the youngest or the first to do a lot of things in golf and the 14-year-old from Richland did it again.
He won the 44th Michigan Junior State Amateur presented by the Rocket Tour Thursday at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort’s Sundance course by fighting off Kewadin’s Josh Lavely, the son of Larry Lavely, A-Ga-Ming’s golf professional and the local favorite, in a tense 21-hole final match. Lavely’s shot to the par 3 No. 3 hole, the third sudden-death playoff hole, flew the green into long grass. He played to bogey missing a nine-foot par putt, and VanderMolen was champion after hitting his 5-iron 180 yards to eight feet and two-putting for par. VanderMolen became the youngest winner of the championship and the first to win the 15-and-under bracket and then follow it up by winning the overall title the next year. He was 13 when he won the 15-and-under at TPC Michigan a year ago. “I played up (in age division) because you know, I won last year, and I felt like I had already proved myself,” he said. “So I was like, let’s give it ago. I knew it was going to be tougher with the state’s top players here. I mean, this means a lot to beat some great players like Josh and be the champion.” A new 15-and-under champion was crowned Thursday, too. Leandro Pinili of Rochester Hills, 15, topped Isaac Scavarda of Kalamazoo 5 and 4 in the title match for the younger division. Lavely, the 2020 Michigan PGA Junior Champion who is headed to Villanova University in the fall on a golf scholarship, said it was a great week despite the final match result. “I got a lot of support from my family and friends here and it was nice having everyone out there watching me, rooting me on,” he said. “You know, in the end I gave it my all, and you know Max is a great player and he hit a lot of great shots under pressure at the end.” VanderMolen, who at age 10 was the youngest to ever qualify for the Michigan Junior State Amateur, finished second in the National Drive, Chip and Putt Finals at Augusta National at age 11 and at 13 was the youngest to ever made the 36-hole cut at the Michigan Open Championship, said he felt the nerves and did his best to block out what was at stake. “Especially when we got to the playoff and Josh was putting the pressure on me with great shots like the one on the second playoff hole to like eight feet from the weeds,” he said. “I thought he had me there. The pins were tough all day, and I was just trying to execute each shot. I hit a really good one on the last playoff hole.” VanderMolen also hit a clutch shot on No. 17 in regulation play to tie the match. He said he hit 7-iron to about four feet on a back right hole placement. “My irons were great all week,” he said. “I work on them the most, they are my favorite thing to work on and some people might be critical of that, but it paid off for me this week because I’m confident with them. I hit some great iron shots to win a lot of tough matches.” He called the win his biggest tournament accomplishment. “It means a lot and I want to win more tournaments, get an AJGA win under my belt and keep reaching my goals,” he said. Pinili said his win in the 15-and-under division was his top accomplishment, too. “The last two years I wasn’t able to make match play and that really upset me,” he said. “I really wanted to make match play and then I played really well throughout the whole week and got the job done.” The sophomore-to-be at Birmingham Brother Rice High closed out his title match win with consecutive birdies. “I was 3-under in the match,” he said. “I was tired but hitting good shots. This is my first GAM win and first win of the year, so it’s big for me.” The final matches were set up by morning semifinals in which VanderMolen topped Justin Sui of Lake Orion 2-up, and Lavely beat Peter Stassinopoulos of Novi 3 and 2. Pinili got to the final in the 15-and-under bracket with a semifinal win over Cooper Reitsma of Ada in 20 holes, and Scavarda earned his spot with a 3 and 2 win over Kameron Knox of New Hudson.
Golfer of the Week
Ashley Lau, Michigan Sr. – Malaysia – Hills International (Australia)
Sept. 8: Mathilde Delavallade, Jr., PSU Sept. 15: Mikaela Schulz, Jr., MICH Sept. 22: Nicole Hansen, Jr., NEB | Lindsey Thiele, So. NEB Sept. 30: Geraldine Wong, Gr., MINN Oct. 6: Áine Donegan, Fr. IND | Michaela Vavrova, So., NEB Oct. 13: Paula Miranda, Fr., IOWA Oct. 20: Hailey Borja, Jr., MICH | Alexis Phadungmartvorakul, Gr., OSU Oct. 27: Kirsten Baete, Sr., NEB Nov. 3: Crystal Wang, Sr., ILL Feb. 3: Kelly Sim, Sr., NU Feb. 10: Brooke Biermann, Fr., MSU Feb. 16: Ashley Lau, Sr., MICH Feb. 23: Crystal Wang, Sr., ILL March 2: Megan Whittaker, Sr., NEB March 10: Ashley Lau, Sr., MICH March 17: Ashley Lau, Sr., MICH March 24: Anna-Maria Diederichs, Jr., RU March 31: Brooke Biermann, Fr., MSU April 8: Aneka Seumanutafa, Sr., OSU April 14: Ashley Lau, Sr., MICH 
Marathon LPGA Classic Donates Record $815,810 to 29 Area Children's CharitiesToledo, OH – The Marathon LPGA Classic Presented by Dana distributed a record $815,810 to 29 area children’s charities today as a result of this year’s tournament. The tournament has now raised close to $13 million for 200 northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities since its inception in 1984.
“We are very pleased to announce that the Marathon LPGA Classic Presented by Dana will contribute more than $800,000 to support charities this year,” said John Rice, Manager of Brand Marketing & Commerce at Marathon Petroleum. “Tournament staff did a great job planning the event around ongoing COVID-19 concerns and in the shadow of the largest event in ladies professional golf, The Solheim Cup, played right here in Toledo within weeks of The Classic. The continued success of this event in setting yet another record for charitable support is a clear testament to the commitment of local sponsors, volunteers, and fans of the Marathon LPGA Classic.” “Today is one of my favorite days of the year,” stated Alex Gerken, Toledo City President, Fifth Third Bank and Chairman, Toledo Classic Inc. “It’s a culmination of all of the hard work of the Board, the Staff, the community volunteers and most importantly a testament to the tremendous sponsors that have supported this event over the past 30 plus years, even in times as trying as the most recent 2 years. This is so much more than a weeklong LPGA event. We are thrilled to celebrate this record setting charitable contribution that directly benefits so many children’s’ charities in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.” The breakdown of charities that received contributions is as follows: Annika Sorenstam and Renee Powell – Foundations - $10,000 Autism Model School - $9,000 Avenues for Autism - $30,000 Cancer Connection of Northwest Ohio - $10,000 Challenged Champions Equestrian Center - $54,000 Children’s Mentoring Connection - $11,000 Children’s Theatre Workshop of Toledo- $8,500 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - $20,000 Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo - $5,000 First Tee of Lake Erie/Boys & Girls Club - $106,250 Good Grief of Northwest Ohio - $25,000 Hilty Childcare and Preschool - $9,000 Jamie Farr Scholarship Fund - $28,000 LPGA Girls Golf - $26,500 Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio - $5,000 Marathon LPGA Classic Charity Ticket Program - $13,560 Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity - $50,000 Michigan Lupus Foundation - $7,500 Miracle League of Findlay - $35,000 On-Target Outfitters - $29,000 Open Arms - $35,000 Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center - $30,000 Putnam County YMCA - $35,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities - $50,000 Susan G. Komen of NW Ohio - $1,500 Sylvania Community Arts Organization - $2,000 The Victory Center - $15,000 Toledo Cultural Arts Center – The Valentine Theatre - $25,000 Toledo School For The Arts - $25,000 Toledo Science Center – Imagination Station - $20,000 Toledo SeaGate Food Bank - $40,000 United States Vets - $10,000 Wood County Plays - $20,000 Young Life - $15,000 Total - $815,810 Michigan Claims Men’s Golfer of the Week HonorIowa Earns Women’s Golfer of the Week Honors
Hawkeyes’ Miranda earns the award after tying for second at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate. Golfer of the Week Paula Miranda, Iowa Fr. – Puebla, Mexico – Colegio Americano de Puebla
B1G MEN'S POWPurdue Claims Men’s Golfer of the Week Honor
Boilermakers’ Sekne claims weekly accolade after becoming the second golfer in program history to win consecutive tournaments Golfer of the Week Herman Sekne, Purdue So. – Oslo, Norway – IMG Academy (Fla.)
Sept. 8: Drew Salyers, So., IND/James Piot, Sr., MSU/Troy Taylor II, Sr., MSU Sept. 15: Patrick Sheehan, Jr., PSU Sept. 22: Drew Salyers, So., IND Sept. 29: Will Anderson, So., MICH Oct. 6: Herman Sekne, So., PUR Oct. 13: Herman Sekne, So., PUR EMU Men's Golf Begins 2021-22 Season at Badger InvitationalFITCHBURG, Wis. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team opens the 2021-22 season at the Badger Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin, Sept. 26-28. The tournament will feature 18 holes each day on the par 72, 7,826 yard University Ridge Golf Course.
EMU will be paired with the host Badgers and South Dakota State on Sunday with tee times set for 10:12 a.m. CT. The 14-team tournament will feature ACU, Augusta, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Michigan, High Point, Illinois State, Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State, Toledo, Wisconsin, and Xavier. Head Coach Bruce Cunningham will use the lineup of Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ontario, Canada-St Joseph's Catholic), Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ontario, Canada-Mayfield Secondary), MJ Smith (Rockford, Ill.-Winnebago), Patrick Deardorff (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston), and Max Watson (Ashland, Ohio-Ashland). Badger Invitational - Sept. 26-27, 2021 Where: Fitchburgh, Wis. (University Ridge GC) Format: 18 holes each day Par/Yardage: 72/7,826 Field: ACU, Augusta, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Michigan, High Point, Illinois State, Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State, Toledo, Wisconsin and Xavier Lineup: Ty Celone, Cougar Collins, MJ Smith, Patrick Deardorff, and Max Watson 
Solheim Cup
L. Thompson vs. Nordq07vist Would someone please wake up Lexi Thompson. She goes down by one after one hole. Now, Anna Nordqvist is no slouch. She has won three majors to Thompsons one. A Thompson birdie at 6 makes her match all square but… Nordqvist has a bird of her own at 7 the match turns into a slugfest. Nordqvist makes bird on 15 and goes up by one. Lexi tees off on 18 all square. She has to win her match. Both players par 18. The match finishes tied. A Ewing vs. Sagstrom In what is the only sign of life early, Ally Ewing leads Sagstrom. Just a few holes later, they are all square. Sagstrom takes her first one hole lead on No.10 and doubles down to make it 2-0. Sagstrom has led Ewing since hole ten and is up by two with 3 to go. Ewing misses a must have putt on 16. Sagstrom makes a four footer. 3 and 2. 11 to 7 Euros. Kupcho vs. Maguire Steely young player Jennifer Kupcho is 3-0 after the first two days. Georgia Hall grabbed her match lead with an early birdie. A second birdie at four is tough for the Americans. Within 7 holes, Kupcho is down four Jennifer Kupcho misses her par putt. This is the first loss for the Yanks on Sunday. Its 10-7 Europe. N.Korda vs. Hall Georgia hall could care less about teeing off against world number one Nelly Korda. She takes a two hole lead. Korda chops that lead to AS before making a birdie on eight. Just two holes later, she leads by two finishing the front nine. Korda still up by one after 17. Nelly Korda nearly holes a birdie, but it was enough to finish off Georgia Hall. It is the American’s first win today in the fifth match of the day. Harigae vs. Boutier This match is all square after three. Then Harigae uses two birdies and a Boutier bogey to make a three hole deficit. Boutier extends her lead to five holes and wins 5&4. Ernst vs. Koerstz Madsen KM gets Europe up by one with an eagle at number three Salas vs. Castren Castren birdies one and the sea of blue continues as Salas has an opening par. Salas has not led in her match all day, but on 16, does make a six footer to trail by one. Altomare vs. Ciganda Ciganda grinds out a two shot lead through eight. Altomare makes a huge putt on 14 to go AS. Altomare makes a bird on 17 and wins, 2&1. Khang vs. Popov Khang gets an early bird against Sophia Popov and makes it three for three and goes up by three and then adds two more to lead by 7. An American route. Popov birdies 13-15 and now trails by three. Khang closes out the match on 16 3 &2. Noh vs. Reid Noh fires three early birdies and Reid’s trails by three. Reid cuts it to two on the 6th. Noh and Reid have played even after Noh’s three shot lead was cut to two at the sixth. J. Korda vs. Hull Charley Hull gets off to a two hole lead on Korda. The Korda sisters have been choking up sod all weekend. JK does shave the lead to one. Charley Hull gets a kick off a frontside bunker from the Gods. It literally was tossed across the green for a short putt. Korda pummels Hull down the stretch. She closes out 3&1. Kang vs. Pederson Both players win a hole and are tied after two. Four holes later and Pederson leads by one. After 13, Pederson goes up by three. Kang climbs back. Prior matches made this one mute. Solheim Cup- Team USA and Europe at Inverness in Toledo pit LPGA's finestPictures from Solheim Cup on Monday
Man, it’s a lot of pressure. Consider this. after the participants of both the European and US Solheim Cup teams working their way through a 45-day grind of LPGA play, the rigors for the ladies got supercharged. They jetted to Europe for multiple events and after playing the Women’s British Open, the Olympics and now the Solheim Cup, these ladies might consider this event an ode to sweet relief.
Watching the American Teams of Ally Ewing and Danielle Khang cough up a lead down the stretch and Brittany Altomare and Lexi Thompson do the same, it looked like Team USA would help the Americans to no less than a 2-2 tie. Instead, any early match equity going into the four four-ball matches turned into a crashing zeppelin. Four matches and the home team is down by three. With the American’s losing 14 1/2 to 13 ½ at the Gleneagles in Scotland in 2019, the Yanks are hoping to salvage a morning where no team led by more than two shots in any of the four matches. When you trail 3 ½ to ½ and need only 14 ½ points to claim the Cup, every half point let alone a full point means something. The fans at Inverness definitely want a US win, as expected, the large crowd of fans from the states and across the pond were enthusiastic, responded to the pumped-up music with large cheers with and without adult beverages. The merchandise tent was popping. It is only Saturday and most of the shelves are either empty or standing on their last hanger. I must be the only person that collects headcovers from PGA/LPGA Tour stops and once again, there were none to be found with or without the Solheim Cup logo. Just five holes into the afternoon matches finds Europe leading the Americans in all four matches with two matches showing a 2up European lead. While you can expect an American bounce back, trailing by three after four morning matches has brought pressure to all eight Americans playing in the afteroo on day one. With Nelly Korda losing her morning match and Lexi Thompson doing the same, what is captain Pat Hurst going to do? The inevitable comeback started with a birdie by Nellie Korda who birdied the par four 6th hole. It did not last long as her partner Ally Ewing and Korda quickly gave up their 1up lead. What is crazy is the American’s Lexi Thompson. All day long, she has not followed through on any swing. Her usual full finish has been replaced by a lightning rod finish with her club pointing at the sky like she just cannot finish her swing. Brittany Altomare, playing with Noh drained a birdie put on number eight and it is the first time the Americans have led a match since late in the morning. A splash of red for the yanks. But that is a drop, the American’s really need to win three out of four in the pm and make it rain. Oops! Bad news for the home team Castren and Nordqvist laid another lick on Harigae and Thompson on the tenth. They are now three up with eight to play. The American’s really need to put up some American red. On 13, Harigae and Thompson went down by four with five to play. Put a fork on this match. The meat was done a hole later Mastren-Nordqvist defeat the Americans Marigae and Thompson 4 &3. With the Ewing- N. Korda pairing tied with the Europeans team of Madsen and Sagstrom all square after 12, N. Korda nearly drains an eagle putt. It hangs on the lip and is picked up before ten seconds elapse. Officials shortly thereafter rule the putt good giving the Americans a 1 up lead. With the Americans showing a pulse and are now 1up in two of four matches and all square in a third, they are showing a pulse with a handful of holes to go. Kupcho made a huge putt on 14 to help her and Salas go one up. The key is if the Yanks can go up in a third match. First things first. Ewing and Nelly Korda made their one up lead hold up for the final six holes of their match. The Americans are square at one and one in the pm matches. But they need both of the other matches that are tied. With holes running out, its nail biting time. Lizette Salas made a clutch putt on 17 as Jennifer Kupcho looks on. Ciganda and Popov trail by one. The Americans now lead two of the three matches. For the final American team of Altomare and Noh, they went down on the 15th against Hall and Maguire. They could not get a putt to go in and never closed the gap. The Americans finished the afternoon at 2-2 and trail the Europeans 5 ½ to 2 ½. Pat Hurst has to sharpen her pencil to figure out what to do with her underperforming team going into Sunday. |
Double Eagle Golf Podcast- Moves to Rocket Mortgage Classic 1.4 with Will Zalatoris, Ryan Brehm and Rory Sabbatini
Historic Atlas Valley Golf Club Hosting 8th GAM Super Senior ChampionshipGRAND BLANC – Atlas Valley Golf Club’s historic course dates to 1912 and it will host some players with history, albeit more recent history, in the 8th GAM Super Senior Championship presented by Mercy Elite Sports Performance Monday and Tuesday.
A field of 78 GAM golfers ages 65-and-over will compete in the 36-hole stroke play championship, which crowns an overall Super Senior champion and presents a Legends Division for golfers ages 70-and-over. In addition a prize is awarded to the low score by a player ages 75-and-over. Atlas Valley, previously known as Atlas Valley Country Club, is a semi-private facility with a course originally designed in 1912 by legendary architect Tom Bendelow, a prolific designer of over 600 courses including the famous East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the three courses at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago. Bendelow’s naturalist’s approach in design is evident in the course at Atlas Valley that is built on about 150 acres of rolling, scenic land. Kearsley Creek winds through the course Since the ownership change in recent years significant renovation has included the clubhouse exterior and interior, dining and banquet facilities, irrigation on the course, course bunkers and cart paths. A tree removal program was implemented as well. Rick Howles is the director of golf operations and Andrew Dalton is the superintendent. Learn more atlasvalleygolf.com. Last year at the Medalist Golf Club in Marshall, Ray Emsley of Davisburg won by three strokes over the 2020 champion Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and Dan Hughes of Saginaw. George Dillon of Midland won the Legends Division. Emsley, Herpich, Hughes and two-time champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills (2018, ’19) are in this year’s field, and 2016 winner John French of Santa Monica is playing in the Legends Division. Dillon is also defending his Legends Division title.
Golfer of the Week
Hunter Thomson, Michigan Fr. – Calgary, Alberta – West Island College
Sept. 8: Drew Salyers, So., IND | James Piot, Sr., MSU | Troy Taylor II, Sr., MSU Sept. 15: Patrick Sheehan, Jr., PSU Sept. 22: Drew Salyers, So., IND Sept. 29: Will Anderson, So., MICH Oct. 6: Herman Sekne, So., PUR Oct. 13: Herman Sekne, So., PUR Oct. 20: Piercen Hunt, So., ILL Nov. 4: Cameron Huss, So., WIS Feb. 10: Mitch Davis, Sr., IND Feb. 16: Herman Sekne, So., PUR Feb. 23: Maxwell Moldovan, So., OSU March 2: David Nyfjäll, Sr., NU March 10: Adam Wallin, So., OSU March 17: Maxwell Moldovan, So., OSU March 24: Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Sr., ILL March 31: Herman Sekne, So., PUR April 7: Tommy Kuhl, Sr., ILL April 14: Hunter Thomson, Fr., MICH 
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Richland’s Max VanderMolen Tops 15-and-under Points List
FARMINGTON HILLS – Richland’s Max VanderMolen, who turns 14 next week, has already been making Michigan golf news for a handful of years.
He’s making more. A two-time winner in GAM tournaments this summer, VanderMolen has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Boys’ 15-and-under Player of the Year, Kyle Wolfe, director of junior golf for the GAM announced today. GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Player of the Year points system presented by Carl’s Golfland. Points totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Previously James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Kimberly Dinh of Midland was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake was named the Super Senior Player of the Year, Sophie Stevens of Highland was named the Junior Girls’ Player of the Year, PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan was named the Junior Boys’ Player of the Year and Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor was named the 15-and-under Girls’ Player of the Year. VanderMolen, a member through Gull Lake Country Club, won the 15-and-under bracket of the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship and was the GAM Junior Stroke Play champion to key his 1,211 points. Cooper Reitsma of Ada and Cascade Hills Country Club had several top finishes across the season in finishing second with 965 points, and Connor Fox of Lake Orion and Indianwood Golf & Country Club, the GAM Junior Invitational 15-and-under winner, was third with 740 points. Rounding out the top five were Connor Shea of Bonita Springs, Fla., and Oakland Hills Country Club with 463 points and Mitchell Strickland of Ann Arbor, a Youth on Course Michigan member with 410 points. “I had one of my best summers with some of my best wins,” VanderMolen said. “It feels awesome to be Player of the Year.” VanderMolen first made his presence known in GAM tournaments at age 10 as the youngest to ever qualify for the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship and at age 11 finished second in the national Drive, Chip and Putt Finals. He did the age-defying trick again this summer. He was 13 when he made the 36-hole cut at the Michigan Open Championship at The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort in the early summer. Despite incomplete records, he is believed to be the youngest to qualify for the starting field and the youngest to ever make the cut. “I don’t feel any pressure being young and playing against older guys,” he said. “I just try to do my best in every tournament and what happens, happens.” He said the best moment of the summer was when he followed up battling through stroke play and match play to win the Michigan Junior Amateur 15-and-under title by opening the GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship with a 5-under 66 at Forest Akers East. He went on to shoot 7-under and win the title the next day. “Going through all those stages to win the Michigan Junior Amateur made me feel really good, but then to go right back out the next week and shoot 5-under, that showed I had my game at a high level,” he said. “That gave me a lot of confidence.” VanderMolen, the son of Jim and Sarah VanderMolen and a student at Gagie Middle School in Kalamazoo, said he feels great about his progress in golf. “Every year I’m getting better and it is showing,” he said. “I feel I can hit it farther and as I’m getting older I’m excited to see what happens.” He said at this point he plans to play in the upper age divisions next summer in GAM tournaments. “I want to test myself and that should help me keep improving,” he said. Wolfe said VanderMolen continues to improve. “Max has had a lot of early success in golf and sometimes that can be challenging for players to deal with those expectations, but I think Max’s mental game improved greatly this summer and he was able to put himself in the best position to win tournaments,” he said. “Max is a very powerful and skilled golfer and if he continues to work hard, he will definitely have success as he gets older. GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Ann Arbor’s Mia Melendez Tops 15-and-under Girls’ Points List
FARMINGTON HILLS – Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor worked on her golf game as she became bigger and stronger and hit the ball farther, and those factors worked together in championship fashion in 2021.
Melendez, a 14-year-old Ann Arbor Greenhills student, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Girls’ 15-and-under Player of the Year, Kyle Wolfe, director of junior golf for the GAM announced today. “It feels great to be player of the year,” she said. “After all of my accomplishments this year I feel I’m well-deserving and I worked hard to earn this title.” GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Player of the Year points system presented by Carl’s Golfland. Points totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Previously James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Kimberly Dinh of Midland was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake was named the Super Senior Player of the Year, Sophie Stevens of Highland was named the Junior Girls’ Player of the Year and PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan was named the Junior Boys’ Player of the Year. Later this week the GAM will announce the 15-and-under Junior Boys’ Player of the Year. Melendez, a member through Youth on Course Michigan and the Polo Fields Golf & Country Club, won her first GAM tournament to start 2021 in the season-opening GAM Junior Kickoff, and then was the stroke play medalist and overall winner of the 15-and-under age division in the Michigan Girls Junior State Championship. She totaled 1,330 points for the season. Alena Li of Okemos, also a Youth on Course Michigan member, won the GAM Invitational 15-and-under title at the end of the season and was runner-up to Melendez in the Michigan Girls Junior. She finished second with 820 points. Lauren Timpf of Macomb, Burning Tree Golf Club and Youth on Course played most of her tournaments in the overall or higher age division. She still managed 650 points in 15-and-under play keyed by topping Melendez in the final match of the GAM 15-and-under Match Play Championship. KT Leinwand of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Country Club had 613 points, and Lillian O’Grady of Grand Rapids and Watermark Country Club had 430 points to round out the top five. Melendez, who works with Dave Kendall of Kendall Golf Academy as her instructor, said she has worked on all aspects of her game in recent years. “I definitely improved a lot this year and in winning some big tournaments like the Michigan Junior Am I could see my growth,” she said. “I was able to show my strengths as a player.” She feels her long game with the driver and irons has become the best part of her game. “I stay solid and I hit the ball straight and far, and my mental game is stronger, too. It helped me secure wins in tournaments this year.” She said the short game is what she hopes to improve the most for 2022. “Mostly chipping and pitching,” she said. “I want to get up and down for more birdies since I hit by driver so far now. I want to take advantage of the distance.” Her goals for next year include continuing to win tournaments and testing herself at higher levels. “I want to do better in AJGA tournaments and in the GAM tournaments I think I will play in the overall divisions because I’m up to those standards now,” she said. “I want to take on the competition at a higher level.” Melendez said topping Li in the final to win the Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur was the highlight of the season. “I played really well in stroke play but didn’t really know what to expect in match play and the matches were so intense and exciting,” she said. “I stayed solid and built a lead on Alena and was able to secure a win. I was proud of that.” Looking ahead Melendez hopes to improve enough to play college golf and thanked her parents, Robert and Tori, for getting her to this point. “They bring me to all the tournaments and motivate me during the tough times,” she said. Wolfe said Melendez winning the GAM Junior Kickoff tournament propelled her to a breakout season.
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Highland’s Sophie Stevens Tops Junior Girls’ Points List
FARMINGTON HILLS – Highland’s Sophie Stevens has ironed out some swing things that went awry in the late summer, and she is working with a trainer following what she described as a pleasing year.
“I’m headed in the right direction,” she said. Stevens, who will turn 16 later this month, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Girls’ Player of the Year, Kyle Wolfe, director of junior golf for the GAM announced today. GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Player of the Year points system. Points totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Previously James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Kimberly Dinh of Midland was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year, and Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake was named the Super Senior Player of the Year. In the next two weeks the GAM will announce more Junior Players of the Year in gender and age categories. Stevens, a member through Prestwick Village Golf Club, played in U.S. Women’s Amateur, won the GAM Junior Kickoff tournament to start the season and was stroke play medalist in the Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur to help build her 1,208 points for the year. Lauren Timpf of Macomb, a member through Burning Tree Golf Club, won the Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur and the season-ending GAM Junior Invitational to finish second with 1,105 points. Kate Brody of Grand Blanc and Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, runner-up to Timpf in the Junior State Amateur, finished third with 865 points. Bridget Boczar of Canton, a member through Youth on Course Michigan was fourth with 695 points and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids and Cascade Hills Country Club rounded out the top five with 665 points. Stevens said the experience of playing in the U.S. Women’s Amateur where she narrowly missed the cut into match play was the highlight of the summer. “Even though I just missed match play I felt pretty good about the way I played,” she said. “It was a fun experience. I was playing well until I made double-bogey on 15 (in the final round of stroke play). It was a bit of a stinger the way I finished there, but I’m taking the positives and the experience of playing that week.” Stevens, who works with Ypsilanti instructor Craig Piscopink, said late in the year her ball-striking suffered but she has worked things out this winter. “I was doing some things with my hands and really my whole body that made by ball-striking suffer,” she said. “My strength is my driving and ball-striking I feel even though it wasn’t quite there at the end of the year. I improved my short game last year and I going to keep working on that. There’s always room for improvement. I’ve also started working out with a trainer and a workout program and I’m seeing improvements there – I’ve added some distance.” Stevens plan another busy summer of national and Michigan tournament competitions. “It’s so nice to come back home and play,” she said. “It’s a good feeling and I get to see the people I’ve been playing with ever since I was 10 (years-old).” Wolfe said Stevens is a golfer dedicated to the game and is always seeking ways to improve. “She is not afraid to take on the challenge of the game,” he said. “Sophie has a very strong mental game and is very driven for a younger player. She works very hard and is always that person still out there on the driving range or the putting green after a round is over getting ready for the round the next day.” GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Canton’s James Piot Tops 2021 Men’s Points List
FARMINGTON HILLS – James Piot of Canton, who this summer became the only Michigan golfer to ever win the U.S. Amateur Championship, said after being named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year in 2020 that he wanted to finish 2021 tournaments with more trophies.
“I’d say I got a few good ones,” the Michigan State University golfer quipped. Piot, 23, topped the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Points List for the second consecutive year and has been named the 2021 GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services, announced today. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Earlier this week Kimberly Dinh of Midland was named the GAM Women’s Player of the Year. Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories. Piot, who also won the GAM Championship at Franklin Hills Country Club, totaled 1,495 points to top the list. The largest amount of points came from the U.S. Amateur and GAM wins, but the GAM member via Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center also made the prestigious final 16 in the Western Amateur Championship and had other significant top finishes on the national amateur circuit. Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe and Country Club of Detroit, a University of Michigan golfer who won the Michigan Amateur Championship, including a quarterfinal round match play win over Piot, finished second with 518 points. Grant Haefner of West Bloomfield and Orchard Lake Country Club, a Jacksonville University (Fla.) golfer, was third with 535 points. Bradley Smithson of Grand Rapids and Egypt Valley Country Club, a teammate of Piot’s at Michigan State, became just the sixth amateur to win the Michigan Open Championship, finished fourth with 463 points, and Tyler Rayman of Otsego and Lake Doster Golf Club, an Eastern Michigan University golfer who was runner-up to Sullivan in the Michigan Amateur, rounded out the top five with 360 points. Piot, who is also a past Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, said topping the points list is a goal for him each summer. “It’s a goal in my head every year and part of trending the right way for where I want to be in the future,” he said. “It validates your hard work and I consider it a big accomplishment. I’m proud of it and proud to represent the GAM and the state of Michigan. I couldn’t be more grateful to win it again.” He called winning the U.S. Amateur life-changing. He plans to play in the Masters Tournament via the invitation that goes out to the U.S. Amateur winner and will play Augusta National for the first time next week with Michigan State coaches Casey Lubahn, Dan Ellis and an Augusta member who is also a Michigan State alum. “Winning the U.S. Am is something you think you can do, but you don’t always picture it happening,” Piot said. “Things have been crazy since it happened. I’m super blessed by all the things that have happened because of it. It was the coolest moment of my life.” When his final spring college season has ended and he has played in the Masters, Piot plans to turn professional and take advantage of the sponsor’s exemptions that will come his way at U.S. Amateur champion. “It gives me a leg up on a professional career that has always been my goal,” he said. Piot called GAM tournaments the favorite events each summer. “Ever since I was a kid GAM tournaments have been the ones I look forward to the most,” he said. “You get a chance to prove yourself against the best players in the state, they are usually close to home and you get to try and beat your buddies. They’re fun. One thing that is still in the back of my head is that I haven’t won the Michigan Am, but I won the U.S. Am and that’s not too bad.” Hartmann called Piot a class act who treats everyone around him with respect. “Winning the U.S. Amateur – it couldn’t happen to a better guy,” he said. “I’m proud of him and it is still exciting to think about what he did. That accomplishment will probably never be matched in our lifetime. He’s a phenomenal golfer, very talented, but he also demonstrates what hard work can do. He may not have won a Michigan Amateur, but he has been the player to beat year-after-year.”
Lorenzo Pinili, Lauren Timpf Win GAM Junior Invitational TitlesEAST LANSING – Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills and Brother Rice High School and Lauren Timpf of Macomb and Lutheran North High School finished the summer golf season as GAM Junior Invitational champions at Forest Akers West Golf Course Sunday.
Pinili, soon to be 17, won on the first hole of a playoff with Jack Zubkus of Ada. They were tied after regulation play at 1-under 143 with Pinili shooting a closing 73 and Zubkus coming from behind with a 4-under 68. Pinili parred the first playoff hole, No. 18, while Zubkus hit a second shot from a fairway bunker into a pond and couldn’t save par. Meanwhile in the girls’ competition, Timpf, who turns 15 on Thursday, rallied from behind with a closing 71 for 148 and slipped past Adie Maki of Canton, who shot a 74 for 149. Winners were also crowned in 15-and-under age divisions. Connor Fox of Lake Orion, who shot 69 for 143, won among the boys by three shots over Cooper Reitsma of Ada, who shot 72 for 146. Alena Li of Okemos, who shot 77 for 155, topped the younger girls by winning a three-golfer playoff with a par on the second hole the trio played (No. 18 after playing No. 10). Li was joined in the playoff at 155 by runner-up Grace Slocum of Traverse City, who shot a final 75, and third-place finisher KT Leinwand of Kalamazoo (out on the first playoff hole), who shot 77. It was a first GAM tournament title for Pinili, who earlier this summer won a Golfweek Tour event at Forest Akers West as well. “It feels great to get my first GAM win,” he said. “The first round (Saturday) I putted really well and made most of my five footers. Today I didn’t make as many but I just tried to hang in there, try my best and I was able to hang on.” Pinili called his summer of golf solid. “I finished close to the top in a lot of tournaments,” he said. “I’m really happy with where I’m at.” Finishing third behind Pinili and Zubkus was Justin Sui of Lake Orion, who shot the best round of the day, a 66, for 144. Carter Housler of Lansing, who shot 73 for 144, and Foster Faber of Hudsonville, who shot 73 for 145, rounded out the top five. Timpf won for the third time this summer in GAM tournaments, but for the first time in the GAM Invitational playing in the older age group. She was disappointed with a first-round 77 and her and her father went back to the golf course Saturday night to work on some things. “It was a pretty upsetting round and we worked on putting and a few shots here and there,” she said. “I just brought what I remembered from last night to today, stayed focused and tried to come out and gain some strokes. It felt good to do it.” Timpf said back-to-back birdies on holes No. 6 and 7 were critical to the win and she credited improved putting in the second round “I found I was focusing too much on the line on the ball and just tried to focus on visualizing a line into the hole,” she said. “That really helped. My putting was a lot better.” Following Timpf and Maki and finishing third was Sophie Stevens of Highland, who shot 78 for 151. Gabriella Tapp of South Lyon, who shot 77 for 152, finished in fourth place, and Grace Wang of Rochester Hills and Megha Vallabhaneni of Northville, who each shot 74 for 143 rounded out the top five. Rounding out the top five in the boys’ 15-and-under behind Fox and Reitsma were Sawyer O’Grady of Ada, who shot 74 for 149, Kaiden Bailey of Menominee and Troy Nguyen of Macomb, who each shot 75 for 151. In the girls’ 15-and-under behind the three playoff players, Li, Slocum and Leinwand, were Avery Manning of Dexter, who shot 85 for 163, and Lilian O’Grady, who shot 88 for 169. A field of 84 boy and girl golfers competed. They were invited by the GAM based on performances in a variety of state and national competitions in 2021. Pinili and Timpf each received the Mick Kildea Trophy for their victories.
HARBOR SPRINGS – By Greg Johnson- Apparently DeWitt’s Nate Clark felt the weight of his best finishes being seconds in significant Golf Association of Michigan tournaments.
“It means a ton,” he said of winning the 39th GAM Mid-Amateur Championship on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with John Quigley of Sterling Heights Thursday on the Moor course at Boyne Highlands Resort. “I’ve been playing in GAM stuff since I was 16 or 17 and to sort of finally break through and win one is awesome,” he said. “I’ve had a two seconds here (in the Mid-Am) and a second in the GAM Championship at least once. I’ve been in the final group a few times like today, the semifinals of the (Michigan Amateur), a few Sweet 16s, and to finally break through and do it, feels great.” Clark, a 42-year-old financial advisor shot a closing 1-under 70, overcoming a double-bogey on the third hole to finish with a 4-under 139 tournament total. Quigley, 37 and the 2017 Mid-Amateur champion, birdied the par 5 No. 18 hole for a final 68 and 139 to force the playoff. Both players birdied No. 18 as the first hole of the playoff, and then went to No. 10, a par 4 where multiple penalty areas await. Clark hit his tee shot left into a high-grass penalty area but was able to punch out to the fairway and hit an approach shot on the green where he two-putted from about 25 feet for bogey. Meanwhile Quigley hit his tee shot in the left rough with a large pine tree looming in front of him. His approach shot clipped a branch and the ball ended up in the wetland penalty area in front of the green. He dropped, hit an approach on the green and two-putted from about 25 feet for a double-bogey. “I was just kind of making a lot of pars all through front nine, but I made some birdies on the back nine to get in the playoff,” Quigley said. “I was super pleased to have a chance to win. (Nate) and I were in the last group in 2017, the year that I won. So as much as I would have loved to win it again, it was great to see him win this year. That last hole didn’t go my way this time, but maybe it will another time.” Clark thought his escaping the penalty area with a punch-out before Quigley hit his second shot was important. “I got it out with a good spot to go at the flag and that kind of forced his hand to try and get it on the green because that tree was in the way,” he said. “He just clipped one branch. It was a tough break for him.” David Praet of Lake Orion, who shot 71, and 2018 champion Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, who shot 72, tied for third at 142. Brad Bastion of Shelby Township, who shot 71 for 143 rounded out the top five. Boyne Highlands hosted the championship for Michigan male amateur golfers over age 25 for the 20th consecutive year and 24th time in the history of the championship that honors the winner with the Glenn H. Johnson Trophy. Champions were also crowned in three additional age categories. The Mid-Seniors winner (age 45-and-over) was Jud Kotas of Grosse Pointe Farms, who shot 75 for 145 and his second Mid-Senior title. Rick Crandall of Fenton shot a final 68 for 148 and second in the age group. The Senior title for golfers over age 55, and the Super Seniors over 65, were determined with the final round on the Heather course. David Levan of Ann Arbor, who won the GAM Senior Match Play Championship in May, won the Senior title on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff with Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Randy Lewis of Alma. Levan hit an approach shot on No. 10 to three feet for birdie and the win after the two golfers matched pars on the first two playoff holes. Levan shot 77 for 147 in regulation, and Lewis rallied with a 73 for 147 to force the playoff. Mike Raymond of Jackson shot a final 75 for 147 to win the Super Senior title. Jim Hegarty of Grand Rapids, who shot 74, and Larry Vaughan of Greensboro, who shot 77, tied for second. Ally Challenge Saturday Day 2 of ThreeDeveloping: Joe Durant wins the Ally Challenge over Bernhard Langer
|
|
|
|
|
George Bowman of Oakhurst CC powerplays Ally Challenge tourny exemption into United Way donation
US Amateur Winner James Piot on winning and what it means to his future
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Furyk on Defending. Photo Gallery Davis Love III
|
|
|
|
Anchored by FAMILY FUN NIGHT, THE CELEBITY SHOOTOUT, AND COMMUNITY CONCERT PRESENTED BY ALLYGRAND BLANC, Mich. – The fourth edition of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will not only feature world-class competition when the first round kicks off on Friday, August 27, but fans will also be treated to a full slate of events and activities taking place at historic Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich. through Sunday’s final round.
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at theallychallenge.com/tickets. Several ticket options are available. Daily tickets start at $25, and kids 17 and under receive free grounds access with a ticketed adult. Family Fun Night kicks off the 2021 special events schedule at The Ally Challenge on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Hole No. 17 and in the Fan Zone presented by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Admission and parking are free for this fun-for-the-whole-family event. Parking is located at the Grand Blanc High School with complimentary shuttle service provided. Family Fun Night includes free pizza and drinks for youths 18 years and under, a DJ dance party, Golf Stations conducted by The First Tee of Eastern Michigan, and the newest addition to Family Fun Night, the Champions’ Caddie Exhibition. The Exhibition will start off the jam-packed evening at 5 p.m. and feature the tournament’s three champions, Jim Furyk (2020), Jerry Kelly (2019), and Paul Broadhurst (2018) switching roles with their caddies as they tee it up on the 17th hole in a closest to the pin contest. Each caddie will be matched up with a randomly selected youth attending Family Fun Night for the opportunity to win the grand prize package. Saturday, August 28, is a star-studded day at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. It all starts with the Celebrity Shootout¾featuring Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Izzo and Jeff Blashill¾and will follow the last tournament pairing of round two off Hole No. 10 at Warwick Hills (3 p.m. estimated start time). The 9-hole exhibition match will benefit six Southeastern Michigan charitable organizations. The fun continues Saturday evening with the tournament’s Community Concert presented by Ally, headlined by GRAMMY, EMMY, ACM, CMA and AMA Award-winning group Little Big Town. This special event will take place on the driving range at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club. Gates open at 5 p.m., with local opening act Frame 42 performing at 6:30 and Little Big Town taking the stage at 8 p.m. A fireworks display will close out the evening immediately following the concert. General Admission access to both the Celebrity Shootout and Community Concert are included with the purchase of a Weekly Grounds Ticket or any Saturday Daily Ticket option. Ally Challenge- 2020 Defending Champion Jim Furyk leads star studded fieldGRAND BLANC, Mich. – Tournament officials announced today that The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren defending champion Jim Furyk joins Charles Schwab Cup leader and 2019 tournament winner Jerry Kelly and major champions Retief Goosen, Mark O’Meara and John Daly to highlight early commitments to the fourth edition of the official PGA TOUR Champions stop, scheduled for the week of August 23-29 at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Furyk, 51, became the 19th player in PGA TOUR Champions history to win his debut with his victory at the 2020 Ally Challenge. He went on to join Bruce Fleisher in September as the only players to win their first two starts on the senior circuit after his win at the PURE Insurance Championship. Phil Mickelson became a member of the exclusive fraternity a month later. Furyk grabbed his third, and most recent, PGA TOUR Champions title at the 2021 U.S. Senior Open Championship in July. The victory marked his first senior major and second overall, adding to his U.S. Open Championship win in 2003, the same year the Florida resident won the Buick Open at Warwick Hills. Furyk has finished inside the top-25 in all 17 starts of his PGA TOUR Champions career, including 10 top-10 outings. He currently ranks No. 2 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List and his three wins this season rank No. 1 on TOUR. Kelly has been a model of consistency and productivity since making his first PGA TOUR Champions start in 2017. He was selected as PGA TOUR Champions Rookie of the Year after an impressive first season that included two wins, 10 top-10 finishes over 20 starts, and setting a PGA TOUR Champions record with 16 consecutive rounds in the 60s, breaking Hale Irwin’s 18-year mark. The 54-year-old Wisconsin native’s win total now sits at eight, including The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren in 2019 and his first major title at the 2020 Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. He has amassed 49 career top-10 finishes to go with $8,136,107 in prize money. Kelly currently sits atop the Charles Schwab Cup Money List and will be making his fourth start at The Ally Challenge. His scoring average at Warwick Hills is 68.44 with tournament earnings of $379,450. Goosen, 52, enjoyed a stellar rookie PGA TOUR Champions season in 2019. His 12 top-10 finishes over 23 starts, including two runner-ups and his first senior title at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, resulted in the Tour’s best scoring average (69.14) and Rookie of the Year honors. Goosen was the seventh player in Tour history to win the scoring title as a rookie. He has continued his impressive play during his sophomore campaign, adding another 12 top-10s, with three runner-ups and two third-place efforts. The South African is currently ranked No. 6 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List and No. 1 in Driving Distance with a 297.5-yard average. Goosen will be making his third start at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. His best finish came in 2020 when he closed with a six-under 66 to finish the tournament tied for second with Brett Quigley at 12-under-par. The two-time U.S. Open Champion’s scoring average at The Ally Challenge is 68 and his earnings total $240,000. O’Meara, 64, has recorded 16 PGA TOUR titles during his more than 40-year professional career, including two majors¾1998 Masters and 1998 The Open Championship¾and was the PGA TOUR player of the year in 1998. The World Golf Hall of Famer joined the PGA TOUR Champions in 2007 and has claimed three senior titles, his first two coming in 2010, including a major championship at the Senior Players. O’Meara captured his latest PGA TOUR Champions victory during the 2019 season at the Cologuard Classic, ending an eight-year win drought. This year will be O’Meara’s fourth appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. His best finish came in the inaugural event in 2018 when he tied for third with Tom Lehman. His Warwick Hills scoring average is 69.89 and his tournament earning stand at $158,933.34. A two-time major championship winner, Daly, is one of the most recognizable figures in golf. He has recorded five-career PGA TOUR titles and his major victories include the 1991 PGA Championship and 1995 The Open Championship. The 55-year-old resident of Dardanelle, Arkansas has totaled more than $12 million in earnings during his more than 28 years as a professional. Daly had a breakthrough season in 2017 in just his second year on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit, capturing three top-10 finishes, including his first PGA TOUR Champions victory at the Insperity Invitational, the same tournament where he made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in May of 2016. He has consistently recorded three top-10 finishes each of the past three seasons, including a runner-up at the 2021 Insperity. Daly will be making his second start at this year’s Ally Challenge. He was forced to withdraw in 2018 due to an injury and finished T-58 last year. His scoring average at Warwick Hills is 72. In additional news, the tournament is excited to announce the return of the Fan Zone presented by C&L Ward. This interactive fan destination is located next to the famed 17th hole at Warwick Hills and is open Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patrons visiting the Fan Zone will be treated to a number of available activities, including the popular island chip shot, newly renamed the Bucket Savings Challenge, compliments of the tournament’s title sponsor, Ally Financial. The Bucket Savings Challenge allows participants to target “saving” for a vacation, house or car and win prizes corresponding to that savings goal. Ally introduced the savings bucket tools to its online savings accounts last year. 
Ryann O'Toole and Janie Jackson on the Midland LPGA Tour doubles stopEmma Talley Jodi Ewart Shadoff on playing together on the LPGA TourChristie Kerr and Stephanie Meadow on the rigors of the LPGA TourBrooke Henderson on her 2021 season and playing in the Olympics
LPGA players Maria Fassi & Stacy Lewis talk about mentoring and the 2021 seasonInbee Park and SY Ryu are two of the top players on the LPGA Tour. They talk 2021, Olympics and more.We double dip with this weeks Monday Conversation
|
|
|
|
Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang just finish their doubles as does Emma Talley and Jodie Ewart Shadoffs and
|
|
|
LPGA player interviews Caroline Inglis and Breana Do. Also, Caroline Masson and Austin Ernst
CLUB CAR SENIOR OPEN: Upper Peninsula Pro Jay Jurecic Tops Stellar Field
BATTLE CREEK – Jay Jurecic of Crystal Falls in the Upper Peninsula, a 50-year-old sixth and seventh-grade West Iron County math teacher most of the year and a mini-tour golf professional in the summer, won the 39th Club Car Senior Open Championship presented by ADN Administrators Tuesday.
Playing in his first Senior Open, the math teacher counted just one missed green in two days and shot a closing 3-under 69 for a 9-under 135 total at Bedford Valley Golf Club, just enough for a one-shot win over Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
“I’ve been working hard on my game lately and its starting to come around” said Jurecic, a two-time winner over several summers playing the Dakotas Tour. “I played well for the two days. I really focused on my shots, visualized my shots and hit a lot of good ones. I’ve played in the Michigan Open several times – I think my best finish was an eighth – and now that I’m 50 I thought I would come down and give this one a try.”
Hebert, a native of the U.P. himself, followed up a first-day leading 65 with a 71 for 136, and the next four spots were filled by Michigan Golf Hall of Famers, too.
Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy birdied his last three holes of the day for a second consecutive 69 and 138. PGA Tour Champions player Tom Werkmeister of Hudsonville shot 73 for 139. Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center in Plymouth closed with a 72 for 142 and tied with low senior amateur Greg Davies of West Bloomfield, who had a final-round 70. Roth, Werkmeister and Cairns are all past champions of the tournament, too.
“I never could figure out the speed of the greens today,” Hebert said. “I hit the ball better today than yesterday when I shot 65, but I didn’t score.”
In the over-age-65 Super Senior competition, Hall of Famer Randy Erskine of Lake Orion, another past champion, shot a second-consecutive 70 for 140 to win. Mike Parker, an amateur from Lapeer, was second among the super set with a 70 for 142.
“Since I got home from Florida I’ve played horrible, but when the tournament came around my game came around,” said Erskine, a five-time Michigan Open winner who is 73. “In a tournament my mindset is better, I concentrate better. I can’t beat the young kids anymore, but I really enjoy competing.”
Jurecic, largely unknown among a field of 125 golfers that included 14 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame members, teaches school most of the year and then devotes his summers to golf. He turned professional in 2000 to chase the PGA Tour dream, and now that he is 50 plans to chase the PGA Tour Champions dream, too.
“I played two years full-time, but I’ve been teaching for about 22 years and playing in the summer to keep the dream alive,” he said after accepting the $2,600 first-place check.
“I’ll be 51 in July and we’ll see what happens with this senior stuff. It feels great to win this. My sister (Pam) came over from Midland and caddied for me. It was fun. I’m headed back to the Dakotas and hopefully I’ll keep the game going like this.”
He said he held his round together with a birdie on the par 5 13th.
“I hit a 2-iron on that green (second shot) and made birdie following a bogey on 12,” he said. “I stayed aggressive and hit a couple really good 2-irons on a couple of the par 5s today.”
Playing in his first Senior Open, the math teacher counted just one missed green in two days and shot a closing 3-under 69 for a 9-under 135 total at Bedford Valley Golf Club, just enough for a one-shot win over Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
“I’ve been working hard on my game lately and its starting to come around” said Jurecic, a two-time winner over several summers playing the Dakotas Tour. “I played well for the two days. I really focused on my shots, visualized my shots and hit a lot of good ones. I’ve played in the Michigan Open several times – I think my best finish was an eighth – and now that I’m 50 I thought I would come down and give this one a try.”
Hebert, a native of the U.P. himself, followed up a first-day leading 65 with a 71 for 136, and the next four spots were filled by Michigan Golf Hall of Famers, too.
Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy birdied his last three holes of the day for a second consecutive 69 and 138. PGA Tour Champions player Tom Werkmeister of Hudsonville shot 73 for 139. Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center in Plymouth closed with a 72 for 142 and tied with low senior amateur Greg Davies of West Bloomfield, who had a final-round 70. Roth, Werkmeister and Cairns are all past champions of the tournament, too.
“I never could figure out the speed of the greens today,” Hebert said. “I hit the ball better today than yesterday when I shot 65, but I didn’t score.”
In the over-age-65 Super Senior competition, Hall of Famer Randy Erskine of Lake Orion, another past champion, shot a second-consecutive 70 for 140 to win. Mike Parker, an amateur from Lapeer, was second among the super set with a 70 for 142.
“Since I got home from Florida I’ve played horrible, but when the tournament came around my game came around,” said Erskine, a five-time Michigan Open winner who is 73. “In a tournament my mindset is better, I concentrate better. I can’t beat the young kids anymore, but I really enjoy competing.”
Jurecic, largely unknown among a field of 125 golfers that included 14 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame members, teaches school most of the year and then devotes his summers to golf. He turned professional in 2000 to chase the PGA Tour dream, and now that he is 50 plans to chase the PGA Tour Champions dream, too.
“I played two years full-time, but I’ve been teaching for about 22 years and playing in the summer to keep the dream alive,” he said after accepting the $2,600 first-place check.
“I’ll be 51 in July and we’ll see what happens with this senior stuff. It feels great to win this. My sister (Pam) came over from Midland and caddied for me. It was fun. I’m headed back to the Dakotas and hopefully I’ll keep the game going like this.”
He said he held his round together with a birdie on the par 5 13th.
“I hit a 2-iron on that green (second shot) and made birdie following a bogey on 12,” he said. “I stayed aggressive and hit a couple really good 2-irons on a couple of the par 5s today.”
Day 2-MARATHON LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA Tournament Notes
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 11 Nasa Hataoka (61-69-64)
Rolex Rankings No. 11 Nasa Hataoka (61-69-64)
- Hataoka’s 194 is her second-lowest 54-hole score; her career-best is 192, set in her win at the 2018 Walmart NWA Championship
- Her 194 set the 54-hole scoring record at the Marathon LPGA Classic
- This is Hataoka’s fifth year on the LPGA Tour; she has three career victories, most recently at the 2019 Kia Classic
- This is Hataoka’s 13th event of the 2021 LPGA Tour season; her best finish is runnerup in a playoff at the U.S. Women’s Open
- This is Hataoka’s second appearance in the Marathon LPGA Classic; she missed the cut in 2017
- Will represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics in August
- Member of Team Japan at the 2018 International Crown, posting a 2-0-1 record
- Won the 2016, 2017 and 2019 Japan Women’s Open Championship; in 2016 she was the first amateur and the youngest champion to win a major on the JLPGA
- Has six wins on the JLPGA, with four being major titles
- She was named Nasa after the American space program because her mother wanted her to accomplish a lot and dream big
- If she wasn’t a golfer, she would be an astronaut because she wants to go to space
Birdies and Bogeys
Birdies and Bogeys from the MARATHON LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA
Jennifer Kupcho- A 3rd year player on the LPGA tour, kupcho has put together quality rounds of 69 AND 65. sHE WILL GO INTO THE WEEKEND IN X PLACE. sHE HAS PUT TOGETHER A SOLID SEASON EARNING OVER 300K AND CASHING IN 11 OF 13 TOURNAMENTS. SHE WILL CASH AT THE MARATHON EVENT.
ELIZABETH SZOKOL- put together a splendid x round and sits in T-3RDth place in Sylvania. Szokol is in need of a good finish. she has missed the cut in 6 of her first eleven events this season. She has make just over 58k this season, but with entry fees, caddie fees and travel expenses, that 58 is more like 20k for half a season. so, let’s hear it for Elizabeth and hope she can make a sizable bank by playing well this weekend.
Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who has won ten times on the LPGA tour, sits at a pair of 71’s and two under. Henderson makes the cut, but is x shots off the lead. She is a threat to win in just about any tournament she enters, but has stumbled a bit recently after winning the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open earlier this year.
Birdies and Bogeys from the MARATHON LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY DANA
Jennifer Kupcho- A 3rd year player on the LPGA tour, kupcho has put together quality rounds of 69 AND 65. sHE WILL GO INTO THE WEEKEND IN X PLACE. sHE HAS PUT TOGETHER A SOLID SEASON EARNING OVER 300K AND CASHING IN 11 OF 13 TOURNAMENTS. SHE WILL CASH AT THE MARATHON EVENT.
ELIZABETH SZOKOL- put together a splendid x round and sits in T-3RDth place in Sylvania. Szokol is in need of a good finish. she has missed the cut in 6 of her first eleven events this season. She has make just over 58k this season, but with entry fees, caddie fees and travel expenses, that 58 is more like 20k for half a season. so, let’s hear it for Elizabeth and hope she can make a sizable bank by playing well this weekend.
Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who has won ten times on the LPGA tour, sits at a pair of 71’s and two under. Henderson makes the cut, but is x shots off the lead. She is a threat to win in just about any tournament she enters, but has stumbled a bit recently after winning the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open earlier this year.
Rocket Mortgage Round 4 Highlights
John Shippen winners gain entry into Rocket Mortgage (PGA) and Dow Invitational (LPGA)
The men’s division was a 36-hole individual stroke play event, with the winner receiving an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 1-4 at Detroit Golf Club).
Tim O’Neal (Savannah, Georgia/Jackson State University) shot a 71-68----139 to finish 5-under par and win by two strokes over Kevin Hall.
The women’s division featured a 36-hole competition with a two-player team format. The winning duo earned exemption into the LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (July 14–17 in Midland, Michigan), which is also played as a team event.
Shasta Averyhardt (Flint, Michigan/Jackson State University) and Anita Uwadia (Lagos, Nigeria/Fort Worth, Texas/University of South Carolina) shot 73-68----141 to finish at 3-under par and win by two strokes over Breanne Jones and Sierra Sims.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN Shoot-Out Presented by Cognizant was held immediately following the conclusion of play in the women’s competition, as the second-place team and the two teams that tied for third participated in a three-hole individual competition that awarded the winner an exemption into the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup (October 4-10 in West Caldwell, N.J.)
Amari Avery (Riverside, California) beat out Breanne Jones, Sierra Sims, Bailey Davis, Zoe Slaughter and Amari Smith, shooting birdie-par-par in a three-hole aggregate competition.
Tim O’Neal (Savannah, Georgia/Jackson State University) shot a 71-68----139 to finish 5-under par and win by two strokes over Kevin Hall.
The women’s division featured a 36-hole competition with a two-player team format. The winning duo earned exemption into the LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (July 14–17 in Midland, Michigan), which is also played as a team event.
Shasta Averyhardt (Flint, Michigan/Jackson State University) and Anita Uwadia (Lagos, Nigeria/Fort Worth, Texas/University of South Carolina) shot 73-68----141 to finish at 3-under par and win by two strokes over Breanne Jones and Sierra Sims.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN Shoot-Out Presented by Cognizant was held immediately following the conclusion of play in the women’s competition, as the second-place team and the two teams that tied for third participated in a three-hole individual competition that awarded the winner an exemption into the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup (October 4-10 in West Caldwell, N.J.)
Amari Avery (Riverside, California) beat out Breanne Jones, Sierra Sims, Bailey Davis, Zoe Slaughter and Amari Smith, shooting birdie-par-par in a three-hole aggregate competition.
|
|
BUCKET LIST: Midland’s Kimberly Dinh Wins 105th Michigan Women’s Amateur
SAGINAW – The Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship has been on the bucket list of Midland’s Kimberly Dinh since her undergraduate days as a golfer at the University of Wisconsin.
The 28-year-old Senior Research Specialist for Dow Chemical checked it off Friday winning a tense 1-up title match against University of Michigan golfer Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield at Saginaw Country Club.
“It feels amazing,” Dinh said following the 105th edition of the state championship presented by Carl’s Golfland.
“This was always one of my goals and I never quite got it done when I was in high school and college and playing all the time. I didn’t think I would play in it after that just because of everything else, but here I am and it’s amazing.”
Dinh, who started playing again after graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and won the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2020, made a six-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 16 hole off a 54-degree wedge shot to tie the match for the final time and then won on No. 18 with a pressure-packed par.
“The match could have gone either way,” Dinh said. “We were pretty much trading shot for shot and ultimately it was going to come down to who was going to make the shot at the right moment.”
Neither golfer had a bigger lead than 1-up through the match. They each won a single hole on the front nine to make the turn tied in the match.
Schulz, 19, rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the tough par 4 No. 11 hole to go 1-up, then Dinh hit her 54-degree wedge to four-feet at the short par 4 No. 12 hole for birdie to tie it again.
Dinh hit a wayward tee shot on No. 14 into the trees left of the fairway at No. 15 and made bogey and Schulz went 1-up again with a par. That set up the birdie for Dinh at 16, matched pars on the par 5 17th and a pressure-packed hole No. 18.
Schulz approach shot drifted right and ended up in the rough just above a greenside bunker, while Dinh hit a hybrid 178 yards to within 10 feet of the tucked right hole location. Schulz played to bogey and Dinh made par for the win.
“I didn’t want to pull it left so maybe I just tugged on it and tried to keep it out right a little too much,” Schulz said. “It was tough lie for the chip. I mean if it would have gone in the bunker that would have been up-and-down 100 percent. Kimberly hit an awesome shot in there though. She couldn’t have hit it better.”
Dinh earned her spot in the final match with a 3 and 1 morning semifinal win over Ariel Chang of Macomb Township, last summer’s Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Champion who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy to play golf.
Schulz, in the other semifinal, fought off defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis in another tense 1-up match.
“I felt intensity and pressure in every match for sure, and it was a string of great matches, great competition,” Schulz said. “It was an honor to be competing in this championship. My last two putts, at 17 it just hung on the lip and at 18 I left it short right on line. Kimberly was right there though. She played great.”
Dinh said last summer just before starting at Dow, she realized she missed the thrill of competition. She entered the Mid-Amateur and won it.
“I had so much fun, and I realized I need to go chase this a little bit more because it is so much fun,” she said. “The girls are always so nice, the courses are always in great shape and the GAM always runs great tournaments. Mikaela played great. She hits the ball so far and is such a good player. She for sure will be back and can keep going for these like I have.”
The 28-year-old Senior Research Specialist for Dow Chemical checked it off Friday winning a tense 1-up title match against University of Michigan golfer Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield at Saginaw Country Club.
“It feels amazing,” Dinh said following the 105th edition of the state championship presented by Carl’s Golfland.
“This was always one of my goals and I never quite got it done when I was in high school and college and playing all the time. I didn’t think I would play in it after that just because of everything else, but here I am and it’s amazing.”
Dinh, who started playing again after graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and won the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2020, made a six-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 16 hole off a 54-degree wedge shot to tie the match for the final time and then won on No. 18 with a pressure-packed par.
“The match could have gone either way,” Dinh said. “We were pretty much trading shot for shot and ultimately it was going to come down to who was going to make the shot at the right moment.”
Neither golfer had a bigger lead than 1-up through the match. They each won a single hole on the front nine to make the turn tied in the match.
Schulz, 19, rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the tough par 4 No. 11 hole to go 1-up, then Dinh hit her 54-degree wedge to four-feet at the short par 4 No. 12 hole for birdie to tie it again.
Dinh hit a wayward tee shot on No. 14 into the trees left of the fairway at No. 15 and made bogey and Schulz went 1-up again with a par. That set up the birdie for Dinh at 16, matched pars on the par 5 17th and a pressure-packed hole No. 18.
Schulz approach shot drifted right and ended up in the rough just above a greenside bunker, while Dinh hit a hybrid 178 yards to within 10 feet of the tucked right hole location. Schulz played to bogey and Dinh made par for the win.
“I didn’t want to pull it left so maybe I just tugged on it and tried to keep it out right a little too much,” Schulz said. “It was tough lie for the chip. I mean if it would have gone in the bunker that would have been up-and-down 100 percent. Kimberly hit an awesome shot in there though. She couldn’t have hit it better.”
Dinh earned her spot in the final match with a 3 and 1 morning semifinal win over Ariel Chang of Macomb Township, last summer’s Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Champion who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy to play golf.
Schulz, in the other semifinal, fought off defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis in another tense 1-up match.
“I felt intensity and pressure in every match for sure, and it was a string of great matches, great competition,” Schulz said. “It was an honor to be competing in this championship. My last two putts, at 17 it just hung on the lip and at 18 I left it short right on line. Kimberly was right there though. She played great.”
Dinh said last summer just before starting at Dow, she realized she missed the thrill of competition. She entered the Mid-Amateur and won it.
“I had so much fun, and I realized I need to go chase this a little bit more because it is so much fun,” she said. “The girls are always so nice, the courses are always in great shape and the GAM always runs great tournaments. Mikaela played great. She hits the ball so far and is such a good player. She for sure will be back and can keep going for these like I have.”
Ann Arbor’s David Levan Birdies 18, Wins GAM Senior Match Play
AUGUSTA – Ann Arbor’s David Levan hit a 35-yard flop shot from the right rough to just inches from the cup on the final hole for a birdie and won the 13th GAM Senior Match Play Championship Friday at Gull Lake Golf Club & Resort’s Stoatin Brea course.
“I never expected to win something like this in my life,” said the 55-year-old owner of Endeavor Group who rallied from a two-down deficit to turn back Robert Matthiesen of Mason 1-up in a championship match.
“We had a very competitive match, right down to the 18th hole, and that’s all you can ask for, right? I mean, what more do you want?”
Levan, who landed in the 31 seed slot in the 32-golfer championship bracket after Monday’s stroke play round, beat defending champion Mitch Wilson of Portage in his first match on Tuesday (5 and 3), and then in the semifinals Thursday afternoon took down Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena of Jackson (3 and 2).
“I’ve made match play over the years in the Michigan Amateur, but I’ve always lost in the first round,” he said. “I’ve just gotten better over the last couple of years. I attribute a lot of it to going down to Whisper Rock in Arizona, I’m a member down there, and playing with some really good players. The competition is so keen. I’ve also learned to drive the golf ball better. I wasn’t typically a good driver before.”
Matthiesen was 2-up after nine holes and didn’t make a bogey in the title match. Levan, however, birdied the par 4 12th and the par 5 16th to tie the match and set up his final flop shot on the par 5 18th.
“I was just in the rough over there and it allowed me some air under the ball so I could hit a flop shot,” Levan said. “I was fortunate to get it close and win a tough match. (Matthiesen) is such a quality guy. It was exciting.”
Matthiesen, who is 58 and owns Pop-Ity Popcorn Co., in Lansing, earned the top seed as Monday’s stroke play medalist and then had to go 20 holes to win his first-round match with Mark Ronan. He also had to go 20 holes to turn back Ken Hudson of Bloomfield Hills in the semifinals.
He said he played great golf through the week and had little to be disappointed about.
“(Levan) hit some great shots on the back and he beat me on 18,” he said. “I didn’t give anything away. My shot into 18 was really close to being great. It just didn’t work out. He hit the key shots and made some big putts, more than I did today. It’s hard to feel bad because I really had a great week of golf.”
In the Super Senior Division final, Larry Vaughan, a 65-year-old Detroit native who returns home from his North Carolina residence to compete in GAM tournaments each summer, capped the week by making it a sweep of first-time GAM winners when he topped Jackson’s Pete Walz 3 and 2 in that final.
“I just stood in the parking lot for a few minutes and cried,” Vaughan said. “I started playing junior golf with a lot of these guys when I was 13, over 50 years ago, and to finally beat them just feels great. I’ve been waiting a long time to do this, played in a lot of tournaments. It was finally my week.”
Vaughan, a retired software executive, earned medalist honors and the top seed in the 16-golfer Super Senior bracket on Monday and survived a series of close matches. He beat Craig Camalo of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in Thursday’s semifinal to get his slot in the finals.
Walz, meanwhile, was a 10-seed who topped Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2,in the semifinals. He lost two balls, one on No. 13 and again on No. 16, in the final match with Vaughan.
“Pete is a crafty veteran and he was tough to shake,” Vaughan said. “I was fortunate to make every putt that I really need to make, and I did that all week. I was never behind today. When I needed to make a putt to keep the lead, I made it.”
“I never expected to win something like this in my life,” said the 55-year-old owner of Endeavor Group who rallied from a two-down deficit to turn back Robert Matthiesen of Mason 1-up in a championship match.
“We had a very competitive match, right down to the 18th hole, and that’s all you can ask for, right? I mean, what more do you want?”
Levan, who landed in the 31 seed slot in the 32-golfer championship bracket after Monday’s stroke play round, beat defending champion Mitch Wilson of Portage in his first match on Tuesday (5 and 3), and then in the semifinals Thursday afternoon took down Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena of Jackson (3 and 2).
“I’ve made match play over the years in the Michigan Amateur, but I’ve always lost in the first round,” he said. “I’ve just gotten better over the last couple of years. I attribute a lot of it to going down to Whisper Rock in Arizona, I’m a member down there, and playing with some really good players. The competition is so keen. I’ve also learned to drive the golf ball better. I wasn’t typically a good driver before.”
Matthiesen was 2-up after nine holes and didn’t make a bogey in the title match. Levan, however, birdied the par 4 12th and the par 5 16th to tie the match and set up his final flop shot on the par 5 18th.
“I was just in the rough over there and it allowed me some air under the ball so I could hit a flop shot,” Levan said. “I was fortunate to get it close and win a tough match. (Matthiesen) is such a quality guy. It was exciting.”
Matthiesen, who is 58 and owns Pop-Ity Popcorn Co., in Lansing, earned the top seed as Monday’s stroke play medalist and then had to go 20 holes to win his first-round match with Mark Ronan. He also had to go 20 holes to turn back Ken Hudson of Bloomfield Hills in the semifinals.
He said he played great golf through the week and had little to be disappointed about.
“(Levan) hit some great shots on the back and he beat me on 18,” he said. “I didn’t give anything away. My shot into 18 was really close to being great. It just didn’t work out. He hit the key shots and made some big putts, more than I did today. It’s hard to feel bad because I really had a great week of golf.”
In the Super Senior Division final, Larry Vaughan, a 65-year-old Detroit native who returns home from his North Carolina residence to compete in GAM tournaments each summer, capped the week by making it a sweep of first-time GAM winners when he topped Jackson’s Pete Walz 3 and 2 in that final.
“I just stood in the parking lot for a few minutes and cried,” Vaughan said. “I started playing junior golf with a lot of these guys when I was 13, over 50 years ago, and to finally beat them just feels great. I’ve been waiting a long time to do this, played in a lot of tournaments. It was finally my week.”
Vaughan, a retired software executive, earned medalist honors and the top seed in the 16-golfer Super Senior bracket on Monday and survived a series of close matches. He beat Craig Camalo of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in Thursday’s semifinal to get his slot in the finals.
Walz, meanwhile, was a 10-seed who topped Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2,in the semifinals. He lost two balls, one on No. 13 and again on No. 16, in the final match with Vaughan.
“Pete is a crafty veteran and he was tough to shake,” Vaughan said. “I was fortunate to make every putt that I really need to make, and I did that all week. I was never behind today. When I needed to make a putt to keep the lead, I made it.”
Grayhawk ready for the 2021 NCAA men's and women's golf championships
Women's Results- MSU finishes T-12
The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale might get all the attention these days by hosting the PGA Tour's Waste Management Phoenix Open, but another standout tournament venue in the Valley of the Sun resides just four miles to the north.
The 36-hole Grayhawk Golf Club has a long history of hosting some of the most talented players on the planet, whether it's pros or amateurs. That legacy will only grow as the home for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships over the next three years. The women will compete first from May 21-26 followed by the men May 28-June 2.
When the NCAA Championships for men and women changed their format from all-stroke play in 2009 to three rounds of stroke play, followed by match play involving the top 15 teams to qualify (then 8 teams after 72 holes), it became a compelling spectacle perfect for TV. This is the first year both NCAAs will be available for streaming internationally on GolfPass.
Grayhawk's mix of risk-reward holes, especially on the finishing holes of Tom Fazio's Raptor Course, should only intensify the drama. Local golfers can still play the Talon Course and a limited number of spectators can walk the Raptor Course to watch the action. Last year's NCAAs were canceled because of the pandemic, which has only heightened the anticipation for Grayhawk's debut this year.
Soon after, the 1995 Andersen Consulting World Championships (a precursor to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship) introduced the Raptor Course to the world. After two more editions in 1997 and 1998, Grayhawk followed up with the Williams World Challenge, a tournament won by Tom Lehman that was the first to raise money for the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Tommy Bahama Challenge in 2004-05 was a unique Tour-sanctioned event featuring a team of American "young guns" (Zach Johnson, Aaron Oberholser, Ben Crane, etc.) against an international squad (Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, etc.). Its success led to a three-year run of the Frys.com Open from 2007-09.
The upcoming NCAAs will feature more of golf's future stars.
A
The 36-hole Grayhawk Golf Club has a long history of hosting some of the most talented players on the planet, whether it's pros or amateurs. That legacy will only grow as the home for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships over the next three years. The women will compete first from May 21-26 followed by the men May 28-June 2.
When the NCAA Championships for men and women changed their format from all-stroke play in 2009 to three rounds of stroke play, followed by match play involving the top 15 teams to qualify (then 8 teams after 72 holes), it became a compelling spectacle perfect for TV. This is the first year both NCAAs will be available for streaming internationally on GolfPass.
Grayhawk's mix of risk-reward holes, especially on the finishing holes of Tom Fazio's Raptor Course, should only intensify the drama. Local golfers can still play the Talon Course and a limited number of spectators can walk the Raptor Course to watch the action. Last year's NCAAs were canceled because of the pandemic, which has only heightened the anticipation for Grayhawk's debut this year.
Soon after, the 1995 Andersen Consulting World Championships (a precursor to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship) introduced the Raptor Course to the world. After two more editions in 1997 and 1998, Grayhawk followed up with the Williams World Challenge, a tournament won by Tom Lehman that was the first to raise money for the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Tommy Bahama Challenge in 2004-05 was a unique Tour-sanctioned event featuring a team of American "young guns" (Zach Johnson, Aaron Oberholser, Ben Crane, etc.) against an international squad (Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, etc.). Its success led to a three-year run of the Frys.com Open from 2007-09.
The upcoming NCAAs will feature more of golf's future stars.
A
TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCES FLINT NATIVE WILLIE MACK III AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 CHARLIE SIFFORD MEMORIAL EXEMPTION
LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information, follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information, follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about
Jim Furyk on his Legends Tour win
Brett Quigley reels off 11 birdies after opening hole bogey and leads Ally Challenge by 1
Kyle Wolfe of GAM on this year's tournament and golf season
Darren McCarty on his golf obsession
12-Year-Old Clemente beats college boundplayers at AJGA Coca-Cola Championships
The Holes that will determine the AJGA-Coca-Cola Championship at Boyne
The AJGA is back and running top level junior golf tournaments
The Coca-Cola Junior Championships at Boyne Highlands AJGA Recap. These are the players that stood out in 2020
No Drama Here: Former MSU Star Sarah Burnham wins Women's Michigan AM by ten
RUNAWAY WINNER: Sarah Burnham Sizzles, Wins 2020 Michigan PGA Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain
THOMPSONVILLE – Former Michigan State University star Sarah Burnham shot a sizzling 9-under 63 and ran away with the 27th Michigan PGA Women’s Open Championship Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge course at Crystal Mountain.
The 24-year-old second-year LPGA Tour player from Maple Grove, Minn., was just one shot short of the tournament and course record and totaled 18-under 198 to set a 54-hole scoring record for the championship. She was also 10 shots better than her three closest pursuers and won $6,500 of the $40,000 purse.
Burnham, who has won three mini-tour events this spring in Arizona and Florida, rolled in a 7-iron shot from 145 yards on the par 4 third hole for an eagle-2 and was off to the races with seven birdies and the eagle.
“I feel like I was a little lucky,” she said. “I felt like I was hitting it well, but when it went in for my eagle early I was just able to play comfortable and confident and try to shoot a great round.”
She was just one-shot short of the single-round scoring record 62 set in the first round of the 215 championship by Kimberly Dinh of Midland, but raced past the previous 54-hole tournament scoring record of 12-under, which was tied last year by winner Anika Dy of Traverse City.
Liz Nagel of DeWitt, another LPGA Tour player and the 2018 Michigan PGA Women’s Open champion, shot 68 for 8-under 208 and tied for second with Symetra Tour player and former Ohio State standout Jessica Porvasnik of Hinckley, Ohio, who shot 70, and Emma Jandel, a former LPGA player from Sandy Springs, Ga., who shot 71.
Allie White, a Symetra Tour player from Athens, Ohio, shot 67 for 209 and fifth place.
Sarah Shipley of Hastings, a University of Kentucky golfer, was the low amateur in the championship with a 70 for 210. She tied for sixth place with LPGA player Kendall Dye of Edmond, Okla., who closed with a 67.
Burnham, who started the day with a one-shot lead on Nishtha Madan of Grand Rapids, had a five-shot lead by the eighth hole and continued to pull away with a 4-under 32 on the back nine.
“I knew how far ahead I guess I was at the turn, but I just was like, I’m here to play golf and I’m playing the golf course so let’s see how well I can end up playing,” she said. “I didn’t want any bad mistakes to happen so I just kept playing my game.”
She lauded the smooth greens at Crystal Mountain, which hosted the championship for the 18th consecutive year, and said it was great being back in Michigan with several of her former teammates and Big Ten friends in the field.
“It’s one of my biggest wins and I’m hoping it will bring me some confidence out on tour,” she said. “I hope to come back if it works in my schedule. This is my second time here at Crystal Mountain. I love it, I would actually want to come in the winter sometime, go skiing or snowboarding. It’s so beautiful up here and the golf course is great as well.”
Nagel, another former Michigan State standout, said Burnham played an amazing tournament, and she was surprised to be tied for second.
“Got some of the rust off,” she said. “I haven’t played competitively since February, so it was good to be out and play and feel those competitive feelings. I think we’re all happy to be here considering the circumstances. I didn’t have my best stuff to keep up with Sarah, but she has been playing and winning on the Cactus Tour (Arizona) and in Florida so she was trending toward something like this.”
THOMPSONVILLE – Former Michigan State University star Sarah Burnham shot a sizzling 9-under 63 and ran away with the 27th Michigan PGA Women’s Open Championship Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge course at Crystal Mountain.
The 24-year-old second-year LPGA Tour player from Maple Grove, Minn., was just one shot short of the tournament and course record and totaled 18-under 198 to set a 54-hole scoring record for the championship. She was also 10 shots better than her three closest pursuers and won $6,500 of the $40,000 purse.
Burnham, who has won three mini-tour events this spring in Arizona and Florida, rolled in a 7-iron shot from 145 yards on the par 4 third hole for an eagle-2 and was off to the races with seven birdies and the eagle.
“I feel like I was a little lucky,” she said. “I felt like I was hitting it well, but when it went in for my eagle early I was just able to play comfortable and confident and try to shoot a great round.”
She was just one-shot short of the single-round scoring record 62 set in the first round of the 215 championship by Kimberly Dinh of Midland, but raced past the previous 54-hole tournament scoring record of 12-under, which was tied last year by winner Anika Dy of Traverse City.
Liz Nagel of DeWitt, another LPGA Tour player and the 2018 Michigan PGA Women’s Open champion, shot 68 for 8-under 208 and tied for second with Symetra Tour player and former Ohio State standout Jessica Porvasnik of Hinckley, Ohio, who shot 70, and Emma Jandel, a former LPGA player from Sandy Springs, Ga., who shot 71.
Allie White, a Symetra Tour player from Athens, Ohio, shot 67 for 209 and fifth place.
Sarah Shipley of Hastings, a University of Kentucky golfer, was the low amateur in the championship with a 70 for 210. She tied for sixth place with LPGA player Kendall Dye of Edmond, Okla., who closed with a 67.
Burnham, who started the day with a one-shot lead on Nishtha Madan of Grand Rapids, had a five-shot lead by the eighth hole and continued to pull away with a 4-under 32 on the back nine.
“I knew how far ahead I guess I was at the turn, but I just was like, I’m here to play golf and I’m playing the golf course so let’s see how well I can end up playing,” she said. “I didn’t want any bad mistakes to happen so I just kept playing my game.”
She lauded the smooth greens at Crystal Mountain, which hosted the championship for the 18th consecutive year, and said it was great being back in Michigan with several of her former teammates and Big Ten friends in the field.
“It’s one of my biggest wins and I’m hoping it will bring me some confidence out on tour,” she said. “I hope to come back if it works in my schedule. This is my second time here at Crystal Mountain. I love it, I would actually want to come in the winter sometime, go skiing or snowboarding. It’s so beautiful up here and the golf course is great as well.”
Nagel, another former Michigan State standout, said Burnham played an amazing tournament, and she was surprised to be tied for second.
“Got some of the rust off,” she said. “I haven’t played competitively since February, so it was good to be out and play and feel those competitive feelings. I think we’re all happy to be here considering the circumstances. I didn’t have my best stuff to keep up with Sarah, but she has been playing and winning on the Cactus Tour (Arizona) and in Florida so she was trending toward something like this.”
|
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
|
FARMINGTON HILLS – A few years ago West Bloomfield’s Ryan O’Rourke was playing hockey with the elite USA Eagles travel program.
“I never really expected to play golf,” he said. “But a while ago my dad joined Orchard Lake Country Club and kind of forced me to try the junior golf program even though I had never really liked golf.
“I started playing every Tuesday. It started growing on me, and then I started playing every day and I quit playing hockey. I was a good hockey player, but I never felt the connection with hockey that I feel with golf now.”
O’Rourke, 15 and the son of Marc and Carrie O’Rourke, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) 15-and-under Junior Boy’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, GAM senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll points system and totals can be found on a pull down from the Championships tab at gam.org. The 15-and-under Junior Girl’s Player of the Week will be announced Friday.
Previously, Dan Ellis of East Lansing and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing were named the Players of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson and Julie Massa of Holt were named Senior Players of the Year, Ian Harris of Bloomfield was named the Super Senior Player of the Year and August Meekhof of Eastmanville and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids were named the Junior Players of the Year.
O’Rourke, a freshman at Walled Lake Northern High School, highlighted his summer season with wins in the 15-and-under division of the Michigan Junior State Amateur and the GAM Junior Invitational.
It helped him build an Honor Roll point total of 1,185. Ieuan Jones of Ann Arbor, a GAM member through Youth on Course, was second with 662 points.
Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Twin Lakes Golf & Swim Club (543), Robert Burns of Grand Blanc and Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club (475) and Bryce Wheeler of Augusta and Gull Lake View Golf & Resort (442) rounded out the top five.
Kyle Wolfe, who directs the junior championships for the GAM, said O’Rourke and his family made smart decisions to compete in the 15-and-under division of tournaments instead of pressing to play among the older juniors.
“He was able to develop that feeling of winning and the ability to win, which is important as you go on to put yourself in contention in tournaments,” Wolfe said. “By the end of the year he was shooting some of the best scores of any of the juniors. He had a great round, a 67 in the GAM Invitational and won his division by several shots. It was a rainy, terrible day, too and he just lit it up. He has the game to go in the older division now and I expect him to do really well.”
O’Rourke, who finished second recently in a junior tour event in Florida, has his eye on collegiate golf in the future. His older brother, Max, recently signed with the golf program at Wayne State University.
“College golf would be fun,” he said. “I’m working toward that.”
He said the work of the last year with PGA teaching professional Danny Thomas of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center has helped him improve his putting.
“My putting was a lot better this year,” he said. “It helped because my chipping isn’t the greatest and I have to work on improving that. I also improved on consistency with my driver. It hasn’t been that great in the past, but I was more consistent. I hit it out there farther than a lot of the guys I play with, but it hasn’t always been consistent.”
“I never really expected to play golf,” he said. “But a while ago my dad joined Orchard Lake Country Club and kind of forced me to try the junior golf program even though I had never really liked golf.
“I started playing every Tuesday. It started growing on me, and then I started playing every day and I quit playing hockey. I was a good hockey player, but I never felt the connection with hockey that I feel with golf now.”
O’Rourke, 15 and the son of Marc and Carrie O’Rourke, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) 15-and-under Junior Boy’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, GAM senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll points system and totals can be found on a pull down from the Championships tab at gam.org. The 15-and-under Junior Girl’s Player of the Week will be announced Friday.
Previously, Dan Ellis of East Lansing and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing were named the Players of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson and Julie Massa of Holt were named Senior Players of the Year, Ian Harris of Bloomfield was named the Super Senior Player of the Year and August Meekhof of Eastmanville and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids were named the Junior Players of the Year.
O’Rourke, a freshman at Walled Lake Northern High School, highlighted his summer season with wins in the 15-and-under division of the Michigan Junior State Amateur and the GAM Junior Invitational.
It helped him build an Honor Roll point total of 1,185. Ieuan Jones of Ann Arbor, a GAM member through Youth on Course, was second with 662 points.
Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Twin Lakes Golf & Swim Club (543), Robert Burns of Grand Blanc and Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club (475) and Bryce Wheeler of Augusta and Gull Lake View Golf & Resort (442) rounded out the top five.
Kyle Wolfe, who directs the junior championships for the GAM, said O’Rourke and his family made smart decisions to compete in the 15-and-under division of tournaments instead of pressing to play among the older juniors.
“He was able to develop that feeling of winning and the ability to win, which is important as you go on to put yourself in contention in tournaments,” Wolfe said. “By the end of the year he was shooting some of the best scores of any of the juniors. He had a great round, a 67 in the GAM Invitational and won his division by several shots. It was a rainy, terrible day, too and he just lit it up. He has the game to go in the older division now and I expect him to do really well.”
O’Rourke, who finished second recently in a junior tour event in Florida, has his eye on collegiate golf in the future. His older brother, Max, recently signed with the golf program at Wayne State University.
“College golf would be fun,” he said. “I’m working toward that.”
He said the work of the last year with PGA teaching professional Danny Thomas of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center has helped him improve his putting.
“My putting was a lot better this year,” he said. “It helped because my chipping isn’t the greatest and I have to work on improving that. I also improved on consistency with my driver. It hasn’t been that great in the past, but I was more consistent. I hit it out there farther than a lot of the guys I play with, but it hasn’t always been consistent.”
Play suspended RBRIDGEPORT, W.Va.(EMUEagles.com) – With just one round officially in the books, the Eastern Michigan University men's golf team sits in 13th-place at The Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational at the Pete Dye Golf Club Monday, Oct. 7.
Golfers played through a steady rain for most of the day, slowing play. Officials blew the horn at 6:30 p.m., calling for players to complete their holes before heading in. Due to the change, Tuesday's play will begin in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. with players finishing the remaining holes of the second round and heading directly into the third.
EMU shot a 317 as a team in the first round and is just three stokes outside of the top-10. Florida Atlantic, who finished the first round with a 292, sits atop the leaderboard ahead of host West Virginia (294) and Southern Mississippi (300).
All five of the Eagles still have holes to finish to complete the second round.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-46. Ty Celone 80-+4 (15) +12
t-46. Cougar Collins 77-+7 (16) +12
t-46. Zack Mason 82-+2 (15) +12
t-53. Zach Sudinsky 81-+5 (15) +14
t-64. Luke Pelak 79-+9 (16) +16
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Florida Atlantic 292 +4
2. West Virginia 294 +6
3. Southern Mississippi 300 +12
4. James Madison 305 +17
t-5. Xavier 306 +18
t-5. Davidson 306 +18
t-7. Connecticut 308 +20
t-7. Washington State 308 +20
9. Rice 309 +21
10. George Washington 313 +25
t-11. Youngstown State 314 +26
t-11. Towson 314 +26
13. Eastern Michigan 317 +29
14. Marshall 325 +37
15. Akron 326 +38 Rounds continue
Golfers played through a steady rain for most of the day, slowing play. Officials blew the horn at 6:30 p.m., calling for players to complete their holes before heading in. Due to the change, Tuesday's play will begin in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. with players finishing the remaining holes of the second round and heading directly into the third.
EMU shot a 317 as a team in the first round and is just three stokes outside of the top-10. Florida Atlantic, who finished the first round with a 292, sits atop the leaderboard ahead of host West Virginia (294) and Southern Mississippi (300).
All five of the Eagles still have holes to finish to complete the second round.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-46. Ty Celone 80-+4 (15) +12
t-46. Cougar Collins 77-+7 (16) +12
t-46. Zack Mason 82-+2 (15) +12
t-53. Zach Sudinsky 81-+5 (15) +14
t-64. Luke Pelak 79-+9 (16) +16
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Florida Atlantic 292 +4
2. West Virginia 294 +6
3. Southern Mississippi 300 +12
4. James Madison 305 +17
t-5. Xavier 306 +18
t-5. Davidson 306 +18
t-7. Connecticut 308 +20
t-7. Washington State 308 +20
9. Rice 309 +21
10. George Washington 313 +25
t-11. Youngstown State 314 +26
t-11. Towson 314 +26
13. Eastern Michigan 317 +29
14. Marshall 325 +37
15. Akron 326 +38 Rounds continue
Hot Putter Powers Scott Hebert to Victory at the Michigan PGA Match Play Championship |
|
LANSING – Scott Hebert said something happened with the putter, and it resulted in the Traverse City Golf & Country Club professional winning the 2019 Michigan PGA Match Play Championship presented by the PGA Tour Wednesday at Country Club of Lansing.
He made seven birdies in 14 holes and turned back fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth 6 and 4 in the final match.
“I’ve been toying around and toying around with the putter and still putted miserable all year,” he said. “I was out in a practice round on Monday and stuff started working. I stuck with it and I probably putted the best I have in years.”
The 50-year-old Hebert won the Michigan PGA Match Play title for the second time and it marked his all-time leading 18th Michigan PGA Section major championship win. It also wrapped up his eighth Michigan PGA Player of the Year Award pushing him past Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy in the point standings.
He said he enjoyed playing the final match with the 55-year-old Cairns, who is a longtime rival and friend.
“It’s always great to beat the bombers, and we talked about it out there with some of the younger guys hitting shots we disagree with,” he said. “On this course you can only hit it where it allows you to hit it, and BC and I did that. This afternoon, I don’t think BC was 100 percent.”
Cairns admitted fatigue and said Hebert is playing great and he is looking forward to both of them playing in next week’s Senior Professional National Championship in Austin, Texas.
“I couldn’t get to the left with my body the last 11 holes and Scotty was hitting it close and making putts,” he said. “I lost the magic, and he had it. It’s great to see him playing so well.”
Hebert said winning tournaments is what drives him to continue to compete.
“This is what gets me to practice the little bit that I do – to try and win stuff,” he said after accepting the $3,200 first-place check. “It’s nice to win this for the second time. It’s the culmination of a good season that started in May and here we are in September and I’m Player of the Year again. It’s been a good season.”
Hebert, the Northern Chapter champion, advanced to the championship match with a 5 and 4 win over Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, the Western Chapter champion. With the tee moved up at the par 4 No. 13 hole to about 280 yards to tempt strategy, Hebert drove the green and made a 30-foot eagle putt.
Cairns, the Senior Chapter champion, advanced with a 2-up win over Eastern Chapter champion Cody Haughton of Red Run Country Club in Royal Oak. He led most of the match but had to hold off Haughton at the end.
Hebert’s birdie barrage started in a quick-work quarterfinal win over Kyle Wittenbach, the Ferris State University golf coach and the runner-up a year ago. He topped Wittenbach 5 and 4, and then added the 5 and 4 win over Urban and the 6 and 4 win over Cairns.
“It was the putter,” Hebert said. “Going to try and keep it going for next week. I’m fortunate I have two good guys to watch the shop next week so I can go play in the Senior PNC.”
He made seven birdies in 14 holes and turned back fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth 6 and 4 in the final match.
“I’ve been toying around and toying around with the putter and still putted miserable all year,” he said. “I was out in a practice round on Monday and stuff started working. I stuck with it and I probably putted the best I have in years.”
The 50-year-old Hebert won the Michigan PGA Match Play title for the second time and it marked his all-time leading 18th Michigan PGA Section major championship win. It also wrapped up his eighth Michigan PGA Player of the Year Award pushing him past Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy in the point standings.
He said he enjoyed playing the final match with the 55-year-old Cairns, who is a longtime rival and friend.
“It’s always great to beat the bombers, and we talked about it out there with some of the younger guys hitting shots we disagree with,” he said. “On this course you can only hit it where it allows you to hit it, and BC and I did that. This afternoon, I don’t think BC was 100 percent.”
Cairns admitted fatigue and said Hebert is playing great and he is looking forward to both of them playing in next week’s Senior Professional National Championship in Austin, Texas.
“I couldn’t get to the left with my body the last 11 holes and Scotty was hitting it close and making putts,” he said. “I lost the magic, and he had it. It’s great to see him playing so well.”
Hebert said winning tournaments is what drives him to continue to compete.
“This is what gets me to practice the little bit that I do – to try and win stuff,” he said after accepting the $3,200 first-place check. “It’s nice to win this for the second time. It’s the culmination of a good season that started in May and here we are in September and I’m Player of the Year again. It’s been a good season.”
Hebert, the Northern Chapter champion, advanced to the championship match with a 5 and 4 win over Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, the Western Chapter champion. With the tee moved up at the par 4 No. 13 hole to about 280 yards to tempt strategy, Hebert drove the green and made a 30-foot eagle putt.
Cairns, the Senior Chapter champion, advanced with a 2-up win over Eastern Chapter champion Cody Haughton of Red Run Country Club in Royal Oak. He led most of the match but had to hold off Haughton at the end.
Hebert’s birdie barrage started in a quick-work quarterfinal win over Kyle Wittenbach, the Ferris State University golf coach and the runner-up a year ago. He topped Wittenbach 5 and 4, and then added the 5 and 4 win over Urban and the 6 and 4 win over Cairns.
“It was the putter,” Hebert said. “Going to try and keep it going for next week. I’m fortunate I have two good guys to watch the shop next week so I can go play in the Senior PNC.”
Ally Challenge Celebrity Challenge is a big hit with superstars, fans and a lot of dough raised for charity
Tradition-Rich Country Club of Lansing Hosting 33rd GAM Senior Championship
LANSING – By Greg Johnson-The Country Club of Lansing, which features a classic William Langford-designed course that dates to 1921, will host the state’s top senior male golfers in the 33rd GAM Senior Championship presented by Sullivan Golf Travel Monday and Tuesday.
A field of 156 golfers, 100 playing for the Senior title for golfers age 55-and-over, and 56 playing in the Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over, will play two rounds of stroke play.
Country Club of Lansing has a time-tested championship golf course for such a field, and at the same time is family oriented and offers a full range of amenities, including a driving range, tennis courts, fitness facility, swimming and dining.
Founded in 1908, The Lansing Golf Club was formed by a group of 17 men. In 1920 members acquired 160 acres of land that adjoined the club and Langford, a nationally known golf course architect of the time, was commissioned to develop the new course layout. The Chicago Park Builders were engaged to construct the course, and the new clubhouse which was designed by Samuel Butterworth. In 1921 a new opening and a new name emerged – the Country Club of Lansing.
In 1999 a $7 million renovation to the clubhouse helped the club continue to provide a traditional country club lifestyle for its membership, their families and guests. The course plays to a maximum of 6,889 yards from the championship tee positions. John Lindert is the director of golf and Mark Magee the superintendent. Find out more about the Country Club of Lansing at cclansing.org.
Defending champion David Bartnick of Livonia is in this year’s field. Last year he took advantage of a final-round hole-in-one at Battle Creek Country Club to rally from behind and win by one shot over Mike LeBarre of Battle Creek. Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake won the Super Senior Division by seven shots.
Bartnick is one of six former champions in the field, including 2015 winner Mike Tungate of East Lansing, two-time champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills (2014, 2012) and four-time champion Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights (2013, 2011, 2010, 2008). Mike Fedewa, the 2007 champion, and Roger Kuhl, the 2003 winner, are playing in the Super Senior division.
A field of 156 golfers, 100 playing for the Senior title for golfers age 55-and-over, and 56 playing in the Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over, will play two rounds of stroke play.
Country Club of Lansing has a time-tested championship golf course for such a field, and at the same time is family oriented and offers a full range of amenities, including a driving range, tennis courts, fitness facility, swimming and dining.
Founded in 1908, The Lansing Golf Club was formed by a group of 17 men. In 1920 members acquired 160 acres of land that adjoined the club and Langford, a nationally known golf course architect of the time, was commissioned to develop the new course layout. The Chicago Park Builders were engaged to construct the course, and the new clubhouse which was designed by Samuel Butterworth. In 1921 a new opening and a new name emerged – the Country Club of Lansing.
In 1999 a $7 million renovation to the clubhouse helped the club continue to provide a traditional country club lifestyle for its membership, their families and guests. The course plays to a maximum of 6,889 yards from the championship tee positions. John Lindert is the director of golf and Mark Magee the superintendent. Find out more about the Country Club of Lansing at cclansing.org.
Defending champion David Bartnick of Livonia is in this year’s field. Last year he took advantage of a final-round hole-in-one at Battle Creek Country Club to rally from behind and win by one shot over Mike LeBarre of Battle Creek. Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake won the Super Senior Division by seven shots.
Bartnick is one of six former champions in the field, including 2015 winner Mike Tungate of East Lansing, two-time champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills (2014, 2012) and four-time champion Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights (2013, 2011, 2010, 2008). Mike Fedewa, the 2007 champion, and Roger Kuhl, the 2003 winner, are playing in the Super Senior division.
Indiana Earns First Women’s Golfer of the Week Honor Hoosiers’ Schmid scores seven-under 209 at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational
Golfer of the Week
Priscilla Schmid, Indiana
Jr. – Montevideo, Uruguay – IMG Academy – Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
Priscilla Schmid, Indiana
Jr. – Montevideo, Uruguay – IMG Academy – Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
- Tied for second at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., after scoring a three-round total of 209 (-7)
- Tallied a 68 on day two of the invitational, her second-best career round
- Carded 12 birdies and 49 holes at-or-below par
- Earns her first Golfer of the Week award
- Last Indiana Golfer of the Week: Mary Parsons (April 17, 2019)
Why I play the Top 50 Scholarship Golf Tour |
Top 50 Players reflections of Indianwood CC
|
Team 'I'm in' wins at LPGA event in Midland |
|
MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) - Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura ran away with the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Saturday, shooting an 11-under 59 in best-ball play for a six-stroke victory.
Clanton and Suwannapura took a five-shot lead into the final round after shooting an alternate-shot 63 on Friday at Midland Country Club in the LPGA Tour's first-year team event. They finished at 27-under 253.
"It's pretty awesome," Suwannapura said. "I couldn't ask for a better partner."
Suwannapura won her second tour title, and Clanton her first.
Clanton earned spots the next two weeks in the Evian Championship and Women's British Open. The first Auburn University player to win on the tour, she began the season without a full LPGA Tour card after finishing $8 out of the top 100 on the 2018 money list. Clanton has split time this year on the LPGA Tour and developmental Symetra Tour, winning the Symetra Tour's El Dorado Shootout in April.
"I couldn't even dream up to have won a Symetra event earlier this year and then to come out and win with Jasmine," Clanton said. "It's so funny, this is the tournament that I wanted to come and play in. I was like, 'Team event, I'm in, let's go.' So, I'm blessed for the opportunity, I'm blessed that Jasmine came and let me come play with her."
Jin Young Ko and Minjee Lee closed with a 58 to finish second.
"We both played better than we did the last time we played four-balls," Lee said. "We just had a better rhythm out there. I think we just fed off each other. Jin Young had so many birdies today, so I just tried to keep up pretty much."
"I've had full status before, but it will allow for me to kind of sit back and relax a little bit and kind of set my own schedule," Clanton said. "I think it's just going to free me up because it's been something that I've been working on. I guess I was quite down for the first couple years."
Suwannapura, from Thailand, also won the Marathon Classic last year. Clanton and Suwannapura each bogeyed the first hole, then each had eight birdies.
"Actually, felt pretty good on the first tee," Clanton said. "Didn't hit a great shot into the green, but I'm not going to lie, the majority of my rounds start with bogeys. So I told Jasmine, I was like, 'Dude, we're ready. We're ready to go. We got it out of the way. we'll go low.'"
Sisters Ariya Jutanugarn and Moriya Jutanugarn tied for third with Na Yeon Choi and Jenny Shin at 20 under. They each shot 61.
"So much fun," Ariya Jutanugarn said. "Need to be patient with alternate shot, but also even best ball we still have to be patient because we feel like you going to make birdie hole after hole, but it's not going to happen."
Canadians Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp were fifth at 19 under after a 61
Clanton and Suwannapura took a five-shot lead into the final round after shooting an alternate-shot 63 on Friday at Midland Country Club in the LPGA Tour's first-year team event. They finished at 27-under 253.
"It's pretty awesome," Suwannapura said. "I couldn't ask for a better partner."
Suwannapura won her second tour title, and Clanton her first.
Clanton earned spots the next two weeks in the Evian Championship and Women's British Open. The first Auburn University player to win on the tour, she began the season without a full LPGA Tour card after finishing $8 out of the top 100 on the 2018 money list. Clanton has split time this year on the LPGA Tour and developmental Symetra Tour, winning the Symetra Tour's El Dorado Shootout in April.
"I couldn't even dream up to have won a Symetra event earlier this year and then to come out and win with Jasmine," Clanton said. "It's so funny, this is the tournament that I wanted to come and play in. I was like, 'Team event, I'm in, let's go.' So, I'm blessed for the opportunity, I'm blessed that Jasmine came and let me come play with her."
Jin Young Ko and Minjee Lee closed with a 58 to finish second.
"We both played better than we did the last time we played four-balls," Lee said. "We just had a better rhythm out there. I think we just fed off each other. Jin Young had so many birdies today, so I just tried to keep up pretty much."
"I've had full status before, but it will allow for me to kind of sit back and relax a little bit and kind of set my own schedule," Clanton said. "I think it's just going to free me up because it's been something that I've been working on. I guess I was quite down for the first couple years."
Suwannapura, from Thailand, also won the Marathon Classic last year. Clanton and Suwannapura each bogeyed the first hole, then each had eight birdies.
"Actually, felt pretty good on the first tee," Clanton said. "Didn't hit a great shot into the green, but I'm not going to lie, the majority of my rounds start with bogeys. So I told Jasmine, I was like, 'Dude, we're ready. We're ready to go. We got it out of the way. we'll go low.'"
Sisters Ariya Jutanugarn and Moriya Jutanugarn tied for third with Na Yeon Choi and Jenny Shin at 20 under. They each shot 61.
"So much fun," Ariya Jutanugarn said. "Need to be patient with alternate shot, but also even best ball we still have to be patient because we feel like you going to make birdie hole after hole, but it's not going to happen."
Canadians Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp were fifth at 19 under after a 61
|
From Midland-Michigan Golf Scene and the LPGA Golf Show |
SAGINAW – Sarah Shipley didn’t let a two-stroke penalty for hitting from a wrong tee box on the sixth hole ruin her day.
The Hastings resident and University of Kentucky golfer shot a 1-under 70 despite the penalty and won the 28th GAM Women’s Championship presented by Global Golf Post Tuesday at Saginaw Country Club.
“It was early enough in the round that I didn’t get that worked up about it,” she said after the four-shot win over 2017 champion Kerri Parks of Flushing and Marshall University and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing and Michigan State University, who tied for second.
“It was frustrating, but I had birdied a couple of holes and knew I had a cushion. Plus, I knew there were more birdies out there.”
Shipley’s closing 70 gave her a two-day total of 4-under 138. Parks, who rallied with a 6-under 65, and Tanida, who shot a second consecutive 71, tied at even-par 142.
Defending champion Allyson Geer-Park of Brighton and Michigan State shot 69 for 143 and fourth place. Katie Chipman of Flushing and Grand Valley State University shot 69 for 144 and fifth.
Michigan State head women’s golf coach and Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, who shot 74, and Chaithra Katamneni of Midland and the University of Nevada, who shot 72, tied at 145.
Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis, the 2016 champion, shot 72 for 146, and Elayna Bowser of Dearborn and Loyola University-Chicago shot 72 for 147. Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston and Central Michigan, who shot 78, and Haylin Harris, another Michigan State golfer who shot 74, rounded out the top 10 at 148.
Shipley said she was in conversation with playing partners Slobodnik-Stoll and Deardorff when she stepped to what she thought was the No. 6 tee and hit a shot. Deardorff then stepped on the tee and noticed it was not the correct tee.
“I had to hit another one, take the two strokes, try to make a birdie for bogey, but I made par for a double-bogey,” she said. “I’ve never done that before. I’m glad it was earlier in the round. That’s why I didn’t get too down about it. If I do something like that late in the round it might have been a different story.”
Shipley, 21 and a senior-to-be this fall at Kentucky, said she was proud that she worked through the mistake and kept playing well.
“I had two rounds in the red (under-par) so I feel really good about that,” she said. “It’s my best play of the summer for sure. It will boost my confidence going into the season back at school. I had the kind of rounds I will need to have to go back to school and win a college tournament.”
Shipley, who was qualifying medalist in last year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, will miss the Aug. 5-9 championship at Spring Lake Country Club with a mission trip to Nicaragua with some other University of Kentucky athletes.
“I will play in the Women’s Western Amateur and that’s it before going back to school,” she said.
Parks, the defending Michigan Women’s Amateur champion said she will also miss the championship. She heads back to Marshall for summer classes on Monday.
“I’m excited I shot a good round before I head back to school,” she said after her 65 that helped her forget an opening 77. “I had good distance with my driver today and seemed to hit it to 9-iron distance a lot,” she said. “I hit good shots and made a few putts. Yesterday I hit several errant shots, but today I played much better.”
Tanida, who will be a junior at Michigan State and is originally from Japan, said her 71 was frustrating.
“I started out very bad,” she said. “I struggled to make pars, struggled all through the round.”
The Hastings resident and University of Kentucky golfer shot a 1-under 70 despite the penalty and won the 28th GAM Women’s Championship presented by Global Golf Post Tuesday at Saginaw Country Club.
“It was early enough in the round that I didn’t get that worked up about it,” she said after the four-shot win over 2017 champion Kerri Parks of Flushing and Marshall University and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing and Michigan State University, who tied for second.
“It was frustrating, but I had birdied a couple of holes and knew I had a cushion. Plus, I knew there were more birdies out there.”
Shipley’s closing 70 gave her a two-day total of 4-under 138. Parks, who rallied with a 6-under 65, and Tanida, who shot a second consecutive 71, tied at even-par 142.
Defending champion Allyson Geer-Park of Brighton and Michigan State shot 69 for 143 and fourth place. Katie Chipman of Flushing and Grand Valley State University shot 69 for 144 and fifth.
Michigan State head women’s golf coach and Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, who shot 74, and Chaithra Katamneni of Midland and the University of Nevada, who shot 72, tied at 145.
Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis, the 2016 champion, shot 72 for 146, and Elayna Bowser of Dearborn and Loyola University-Chicago shot 72 for 147. Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston and Central Michigan, who shot 78, and Haylin Harris, another Michigan State golfer who shot 74, rounded out the top 10 at 148.
Shipley said she was in conversation with playing partners Slobodnik-Stoll and Deardorff when she stepped to what she thought was the No. 6 tee and hit a shot. Deardorff then stepped on the tee and noticed it was not the correct tee.
“I had to hit another one, take the two strokes, try to make a birdie for bogey, but I made par for a double-bogey,” she said. “I’ve never done that before. I’m glad it was earlier in the round. That’s why I didn’t get too down about it. If I do something like that late in the round it might have been a different story.”
Shipley, 21 and a senior-to-be this fall at Kentucky, said she was proud that she worked through the mistake and kept playing well.
“I had two rounds in the red (under-par) so I feel really good about that,” she said. “It’s my best play of the summer for sure. It will boost my confidence going into the season back at school. I had the kind of rounds I will need to have to go back to school and win a college tournament.”
Shipley, who was qualifying medalist in last year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, will miss the Aug. 5-9 championship at Spring Lake Country Club with a mission trip to Nicaragua with some other University of Kentucky athletes.
“I will play in the Women’s Western Amateur and that’s it before going back to school,” she said.
Parks, the defending Michigan Women’s Amateur champion said she will also miss the championship. She heads back to Marshall for summer classes on Monday.
“I’m excited I shot a good round before I head back to school,” she said after her 65 that helped her forget an opening 77. “I had good distance with my driver today and seemed to hit it to 9-iron distance a lot,” she said. “I hit good shots and made a few putts. Yesterday I hit several errant shots, but today I played much better.”
Tanida, who will be a junior at Michigan State and is originally from Japan, said her 71 was frustrating.
“I started out very bad,” she said. “I struggled to make pars, struggled all through the round.”
CANADA DAY: Ontario’s Audrey Akins Wins Her Second GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship
ANN ARBOR – It was Canada Day, the north of the border version of Independence Day, and it certainly worked out that way for Audrey Akins of LaSalle, Ontario.
The 52-year-old high school teacher won the 21st GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship presented by The Ally Challenge Monday at The Polo Fields Golf & Country Club. She shot a 4-over 76 in the final round for a 155 total and a two-shot victory over Ashley Mantha of Ann Arbor, who also happens to be a native of Canada and shot a closing 80 for 157. It was the second Mid-Amateur title for Akins, who also won the Jeanne L. Myers Trophy in 2016. Golf Ontario members are invited to play in Golf Association of Michigan tournaments, and Akins has been a regular in recent years. She is a member of the Essex/Windsor Hall of Fame as an Ontario Amateur winner, the youngest Ontario Junior Champion ever at age 13 and was a standout golfer and team captain at the University of Oklahoma before taking over 20 years off from playing golf. “I feel like I’m learning again each time I play,” she said. “The last time I won I was really nervous and hit some really bad shots coming down the stretch – not that I didn’t hit some bad shots today – but I was calm. I had no idea where I was at as far as the other players, so I just stayed in my game, stayed aggressive, which is important for me and had a good day. It was a good day today – a good Canada Day.” Two-time champion Julie Massa of Holt shot 83 for 163 and third place, and Ashley Crain of Bloomfield Hills shot 79 for 161 and fourth. Trophies were handed out in multiple categories for gross and net play. Marcy Roth of Grand Rapids, who shot 86 for a 169, won the Senior gross scoring title. A new division was added this year to the championship for golfers age 19-24. Yurika Tanida of East Lansing, a Michigan State University golfer originally from Japan, shot 67 for 138 to win that first-place trophy. Veronica Haque of Rochester Hills, an Oakland University golfer, shot 72 for 146 to take second. Akins made a triple-bogey 6 on the par 3 No. 14 hole in Monday’s first round of 79 but made par on the hole in the second round and called it the highlight of the round. “It was my last hole yesterday and that was a bad way to finish, but I knew I could score here,” she said. “I was bound and determined not to make another 6 there, and I hit a good shot in there probably eight to 10 feet away. I didn’t make the birdie, but to improve by three I thought was important for me.” Tempted to figure out how she stood against the others in the field late in the round, Akins said she talked herself out of thinking about it. “I told myself ‘don’t do that, how is that going to help?’” she said . “I just stayed aggressive and kept playing. It’s a tricky course out there and you can make a big number in heartbeat. I found that out yesterday.” |
Maria Fassi on her LPGA rookie start and NCAA ChampionshipBlair O'neal on the
|
Divison 4
Division 1 Boys Golf-Final
Lake Orion is your state champion
Note- Top 4 teams are from Oakland County
U.S. Senior Amateur at Country Club of Detroit Starts Saturday, Includes Five Michigan Golfers
GROSSE POINTE FARMS – The Country Club of Detroit is hosting and five Michigan golfers are playing in the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship that starts Saturday, Aug.28, and continues through Thursday, Sept. 2.
Golf fans are welcome at no charge for the championship which will include Michigan golfers Chris Chocola of Harbor Springs, Tom (Walter) Gieselman of Commerce Township, Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid, Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake, and Mark Eriksen of Clarkston.
The global pandemic and a Tennessee tornado in April 2020 resulted in the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur being played at the Country Club of Detroit a year later than originally planned. The Grosse Pointe Farms classic golf course and original Golf Association of Michigan member was slated to host the Senior Amateur a year ago, but the 2020 championship was canceled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disappointment in Detroit was quelled, however, when the previously announced 2021 site for the championship – The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. – suffered significant tornado damage last April and notified the United States Golf Association that it would not be fully recovered in time to host the national championship.
The USGA made changes: The 2021 championship is at Country Club of Detroit, and The Honors Course will host the 2024 championship, which will be the 69th edition of the championship.
The Senior Amateur has been held in Michigan twice previously; in 1984 at Birmingham Country Club where Robert Rawlins won, and in 1991 at Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort where Bill Bosshard won.
“The Country Club of Detroit is excited to continue our long tradition of supporting amateur golf by proudly hosting the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship,” said George J. Baer III, club president.
“As the location where Arnold Palmer launched his historic career by winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur, the Country Club of Detroit holds a unique place in golf history, and we look forward to continuing this great tradition.”
The five Michigan golfers earned their spots in the starting field of 156 players 55-years-old or older through qualifiers held at 49 sites across the country in July and August. Chocola, Gieselman, Herpich and Gunthorpe qualified at Oakland Hills Country Club (North course), and Eriksen got in as an alternate from Oakland Hills. They were part of a record 2,565 entries, which eclipsed the previous record of 2,498 set in 2005.
Country Club of Detroit, which has hosted the Michigan Amateur Championship six times including the 2018 Michigan Amateur Championship won by Beau Breault, was founded in 1897 and is located 14 miles northeast of downtown Detroit.
It was designed by British golf architects Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Alison and most recently restored by Michigan-based architect Tom Doak in 2011.
In addition to Palmer’s victory that he called the turning point in his golf career and propelled him to a storied career that included seven major professional titles, the U.S. Amateur was also contested at CC of Detroit in 1915. Robert A. Gardner claimed the second of his two championships.
The U.S. Senior Amateur was first played in 1955. Greg Reynolds of Grand Blanc, and Tom Draper of Royal Oak, two members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, are among the past champions of the U.S. Senior Amateur. Reynolds won in 2002 and was runner-up in 2004, and Draper won in 1971.
In the most recent Senior Amateur played in 2019, Bob Royak, of Alpharetta, Ga., holed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole to defeat Roger Newsom, 1 up, in the final match at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.
The field will play 36 holes of stroke play Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 28, 29). The low 64 scorers will qualify for match play which starts with the round of 64 on Monday (Aug. 30). The rounds of 32 and 16 are scheduled for Tuesday (Aug. 31), the quarterfinals and semifinals for Wednesday (Sept. 1) and the 18-hole championship match for Thursday (Sept. 2).
Golf fans are welcome at no charge for the championship which will include Michigan golfers Chris Chocola of Harbor Springs, Tom (Walter) Gieselman of Commerce Township, Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid, Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake, and Mark Eriksen of Clarkston.
The global pandemic and a Tennessee tornado in April 2020 resulted in the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur being played at the Country Club of Detroit a year later than originally planned. The Grosse Pointe Farms classic golf course and original Golf Association of Michigan member was slated to host the Senior Amateur a year ago, but the 2020 championship was canceled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disappointment in Detroit was quelled, however, when the previously announced 2021 site for the championship – The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. – suffered significant tornado damage last April and notified the United States Golf Association that it would not be fully recovered in time to host the national championship.
The USGA made changes: The 2021 championship is at Country Club of Detroit, and The Honors Course will host the 2024 championship, which will be the 69th edition of the championship.
The Senior Amateur has been held in Michigan twice previously; in 1984 at Birmingham Country Club where Robert Rawlins won, and in 1991 at Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort where Bill Bosshard won.
“The Country Club of Detroit is excited to continue our long tradition of supporting amateur golf by proudly hosting the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship,” said George J. Baer III, club president.
“As the location where Arnold Palmer launched his historic career by winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur, the Country Club of Detroit holds a unique place in golf history, and we look forward to continuing this great tradition.”
The five Michigan golfers earned their spots in the starting field of 156 players 55-years-old or older through qualifiers held at 49 sites across the country in July and August. Chocola, Gieselman, Herpich and Gunthorpe qualified at Oakland Hills Country Club (North course), and Eriksen got in as an alternate from Oakland Hills. They were part of a record 2,565 entries, which eclipsed the previous record of 2,498 set in 2005.
Country Club of Detroit, which has hosted the Michigan Amateur Championship six times including the 2018 Michigan Amateur Championship won by Beau Breault, was founded in 1897 and is located 14 miles northeast of downtown Detroit.
It was designed by British golf architects Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Alison and most recently restored by Michigan-based architect Tom Doak in 2011.
In addition to Palmer’s victory that he called the turning point in his golf career and propelled him to a storied career that included seven major professional titles, the U.S. Amateur was also contested at CC of Detroit in 1915. Robert A. Gardner claimed the second of his two championships.
The U.S. Senior Amateur was first played in 1955. Greg Reynolds of Grand Blanc, and Tom Draper of Royal Oak, two members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, are among the past champions of the U.S. Senior Amateur. Reynolds won in 2002 and was runner-up in 2004, and Draper won in 1971.
In the most recent Senior Amateur played in 2019, Bob Royak, of Alpharetta, Ga., holed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole to defeat Roger Newsom, 1 up, in the final match at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.
The field will play 36 holes of stroke play Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 28, 29). The low 64 scorers will qualify for match play which starts with the round of 64 on Monday (Aug. 30). The rounds of 32 and 16 are scheduled for Tuesday (Aug. 31), the quarterfinals and semifinals for Wednesday (Sept. 1) and the 18-hole championship match for Thursday (Sept. 2).
Major Championship winners Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, Mike Weir, Davis Love III, Darren Clarke and David Toms commit to the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Tournament officials announced today that major championship winners Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Darren Clarke and David Toms have committed to compete in the fourth edition of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, scheduled for the week of August 23-29 at historic Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.
The tournament has also accepted commitments from two local PGA Professionals receiving sponsor exemptions into this year’s field: Oakhurst Golf and Country Club’s George Bowman and Traverse City Golf and Country Club’s Scott Hebert.
No player has dominated the PGA TOUR Champions circuit over the past 10 plus years more than Langer. His senior resume includes 11 major titles, three of which he grabbed in 2017 alone and his latest coming in 2019 at The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex. The World Golf Hall of Fame member won his fifth, and most recent, Charles Schwab Cup title in 2018, recording two wins and 14 top-10 finishes. The same year Langer also secured a record eighth Jack Nicklaus Award as the Player of the Year and won the Byron Nelson Award as the Tour’s scoring leader for a record-breaking seventh time. The 63-year-old native of Germany has captured 41 PGA TOUR Champions titles to go with more than $30 million¾ranked No. 1 all time on the PGA TOUR Champions¾in earnings since making his PGA TOUR Champions debut in 2007. So far this season, Langer is No. 3 in Charles Schwab Cup rankings with 18 top-10 finishes over 28 starts, including a win at the 2020 Cologuard Classic. The two-time Masters winner will be making his fourth start at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. Langer has not finished outside the top-10 at Warwick Hills and owns a 68.67 tournament scoring average.
Els, 51, made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in January of 2020 with a T-2 finish at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. He grabbed his first senior victory two starts later at the Hoag Classic. The South African is ranked No. 4 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List with 14 top-10 finishes during a rookie campaign currently comprised of 26 starts, two wins, two second-place outings and one third- place finish. Els is the owner 47 international victories and 19 PGA TOUR titles, including four major championships¾two U.S. Open wins in 1994 and 1997, along with two The Open Championship titles in 2002 and 2012. In 2015 the “Big Easy” was named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award by the PGA TOUR in recognition of character, sportsmanship, and dedication to charitable giving. Els will be making his second appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren next week. He finished T-27 in his tournament debut last August with a scoring average of 70.
Weir kicked off his PGA TOUR Champions rookie campaign at the 2020 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren with a T-27 finish. He grabbed his first top-10 the following week with a T-10 result at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. The 51-year-old has gone on to record 10 more top-10s so far this season, including four runner-up finishes and his first senior title at the 2020 Insperity Invitational. He currently ranks No. 8 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List with more than $1.8 million in earnings. Weir has represented the International Presidents Cup team on five occasions during his career and is an eight-time winner on the PGA TOUR, with the 2003 Masters Tournament counted among them. The Canadian will be making his second start at this year’s Ally Challenge.
Love made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in 2014 and has since started a total of 25 career senior events. His best finish came in 2016 when he finished third at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Since 2014, the 57-year-old has also competed in 103 PGA TOUR events, grabbing his 21st TOUR victory at the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Love is a two-time United States Ryder Cup Captain, loosing by one point to the European team in 2012 and then leading the U.S. to its first victory in eight years at Hazeltine in 2016. The World Golf Hall of Famer also suited up for international competition as a player on six occasions for both the U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. This will be Love’s first appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. The 1997 PGA Championship winner made 10 starts at Warwick Hills competing in the Buick Open, his best result came in his debut in 1986 with a T-5 finish.
Clarke, 53, has recorded three PGA TOUR victories, including the 2011 Open Championship, and 15 international wins. Since turning 50 in 2018 he has played in 45 PGA TOUR Champions events and grabbed 10 top-10 finishes, including his first two senior titles this season in back-to-back starts at the 2020 TimberTech Championship and 2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Clarke currently sits at No. 13 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings with six top-10 finishes, including a third-place outing to go with his two victories. The Northern Irishman will be making his third start at this year’s Ally Challenge. His tournament scoring average at Warwick Hills is 71.17 and his best finish came in 2019 with a T-33 effort.
Toms, 54, recorded 27 top-10 finishes over his first three PGA TOUR Champions seasons, beginning in 2017. His lone victory was good for his first senior major title at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open Championship. He has finished the past two seasons in the top-10 in Charles Schwab Cup standings, holding the sixth spot in 2018 and seventh in 2019, and is currently ranked No. 19. Toms has recorded 13 victories on the PGA TOUR since turning professional in 1989, including the 2001 PGA Championship. The Louisiana native has been a member of three U.S. Ryder Cup teams and three U.S. Presidents Cup teams. Toms will be making his third appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. After back-to-back top-5 finishes in 2018 and 2019, he finished T-19 in 2020 and holds a tournament scoring average is 68.67.
Bowman was born and raised in Flushing, Michigan and played his collegiate golf at Western Michigan University. He has competed in two National PGA of American Championships and was a member of the NIKE Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) in 1993. Bowman has served as the head golf professional at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club in Clarkston, Mich. since the Club’s inception in 1998.
“Playing in The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren fulfills another professional dream,” Bowman said. “I consider this the ultimate chance to compete against this level of competitor again, especially in my hometown, in front of friends and family!"
Hebert is an eight-time Michigan PGA Section Player of the Year and one of just three golfers to win both the PGA Professional National Championship and the Senior PGA Professional National Championship. He has competed in over 10 PGA TOUR events, including four Buick Open appearances and five PGA Championships. The Michigan native is a graduate of Ferris State University and was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Hebert is currently the head golf professional at Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
“I am looking forward to returning to Warwick Hills where I played my first PGA TOUR event many years ago,” said Hebert. “Playing in front family, friends and the great golf fans in the state of Michigan on a huge stage will be a thrill.”
The tournament has also accepted commitments from two local PGA Professionals receiving sponsor exemptions into this year’s field: Oakhurst Golf and Country Club’s George Bowman and Traverse City Golf and Country Club’s Scott Hebert.
No player has dominated the PGA TOUR Champions circuit over the past 10 plus years more than Langer. His senior resume includes 11 major titles, three of which he grabbed in 2017 alone and his latest coming in 2019 at The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex. The World Golf Hall of Fame member won his fifth, and most recent, Charles Schwab Cup title in 2018, recording two wins and 14 top-10 finishes. The same year Langer also secured a record eighth Jack Nicklaus Award as the Player of the Year and won the Byron Nelson Award as the Tour’s scoring leader for a record-breaking seventh time. The 63-year-old native of Germany has captured 41 PGA TOUR Champions titles to go with more than $30 million¾ranked No. 1 all time on the PGA TOUR Champions¾in earnings since making his PGA TOUR Champions debut in 2007. So far this season, Langer is No. 3 in Charles Schwab Cup rankings with 18 top-10 finishes over 28 starts, including a win at the 2020 Cologuard Classic. The two-time Masters winner will be making his fourth start at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. Langer has not finished outside the top-10 at Warwick Hills and owns a 68.67 tournament scoring average.
Els, 51, made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in January of 2020 with a T-2 finish at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. He grabbed his first senior victory two starts later at the Hoag Classic. The South African is ranked No. 4 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List with 14 top-10 finishes during a rookie campaign currently comprised of 26 starts, two wins, two second-place outings and one third- place finish. Els is the owner 47 international victories and 19 PGA TOUR titles, including four major championships¾two U.S. Open wins in 1994 and 1997, along with two The Open Championship titles in 2002 and 2012. In 2015 the “Big Easy” was named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award by the PGA TOUR in recognition of character, sportsmanship, and dedication to charitable giving. Els will be making his second appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren next week. He finished T-27 in his tournament debut last August with a scoring average of 70.
Weir kicked off his PGA TOUR Champions rookie campaign at the 2020 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren with a T-27 finish. He grabbed his first top-10 the following week with a T-10 result at the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. The 51-year-old has gone on to record 10 more top-10s so far this season, including four runner-up finishes and his first senior title at the 2020 Insperity Invitational. He currently ranks No. 8 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List with more than $1.8 million in earnings. Weir has represented the International Presidents Cup team on five occasions during his career and is an eight-time winner on the PGA TOUR, with the 2003 Masters Tournament counted among them. The Canadian will be making his second start at this year’s Ally Challenge.
Love made his PGA TOUR Champions debut in 2014 and has since started a total of 25 career senior events. His best finish came in 2016 when he finished third at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Since 2014, the 57-year-old has also competed in 103 PGA TOUR events, grabbing his 21st TOUR victory at the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Love is a two-time United States Ryder Cup Captain, loosing by one point to the European team in 2012 and then leading the U.S. to its first victory in eight years at Hazeltine in 2016. The World Golf Hall of Famer also suited up for international competition as a player on six occasions for both the U.S. Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. This will be Love’s first appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. The 1997 PGA Championship winner made 10 starts at Warwick Hills competing in the Buick Open, his best result came in his debut in 1986 with a T-5 finish.
Clarke, 53, has recorded three PGA TOUR victories, including the 2011 Open Championship, and 15 international wins. Since turning 50 in 2018 he has played in 45 PGA TOUR Champions events and grabbed 10 top-10 finishes, including his first two senior titles this season in back-to-back starts at the 2020 TimberTech Championship and 2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Clarke currently sits at No. 13 in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings with six top-10 finishes, including a third-place outing to go with his two victories. The Northern Irishman will be making his third start at this year’s Ally Challenge. His tournament scoring average at Warwick Hills is 71.17 and his best finish came in 2019 with a T-33 effort.
Toms, 54, recorded 27 top-10 finishes over his first three PGA TOUR Champions seasons, beginning in 2017. His lone victory was good for his first senior major title at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open Championship. He has finished the past two seasons in the top-10 in Charles Schwab Cup standings, holding the sixth spot in 2018 and seventh in 2019, and is currently ranked No. 19. Toms has recorded 13 victories on the PGA TOUR since turning professional in 1989, including the 2001 PGA Championship. The Louisiana native has been a member of three U.S. Ryder Cup teams and three U.S. Presidents Cup teams. Toms will be making his third appearance at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. After back-to-back top-5 finishes in 2018 and 2019, he finished T-19 in 2020 and holds a tournament scoring average is 68.67.
Bowman was born and raised in Flushing, Michigan and played his collegiate golf at Western Michigan University. He has competed in two National PGA of American Championships and was a member of the NIKE Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) in 1993. Bowman has served as the head golf professional at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club in Clarkston, Mich. since the Club’s inception in 1998.
“Playing in The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren fulfills another professional dream,” Bowman said. “I consider this the ultimate chance to compete against this level of competitor again, especially in my hometown, in front of friends and family!"
Hebert is an eight-time Michigan PGA Section Player of the Year and one of just three golfers to win both the PGA Professional National Championship and the Senior PGA Professional National Championship. He has competed in over 10 PGA TOUR events, including four Buick Open appearances and five PGA Championships. The Michigan native is a graduate of Ferris State University and was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Hebert is currently the head golf professional at Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
“I am looking forward to returning to Warwick Hills where I played my first PGA TOUR event many years ago,” said Hebert. “Playing in front family, friends and the great golf fans in the state of Michigan on a huge stage will be a thrill.”
HIGHLAND – Benny Cook told himself before he played that he wanted to shoot 3-under or better and hopefully maintain the lead in the 100th Michigan PGA Professional Championship.
The defending champion from Yankee Spring Golf Course in Wayland did exactly that with a 3-under 69 at Prestwick Village Tuesday, and at 9-under for the tournament had a three-shot lead on Birmingham Country Club’s Tim Pearce, who rallied with a 7-under 65, and Walnut Creek Country Club’s Kyle Dobbs, who shot 68.
They will make up the last group in Wednesday’s final round in the $54,000 championship and battle to be the 100th champion listed on the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy, take home the $7,000 first-place check and earn a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
“Sure, I like leading and having the guys right behind you in the group because you kind of know where you have to be all day,” Cook said. “But three shots are really nothing when you have to play 18 holes. One birdie and one bogey and you're just up one. So yeah, it’s anybody’s game yet tomorrow.”
John Seltzer of Seltzer Golf School in Grand Rapids, who shot 67, Kosta Ramirez of Treetops Resort in Gaylord, who shot 73, and Christopher Sullivan of Sun Mountain, who shot 71, checked in at 4-under, five shots off the lead.
The 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties fell at 11-over 155 with 62 players advancing.
In addition to the field chasing Cook, the players will be seeking a top finish because the championship also serves as the starting point and qualifier on the road to major championship golf with the best players in the world at the PGA Championship of 2022, which will be played in May at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
The low nine golfers at the end of the tournament besides Cook, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy, Pearce and Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club who are already exempt, will play in the 2022 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. The low 20 finishers from that national club pro championship move on to play with the best players in the world at next year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
“That was my goal, shoot 3-under or better and get back in the mix for that top nine,” said Chad Kurmel of Forest Akers West Golf Course, who shot 67 and was at 3-under, in seventh place overall. “I shot better, 5-under. I just have to do it again tomorrow.”
Pearce, among the exempt for the national championship, is chasing Cook and this championship. He said he is striking the ball great, and finally made some putts Tuesday.
“I figured I just needed to play the exact way today as I did yesterday, but maybe hit it a little closer and make some putts,” he said. “That finally happened. That’s the best round I’ve had all summer. I knew it was there. I just haven’t completely put it together so it was nice to do it today.”
Pearce had five birdies and an eagle at the par 5 No. 15 hole that was almost a double-eagle.
“I hit driver and then four-iron and I hit it right at the flag,” he said. “I couldn’t see what was going on, but my buddy was behind the green and he was raising his hands as the ball was rolling up. Apparently it hit the flagstick and set down right beside the hole. So it was almost a two. That would have been really nice. I’ve never had one of those.”
Cook said he continued to hit the ball well and is looking forward to playing in the last group with Pearce, who he has known since college days at Ferris State University and was paired with in each of the first two rounds.
“I hit it really good all day with just one bad nine-iron swing and made a bogey (on No. 16),” he said. “Other than that, it was a solid round. The pins were in some good spots where you had to hit like the perfect number with some spin to get it to stop. That’s fine. We don’t get to play golf courses like this all the time and I like it. It should be tough. It was tough for everybody but Timmy (Pearce) I guess. He played great. It’s going to be fun tomorrow.”
The defending champion from Yankee Spring Golf Course in Wayland did exactly that with a 3-under 69 at Prestwick Village Tuesday, and at 9-under for the tournament had a three-shot lead on Birmingham Country Club’s Tim Pearce, who rallied with a 7-under 65, and Walnut Creek Country Club’s Kyle Dobbs, who shot 68.
They will make up the last group in Wednesday’s final round in the $54,000 championship and battle to be the 100th champion listed on the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy, take home the $7,000 first-place check and earn a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
“Sure, I like leading and having the guys right behind you in the group because you kind of know where you have to be all day,” Cook said. “But three shots are really nothing when you have to play 18 holes. One birdie and one bogey and you're just up one. So yeah, it’s anybody’s game yet tomorrow.”
John Seltzer of Seltzer Golf School in Grand Rapids, who shot 67, Kosta Ramirez of Treetops Resort in Gaylord, who shot 73, and Christopher Sullivan of Sun Mountain, who shot 71, checked in at 4-under, five shots off the lead.
The 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties fell at 11-over 155 with 62 players advancing.
In addition to the field chasing Cook, the players will be seeking a top finish because the championship also serves as the starting point and qualifier on the road to major championship golf with the best players in the world at the PGA Championship of 2022, which will be played in May at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
The low nine golfers at the end of the tournament besides Cook, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy, Pearce and Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club who are already exempt, will play in the 2022 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. The low 20 finishers from that national club pro championship move on to play with the best players in the world at next year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
“That was my goal, shoot 3-under or better and get back in the mix for that top nine,” said Chad Kurmel of Forest Akers West Golf Course, who shot 67 and was at 3-under, in seventh place overall. “I shot better, 5-under. I just have to do it again tomorrow.”
Pearce, among the exempt for the national championship, is chasing Cook and this championship. He said he is striking the ball great, and finally made some putts Tuesday.
“I figured I just needed to play the exact way today as I did yesterday, but maybe hit it a little closer and make some putts,” he said. “That finally happened. That’s the best round I’ve had all summer. I knew it was there. I just haven’t completely put it together so it was nice to do it today.”
Pearce had five birdies and an eagle at the par 5 No. 15 hole that was almost a double-eagle.
“I hit driver and then four-iron and I hit it right at the flag,” he said. “I couldn’t see what was going on, but my buddy was behind the green and he was raising his hands as the ball was rolling up. Apparently it hit the flagstick and set down right beside the hole. So it was almost a two. That would have been really nice. I’ve never had one of those.”
Cook said he continued to hit the ball well and is looking forward to playing in the last group with Pearce, who he has known since college days at Ferris State University and was paired with in each of the first two rounds.
“I hit it really good all day with just one bad nine-iron swing and made a bogey (on No. 16),” he said. “Other than that, it was a solid round. The pins were in some good spots where you had to hit like the perfect number with some spin to get it to stop. That’s fine. We don’t get to play golf courses like this all the time and I like it. It should be tough. It was tough for everybody but Timmy (Pearce) I guess. He played great. It’s going to be fun tomorrow.”
PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic goes to new date in 2022
The 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule includes several significant enhancements and features a total of 48 official events – 45 during the FedExCup Regular Season along with three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events.
• Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.
“We are excited to host another terrific week of golf next summer when the Rocket Mortgage Classic returns to Detroit Golf Club from July 25-31, 2022. Now in its fourth year, the event has quickly become a summertime tradition celebrating many of the world’s best golfers all competing to help support a very worthwhile cause – ending the digital divide in Detroit.”
Other 2022 PGA Tour News Includes:
The 2022 portion of the schedule will kick off the PGA TOUR’s new, nine-year domestic media rights agreements with ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC and ESPN. As part of the agreement, all three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events will be broadcast domestically on NBC network television, beginning a rotation that continues with CBS hosting all three events in 2023.
Headline news includes the change in location and venue for the kickoff of the FedExCup Playoffs to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, starting in 2022, replacing the Regular Season event that has been held in Memphis since 1958. FedEx will serve as the title sponsor of the event, to be known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 8-14), replacing existing title sponsor Northern Trust after this year’s playing of THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
“FedEx is excited that the first event of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will be hosted in our hometown of Memphis, Tennessee,” said Raj Subramaniam, President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corporation. “We are proud of our history and the community impact we’ve had since becoming title sponsor of our hometown TOUR stop in 1986. We look forward to the impact it will bring to our local community and will continue to use it as a platform to showcase the groundbreaking work being done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to golf fans around the world.”
“
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (May 30-June 5) enters the first year of a 10-year agreement in 2022 with new presenting sponsor, Workday. Founded in 1976 by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, the tournament partners for the first time with three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Ayesha Curry, an entrepreneur, host and New York Times bestselling author.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the RBC Canadian Open (June 6-12) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, returns to the schedule in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. Rory McIlroy won the last RBC Canadian Open, played in 2019.
Other notable items and changes to the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule include (in chronological order):
2021
• As previously announced, the Fortinet Championship (September 13-19), with new title sponsor Fortinet, kicks off the 2021-22 FedExCup Regular Season at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California.
• The Ryder Cup will be played the week following the Fortinet Championship, with nine official events played during the balance of 2021 for a total of 10 events to be played in the fall.
• Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.
• Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.
“We are excited to host another terrific week of golf next summer when the Rocket Mortgage Classic returns to Detroit Golf Club from July 25-31, 2022. Now in its fourth year, the event has quickly become a summertime tradition celebrating many of the world’s best golfers all competing to help support a very worthwhile cause – ending the digital divide in Detroit.”
Other 2022 PGA Tour News Includes:
The 2022 portion of the schedule will kick off the PGA TOUR’s new, nine-year domestic media rights agreements with ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC and ESPN. As part of the agreement, all three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events will be broadcast domestically on NBC network television, beginning a rotation that continues with CBS hosting all three events in 2023.
Headline news includes the change in location and venue for the kickoff of the FedExCup Playoffs to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, starting in 2022, replacing the Regular Season event that has been held in Memphis since 1958. FedEx will serve as the title sponsor of the event, to be known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 8-14), replacing existing title sponsor Northern Trust after this year’s playing of THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
“FedEx is excited that the first event of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will be hosted in our hometown of Memphis, Tennessee,” said Raj Subramaniam, President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corporation. “We are proud of our history and the community impact we’ve had since becoming title sponsor of our hometown TOUR stop in 1986. We look forward to the impact it will bring to our local community and will continue to use it as a platform to showcase the groundbreaking work being done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to golf fans around the world.”
“
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (May 30-June 5) enters the first year of a 10-year agreement in 2022 with new presenting sponsor, Workday. Founded in 1976 by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, the tournament partners for the first time with three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Ayesha Curry, an entrepreneur, host and New York Times bestselling author.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the RBC Canadian Open (June 6-12) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, returns to the schedule in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. Rory McIlroy won the last RBC Canadian Open, played in 2019.
Other notable items and changes to the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule include (in chronological order):
2021
• As previously announced, the Fortinet Championship (September 13-19), with new title sponsor Fortinet, kicks off the 2021-22 FedExCup Regular Season at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California.
• The Ryder Cup will be played the week following the Fortinet Championship, with nine official events played during the balance of 2021 for a total of 10 events to be played in the fall.
• Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.
BACK-TO-BACK: PJ Maybank III Wins Another Michigan Junior State Amateur
|
Max VanderMolen
Interview after win |
DEARBORN – By Greg Johnson- PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan said one of his goals for the summer was to repeat as Michigan Junior Amateur Champion.
He reached it, turning back Justin Sui of Lake Orion, 3 and 2, in the final match of the 43rd edition of the junior state championship at TPC Michigan Thursday.
“This is the biggest junior tournament in the state and I really wanted to defend,” said the 16-year-old Maybank. “I’ve always looked up to the people who won this tournament, since I was nine or 10-years-old. This is amazing.”
The tournament also crowned a champion in the 15-and-under age division. Max VanderMolen of Richland, who is 13, topped Connor Fox of Lake Orion 6 and 5 in the championship match.
Maybank, who was the stroke play medalist earlier in the week and the top seed in the overall division match play bracket, said he played super consistent.
“I was really solid, especially in stroke play where I played some of the best golf I’ve ever played,” he said. “Then in match play I was able to keep it going. I really played well all week.”
Maybank won the first two holes with a par and a birdie and never tailed in the final match with Sui. He closed things out winning 15 with a par and 16 with a birdie.
“Both of us didn’t have our best stuff, but Justin’s putter was cold and I won some holes because he missed putts he usually makes,” he said. “That was unfortunate. He’s such a great player.”
Maybank reached the final with a 3 and 2 morning semifinal win over Carter Housler of Lansing, and Sui reached the finals by topping Brockton English of Shelby Township 5 and 4.
Maybank said the key to the week was his putter.
“It was really solid, I putted well all week,” he said. “Last winter I practiced putting more than anything else and it is really paying off this summer. I also got a few breaks this week. It was just my week. I had to grind a lot more last year to win. My putter carried me through this week.”
VanderMolen reached the 15-and-under final with a 3 and 2 win over Julian Menser of South Lyon in the semifinals, while Fox shot a 5-under 31 on the front nine in topping Cooper Reitsma of Ada 4 and 3 in the other semifinal.
VanderMolen was five-up through nine holes in the final, including two holes won with birdies, as Fox struggled with his game. VanderMolen said his ball-striking was the key.
“It’s always been the best part of my game and I just turned it on this week,” he said. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I shot 5-under in my first match and I just kept hitting good shots.”
He turned back Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti 3 and 1 in the round of eight and called it the key match.
“He beat me in the (finals) of the (GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship) just a week ago, so to get past him was big for me. That’s when I thought I could win the tournament.”
He reached it, turning back Justin Sui of Lake Orion, 3 and 2, in the final match of the 43rd edition of the junior state championship at TPC Michigan Thursday.
“This is the biggest junior tournament in the state and I really wanted to defend,” said the 16-year-old Maybank. “I’ve always looked up to the people who won this tournament, since I was nine or 10-years-old. This is amazing.”
The tournament also crowned a champion in the 15-and-under age division. Max VanderMolen of Richland, who is 13, topped Connor Fox of Lake Orion 6 and 5 in the championship match.
Maybank, who was the stroke play medalist earlier in the week and the top seed in the overall division match play bracket, said he played super consistent.
“I was really solid, especially in stroke play where I played some of the best golf I’ve ever played,” he said. “Then in match play I was able to keep it going. I really played well all week.”
Maybank won the first two holes with a par and a birdie and never tailed in the final match with Sui. He closed things out winning 15 with a par and 16 with a birdie.
“Both of us didn’t have our best stuff, but Justin’s putter was cold and I won some holes because he missed putts he usually makes,” he said. “That was unfortunate. He’s such a great player.”
Maybank reached the final with a 3 and 2 morning semifinal win over Carter Housler of Lansing, and Sui reached the finals by topping Brockton English of Shelby Township 5 and 4.
Maybank said the key to the week was his putter.
“It was really solid, I putted well all week,” he said. “Last winter I practiced putting more than anything else and it is really paying off this summer. I also got a few breaks this week. It was just my week. I had to grind a lot more last year to win. My putter carried me through this week.”
VanderMolen reached the 15-and-under final with a 3 and 2 win over Julian Menser of South Lyon in the semifinals, while Fox shot a 5-under 31 on the front nine in topping Cooper Reitsma of Ada 4 and 3 in the other semifinal.
VanderMolen was five-up through nine holes in the final, including two holes won with birdies, as Fox struggled with his game. VanderMolen said his ball-striking was the key.
“It’s always been the best part of my game and I just turned it on this week,” he said. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I shot 5-under in my first match and I just kept hitting good shots.”
He turned back Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti 3 and 1 in the round of eight and called it the key match.
“He beat me in the (finals) of the (GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship) just a week ago, so to get past him was big for me. That’s when I thought I could win the tournament.”
Otto Black’s Front Nine Blitz Powers Tournament of Champions Win at Boyne Mountain Resort
BOYNE FALLS – By Greg Johnson- Otto Black, a Mackenzie-PGA Tour Canada professional from Pinckney, fired out of the blocks with a 7-under 29 on the front nine of the Alpine course, ended up shooting 9-under 63 and rolled to victory in the Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort Wednesday. “It’s great, unbelievable,” he said after accepting the Walter Burkemo Trophy, the traditional green jacket awarded the champion, a lifetime BOYNE Golf membership, and the $9,000 first-place check.
“This is a tournament I play in every year and it’s something I really wanted to win in my career. I’m so grateful to win. It’s just awesome. It means a lot to me just because it’s in our home state and my name will be on the trophy with all the great players who have won it.”
Black, headed back to Canada when the border opens in August, birdied the first three holes and kept going.
Jeff Cuzzort of Grosse Ile shot 31 on the front nine, and shot a final 65 to finish second, but he trailed by five shots after Black birdied Nos. 16 and 17.
“I felt great all day, played great, Otto just didn’t let me in,” said Cuzzort who teaches and provides golf services at Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club.
“I shot the best round I’ve shot here in forever, so I feel great about that. I love playing up here. Boyne is so great. Hard to feel bad about being second to a score like that, too.”
Black, 27 and a pro since 2016 after playing at the University of Toledo, made his only bogey on the day at the par 5 No. 18 hole when he hit an 8-iron layup shot 202 yards into the pond in front of the green.
“Adrenaline I guess,” Black said. “I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard. I was going with my game plan. I really thought I was playing it safe.”
Black’s 63 was two shots off the course record of 61, but his 17-under 199 total set a tournament record in the 29th edition of the championship that brings together championship-winning juniors, seniors, professionals, and amateurs of both sexes, all playing for one title from different tee positions.
“My putting was great all week and I just kept giving myself good looks for birdie,” he said. “The greens were so nice and I just felt like I could make great putts every time.”
Cuzzort ended up three shots behind at 14-under 202 for second, and Jake Kneen, a mini-tour professional from White Lake, shot 67 for 206 and third place.
Sam Weatherhead of Grand Rapids, the leader starting the final round, shot 73 for 208 and tied for fourth with Evan Bowser of Dearborn, who shot 68.
Defending champion Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy, a record six-time winner of the championship, shot 71 to close at 209, tied with first-round leader Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, who shot 70, and Jay Jurecic of Crystal Falls, the recent Club Car Senior Open winner, who shot 68.
Black, whose last win was a mini-tour event in Florida two years ago, said when he made the turn after nine holes and realized he was 7-under, he decided to try and make more birdies.
“I tapped into some previous tournaments,” Black said. “Two years ago I nearly won down in Latin America and I remembered when you start like that, you can’t take a step back, you have to keep pressing forward and that’s what I did out there. I thought let’s get it to 10 and go as low as we can.”
Black, now a Naples, Fla., resident for seven months of the year, plays next in the Iowa Open. He thanked his grandmother Judy and wife Megan for making the trip with him to Boyne.
“I’m alone on the road a lot, so it was great to have family here with me,” he said. “I love coming up here. It’s a great tournament, a great place to be with your family and play golf.”
“This is a tournament I play in every year and it’s something I really wanted to win in my career. I’m so grateful to win. It’s just awesome. It means a lot to me just because it’s in our home state and my name will be on the trophy with all the great players who have won it.”
Black, headed back to Canada when the border opens in August, birdied the first three holes and kept going.
Jeff Cuzzort of Grosse Ile shot 31 on the front nine, and shot a final 65 to finish second, but he trailed by five shots after Black birdied Nos. 16 and 17.
“I felt great all day, played great, Otto just didn’t let me in,” said Cuzzort who teaches and provides golf services at Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club.
“I shot the best round I’ve shot here in forever, so I feel great about that. I love playing up here. Boyne is so great. Hard to feel bad about being second to a score like that, too.”
Black, 27 and a pro since 2016 after playing at the University of Toledo, made his only bogey on the day at the par 5 No. 18 hole when he hit an 8-iron layup shot 202 yards into the pond in front of the green.
“Adrenaline I guess,” Black said. “I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard. I was going with my game plan. I really thought I was playing it safe.”
Black’s 63 was two shots off the course record of 61, but his 17-under 199 total set a tournament record in the 29th edition of the championship that brings together championship-winning juniors, seniors, professionals, and amateurs of both sexes, all playing for one title from different tee positions.
“My putting was great all week and I just kept giving myself good looks for birdie,” he said. “The greens were so nice and I just felt like I could make great putts every time.”
Cuzzort ended up three shots behind at 14-under 202 for second, and Jake Kneen, a mini-tour professional from White Lake, shot 67 for 206 and third place.
Sam Weatherhead of Grand Rapids, the leader starting the final round, shot 73 for 208 and tied for fourth with Evan Bowser of Dearborn, who shot 68.
Defending champion Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy, a record six-time winner of the championship, shot 71 to close at 209, tied with first-round leader Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, who shot 70, and Jay Jurecic of Crystal Falls, the recent Club Car Senior Open winner, who shot 68.
Black, whose last win was a mini-tour event in Florida two years ago, said when he made the turn after nine holes and realized he was 7-under, he decided to try and make more birdies.
“I tapped into some previous tournaments,” Black said. “Two years ago I nearly won down in Latin America and I remembered when you start like that, you can’t take a step back, you have to keep pressing forward and that’s what I did out there. I thought let’s get it to 10 and go as low as we can.”
Black, now a Naples, Fla., resident for seven months of the year, plays next in the Iowa Open. He thanked his grandmother Judy and wife Megan for making the trip with him to Boyne.
“I’m alone on the road a lot, so it was great to have family here with me,” he said. “I love coming up here. It’s a great tournament, a great place to be with your family and play golf.”
The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills is one month away
Warwick Hills PGA Pro Doug Brody on the tourny and Phil Mickelsons status on playing at Warwick in 2021
Boyne’s Jeff Roth Defends as Tournament of Champions Returns
BOYNE FALLS – BOYNE Golf’s own Jeff Roth had to wait an extra year to defend his record sixth win in the 29th Tournament of Champions, which starts Monday at Boyne Mountain Resort.
The 2020 edition was not presented due to pandemic concerns, but the unique tournament that includes juniors, seniors, professionals, and amateurs of both sexes, all playing for one title from different tee positions, is back with a powerhouse field of 115 golfers.
All who are invited have won selected significant Michigan golf championships, both amateur and professional, and some are on the lists of Michigan’s most decorated golfers in history.
Roth, who teaches at the BOYNE Golf Academy at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, makes all the lists. He is among the 14 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame golfers who will be in this year’s championship. He is also among seven golfers who are past champions that have returned.
And he will be among the favorites to win the traditional green sport coat presented to the winner once again. After all, at age 61 in 2019, he went wire-to-wire holding off Kalamazoo mini-tour player Barrett Kelpin, who had won the tournament in 2015.
Roth is also fresh off playing in the PGA Tour’s Michigan stop, the Rocket-Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
The Michigan Golf Hall of Famers in the field in addition to Roth include Bob Ackerman, Ken Allard, Ron Beurmann, Brian Cairns, Greg Davies, Randy Erskine, Tom Harding, Scott Hebert, Dave Kendall, Larry Mancour, Jack Seltzer, John Traub and Tom Werkmeister.
The seven past champions joining Roth (2019, ’12, ’08, 1999, ’96 and ’95) include 2018 winner Alex Scott, 2016 winner Korey Mahoney, 2015 winner Kelpin, two-time champion Andy Ruthkoski (2013, ’14), 2009 winner Scott Hebert and 1997 winner Tom Harding.
While Roth managed to beat the assortment of younger professionals and top amateurs in 2019, the 2018 title was won for the first time by an amateur.
Scott, a former Grand Valley State University standout from Traverse City who has since turned professional, shot the best round of his life tying the course and tournament record with an 11-under 61 final round on the Alpine Course, and then won a sudden-death playoff with mini-tour player Sam Weatherhead of Grand Rapids.
Scott, Weatherhead and several other mini-tour professionals are in the field, including 2018 Michigan Open champion Jake Kneen of White Lake, and 2018 Michigan Amateur champion Beau Breault of Howell.
Ben Cook of Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland, last summer’s Michigan PGA Professional Champion who was the low club professional earlier this year in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, S.C., is in the field for the first time.
Bradley Smithson, the Michigan State University golfer from Grand Rapids who won the Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship earlier this summer is playing, too.
Some top women are in the field as well, including 2019 Michigan Women’s Open champion Anika Dy, 2020 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Anna Kramer, and 2019 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Elayna Bowser. A woman has won the championship. Stacy Snider, a former Michigan State University star who had turned professional, bested the field in 2003.
“It’s another amazing field with great champions, professional and amateur, college players, mini-tour professionals and several of our top Michigan PGA Section players and Hall of Fame members,” said Justin Phillips, the tournament director for the Michigan PGA Section, which sanctions and administers the unique championship. “It is the 29th year and it remains one of the most unique tournaments in the country at one of the top resorts in the country.”
The field will play the 54-hole stroke play championship on two courses. The Monday round and Wednesday’s final round are on the classic Alpine course, and Tuesday's round is on The Monument course. A 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties follows the second round. This year’s purse for the professionals is $65,000.
In addition to a celebration of champions, the tournament is a family affair of champions, too.
Family combinations entered include brothers Andrew and Travis Dodson, brothers Ben and Josh Proben, brothers Jeff and Steven Cuzzort, father-son Jack and John Seltzer, father-son Frank and Frank McAuliffe IV, father-son Tom and Parker Jamieson, father-son Denis and Darrin Husse, father-son Gary and Bradley Smithson, father-son Jim and Austin Dieters, brother-sister Evan and Elayna Bowser and sisters Anika and Anci Dy.
The 2020 edition was not presented due to pandemic concerns, but the unique tournament that includes juniors, seniors, professionals, and amateurs of both sexes, all playing for one title from different tee positions, is back with a powerhouse field of 115 golfers.
All who are invited have won selected significant Michigan golf championships, both amateur and professional, and some are on the lists of Michigan’s most decorated golfers in history.
Roth, who teaches at the BOYNE Golf Academy at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs, makes all the lists. He is among the 14 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame golfers who will be in this year’s championship. He is also among seven golfers who are past champions that have returned.
And he will be among the favorites to win the traditional green sport coat presented to the winner once again. After all, at age 61 in 2019, he went wire-to-wire holding off Kalamazoo mini-tour player Barrett Kelpin, who had won the tournament in 2015.
Roth is also fresh off playing in the PGA Tour’s Michigan stop, the Rocket-Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
The Michigan Golf Hall of Famers in the field in addition to Roth include Bob Ackerman, Ken Allard, Ron Beurmann, Brian Cairns, Greg Davies, Randy Erskine, Tom Harding, Scott Hebert, Dave Kendall, Larry Mancour, Jack Seltzer, John Traub and Tom Werkmeister.
The seven past champions joining Roth (2019, ’12, ’08, 1999, ’96 and ’95) include 2018 winner Alex Scott, 2016 winner Korey Mahoney, 2015 winner Kelpin, two-time champion Andy Ruthkoski (2013, ’14), 2009 winner Scott Hebert and 1997 winner Tom Harding.
While Roth managed to beat the assortment of younger professionals and top amateurs in 2019, the 2018 title was won for the first time by an amateur.
Scott, a former Grand Valley State University standout from Traverse City who has since turned professional, shot the best round of his life tying the course and tournament record with an 11-under 61 final round on the Alpine Course, and then won a sudden-death playoff with mini-tour player Sam Weatherhead of Grand Rapids.
Scott, Weatherhead and several other mini-tour professionals are in the field, including 2018 Michigan Open champion Jake Kneen of White Lake, and 2018 Michigan Amateur champion Beau Breault of Howell.
Ben Cook of Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland, last summer’s Michigan PGA Professional Champion who was the low club professional earlier this year in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, S.C., is in the field for the first time.
Bradley Smithson, the Michigan State University golfer from Grand Rapids who won the Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship earlier this summer is playing, too.
Some top women are in the field as well, including 2019 Michigan Women’s Open champion Anika Dy, 2020 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Anna Kramer, and 2019 Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Elayna Bowser. A woman has won the championship. Stacy Snider, a former Michigan State University star who had turned professional, bested the field in 2003.
“It’s another amazing field with great champions, professional and amateur, college players, mini-tour professionals and several of our top Michigan PGA Section players and Hall of Fame members,” said Justin Phillips, the tournament director for the Michigan PGA Section, which sanctions and administers the unique championship. “It is the 29th year and it remains one of the most unique tournaments in the country at one of the top resorts in the country.”
The field will play the 54-hole stroke play championship on two courses. The Monday round and Wednesday’s final round are on the classic Alpine course, and Tuesday's round is on The Monument course. A 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties follows the second round. This year’s purse for the professionals is $65,000.
In addition to a celebration of champions, the tournament is a family affair of champions, too.
Family combinations entered include brothers Andrew and Travis Dodson, brothers Ben and Josh Proben, brothers Jeff and Steven Cuzzort, father-son Jack and John Seltzer, father-son Frank and Frank McAuliffe IV, father-son Tom and Parker Jamieson, father-son Denis and Darrin Husse, father-son Gary and Bradley Smithson, father-son Jim and Austin Dieters, brother-sister Evan and Elayna Bowser and sisters Anika and Anci Dy.
-Final- Jutanugarns shoot 59 to win Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
4th Round Highlights (Presser below)
MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn won the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on Saturday, shooting their second 11-under 59 in best-ball play for a three-stroke victory over defending champions Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura.
“But before we went to the tee, I walked to my sister and told her like, `You know what, Mo, today the goal is we’re going to try to make birdie every hole. ... That’s the goal today I told her.”
The 25-year-old Ariya won for the 12th time on the LPGA Tour and second this season, and the 26-year-old Moriya took her second title. Ariya won the Honda LPGA Thailand in May 9 for her first victory since July 2018.
- “I would say this is the best moment for me because we won together,” Ariya said. “We helped each other to win the golf tournament.”The Jutanugarns finished at 24-under 256 at windy Midland Country Club. They opened with a 67 in alternate shot, had a 59 on Thursday in best ball, and shot 71 in alternate shot Friday to enter the final round two strokes behind Clanton and Suwannapura.
“I would say it’s really special,” Ariya said. “Every tournament I won she always with me, and when she won I with her. The way we played today, I just told myself, `This is going to be a great memory for us to win together.’”
Clanton and Suwannapura shot 64. They won the inaugural event by six shots in 2019. The tournament was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Jasmine and I just talked on the 18th green, man, we felt like we won this one,” Clanton said. “It was tough conditions today, it was windy. We didn’t think anybody would go super low, but Ariya and Moriya played great today, so they deserved it.”
Lim Kim and Yealimi Noh (64) and Pajaree Anannarukarn and Aditi Ashok (66) tied for third at 19 under. U.S. Women's Open winner Yuka Saso and Minjee Lee were 18 under after a 62.
Nelly and Jessica Korda shot a 67 to tie for 17th at 13 under. Nelly Korda was making her first start since winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and the KPMG Women’s PGA in consecutive weeks to take the No. 1 spot in the world. The Evian Championship, the fourth major of the year, is next week in France.
“But before we went to the tee, I walked to my sister and told her like, `You know what, Mo, today the goal is we’re going to try to make birdie every hole. ... That’s the goal today I told her.”
The 25-year-old Ariya won for the 12th time on the LPGA Tour and second this season, and the 26-year-old Moriya took her second title. Ariya won the Honda LPGA Thailand in May 9 for her first victory since July 2018.
- “I would say this is the best moment for me because we won together,” Ariya said. “We helped each other to win the golf tournament.”The Jutanugarns finished at 24-under 256 at windy Midland Country Club. They opened with a 67 in alternate shot, had a 59 on Thursday in best ball, and shot 71 in alternate shot Friday to enter the final round two strokes behind Clanton and Suwannapura.
“I would say it’s really special,” Ariya said. “Every tournament I won she always with me, and when she won I with her. The way we played today, I just told myself, `This is going to be a great memory for us to win together.’”
Clanton and Suwannapura shot 64. They won the inaugural event by six shots in 2019. The tournament was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Jasmine and I just talked on the 18th green, man, we felt like we won this one,” Clanton said. “It was tough conditions today, it was windy. We didn’t think anybody would go super low, but Ariya and Moriya played great today, so they deserved it.”
Lim Kim and Yealimi Noh (64) and Pajaree Anannarukarn and Aditi Ashok (66) tied for third at 19 under. U.S. Women's Open winner Yuka Saso and Minjee Lee were 18 under after a 62.
Nelly and Jessica Korda shot a 67 to tie for 17th at 13 under. Nelly Korda was making her first start since winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and the KPMG Women’s PGA in consecutive weeks to take the No. 1 spot in the world. The Evian Championship, the fourth major of the year, is next week in France.
TEEN TITAN: Macomb’s Lauren Timpf Wins Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur
EAST LANSING – By Greg Johnson Lauren Timpf wanted to prove something to herself.
The 14-year-old standout from Macomb did just that – winning the 43rd Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Championship at Forest Akers East Golf Course Friday.
“It feels really good because this was my first year moving up to the overall division (age 16-18),” she said after holding off Kate Brody of Grand Blanc, 2 and 1, in the championship match.
“Proving to myself that I can play with all these top competitors is a great feeling.”
Timpf dominated in the 15-and-under bracket at age 13 last year winning five consecutive GAM tournaments, including the 15-and-under bracket in the Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur.
She opted to move up to the championship bracket this year and it wasn’t easy. She had to rally from a 4-down deficit through 12 holes of a quarterfinal match with Elise Fennell of Caledonia Thursday, and then turn back 2019 champion Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids 4 and 3 in the morning semifinal Friday.
Tournament age records are incomplete, but Timpf is believed to be the youngest winner in championship history.
“I set mini-goals along the way and my first goal was to make it to match play, then maybe win one match and keep progressing,” she said. “The key match was the (quarterfinal). I didn’t like being behind like that, and it was tough to get anything going. But I grinded it out and I made it happen.”
Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor made it happen to win this year’s 15-and-under division championship. She topped Alena Li of Okemos 3 and 2 in the title match. She was runner-up in the division a year ago to Timpf.
“I came in second last year so having the title was my mission,” she said after posting her second consecutive 15-and-under win of the summer. “It was a huge goal coming in – get back to the finals and win it this time.”
The overall bracket’s championship match of Timpf versus Brody was set up after Timpf’s win over Henkel and when Brody turned back Olivia Stoll of Haslett, 4 and 2, in the other semifinal.
“In my first match (with Stoll) I hit some really good iron shots and I was hitting it a little straighter off the tee,” said Brody who knocked out stroke play medalist and top seed Sophie Stevens of Highland 3 and 2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“I was giving myself more birdie chances. This afternoon I was hitting it okay off the tee, but I wasn’t hitting it close with my iron shots and I wasn’t making putts either. I’m not super happy with the way I played, but Lauren played really well. In match play it comes down to who plays better on those 18 holes and who makes more putts.”
Timpf won holes 6 and 7 in the finale to take a 2-up lead. She had the same lead four more times in the match, and three times Brody rallied and cut the deficit to 1-up. A birdie by Timpf on the par 5 No. 16 hole to go 2-up and then a par on 17 sealed the win.
“That was the key hole in the match,” Timpf said of 16. “It was a tight tough match and Kate is a tough player. That was a good birdie and it put me 2-up with two holes to go”
In the 15-and-under title match, Melendez, stroke play medalist earlier in the week and the top seed, took an early 2-up lead winning holes 2 and 3, led 3-up through 10 holes and closed the match out at 16 winning the hole with a par.
Melendez said her key shot of the tournament came in the 2 and 1 morning semifinal win over Avery Manning of Dexter. She hit a 4-hybrid shot from 175 yards to three feet at No. 15 and made the putt to take a 1-up lead.
“That was one of my best shots ever,” she said
The 14-year-old standout from Macomb did just that – winning the 43rd Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Championship at Forest Akers East Golf Course Friday.
“It feels really good because this was my first year moving up to the overall division (age 16-18),” she said after holding off Kate Brody of Grand Blanc, 2 and 1, in the championship match.
“Proving to myself that I can play with all these top competitors is a great feeling.”
Timpf dominated in the 15-and-under bracket at age 13 last year winning five consecutive GAM tournaments, including the 15-and-under bracket in the Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur.
She opted to move up to the championship bracket this year and it wasn’t easy. She had to rally from a 4-down deficit through 12 holes of a quarterfinal match with Elise Fennell of Caledonia Thursday, and then turn back 2019 champion Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids 4 and 3 in the morning semifinal Friday.
Tournament age records are incomplete, but Timpf is believed to be the youngest winner in championship history.
“I set mini-goals along the way and my first goal was to make it to match play, then maybe win one match and keep progressing,” she said. “The key match was the (quarterfinal). I didn’t like being behind like that, and it was tough to get anything going. But I grinded it out and I made it happen.”
Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor made it happen to win this year’s 15-and-under division championship. She topped Alena Li of Okemos 3 and 2 in the title match. She was runner-up in the division a year ago to Timpf.
“I came in second last year so having the title was my mission,” she said after posting her second consecutive 15-and-under win of the summer. “It was a huge goal coming in – get back to the finals and win it this time.”
The overall bracket’s championship match of Timpf versus Brody was set up after Timpf’s win over Henkel and when Brody turned back Olivia Stoll of Haslett, 4 and 2, in the other semifinal.
“In my first match (with Stoll) I hit some really good iron shots and I was hitting it a little straighter off the tee,” said Brody who knocked out stroke play medalist and top seed Sophie Stevens of Highland 3 and 2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“I was giving myself more birdie chances. This afternoon I was hitting it okay off the tee, but I wasn’t hitting it close with my iron shots and I wasn’t making putts either. I’m not super happy with the way I played, but Lauren played really well. In match play it comes down to who plays better on those 18 holes and who makes more putts.”
Timpf won holes 6 and 7 in the finale to take a 2-up lead. She had the same lead four more times in the match, and three times Brody rallied and cut the deficit to 1-up. A birdie by Timpf on the par 5 No. 16 hole to go 2-up and then a par on 17 sealed the win.
“That was the key hole in the match,” Timpf said of 16. “It was a tight tough match and Kate is a tough player. That was a good birdie and it put me 2-up with two holes to go”
In the 15-and-under title match, Melendez, stroke play medalist earlier in the week and the top seed, took an early 2-up lead winning holes 2 and 3, led 3-up through 10 holes and closed the match out at 16 winning the hole with a par.
Melendez said her key shot of the tournament came in the 2 and 1 morning semifinal win over Avery Manning of Dexter. She hit a 4-hybrid shot from 175 yards to three feet at No. 15 and made the putt to take a 1-up lead.
“That was one of my best shots ever,” she said
Bernie Friedrich of Boyne talks about Golf's big comeback and Boyne's role as a Michigan destination resort
PJ Maybank and Kary Hollenbaugh win 2021 win Coca-Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highlands- Interviews below-Boys Highlights are below
Girls Day 3 Leaderboard
B
Boys- Final AJGA Day 3
Grace Yang of Rochester Hill and Kate Brody of Grand Blanc on their AJGA Coca-Cola Tournament
|
|
|
For complete results...
https://www.ajga.org/tournaments/2021/coca-cola-junior-championship-at-boyne-highlands/orourke-increases-lead-heading-into-final-round
https://www.ajga.org/tournaments/2021/coca-cola-junior-championship-at-boyne-highlands/orourke-increases-lead-heading-into-final-round
TWO YEARS LATER: Grosse Pointe’s Patrick Sullivan Wins 110th Michigan Amateur Championship
FINAL MATCH: Grosse Pointe’s Patrick Sullivan Meets Otsego’s Tyler Rayman Monday
GRAND RAPIDS – Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe, a University of Michigan golfer who was runner-up in the 2019 Michigan Amateur, will meet Tyler Rayman, an Eastern Michigan University golfer from Otsego in the final match of the 110th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland at Cascade Hills Country Club.
They earned their spots in the Monday 9 a.m. final during a marathon day of golf Sunday at the rain-hampered event that was originally scheduled to end Saturday.
Sullivan and James Piot, the Michigan State University standout from Canton, finished the last 16 holes of a quarterfinal match that started Saturday on Sunday morning with Sullivan winning 2-up. He followed that up with a 3 and 1 semifinal win over Colin Sikkenga, an Oakland University golfer from Kalamazoo.
In addition to being a Michigan vs. Michigan State battle, the match versus Piot was also a battle of runners-up. Piot was second a year ago to Ann Arbor’s Tyler Copp, and Sullivan lost in the finals to Ben Smith of Novi in 2019.
“Getting to the finals is so hard and you just don’t know who you’re going to run into,” Sullivan said. “James and I have been playing against each other since we were about 13 and he usually beats me. I’m happy to be here and getting another chance in the finals. I learned two years ago that I’m not done yet. I just tried to stay in the moment, had to play good players to get here and now I can have my eyes on the prize.”
Rayman reached the finals with three wins on Sunday. He finished a round of 16 match with Dan Ellis of East Lansing, the Michigan State assistant golf coach, winning 2 and 1. He then took on Jimmy Dales of Northville and the University of Wyoming and won 3 and 2 before meeting Grant Haefner of Bloomfield Hills and the University of Jacksonville (Fla.) in a semifinal and winning 2-up.
Rayman is appearing in his first final, and for the first time moved past the Sweet 16.He capped off a day of 38 competitive holes with a final birdie at 18 to close out Haefner.
Leading 1-up on the tee, the tall lefthander hit his tee shot left into a stand of trees right of the fairway while Haefner missed the fairway wide right. Haefner pulled his approach shot into a greenside bunker, and then Rayman rifled a pitching wedge 155 yards to three feet. Haefner almost holed his bunker shot, and then conceded the birdie putt.
“I had 155 in, and there’s a strong right to left wind and as a lefty I just threw the biggest cut pitching wedge I could in there and it worked out,” he said. “It was probably one of the best shots I’ve hit all week so far.”
Rayman said he came to the Amateur this week wanting to get through the Sweet 16 and win.
“This is what we came here for,” Rayman said. “I think I always knew I could do this, and now that I’m here it’s a relief and at the same time I’m excited to go and play tomorrow. I proved to myself that I’m good enough to compete with these guys, but I didn’t have the success some of them have had. I just needed something to hammer it in that I was good enough, and this week is showing that.”
Sullivan, who finished his semifinal some three hours earlier, said he expected a tough final.
“Everybody who gets this far is playing well, and this week they’ve managed to get through all the delays and the rain,” he said. “I will get some rest and be ready to go.”
Rayman called Sullivan another accomplished player like Haefner that he is looking forward to playing.
“He’s got a lot of big wins for himself and I have never gone head-to-head directly with him,” he said. “So this will be a fun match, a tough match I’m sure.”
They earned their spots in the Monday 9 a.m. final during a marathon day of golf Sunday at the rain-hampered event that was originally scheduled to end Saturday.
Sullivan and James Piot, the Michigan State University standout from Canton, finished the last 16 holes of a quarterfinal match that started Saturday on Sunday morning with Sullivan winning 2-up. He followed that up with a 3 and 1 semifinal win over Colin Sikkenga, an Oakland University golfer from Kalamazoo.
In addition to being a Michigan vs. Michigan State battle, the match versus Piot was also a battle of runners-up. Piot was second a year ago to Ann Arbor’s Tyler Copp, and Sullivan lost in the finals to Ben Smith of Novi in 2019.
“Getting to the finals is so hard and you just don’t know who you’re going to run into,” Sullivan said. “James and I have been playing against each other since we were about 13 and he usually beats me. I’m happy to be here and getting another chance in the finals. I learned two years ago that I’m not done yet. I just tried to stay in the moment, had to play good players to get here and now I can have my eyes on the prize.”
Rayman reached the finals with three wins on Sunday. He finished a round of 16 match with Dan Ellis of East Lansing, the Michigan State assistant golf coach, winning 2 and 1. He then took on Jimmy Dales of Northville and the University of Wyoming and won 3 and 2 before meeting Grant Haefner of Bloomfield Hills and the University of Jacksonville (Fla.) in a semifinal and winning 2-up.
Rayman is appearing in his first final, and for the first time moved past the Sweet 16.He capped off a day of 38 competitive holes with a final birdie at 18 to close out Haefner.
Leading 1-up on the tee, the tall lefthander hit his tee shot left into a stand of trees right of the fairway while Haefner missed the fairway wide right. Haefner pulled his approach shot into a greenside bunker, and then Rayman rifled a pitching wedge 155 yards to three feet. Haefner almost holed his bunker shot, and then conceded the birdie putt.
“I had 155 in, and there’s a strong right to left wind and as a lefty I just threw the biggest cut pitching wedge I could in there and it worked out,” he said. “It was probably one of the best shots I’ve hit all week so far.”
Rayman said he came to the Amateur this week wanting to get through the Sweet 16 and win.
“This is what we came here for,” Rayman said. “I think I always knew I could do this, and now that I’m here it’s a relief and at the same time I’m excited to go and play tomorrow. I proved to myself that I’m good enough to compete with these guys, but I didn’t have the success some of them have had. I just needed something to hammer it in that I was good enough, and this week is showing that.”
Sullivan, who finished his semifinal some three hours earlier, said he expected a tough final.
“Everybody who gets this far is playing well, and this week they’ve managed to get through all the delays and the rain,” he said. “I will get some rest and be ready to go.”
Rayman called Sullivan another accomplished player like Haefner that he is looking forward to playing.
“He’s got a lot of big wins for himself and I have never gone head-to-head directly with him,” he said. “So this will be a fun match, a tough match I’m sure.”
NELLY KORDA CAPTURES FULFILLING, ENJOYABLE VICTORY IN GRAND RAPIDS
It was a battle to remember in the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, as Nelly Korda prevailed against Leona Maguire to capture the fifth title of her LPGA Tour career and her second of the 2021 season.
Korda fired a 5-under par 67 on Sunday at Blythefield Country Club for a 72-hole score of 25-under 263, matching the tournament scoring record and setting a new tournament record score to par.
“Actually really enjoyed today. Honestly, there have been times where, on Sundays, I really like haven’t enjoyed it, the stress kind of ate at me and I didn’t stay in the moment or enjoy playing on a Sunday in a final group,” said Korda, who is the first player with multiple wins on the LPGA this season. “I enjoyed it today, and it was actually a really good battle between Leona and I. She definitely kept me on my toes.”
Maguire erased a three-stroke deficit with a third consecutive birdie on No. 4 and coupled with a bogey from Korda, it was a two-way tie atop the leaderboard at -20. Korda bounced back and regained the advantage with birdie at No. 6, but Maguire drew even with her thanks to a birdie on No. 8.
The duo made the turn each at 21-under before back-to-back birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 by Korda opened a two-shot cushion for the Rolex Rankings No. 4. A bogey by Korda on No. 12 brought Maguire within one and then an eagle-birdie run at Nos. 14 and 15 widened the gap to three strokes, the same lead she started the day with.
On No. 16, Maguire managed a birdie and modest fist pump to show signs of life, and moments later a bogey from Korda cut it to one. Korda worked her way to birdie on No. 18, despite a challenging lie with her chip including a foot in the greenside bunker, to close the door and leave West Michigan the victor.
“If you told me at the U.S. Women’s Open [after I missed the cut] that I was going to shoot 25-under, I would be like, ‘Yeah, right,’” Korda said. “I did a good bit of work back home [in Florida last week]. My dad was at every practice, a little boot camp with my dad. He’s actually in Prague right now doing a little boot camp with my brother [Sebastian] before Wimbledon. So, he’s flying back and forth.
“I worked on the right stuff and didn’t really put too much pressure on myself this week, which I did at the U.S. Women’s Open. I guess that was the key. Maybe I should learn from that again.”
With the win, Korda moves to No. 1 in the Race to the CME Globe standings ahead of the third major in the 2021 LPGA Tour campaign, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“Competition is getting fiercer every year. You see Patty [Tavatanakit] won her first tournament, so the rookies out here are playing well. Leona is playing well,” said Korda. “I just think the girls are starting to dominate. You go into a week back in the day and think that 5-10 people could win. Now you look and anyone can take home the victory.”
For Maguire, she secures her second runner-up finish of the year, joining her performance at the LOTTE Championship in April.
“Nelly is one of the best players in the world and I went toe to toe with her pretty much all day,” said Maguire, who finished at -23. “I knew it was going to be a battle. I knew I had a lot of golf in front of me. I’m really proud of how I played all week. Hit some great golf shots when I needed to. Got off to a really nice start, which I have been doing, but then backed it up with three more solid rounds after that.”
In Gee Chun and Brittany Altomare ended in a tie for third at 21-under following rounds of 63 and 64, respectively. Rounding out the top-five was two-time major champion Anna Nordqvist (66).
MEIJER TO DONATE 25K TO KIDS FOOD BASKET ON BEHALF OF NELLY KORDA
A new tradition to the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give started today. After the challenges of 2020, Meijer Simply Give recognized the opportunity for, and importance of, community banding together to fight food insecurity. The program spans across the Midwest and impacts countless families in need.
Meijer will be donating $25,000 on behalf of this year’s champion to a hunger relief organization of her choice. With the win, Nelly Korda decided to give back to the community that continues to support the LPGA Tour and her own dreams, by selecting Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapids for the donation.
“I just felt like I wanted it to stay in Grand rapids,” said Korda, now a five-time LPGA Tour champion. “I also love kids. I have always wanted to do something for underprivileged kids, and that’s the first thing that popped into my head. Feels like a good decision and it means so much to give back.”
The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give raises awareness for Meijer Simply Give, which supports local food pantries and brings the community together through local events and the game of golf. Proceeds from the tournament and the week’s festivities will once again benefit the Meijer Simply Give program that stocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. The 2019 tournament alone raised $1.1 million for local food pantries through Simply Give and despite its cancellation in 2020, Meijer donated an additional $1.1 million.
This year, $1.1 million was raised again. In total, the tournament has generated more than $7.4 million for the Meijer Simply Give program since the event started in 2014.
RUNNER-UP LEONA MAGUIRE WILL FOREVER REMEMBER 2021 MEIJER CLASSIC
From the first tee shot on Thursday until the final putt on Sunday, Ireland’s Leona Maguire put up a good fight in the Meier Classic for Simply Give, playing more like an LPGA Tour veteran than a second-year rookie. The No. 88-raked player in the Rolex Ranking never let winner Nelly Korda out of her sights as Maguire put up six birdies and no bogeys on Sunday to finish the week 23-under par. That would have been a new tournament record had Korda not finished two shots better.
“Nelly is a great player and one of the best players in the world for a reason. It was great to be able to test my game against her,” said Maguire. “I'm really starting to feel like I belong out here. Even though it's still my rookie year, I'm feeling more and more comfortable every week.
“My first time in the last group going into the final round, and really proud of how I managed that. You just never know how you're going to react until you're in that situation. Really proud of how I handled it,” said Maguire.
With a two-hour flight to Atlanta, Ga., the site of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship major, the 26-year-old will have a lot of time this evening to soak in the past week.
“This week is going to be huge heading into a major. I knew I was playing some great golf. It's a huge confidence boost for the rest of the season,” said Maguire. “All in all, my game is in really good shape and I feel like this was really good preparation heading into a major week.”
Korda fired a 5-under par 67 on Sunday at Blythefield Country Club for a 72-hole score of 25-under 263, matching the tournament scoring record and setting a new tournament record score to par.
“Actually really enjoyed today. Honestly, there have been times where, on Sundays, I really like haven’t enjoyed it, the stress kind of ate at me and I didn’t stay in the moment or enjoy playing on a Sunday in a final group,” said Korda, who is the first player with multiple wins on the LPGA this season. “I enjoyed it today, and it was actually a really good battle between Leona and I. She definitely kept me on my toes.”
Maguire erased a three-stroke deficit with a third consecutive birdie on No. 4 and coupled with a bogey from Korda, it was a two-way tie atop the leaderboard at -20. Korda bounced back and regained the advantage with birdie at No. 6, but Maguire drew even with her thanks to a birdie on No. 8.
The duo made the turn each at 21-under before back-to-back birdies at Nos. 10 and 11 by Korda opened a two-shot cushion for the Rolex Rankings No. 4. A bogey by Korda on No. 12 brought Maguire within one and then an eagle-birdie run at Nos. 14 and 15 widened the gap to three strokes, the same lead she started the day with.
On No. 16, Maguire managed a birdie and modest fist pump to show signs of life, and moments later a bogey from Korda cut it to one. Korda worked her way to birdie on No. 18, despite a challenging lie with her chip including a foot in the greenside bunker, to close the door and leave West Michigan the victor.
“If you told me at the U.S. Women’s Open [after I missed the cut] that I was going to shoot 25-under, I would be like, ‘Yeah, right,’” Korda said. “I did a good bit of work back home [in Florida last week]. My dad was at every practice, a little boot camp with my dad. He’s actually in Prague right now doing a little boot camp with my brother [Sebastian] before Wimbledon. So, he’s flying back and forth.
“I worked on the right stuff and didn’t really put too much pressure on myself this week, which I did at the U.S. Women’s Open. I guess that was the key. Maybe I should learn from that again.”
With the win, Korda moves to No. 1 in the Race to the CME Globe standings ahead of the third major in the 2021 LPGA Tour campaign, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“Competition is getting fiercer every year. You see Patty [Tavatanakit] won her first tournament, so the rookies out here are playing well. Leona is playing well,” said Korda. “I just think the girls are starting to dominate. You go into a week back in the day and think that 5-10 people could win. Now you look and anyone can take home the victory.”
For Maguire, she secures her second runner-up finish of the year, joining her performance at the LOTTE Championship in April.
“Nelly is one of the best players in the world and I went toe to toe with her pretty much all day,” said Maguire, who finished at -23. “I knew it was going to be a battle. I knew I had a lot of golf in front of me. I’m really proud of how I played all week. Hit some great golf shots when I needed to. Got off to a really nice start, which I have been doing, but then backed it up with three more solid rounds after that.”
In Gee Chun and Brittany Altomare ended in a tie for third at 21-under following rounds of 63 and 64, respectively. Rounding out the top-five was two-time major champion Anna Nordqvist (66).
MEIJER TO DONATE 25K TO KIDS FOOD BASKET ON BEHALF OF NELLY KORDA
A new tradition to the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give started today. After the challenges of 2020, Meijer Simply Give recognized the opportunity for, and importance of, community banding together to fight food insecurity. The program spans across the Midwest and impacts countless families in need.
Meijer will be donating $25,000 on behalf of this year’s champion to a hunger relief organization of her choice. With the win, Nelly Korda decided to give back to the community that continues to support the LPGA Tour and her own dreams, by selecting Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapids for the donation.
“I just felt like I wanted it to stay in Grand rapids,” said Korda, now a five-time LPGA Tour champion. “I also love kids. I have always wanted to do something for underprivileged kids, and that’s the first thing that popped into my head. Feels like a good decision and it means so much to give back.”
The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give raises awareness for Meijer Simply Give, which supports local food pantries and brings the community together through local events and the game of golf. Proceeds from the tournament and the week’s festivities will once again benefit the Meijer Simply Give program that stocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. The 2019 tournament alone raised $1.1 million for local food pantries through Simply Give and despite its cancellation in 2020, Meijer donated an additional $1.1 million.
This year, $1.1 million was raised again. In total, the tournament has generated more than $7.4 million for the Meijer Simply Give program since the event started in 2014.
RUNNER-UP LEONA MAGUIRE WILL FOREVER REMEMBER 2021 MEIJER CLASSIC
From the first tee shot on Thursday until the final putt on Sunday, Ireland’s Leona Maguire put up a good fight in the Meier Classic for Simply Give, playing more like an LPGA Tour veteran than a second-year rookie. The No. 88-raked player in the Rolex Ranking never let winner Nelly Korda out of her sights as Maguire put up six birdies and no bogeys on Sunday to finish the week 23-under par. That would have been a new tournament record had Korda not finished two shots better.
“Nelly is a great player and one of the best players in the world for a reason. It was great to be able to test my game against her,” said Maguire. “I'm really starting to feel like I belong out here. Even though it's still my rookie year, I'm feeling more and more comfortable every week.
“My first time in the last group going into the final round, and really proud of how I managed that. You just never know how you're going to react until you're in that situation. Really proud of how I handled it,” said Maguire.
With a two-hour flight to Atlanta, Ga., the site of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship major, the 26-year-old will have a lot of time this evening to soak in the past week.
“This week is going to be huge heading into a major. I knew I was playing some great golf. It's a huge confidence boost for the rest of the season,” said Maguire. “All in all, my game is in really good shape and I feel like this was really good preparation heading into a major week.”
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Will Preston of Grand Rapids Tops 15-and-under Junior Boy’s Honor Roll
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank Tops Junior Boys Honor Roll
|
|
FARMINGTON HILLS – By Greg Johnson-Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank III entered three Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) junior tournaments over the summer and won each of them, highlighted by taking the title in the Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship at TPC Michigan.
“The thing I remember best from the summer was the last day of the Junior Am,” he said. “In the morning semifinal match it came down to (the 18th hole) tied and I pulled it out. My mom and my sister had come down from Cheboygan that morning and I wasn’t sure I was going to get to the final. Then I did, and then went on to win that final match with my whole family there. It was definitely special.”
Maybank, a GAM member through Hidden River Golf & Casting Club in Brutus, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Boys Player of the Year, Kyle Wolfe, director of handicap, course rating and junior golf, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
Last month James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Julie Massa of Holt was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year and Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake was named the Super Senior Player of the Year. In the next two weeks the GAM will announce three more Junior Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Maybank, 15 and a sophomore who attends school on-line and spends the winter with family in Orlando, Fla., also won the GAM Junior Kickoff Championship to start the golf season and the GAM Junior Invitational to end the GAM golf season.
“It was a great summer,” he said. “It’s always a goal to win and winning all three junior GAM tournaments I entered was exciting. It showed me my hard work was paying off and just to do that in the state of Michigan with all the good players feels like a great accomplishment.”
Maybank, who also took second in an American Junior Golf Association tournament at Boyne Highlands over the summer, collected 1,404 Player of the Year points to dominate the 18-and-under age-group players.
Colin O’Rourke of Troy and Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills was second with 506 points. Rounding out the top five were Brockton English of Shelby Township and Fieldstone Golf Club with 555 points, Jack Zubkus of Ada and Egypt Valley Country Club with 457 points, and Evan McDermott of Spring Lake and Spring Lake CC with 435 points.
“My top performance of the summer was definitely the Junior Am,” Maybank said. “I played something like 120 holes in four days and I was consistent in all of those matches and in stroke play, hit some clutch shots, and made big putts on a very challenging course. I had tough matches and I came through.”
Maybank said one of his bigger disappointments of the summer was missing the cut to get into match play in the Michigan Amateur Championship at Boyne Highlands.
“I played pretty good the first day in stroke play and then the weather was bad and I struggled the second day and lost in a playoff to get into match play,” he said. “I really wanted to get into match play and see what I could do.”
He said playing well in the Michigan Amateur will be one of his goals for 2021.
“I have things to work on,” he said. “My short game can always get better, I can be more consistent with my shots to the green and get better birdie chances.”
While in Orlando over the winter Maybank works with his long-time teacher Brian O’Neill, the director of instruction and owner or Orlando Golf Academy and a former golf professional at Boyne Highlands.
“I think the great season I had this year came from the work I did with Brian in Florida last winter, so this winter I plan to do the same,” Maybank said.
Wolfe said Maybank had a rare season for a junior golfer.
“It is rare for a junior golfer to win that many tournaments over the course of four or five months,” he said. “To be on top of his game for that long of a stretch as a 15-year-old is impressive.”
The future is bright for Maybank, Wolfe said.
“He puts the effort in on the weaker areas of his game and he is already a player who can shoot low scores when he needs to do it, and his bad days are not all that bad,” he said. “I believe he will have his choice of college offers ahead and a real shot at playing professional golf for a living if he continues on his current path.”
“The thing I remember best from the summer was the last day of the Junior Am,” he said. “In the morning semifinal match it came down to (the 18th hole) tied and I pulled it out. My mom and my sister had come down from Cheboygan that morning and I wasn’t sure I was going to get to the final. Then I did, and then went on to win that final match with my whole family there. It was definitely special.”
Maybank, a GAM member through Hidden River Golf & Casting Club in Brutus, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Boys Player of the Year, Kyle Wolfe, director of handicap, course rating and junior golf, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
Last month James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Julie Massa of Holt was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year and Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake was named the Super Senior Player of the Year. In the next two weeks the GAM will announce three more Junior Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Maybank, 15 and a sophomore who attends school on-line and spends the winter with family in Orlando, Fla., also won the GAM Junior Kickoff Championship to start the golf season and the GAM Junior Invitational to end the GAM golf season.
“It was a great summer,” he said. “It’s always a goal to win and winning all three junior GAM tournaments I entered was exciting. It showed me my hard work was paying off and just to do that in the state of Michigan with all the good players feels like a great accomplishment.”
Maybank, who also took second in an American Junior Golf Association tournament at Boyne Highlands over the summer, collected 1,404 Player of the Year points to dominate the 18-and-under age-group players.
Colin O’Rourke of Troy and Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills was second with 506 points. Rounding out the top five were Brockton English of Shelby Township and Fieldstone Golf Club with 555 points, Jack Zubkus of Ada and Egypt Valley Country Club with 457 points, and Evan McDermott of Spring Lake and Spring Lake CC with 435 points.
“My top performance of the summer was definitely the Junior Am,” Maybank said. “I played something like 120 holes in four days and I was consistent in all of those matches and in stroke play, hit some clutch shots, and made big putts on a very challenging course. I had tough matches and I came through.”
Maybank said one of his bigger disappointments of the summer was missing the cut to get into match play in the Michigan Amateur Championship at Boyne Highlands.
“I played pretty good the first day in stroke play and then the weather was bad and I struggled the second day and lost in a playoff to get into match play,” he said. “I really wanted to get into match play and see what I could do.”
He said playing well in the Michigan Amateur will be one of his goals for 2021.
“I have things to work on,” he said. “My short game can always get better, I can be more consistent with my shots to the green and get better birdie chances.”
While in Orlando over the winter Maybank works with his long-time teacher Brian O’Neill, the director of instruction and owner or Orlando Golf Academy and a former golf professional at Boyne Highlands.
“I think the great season I had this year came from the work I did with Brian in Florida last winter, so this winter I plan to do the same,” Maybank said.
Wolfe said Maybank had a rare season for a junior golfer.
“It is rare for a junior golfer to win that many tournaments over the course of four or five months,” he said. “To be on top of his game for that long of a stretch as a 15-year-old is impressive.”
The future is bright for Maybank, Wolfe said.
“He puts the effort in on the weaker areas of his game and he is already a player who can shoot low scores when he needs to do it, and his bad days are not all that bad,” he said. “I believe he will have his choice of college offers ahead and a real shot at playing professional golf for a living if he continues on his current path.”
https://theallychallenge.com/tickets/ticket-information/LIMITED INTRODUCTORY PRICING
Don’t miss the first opportunity to purchase tickets to The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, August 27-29, 2021. Ticket options are available with access to the Community Concert presented by Ally featuring Little Big Town on Saturday, August 28. Introductory pricing will only be available through December 15, 2020.
Here is the link
https://theallychallenge.com/tickets/ticket-information/
Don’t miss the first opportunity to purchase tickets to The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, August 27-29, 2021. Ticket options are available with access to the Community Concert presented by Ally featuring Little Big Town on Saturday, August 28. Introductory pricing will only be available through December 15, 2020.
Here is the link
https://theallychallenge.com/tickets/ticket-information/
Marathon LPGA Classic Donates Record $600,000 to 25 Northwest Ohio Children's Charities
Toledo, OH – 2020 has challenged businesses, communities and families in ways that were never thought possible. Despite the many challenges caused by Covid-19, this year’s Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana was successfully held thanks to the generous support of sponsors, volunteers and the LPGA. In addition to an exciting final round battle between winner Danielle Kang and past Marathon LPGA Classic champion Lydia Ko, this year’s tournament raised a record $600,000 for 25 northwest Ohio children’s charities.
“It’s with great excitement that we can announce that the Marathon LPGA Classic Presented by Dana raised a record-setting $600,000 to aid 25 incredible children’s charities in our region,” said John Rice, Manager of Advertising & Brand Management at Marathon Petroleum. “Considering all the challenges presented by COVID-19 this year, this is an accomplishment we’re extra proud of. We thank the sponsors, the volunteers, and all the loyal supporters of the Marathon LPGA Classic. Without them, this would not be possible. We’re already looking forward to 2021.”
The breakdown of charities that received contributions is as follows:
Adopt America Network - $35,000
Aurora Project, Inc - $21,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Central Ohio - $15,050
CASA/GAL of Hancock County - $27,100
Catholic Club - $10,000
Children’s Museum of Findlay - $30,000
College Mentors For Kids - $7,000
Connecting Kids To Meals - $35,000
Courageous Community Services - $10,000
Franciscan Earth Literacy Center - $37,500
Geary Family YMCA - $19,850
Girls on the Run of Northwest Ohio - $16,800
Hancock County Special Olympics - $15,000
Hancock Literacy - $38,878
Heartbeat of Toledo - $28,000
Jamie Farr Scholarship Fund - $33,400
Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio - $20,000
Let’s Build Beds - $40,000
Muscular Dystrophy Association - $5,000
ProMedica Foundation (First Tee/Boys & Girls Club) - $25,000
Ronald McDonald House Charities - $50,000
Sara’s Garden - $35,000
Sylvania Community Action Team - $8,800
YMCA of Bucyrus-Tiffin - $16,622
YMCA of Greater Toledo – Camp Catch – A - Rainbow - $20,000
Total - $600,000
“To be able to reach our pre-covid goal of $600,000 for charity in a year where we weren’t allowed to have spectators is a tribute to the generosity of our sponsors,” stated Tournament Director Judd Silverman. “We can’t thank the sponsors and the LPGA enough for their unwavering support under difficult circumstances. They went above and beyond to make sure the tournament was held and that we were able to reach our goal to help 25 northwest Ohio children’s charities in a time of tremendous need.”
With this year’s $600,000 contribution the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana has now raised over $12 million for 190 northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities since its inception in 1984.
“It’s with great excitement that we can announce that the Marathon LPGA Classic Presented by Dana raised a record-setting $600,000 to aid 25 incredible children’s charities in our region,” said John Rice, Manager of Advertising & Brand Management at Marathon Petroleum. “Considering all the challenges presented by COVID-19 this year, this is an accomplishment we’re extra proud of. We thank the sponsors, the volunteers, and all the loyal supporters of the Marathon LPGA Classic. Without them, this would not be possible. We’re already looking forward to 2021.”
The breakdown of charities that received contributions is as follows:
Adopt America Network - $35,000
Aurora Project, Inc - $21,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Central Ohio - $15,050
CASA/GAL of Hancock County - $27,100
Catholic Club - $10,000
Children’s Museum of Findlay - $30,000
College Mentors For Kids - $7,000
Connecting Kids To Meals - $35,000
Courageous Community Services - $10,000
Franciscan Earth Literacy Center - $37,500
Geary Family YMCA - $19,850
Girls on the Run of Northwest Ohio - $16,800
Hancock County Special Olympics - $15,000
Hancock Literacy - $38,878
Heartbeat of Toledo - $28,000
Jamie Farr Scholarship Fund - $33,400
Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio - $20,000
Let’s Build Beds - $40,000
Muscular Dystrophy Association - $5,000
ProMedica Foundation (First Tee/Boys & Girls Club) - $25,000
Ronald McDonald House Charities - $50,000
Sara’s Garden - $35,000
Sylvania Community Action Team - $8,800
YMCA of Bucyrus-Tiffin - $16,622
YMCA of Greater Toledo – Camp Catch – A - Rainbow - $20,000
Total - $600,000
“To be able to reach our pre-covid goal of $600,000 for charity in a year where we weren’t allowed to have spectators is a tribute to the generosity of our sponsors,” stated Tournament Director Judd Silverman. “We can’t thank the sponsors and the LPGA enough for their unwavering support under difficult circumstances. They went above and beyond to make sure the tournament was held and that we were able to reach our goal to help 25 northwest Ohio children’s charities in a time of tremendous need.”
With this year’s $600,000 contribution the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana has now raised over $12 million for 190 northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities since its inception in 1984.
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Orchard Lake’s Rick Herpich Tops Super Senior Honor Roll
By Greg Johnson-FARMINGTON HILLS – Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake, who will be 68 in December, feels he played the best golf of his life in 2020.
“I don’t remember a time in my life when I was shooting these kind of scores consistently in competition for such a long period,” he said. “I played really well all summer.”
Herpich, an Orchard Lake Country Club member, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Super Senior Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, director of competitions and USGA services, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
Previously James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year and Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year. Last week Steve Maddalena of Jackson was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year and Julie Massa of Holt was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year. In December the GAM will announce Junior Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Herpich collected trophies in 2020 with a highlight win in the GAM Super Senior Championship (age 65-plus) where he shot 66 bettering his age of 67 by a shot for the first time, a win in the Super Senior Division of the GAM Senior Championship and a win in the GAM Senior Tournament of Champions. He also tied for fourth in the Society of Seniors National Super Senior Championship in September in Pinehurst, N.C., and tied for fourth in the recent Society of Seniors – Founder’s Cup Championship in Santa Cruz, Calif.
“I had an awesome year,” he said. “It was a great year for me and to combine it with being named the Super Senior Player of the Year is pretty special. Doing something like that and having this kind of year is what I’ve worked for since I retired. I love competing and I love playing and it is an awesome feeling right now.”
Herpich finished with 375 Player of the Year points topping last year’s Super Senior Player of the Year Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills. Harris, a TPC Michigan member, had 185 points.
Ron Perrine of Holt and Country Club of Lansing (137 points), John Armstrong of Grosse Ile and West Shore Golf & Country Club (107 points) and Pete Walz of Jackson and Arbor Hills Golf Club (90 points) rounded out the top five.
Herpich, a retired Vallassis Communications executive, said golf became his central activity once he retired at age 59. He plays through the year by wintering with his wife Debbie in LaQuinta, Calif.
“I couldn't ever play a lot of golf when I was working,” he said. “I was in charge of sales and marketing and did a lot of traveling. Once I retired I wanted to see if I could play competitive amateur golf because I was always a three- or four-handicapper and I wanted to see that if I played more could I compete at an amateur level in the senior division.”
Herpich said he has seen a big difference in his game in the last two years because he has worked with trainer Tom Kruszewski of Orchard Lake Country Club.
“He’s really helped me at getting my body better,” he said. “I have better mobility and speed with my swing. My swing speeds have stayed up there, too, the last three years or so.”
Hartmann called Herpich the epitome of a good guy and golfer.
“People come to the scoring table after playing with him and they have nothing but great things to say,” he said. “He is great to be around and seems to get better every year. He seems to hit it even straighter and he has become very consistent. I think once he retired he became more serious about playing well, and yet he is just a humble guy who just wants to enjoy the competition and tries his best to play well.”
“I don’t remember a time in my life when I was shooting these kind of scores consistently in competition for such a long period,” he said. “I played really well all summer.”
Herpich, an Orchard Lake Country Club member, has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Super Senior Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, director of competitions and USGA services, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
Previously James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year and Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year. Last week Steve Maddalena of Jackson was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year and Julie Massa of Holt was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year. In December the GAM will announce Junior Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Herpich collected trophies in 2020 with a highlight win in the GAM Super Senior Championship (age 65-plus) where he shot 66 bettering his age of 67 by a shot for the first time, a win in the Super Senior Division of the GAM Senior Championship and a win in the GAM Senior Tournament of Champions. He also tied for fourth in the Society of Seniors National Super Senior Championship in September in Pinehurst, N.C., and tied for fourth in the recent Society of Seniors – Founder’s Cup Championship in Santa Cruz, Calif.
“I had an awesome year,” he said. “It was a great year for me and to combine it with being named the Super Senior Player of the Year is pretty special. Doing something like that and having this kind of year is what I’ve worked for since I retired. I love competing and I love playing and it is an awesome feeling right now.”
Herpich finished with 375 Player of the Year points topping last year’s Super Senior Player of the Year Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills. Harris, a TPC Michigan member, had 185 points.
Ron Perrine of Holt and Country Club of Lansing (137 points), John Armstrong of Grosse Ile and West Shore Golf & Country Club (107 points) and Pete Walz of Jackson and Arbor Hills Golf Club (90 points) rounded out the top five.
Herpich, a retired Vallassis Communications executive, said golf became his central activity once he retired at age 59. He plays through the year by wintering with his wife Debbie in LaQuinta, Calif.
“I couldn't ever play a lot of golf when I was working,” he said. “I was in charge of sales and marketing and did a lot of traveling. Once I retired I wanted to see if I could play competitive amateur golf because I was always a three- or four-handicapper and I wanted to see that if I played more could I compete at an amateur level in the senior division.”
Herpich said he has seen a big difference in his game in the last two years because he has worked with trainer Tom Kruszewski of Orchard Lake Country Club.
“He’s really helped me at getting my body better,” he said. “I have better mobility and speed with my swing. My swing speeds have stayed up there, too, the last three years or so.”
Hartmann called Herpich the epitome of a good guy and golfer.
“People come to the scoring table after playing with him and they have nothing but great things to say,” he said. “He is great to be around and seems to get better every year. He seems to hit it even straighter and he has become very consistent. I think once he retired he became more serious about playing well, and yet he is just a humble guy who just wants to enjoy the competition and tries his best to play well.”
GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Canton’s James Piot Tops 2020 Men’s Honor Roll
FARMINGTON HILLS – James Piot of Canton had a great golf summer highlighted by being the runner-up in the Michigan Amateur Championship and earning the No. 2 seed at the U.S. Amateur Championship.
“But I didn’t finish,” the redshirt junior golfer for Michigan State University said. “Next summer I want to get my name on some trophies.”
Piot did finish atop the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Honor Roll and has been named the 2020 GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM, announced today.
Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Piot, who was second in Honor Roll points a year ago, keyed his season with the runner-up finish to Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor and Mercer University (Ga.) in the Michigan Amateur, and his showing in the U.S. Amateur at Oregon’s Bandon Dunes where he made a run at medalist honors and reached the round of 32 in match play.
He finished with 975 Honor Roll points ahead of Copp, who plays out of Barton Hills Country Club and had 605 points. It was Copp who beat Piot 2 and 1 in the championship match of the Michigan Amateur at Boyne Highlands Resort and Copp also finished second in the GAM Championship.
“But I didn’t finish,” the redshirt junior golfer for Michigan State University said. “Next summer I want to get my name on some trophies.”
Piot did finish atop the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Honor Roll and has been named the 2020 GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM, announced today.
Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
Piot, who was second in Honor Roll points a year ago, keyed his season with the runner-up finish to Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor and Mercer University (Ga.) in the Michigan Amateur, and his showing in the U.S. Amateur at Oregon’s Bandon Dunes where he made a run at medalist honors and reached the round of 32 in match play.
He finished with 975 Honor Roll points ahead of Copp, who plays out of Barton Hills Country Club and had 605 points. It was Copp who beat Piot 2 and 1 in the championship match of the Michigan Amateur at Boyne Highlands Resort and Copp also finished second in the GAM Championship.
My appearance on Hackers Golf
HIGH QUALITY: Northville’s Mike Anderson Wins GAM Mid-Amateur
HARBOR SPRINGS – Northville’s Mike Anderson hit what he called high-quality golf shots down the stretch in winning the 38th GAM Mid-Amateur Championship Thursday at Boyne Highlands Resort.
“I’ve played golf for a long time, and you know we all play some good golf and some bad golf and it has been a long time since I’ve won,” he said after shooting a final 71 on the Moor course for 140, a three-shot win and the celebrated Glenn H. Johnson Trophy.
“So coming down the stretch, knowing the situation that I was in, it felt good because I hit a lot of high-quality shots. These guys are my peers and I enjoy playing with them and we compete against each other a lot, so to beat them once in a while is nice.”
Bill O’Connor of Bloomfield Hills was second with a 72 for 143, and Ryan Johnson of New Boston was next at 144 with a closing 72.
Jimmy Chestnut, the GAM Champion earlier this summer, shot 74 for 145 for fourth place, and Jeff Champine of Rochester Hills, who shot 73, tied for fifth place at 146 with Larry Sterling of Shelby Township, who shot 74 to close. Defending champion Michael Coriasso shot 72 for 148 and tied for ninth.
Champions were also crowned in a Senior (age 55-and-over) and Super Senior (age 65-plus) divisions with Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid taking the Senior title, and Ron Perrine of Holt winning the Super Senior title.
Champine was declared the Mid-Senior (age 45-plus) winner because Anderson and O’Connor, who are also over age 45, were champion and runner-up in the overall Mid-Amateur competition. Kevin Vandenberg of Pulaski was the runner-up in the Mid-Senior in a scorecard playoff over David Levan of Ann Arbor. Vandenberg shot 76 for 147 and tied for seventh overall with Levan, who shot 73.
Anderson, the golf coach at Detroit Catholic Central High School, said being paired with first-round leader and his good friend David Vaclav both days was great for him.
“Dave and I are close friends,” he said. “We have been playing golf together since we were little kids, so to have him by my side all day was really special. It was comfortable and settling.”
Anderson said the win caps a good summer for him. He made match play at the Michigan Amateur, falling in the round of 16, and he jump-started his personal summer golf in the spring when the pandemic shut down the high school golf season.
“I have played solid and this week was great,” he said.
Anderson called Boyne Highlands a special place to play and win.
“It’s one of the best spots for golfers in the United States in the summertime,” he said. “The golf courses are in such unbelievable condition. Even today with a pretty heavy rain the course held up. It’s great for Michigan golf and they support Michigan golf and the GAM so well. It’s nice to get the opportunity to play here a few times each summer.”
In the Senior division, Gunthorpe shot a closing 70 for 142 and won by five shots. David Bartnick of Livonia was second with a 76 for 147, and Kevin Klemet of White Lake shot 77 for 149.
Gunthorpe said his performance over the two days was almost flawless.
“I was striking the ball well and hit a lot of greens yesterday, all 18,” he said. “I think I missed just one green today. It made it easier for me putting wise and I had shorter irons into the greens because I hit the ball fairly long for the tees they had set up. I had a lot of wedges and hit them well, so it was stress free today.”
Perrine shot a 78 for 152 to win the Super Senior title by one shot over John Armstrong of Grosse Ile, who closed with a 75 for 153. Mike Raymond of Jackson was third with a 78 for 154.
Perrine shot even-par on the front and finished his final six holes after a two-hour rain delay.
“We checked the leaderboard a couple of times coming down the stretch, so yeah, we know where we were,” Perrine said. “I hung in there and parred the last two holes and that was good enough. This is special and Boyne is a such a great place. It’s been quite a while since I won a tournament. With all that Boyne and the GAM does for us, it was a really good experience.”
“I’ve played golf for a long time, and you know we all play some good golf and some bad golf and it has been a long time since I’ve won,” he said after shooting a final 71 on the Moor course for 140, a three-shot win and the celebrated Glenn H. Johnson Trophy.
“So coming down the stretch, knowing the situation that I was in, it felt good because I hit a lot of high-quality shots. These guys are my peers and I enjoy playing with them and we compete against each other a lot, so to beat them once in a while is nice.”
Bill O’Connor of Bloomfield Hills was second with a 72 for 143, and Ryan Johnson of New Boston was next at 144 with a closing 72.
Jimmy Chestnut, the GAM Champion earlier this summer, shot 74 for 145 for fourth place, and Jeff Champine of Rochester Hills, who shot 73, tied for fifth place at 146 with Larry Sterling of Shelby Township, who shot 74 to close. Defending champion Michael Coriasso shot 72 for 148 and tied for ninth.
Champions were also crowned in a Senior (age 55-and-over) and Super Senior (age 65-plus) divisions with Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid taking the Senior title, and Ron Perrine of Holt winning the Super Senior title.
Champine was declared the Mid-Senior (age 45-plus) winner because Anderson and O’Connor, who are also over age 45, were champion and runner-up in the overall Mid-Amateur competition. Kevin Vandenberg of Pulaski was the runner-up in the Mid-Senior in a scorecard playoff over David Levan of Ann Arbor. Vandenberg shot 76 for 147 and tied for seventh overall with Levan, who shot 73.
Anderson, the golf coach at Detroit Catholic Central High School, said being paired with first-round leader and his good friend David Vaclav both days was great for him.
“Dave and I are close friends,” he said. “We have been playing golf together since we were little kids, so to have him by my side all day was really special. It was comfortable and settling.”
Anderson said the win caps a good summer for him. He made match play at the Michigan Amateur, falling in the round of 16, and he jump-started his personal summer golf in the spring when the pandemic shut down the high school golf season.
“I have played solid and this week was great,” he said.
Anderson called Boyne Highlands a special place to play and win.
“It’s one of the best spots for golfers in the United States in the summertime,” he said. “The golf courses are in such unbelievable condition. Even today with a pretty heavy rain the course held up. It’s great for Michigan golf and they support Michigan golf and the GAM so well. It’s nice to get the opportunity to play here a few times each summer.”
In the Senior division, Gunthorpe shot a closing 70 for 142 and won by five shots. David Bartnick of Livonia was second with a 76 for 147, and Kevin Klemet of White Lake shot 77 for 149.
Gunthorpe said his performance over the two days was almost flawless.
“I was striking the ball well and hit a lot of greens yesterday, all 18,” he said. “I think I missed just one green today. It made it easier for me putting wise and I had shorter irons into the greens because I hit the ball fairly long for the tees they had set up. I had a lot of wedges and hit them well, so it was stress free today.”
Perrine shot a 78 for 152 to win the Super Senior title by one shot over John Armstrong of Grosse Ile, who closed with a 75 for 153. Mike Raymond of Jackson was third with a 78 for 154.
Perrine shot even-par on the front and finished his final six holes after a two-hour rain delay.
“We checked the leaderboard a couple of times coming down the stretch, so yeah, we know where we were,” Perrine said. “I hung in there and parred the last two holes and that was good enough. This is special and Boyne is a such a great place. It’s been quite a while since I won a tournament. With all that Boyne and the GAM does for us, it was a really good experience.”
Michigan Golf Scene's latest show w. Jerry Kelly and Michigan Golf Show
BIGGEST WIN: Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank III Claims Michigan Junior State Amateur
DEARBORN – PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan has some impressive golf credentials – winning the celebrated Drive, Chip and Putt before the Masters Tournament at age 13, and previously winning Golf Association of Michigan junior tournaments and others on the traveling golf circuit.
He called winning the 42nd Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship presented by Garland Lodge & Golf Resort at TPC Michigan Thursday, the biggest win so far.
“To be the number one junior in Michigan, that means a lot to me,” said the smiling 15-year-old who topped Evan McDermott of Spring Lake 5 and 4 in the afternoon championship match.
“I played pretty solid this afternoon, made a good birdie putt on 8, got the lead and made a couple more on the back nine to win. This feels amazing. This was one of my big goals coming into the summer – to do well in this event and hopefully win it. I’m very happy I won.”
Robert Burns of Grand Blanc was the other big winner on the day. He won the 15-and-under Division Championship with a 6-and-5 triumph over Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti in the final match.
“It was a grind getting through the week, but if feels good to get in the finals and finish it,” said the 15-year-old Burns, who was a semifinalist a year ago.
The final match of the overall championship was the first one of the five Maybank played this week in which he wasn’t pushed to the final hole. He was the top seed as stroke play medalist.
“I played very solid all week but wasn’t consistent the whole time,” he said. “It was tough with a lot of tough matches. I was more consistent this afternoon. It was very windy, tough conditions, but I kept the ball in play and made some putts.”
McDermott, a 16-year-old junior to be at Spring Lake High School in the fall, said despite finishing second he was pleased with the week.
“It was my first time making it to match play after three tries so that definitely made it a really good week and getting to the final was icing on the cake,” he said. “I was happy with how I played even today. PJ just outplayed me. I’m happy. I always want to win, but runner-up is still good. Congrats to PJ. He’s a really good player.”
Maybank, who is an online student through Cheboygan Schools, earned his spot in the final match with a 1-up win over Caleb Bond of Williamston in the morning semifinals. McDermott topped Colin O’Rourke of Troy 4 and 2 to move on to the final.
In the 15-and-under, Burns topped McCoy Biagioli of White Lake 2 and 1 in the semifinals, and Alokam held off Greg Braun of Northville 1-up.
Burns saved par from the left of the green on the par 3 No. 12 hole in the title match and called his chip that lipped out the key shot.
“I stayed in the lead there and I was making putts,” he said. “I played pretty good given the circumstances.”
Alokam, 13 and headed to Ann Arbor Skyline in the fall, said he came to TPC Michigan with a goal of making the stroke play cut and getting into match play.
“I feel good that I got to the finals,” he said. “I played alright, but Robert played really well and deserved to win.”
He called winning the 42nd Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship presented by Garland Lodge & Golf Resort at TPC Michigan Thursday, the biggest win so far.
“To be the number one junior in Michigan, that means a lot to me,” said the smiling 15-year-old who topped Evan McDermott of Spring Lake 5 and 4 in the afternoon championship match.
“I played pretty solid this afternoon, made a good birdie putt on 8, got the lead and made a couple more on the back nine to win. This feels amazing. This was one of my big goals coming into the summer – to do well in this event and hopefully win it. I’m very happy I won.”
Robert Burns of Grand Blanc was the other big winner on the day. He won the 15-and-under Division Championship with a 6-and-5 triumph over Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti in the final match.
“It was a grind getting through the week, but if feels good to get in the finals and finish it,” said the 15-year-old Burns, who was a semifinalist a year ago.
The final match of the overall championship was the first one of the five Maybank played this week in which he wasn’t pushed to the final hole. He was the top seed as stroke play medalist.
“I played very solid all week but wasn’t consistent the whole time,” he said. “It was tough with a lot of tough matches. I was more consistent this afternoon. It was very windy, tough conditions, but I kept the ball in play and made some putts.”
McDermott, a 16-year-old junior to be at Spring Lake High School in the fall, said despite finishing second he was pleased with the week.
“It was my first time making it to match play after three tries so that definitely made it a really good week and getting to the final was icing on the cake,” he said. “I was happy with how I played even today. PJ just outplayed me. I’m happy. I always want to win, but runner-up is still good. Congrats to PJ. He’s a really good player.”
Maybank, who is an online student through Cheboygan Schools, earned his spot in the final match with a 1-up win over Caleb Bond of Williamston in the morning semifinals. McDermott topped Colin O’Rourke of Troy 4 and 2 to move on to the final.
In the 15-and-under, Burns topped McCoy Biagioli of White Lake 2 and 1 in the semifinals, and Alokam held off Greg Braun of Northville 1-up.
Burns saved par from the left of the green on the par 3 No. 12 hole in the title match and called his chip that lipped out the key shot.
“I stayed in the lead there and I was making putts,” he said. “I played pretty good given the circumstances.”
Alokam, 13 and headed to Ann Arbor Skyline in the fall, said he came to TPC Michigan with a goal of making the stroke play cut and getting into match play.
“I feel good that I got to the finals,” he said. “I played alright, but Robert played really well and deserved to win.”
Bernhard Langer interview- Covid and the Masters
PRE-TOURNAMENT INTERVIEW
July 29, 2020
BERNHARD LANGER
CHRIS RICHARDS: Bernhard, welcome back to the Ally Challenge and also welcome back
to the PGA Tour Champions. How's it feel to be back on Tour after all these months off?
BERNHARD LANGER: It's awesome. It's been the longest break I ever had in my 44 years
of professional golf. Yeah, very unprecedented times, but I think everybody's doing the best
they can, what we know about the virus and how to go about it. We're just excited to finally
get started. Thrilled that Ally and Warwick Hills made the decision to get going. And the
PGA Champions is in constant contact with the PGA TOUR, obviously, and the health
organizations and all that. I think they've come up with a very good plan. And let's hope
we're all doing our part of it and nobody's going to get sick while we're here.
CHRIS RICHARDS: You were playing really good golf, as normal, early in the season and
then our season had to take a break. How have you been able to make sure your game
stayed at that level without competing?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, it was difficult. The timing of this was not good for me
personally. I'm getting older, so I'm aging out basically. And I had a bit of momentum going.
I played really good golf the first five tournaments of the season and was looking forward to
building on that momentum and then it just got shut down.
Then I live in South Florida, Boca Raton, where everything was shut down for I think it was
about six weeks. I live on a golf course and I couldn't go practice or play, so that was really
weird, but that's what it was in our county. So I did a couple of trips to Naples, because
some courses were open in Naples. I just drove over there for a long weekend with friends.
It's probably the least I've practiced and played golf for summertime the last five0months.
Excited to get moving again and see if there's anything left in the tank.
Q. You're one of the oldest guys in the field, yet you're leading the money List.
You're still competitive every week. What do you attribute that to? Is it your fitness
level, is it your practice routine?
BERNHARD LANGER: It's a lot of things. I don't know if you have enough time for that.
We could write a book about it. But it's like a puzzle. I have good genes, I work out, I eat
fairly decent, but that by itself doesn't do it. There's many people who do that and maybe
better than me. It's the technique of your golf swing, it's the mental part of it, it's the short
game, it's putting, it's chipping, it's bunker game, all of that. A lot of it is technique. And if a
lot of guys have good technique, then it comes down to the mental part.
But it's also a private life. How's your private life? Is there peace or is there a lot of tumult?
1
Tee-Scripts.com
' 2!"#
' " "
"## "
3
"4565""
#
Q. Have you thought about how much longer you want to play?
BERNHARD LANGER: %"
""
'
" $5#"
2""
#" " $575 "
"
"#"
"
Q. How strange is it to go through a tournament without the fans here?
BERNHARD LANGER: %"#)*+"
" "#
%##
450 4550 !%#
"8'-11
-
18'"
#75# 3
!
Q. What about this course here? Is it a good course to chip off the rust, being off this
long, for some of these guys and you guys to get out here and play?
BERNHARD LANGER: "%###
# #
#- ##-
2
Tee-Scripts.com
the greens are very slopey and severe, so it's really, you've got to have your game under
control. Otherwise, you're not going to do well. It's a course you can go low if you bring your
A game, but if your B or C game shows up, you're going to be over par in a hurry.
Q. What about the fans at 17? Certainly you didn't need them to tell you how far you
are away from the hole because you can see it. At the same time, that atmosphere,
this place, how much is that going to be missed by the field?
BERNHARD LANGER: Oh, we're going to miss it. That was always a very exciting hole,
electric atmosphere and the people got into it. It was great to be in that arena. We're
definitely going to miss it. Hopefully we'll have it back next year.
Q. The lack of grandstands, does that mess with your depth perception or your
aiming on like 17 and 18?
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, the course looks very different without grandstands. I played
18 yesterday. I go, this green looks different from what it used to be. But we don't go by
that, we all play by yardage. In the old days, you didn't have lasers and yardages, you just
kind of looked and, oh, it looks like a 6-iron, give me a 6-iron. Now, we look at, okay, it's a
hundred and whatever, 75, takes a 6-iron. So we play by yardages. So that's not going to
mess us up big time, I don't think.
Q. The process of the PGA TOUR and having to go through the temperature checks
and having to go through that whole process, what have you seen has been the most
difficult part?
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, the most difficult part is probably just arriving earlier, because
you're going to be tested. The first thing we do when we arrive from the airport is test. Then
you have to wait a couple hours at least to see, are you allowed to come to the club or not.
Everything takes a little more time.
The days get a little longer, and we probably0-- or I feel I have to arrive a little bit sooner just
to allow for that loss of two or three hours, let's put it that way. And it's always awkward.
You get here and get tested. Well, if I'm positive, what am I going to do? Quarantine for two
weeks? So you're on pins and needles waiting that you get a negative in a sense.
Q. I know you played in the two events on the regular tour, but what's it like this week
being around your peers, the guys you played with for years? I mean, is there a lot of
needling going on, a lot of catching up?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, it's awesome. It's great to be back and to have that
fellowship again and the friendships and the camaraderie that we really enjoy out here.
We had a neat thing going. As some of you might know, I'm a Christian, so I attend Bible
studies. We had one every week on Tour, so we had a Zoom call every day actually. We
3
Tee-Scripts.com
'!&
#-#? #
3. "9497
"
Q. Will you play the Masters?
BERNHARD LANGER: %
Q. How exciting will that be?
BERNHARD LANGER: "(" ##'
3 ' "
" "
Q. Since your last time here, they've added a couple bunkers on 12 and 14. With
courses that you know really well, do you like to see them adding those additional
challenges or is it something you don't like changing?
BERNHARD LANGER: /0<<,-
#"
"%#
2 #
75<
Q. Going back to your Zoom chats, who's got the coolest Zoom room?
BERNHARD LANGER: 2+&'0<<"
"@
?%'#
%
"
Q. What is it like to be affiliated with a tournament that has such a huge charitable
function to it like the Ally Challenge?
BERNHARD LANGER: "")*+
##&
%
)## #
&
#
Orchard Lake’s Rick Herpich Rolls to GAM Super Senior Championship
OWOSSO – Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and his golf game are aging like fine wine.
A day after shooting a 1-under 66 for his age of 67, he shot a 2-under 70 to garner a four-shot win in the 6th GAM Super Senior Championship Wednesday at Owosso Country Club.
“Tell you what, it was a great couple days,” said the Orchard Lake Country Club member. “I love the golf course. It's one that really fits my eye. It's not one you can overpower, but it's more of a finesse golf course where it has a lot of doglegs and stuff like that, and I got off to a really good start. Yesterday, I shot my age for the first time ever. I’m 67 years old and I shot 66 so I was pretty excited about that.”
Pete Walz of Jackson, who closed with a 69 for 140, finished second in the championship that featured 50 GAM golfers over age 65, including a Legends Division for golfers age 70-plus.
Dan Hughes of Saginaw, who shot 67, was third at 141, and two-time defending champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills, who shot 71 for 144, tied with Craig Camalo, who closed with a 70.
In the Legends Division, Terry Westbrook from Grand Rapids shot a 74 for 147 and the win. Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, who won the Super Senior title in 2015, shot 77 for 150 and second.
Rounding out the top five among the Legends were Thomas Johnson of Gobles, who shot 76 for 151, Dick Bachtel of Linden, who shot 80 for 153, and Fred Mann of Waterville, who shot 79 for 153.
Herpich has been having a good summer. He won the Orchard Lake Senior Club Championship and won a club invitational.
“I’ve been on a roll the last four or five weeks and it has been awesome,” he said. “My game has been coming around and it has been fun. Anytime you win it means a lot because you lose a lot in this game. And Ian (Harris) has been so dominant in the Super Senior Division and that makes it even tougher to win. I’m really proud of myself. I finished it off today. I couldn’t be happier.”
He hopes to continue the fun via an invitation to the Society of Seniors National Super Senior Championship scheduled for Sept. 27-30 at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
Westbrook, a Watermark Country Club member, said not to tell his wife he has been playing a lot of golf this summer.
“Yesterday I was an escape artist, mostly in the trees, but getting up and down from everywhere making putts, and today I make no putts, but I'm so totally different,” he said. “I think a little experience helps a lot on this course. My ball-striking was better today even though my score was one higher.”
A day after shooting a 1-under 66 for his age of 67, he shot a 2-under 70 to garner a four-shot win in the 6th GAM Super Senior Championship Wednesday at Owosso Country Club.
“Tell you what, it was a great couple days,” said the Orchard Lake Country Club member. “I love the golf course. It's one that really fits my eye. It's not one you can overpower, but it's more of a finesse golf course where it has a lot of doglegs and stuff like that, and I got off to a really good start. Yesterday, I shot my age for the first time ever. I’m 67 years old and I shot 66 so I was pretty excited about that.”
Pete Walz of Jackson, who closed with a 69 for 140, finished second in the championship that featured 50 GAM golfers over age 65, including a Legends Division for golfers age 70-plus.
Dan Hughes of Saginaw, who shot 67, was third at 141, and two-time defending champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills, who shot 71 for 144, tied with Craig Camalo, who closed with a 70.
In the Legends Division, Terry Westbrook from Grand Rapids shot a 74 for 147 and the win. Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, who won the Super Senior title in 2015, shot 77 for 150 and second.
Rounding out the top five among the Legends were Thomas Johnson of Gobles, who shot 76 for 151, Dick Bachtel of Linden, who shot 80 for 153, and Fred Mann of Waterville, who shot 79 for 153.
Herpich has been having a good summer. He won the Orchard Lake Senior Club Championship and won a club invitational.
“I’ve been on a roll the last four or five weeks and it has been awesome,” he said. “My game has been coming around and it has been fun. Anytime you win it means a lot because you lose a lot in this game. And Ian (Harris) has been so dominant in the Super Senior Division and that makes it even tougher to win. I’m really proud of myself. I finished it off today. I couldn’t be happier.”
He hopes to continue the fun via an invitation to the Society of Seniors National Super Senior Championship scheduled for Sept. 27-30 at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
Westbrook, a Watermark Country Club member, said not to tell his wife he has been playing a lot of golf this summer.
“Yesterday I was an escape artist, mostly in the trees, but getting up and down from everywhere making putts, and today I make no putts, but I'm so totally different,” he said. “I think a little experience helps a lot on this course. My ball-striking was better today even though my score was one higher.”
Will Preston of Grand Rapids, Lauren Timpf of Macomb Take 14 & Under Match Play Titles
EAST LANSING – Will Preston of Grand Rapids won his first Golf Association of Michigan tournament while Lauren Timpf of Macomb won her fourth consecutive GAM junior golf title over the last two seasons.
They topped the field of 32 boys and 16 girls who played in the fourth GAM14 & Under Match Play Championship Monday and Tuesday at Woodside Golf Club.
“In all three matches I had I played pretty well and was able to finish all of them through seven or eight holes,” the 14-year-old Preston said after turning back Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti 2 and 1 in the nine-hole boys championship flight final match Tuesday.
“I got the lead in all of them and that’s really important in a nine-hole match. It feels good to win. I’m off to a good start this summer and I just hope to continue it.”
Timpf, meanwhile, made four birdies in eight holes and topped Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in the girls championship flight final match.
“I’ve practiced a lot for this and I feel like my hard work is paying off,” Timpf said. “I’m very grateful that I’m able to win some of these tournaments. I played well in the final match. My approach shots were pretty tight and I was able to make my putts.”
Preston, who will be a freshman at Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the fall, reached the finals with a 2 and 1 win over Gowtham Nalluri of Novi in the morning semifinal Tuesday.
Alokam made it to the finals by turning back Tyler Brody of Grand Blanc 3 and 2 in the other semifinal. Brody went on to top Nalluri 2 and 1 in the consolation match to finish in third place.
Timpf reached the girls final by topping Riley Hayden of Troy 1-up in the morning round of matches, and Melendez made it to the finals by beating Laura Liu of Rochester Hills in 10 holes. Liu went on to take third with a 3 and 1 win over Hayden in the consolation match.
Preston, who was second in the 15-and-under age division in the GAM Junior Kickoff to start the season, said the putts he made on Nos. 2 and 3 turned the championship match with Vibhav in his favor.
“They were both about 10-feet for birdie and I made both of them,” he said. “That’s how I pulled ahead. I’d like to thank all the playing partners I had. They were good matches. I just got the lead on all of them and held on.”
The 13-year-old Timpf, who is playing starting Saturday in the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, birdied the third hole, the fifth, the sixth and the eighth holding off Melendez in the final.
“On six my approach shot was to about one foot,” said Timpf, who this year has also won her age groups in the GAM Junior Kickoff and last week’s Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur, and ended last year with the age win in the GAM Junior Invitational.
“I hit a sand wedge in there from 87 yards. That was a big shot and then on No. 8 (par 3) I hit my tee shot short, and then my chip was not very good. I made about a 10-footer for par though and that was definitely big. I was able to end the match.”
They topped the field of 32 boys and 16 girls who played in the fourth GAM14 & Under Match Play Championship Monday and Tuesday at Woodside Golf Club.
“In all three matches I had I played pretty well and was able to finish all of them through seven or eight holes,” the 14-year-old Preston said after turning back Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti 2 and 1 in the nine-hole boys championship flight final match Tuesday.
“I got the lead in all of them and that’s really important in a nine-hole match. It feels good to win. I’m off to a good start this summer and I just hope to continue it.”
Timpf, meanwhile, made four birdies in eight holes and topped Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in the girls championship flight final match.
“I’ve practiced a lot for this and I feel like my hard work is paying off,” Timpf said. “I’m very grateful that I’m able to win some of these tournaments. I played well in the final match. My approach shots were pretty tight and I was able to make my putts.”
Preston, who will be a freshman at Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the fall, reached the finals with a 2 and 1 win over Gowtham Nalluri of Novi in the morning semifinal Tuesday.
Alokam made it to the finals by turning back Tyler Brody of Grand Blanc 3 and 2 in the other semifinal. Brody went on to top Nalluri 2 and 1 in the consolation match to finish in third place.
Timpf reached the girls final by topping Riley Hayden of Troy 1-up in the morning round of matches, and Melendez made it to the finals by beating Laura Liu of Rochester Hills in 10 holes. Liu went on to take third with a 3 and 1 win over Hayden in the consolation match.
Preston, who was second in the 15-and-under age division in the GAM Junior Kickoff to start the season, said the putts he made on Nos. 2 and 3 turned the championship match with Vibhav in his favor.
“They were both about 10-feet for birdie and I made both of them,” he said. “That’s how I pulled ahead. I’d like to thank all the playing partners I had. They were good matches. I just got the lead on all of them and held on.”
The 13-year-old Timpf, who is playing starting Saturday in the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, birdied the third hole, the fifth, the sixth and the eighth holding off Melendez in the final.
“On six my approach shot was to about one foot,” said Timpf, who this year has also won her age groups in the GAM Junior Kickoff and last week’s Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur, and ended last year with the age win in the GAM Junior Invitational.
“I hit a sand wedge in there from 87 yards. That was a big shot and then on No. 8 (par 3) I hit my tee shot short, and then my chip was not very good. I made about a 10-footer for par though and that was definitely big. I was able to end the match.”
|
|
Ariel Chang runs away with the Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur Championship
EAST LANSING – Ariel Chang fashioned the perfect ending to a long and eventful week in winning the 42nd Michigan Girls Junior State Amateur Championship.
The 17-year-old Macomb Township golfer held off Audrey Becker of Grosse Pointe Farms 2 and 1 in the championship match Saturday at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East golf course.
She set a tournament and junior girls course scoring record with a 9-under 62 earlier in the week to win stroke play medalist honors, and then battled through heat, humidity, the match play bracket and a rain-out day Friday to win her second major Golf Association of Michigan title of the summer. She was also the GAM Kickoff Champion last month.
“It was a big week for me, and I would have been a little disappointed if I went through all that and I didn’t finish it off with a win,” she said. “This means a lot to me. I’ve been in this tournament I think four times and I really wanted to win it.”
Chang, the third consecutive stroke play medalist to go on and win the championship, wasn’t the only winner Saturday.
Lauren Timpf of Macomb made it a Macomb area sweep when she won the 15-and-under division for the second consecutive year. The 13-year-old Timpf, who also won the 15-and-under title in the GAM Junior Kickoff, turned back Grace Wang of Rochester Hills 5 and 4 in the final.
“It feels pretty good, it feels like an accomplishment,” Timpf said. “I’ve been working very hard to get ready for these tournaments and it feels great to pull out another one.”
Chang, who has a year remaining at Utica Eisenhower High School and has verbally committed to the University of Detroit Mercy golf program, topped Bridget Boczar of Canton in an early morning semifinal match, also by a 2 and 1 score.
Becker, who is 17 and has a year remaining at Grosse Pointe South High, knocked off the defending champion, Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2 in the other semifinal match to earn her spot in the final. Her runner-up finish is her best in a GAM championship.
“It was a tough day against two really good players, and I definitely had some ups and downs,” Becker said. “I hit some really good shots and some not-so-good shots, but overall I’m pretty proud of how I played.”
Chang won the first hole of the final match with a par, and the two players traded pars until the par 5 No. 6 hole when Becker evened the match with a par.
Chang won the next two holes, including the par 3 No. 8 hole with a birdie from four-feet and led 2-up until the No. 11 when Becker pulled within one with a par. Chang went back to 2-up at No. 14, but Becker rallied with a birdie on the par 5 No. 15 hole to keep it close. Chang finally closed it out on No. 17 with a par as Becker missed the green left, chipped to 10-feet, and missed the par-saving putt.
“Audrey was a really tough opponent and I had to make a lot of clutch putts,” Chang said. “I had good focus out there all week. I didn’t let a bad hole get to me and my putting was good the whole tournament.”
Becker said Chang is a hard player to catch once she has a lead.
“She’s always pretty close to the pin and putts well on every single hole pretty much,” she said. “I wasn’t really making many putts for birdie, or anything really. She made more putts than I did.”
Chang credited her family for pushing her through this week, especially her sister Astarr.
“They really support me and my sister was out there supporting me, giving me confidence I could do it,” she said.
In the 15-and-under bracket, Timpf earned her spot in the final match with a 2-up morning semifinal win over Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor, and Wang pushed past Northville’s Samantha Coleman 2 and 1 in the other semifinal.
It was a tight final match until the eighth hole where Timpf made a birdie to take a 2-up lead and then won holes 10, 11 and 12. She closed out the match at 14.
“I’m actually pretty happy with myself and how I played this week,” said the 14-year-old Wang. “Today I played well (in the semifinal) but had a little struggle with my putting against Lauren.
Timpf plans to in the GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship Monday and Tuesday at Woodside Golf Course, which is also in East Lansing, and then take on the state’s top players next in the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, which starts next Saturday, and is also at Forest Akers, but on the West course. She will be one of the youngest players in the field.
“I’m just going to keep working hard,” she said. “Winning this gives me confidence.”
Chang is also playing in the Michigan Women’s Amateur. “I’m going to keep playing my game,” she said. “It will be a really good test for me.”
RESULTS, BRACKETS: https://bit.ly/2ArWYRv
The 17-year-old Macomb Township golfer held off Audrey Becker of Grosse Pointe Farms 2 and 1 in the championship match Saturday at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers East golf course.
She set a tournament and junior girls course scoring record with a 9-under 62 earlier in the week to win stroke play medalist honors, and then battled through heat, humidity, the match play bracket and a rain-out day Friday to win her second major Golf Association of Michigan title of the summer. She was also the GAM Kickoff Champion last month.
“It was a big week for me, and I would have been a little disappointed if I went through all that and I didn’t finish it off with a win,” she said. “This means a lot to me. I’ve been in this tournament I think four times and I really wanted to win it.”
Chang, the third consecutive stroke play medalist to go on and win the championship, wasn’t the only winner Saturday.
Lauren Timpf of Macomb made it a Macomb area sweep when she won the 15-and-under division for the second consecutive year. The 13-year-old Timpf, who also won the 15-and-under title in the GAM Junior Kickoff, turned back Grace Wang of Rochester Hills 5 and 4 in the final.
“It feels pretty good, it feels like an accomplishment,” Timpf said. “I’ve been working very hard to get ready for these tournaments and it feels great to pull out another one.”
Chang, who has a year remaining at Utica Eisenhower High School and has verbally committed to the University of Detroit Mercy golf program, topped Bridget Boczar of Canton in an early morning semifinal match, also by a 2 and 1 score.
Becker, who is 17 and has a year remaining at Grosse Pointe South High, knocked off the defending champion, Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2 in the other semifinal match to earn her spot in the final. Her runner-up finish is her best in a GAM championship.
“It was a tough day against two really good players, and I definitely had some ups and downs,” Becker said. “I hit some really good shots and some not-so-good shots, but overall I’m pretty proud of how I played.”
Chang won the first hole of the final match with a par, and the two players traded pars until the par 5 No. 6 hole when Becker evened the match with a par.
Chang won the next two holes, including the par 3 No. 8 hole with a birdie from four-feet and led 2-up until the No. 11 when Becker pulled within one with a par. Chang went back to 2-up at No. 14, but Becker rallied with a birdie on the par 5 No. 15 hole to keep it close. Chang finally closed it out on No. 17 with a par as Becker missed the green left, chipped to 10-feet, and missed the par-saving putt.
“Audrey was a really tough opponent and I had to make a lot of clutch putts,” Chang said. “I had good focus out there all week. I didn’t let a bad hole get to me and my putting was good the whole tournament.”
Becker said Chang is a hard player to catch once she has a lead.
“She’s always pretty close to the pin and putts well on every single hole pretty much,” she said. “I wasn’t really making many putts for birdie, or anything really. She made more putts than I did.”
Chang credited her family for pushing her through this week, especially her sister Astarr.
“They really support me and my sister was out there supporting me, giving me confidence I could do it,” she said.
In the 15-and-under bracket, Timpf earned her spot in the final match with a 2-up morning semifinal win over Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor, and Wang pushed past Northville’s Samantha Coleman 2 and 1 in the other semifinal.
It was a tight final match until the eighth hole where Timpf made a birdie to take a 2-up lead and then won holes 10, 11 and 12. She closed out the match at 14.
“I’m actually pretty happy with myself and how I played this week,” said the 14-year-old Wang. “Today I played well (in the semifinal) but had a little struggle with my putting against Lauren.
Timpf plans to in the GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship Monday and Tuesday at Woodside Golf Course, which is also in East Lansing, and then take on the state’s top players next in the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, which starts next Saturday, and is also at Forest Akers, but on the West course. She will be one of the youngest players in the field.
“I’m just going to keep working hard,” she said. “Winning this gives me confidence.”
Chang is also playing in the Michigan Women’s Amateur. “I’m going to keep playing my game,” she said. “It will be a really good test for me.”
RESULTS, BRACKETS: https://bit.ly/2ArWYRv
LPGA roaring to return with b2b's in the Toledo area
|
|
AJGA crown Qian and Clemente
Justin Sui of Lake Orion rallies toT-3rd at Coca-Cola Jr. Championships at Boyne Highlands
AJGA Tournament Director Matti Emmi talks aboutrunning a tournament post-Covid
Traverse City’s Scott Hebert Earns Come-From-Behind Victory at the 31st Senior PGA Pro.Championship presented by Cadillac
By Pat Kravitz PGA of America
AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 6, 2019) – The Michigan PGA Section's Scott Hebert charged from behind to capture the 31st Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Foothills Course.
With the win, Hebert added his name to a short list. He joined Steve Schneiter (1995, 2016) and Bob Sowards (2004, 2018) as the only players with a victory in both the PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Championships.
"Those two guys are legends," said Hebert, the PGA Head Professional at Traverse City (Michigan) Golf and Country Club. "It was magical yesterday and it started back up on the back nine today."
Hebert’s four-day score of 16-under 270 (70-70-63-67) matched a Championship record for lowest 72-hole total. He finished four strokes clear of Jerry Haas of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Jeff Hart of Solana Beach, California, and Frank Bensel Jr. of Jupiter, Florida.
Through 61 holes, Hebert trailed the 54-hole leader, Bensel, by five strokes. Bensel appeared set to run away with the Championship.
Chaos quickly ensued.
A double-bogey and bogey on Nos. 8 and 10 evaporated Bensel’s lead. Hebert, playing alongside Bensel and Omar Uresti in the final group, rolled in birdies on 8 and 12, the latter of which squared Hebert and Bensel atop the leaderboard, momentarily. But Bensel responded with a birdie of his own to maintain a one-stroke advantage.
Hebert’s birdie on 13, combined with a Bensel bogey, flipped the lead to the 2008 PGA Professional Champion, Hebert. Meanwhile, playing three groups ahead of the final threesome was Jerry Haas, who began the final round five strokes back of the lead. Haas converted four straight birdies from holes 12 through 15 to reach 13-under and joined Hebert for a share of the lead.
A birdie by Bensel on No. 14 created a three-way tie at the top coming down the stretch.
Bogeys by Bensel (No. 15) and Haas (No. 16), along with a birdie by Hebert on No. 15 provided a two-stroke advantage for the Traverse City resident. He added a couple more on Nos. 16 and 17 to build enough separation.
"The way the day started, it didn't look like it was going to go this way,” said Hebert. “As good as I finished my round yesterday, I started that poorly today. But I got a little momentum going on the back nine.
“Frank was great to play with – he was playing well. Two great guys, Omar and Frank. We’re just out here knocking it around, having fun, playing some golf.”
Hebert’s 63 on Saturday set a Championship low for third round total, as well as tied the best 18-hole total in Championship history. His weekend total of 130 was best in the field by seven strokes.
Haas’ 67 matched Hebert for the lowest of the final round. Austin, Texas’ own Uresti finished in solo fifth at 275, one back of the trio tied for second.
Each of the top five earned an exemption into the final stage of the 2019 PGA Tour Champions National Finals. The top eight, including ties, automatically qualified for next year's Championship, to be held Oct. 15-18, 2020, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
With the victory, Hebert earned the Leo Fraser Trophy and $21,500 of the $300,000 purse. He also leads a contingent of 35 players heading to Harbor Shores Resort to compete in the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship May 21-24.
The Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac is supported by Golf Channel and John Deere.
AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 6, 2019) – The Michigan PGA Section's Scott Hebert charged from behind to capture the 31st Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Foothills Course.
With the win, Hebert added his name to a short list. He joined Steve Schneiter (1995, 2016) and Bob Sowards (2004, 2018) as the only players with a victory in both the PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Championships.
"Those two guys are legends," said Hebert, the PGA Head Professional at Traverse City (Michigan) Golf and Country Club. "It was magical yesterday and it started back up on the back nine today."
Hebert’s four-day score of 16-under 270 (70-70-63-67) matched a Championship record for lowest 72-hole total. He finished four strokes clear of Jerry Haas of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Jeff Hart of Solana Beach, California, and Frank Bensel Jr. of Jupiter, Florida.
Through 61 holes, Hebert trailed the 54-hole leader, Bensel, by five strokes. Bensel appeared set to run away with the Championship.
Chaos quickly ensued.
A double-bogey and bogey on Nos. 8 and 10 evaporated Bensel’s lead. Hebert, playing alongside Bensel and Omar Uresti in the final group, rolled in birdies on 8 and 12, the latter of which squared Hebert and Bensel atop the leaderboard, momentarily. But Bensel responded with a birdie of his own to maintain a one-stroke advantage.
Hebert’s birdie on 13, combined with a Bensel bogey, flipped the lead to the 2008 PGA Professional Champion, Hebert. Meanwhile, playing three groups ahead of the final threesome was Jerry Haas, who began the final round five strokes back of the lead. Haas converted four straight birdies from holes 12 through 15 to reach 13-under and joined Hebert for a share of the lead.
A birdie by Bensel on No. 14 created a three-way tie at the top coming down the stretch.
Bogeys by Bensel (No. 15) and Haas (No. 16), along with a birdie by Hebert on No. 15 provided a two-stroke advantage for the Traverse City resident. He added a couple more on Nos. 16 and 17 to build enough separation.
"The way the day started, it didn't look like it was going to go this way,” said Hebert. “As good as I finished my round yesterday, I started that poorly today. But I got a little momentum going on the back nine.
“Frank was great to play with – he was playing well. Two great guys, Omar and Frank. We’re just out here knocking it around, having fun, playing some golf.”
Hebert’s 63 on Saturday set a Championship low for third round total, as well as tied the best 18-hole total in Championship history. His weekend total of 130 was best in the field by seven strokes.
Haas’ 67 matched Hebert for the lowest of the final round. Austin, Texas’ own Uresti finished in solo fifth at 275, one back of the trio tied for second.
Each of the top five earned an exemption into the final stage of the 2019 PGA Tour Champions National Finals. The top eight, including ties, automatically qualified for next year's Championship, to be held Oct. 15-18, 2020, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
With the victory, Hebert earned the Leo Fraser Trophy and $21,500 of the $300,000 purse. He also leads a contingent of 35 players heading to Harbor Shores Resort to compete in the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship May 21-24.
The Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac is supported by Golf Channel and John Deere.
Spartans Capture Mary Fossum Invitational Title
MSU Women's Team Golf Interview
EAST LANSING – (From MSU) The Michigan State women's golf team got its first tournament win of the season on Monday, capturing the Mary Fossum Invitational title in convincing fashion at Forest Akers West. The Spartans shot an 8-over-par 296 on Monday and won the tournament at 20-over-par 884 (298-290-296), which was 23 shots better than second-place Western Kentucky.
Senior Paz Marfa Sans got the first tournament win of her career, capturing medalist honors by two strokes. Marfa Sans turned in a 2-over-par 218 (73-69-76), holding off teammate Valery Plata and Western Kentucky's Mary Joiner, who both finished 4-over-par 220.
In all, six Spartans finished in the top seven. As a team, Monday marked the 12th time in the tournament's 36-year history the Spartans have won the Fossum title.
"We always want to win this tournament for Mary and her family and all of the people that come out and support us in our only home tournament of the season," MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said. "The course played tough today with the wind, but everyone was playing the same course and it was a great test."
Marfa Sans, who led the tournament after Sunday's first two rounds, got out to a tough start on Monday, but was able to recover by birdying two of the last four holes on the front nine. She added three consecutive birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes which wound up being the difference.
"The first couple holes I wasn't at my best," Marfa Sans said. "I knew I had the game to come back and I just tried to focus because the day was young, and with the wind the conditions were tough for everyone."
Marfa Sans, who had five career top-five finishes coming into Monday's final round, placed third in the last two Fossum Invitationals. It marks the third consecutive year a Spartan has won the Fossum individual title (2018 – Allyson Geer-Park; 2017 – Sarah Burnham).
"I was so happy that she was able to get the win with her parents here," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "It gives her confidence. She told me yesterday that she worked so hard over the summer. She's an incredible kid and not only a great representative of Spain, but for Michigan State as well."
For Plata, who was playing as an individual, it was the best finish of her career. The sophomore from Colombia shot a 4-over-par 76 on Monday and tied for the lowest round of the tournament with a 3-under-par 69 to open play on Sunday.
Junior Yurika Tanida continued her strong start to the season by tying for fourth place for the second straight week. Tanida shot a 3-over-par 75 on Monday and was 5-over-par 221 (73-73-75) for the tournament.
Catherine McEvoy, who also played as an individual, tied with Tanida for fourth place at 5-over-par 221 (76-69-76) for what was also her best career finish. It was the second top-10 finish at the Fossum Invite for McEvoy as she placed seventh playing as an individual in 2017.
Allyson Geer-Park had the lowest round of any player on Monday with a 1-under-par 71. She moved up 10 spots to tie for sixth place at 7-over-par 223 (77-75-71).
Haylin Harris tied Geer-Park for sixth place at 7-over-par 223 (76-73-74).
Nina Rissi tied for 19th place at 15-over-par 231 (76-78-77).
The Spartans will return to action Oct. 11-13 at the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Senior Paz Marfa Sans got the first tournament win of her career, capturing medalist honors by two strokes. Marfa Sans turned in a 2-over-par 218 (73-69-76), holding off teammate Valery Plata and Western Kentucky's Mary Joiner, who both finished 4-over-par 220.
In all, six Spartans finished in the top seven. As a team, Monday marked the 12th time in the tournament's 36-year history the Spartans have won the Fossum title.
"We always want to win this tournament for Mary and her family and all of the people that come out and support us in our only home tournament of the season," MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said. "The course played tough today with the wind, but everyone was playing the same course and it was a great test."
Marfa Sans, who led the tournament after Sunday's first two rounds, got out to a tough start on Monday, but was able to recover by birdying two of the last four holes on the front nine. She added three consecutive birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes which wound up being the difference.
"The first couple holes I wasn't at my best," Marfa Sans said. "I knew I had the game to come back and I just tried to focus because the day was young, and with the wind the conditions were tough for everyone."
Marfa Sans, who had five career top-five finishes coming into Monday's final round, placed third in the last two Fossum Invitationals. It marks the third consecutive year a Spartan has won the Fossum individual title (2018 – Allyson Geer-Park; 2017 – Sarah Burnham).
"I was so happy that she was able to get the win with her parents here," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "It gives her confidence. She told me yesterday that she worked so hard over the summer. She's an incredible kid and not only a great representative of Spain, but for Michigan State as well."
For Plata, who was playing as an individual, it was the best finish of her career. The sophomore from Colombia shot a 4-over-par 76 on Monday and tied for the lowest round of the tournament with a 3-under-par 69 to open play on Sunday.
Junior Yurika Tanida continued her strong start to the season by tying for fourth place for the second straight week. Tanida shot a 3-over-par 75 on Monday and was 5-over-par 221 (73-73-75) for the tournament.
Catherine McEvoy, who also played as an individual, tied with Tanida for fourth place at 5-over-par 221 (76-69-76) for what was also her best career finish. It was the second top-10 finish at the Fossum Invite for McEvoy as she placed seventh playing as an individual in 2017.
Allyson Geer-Park had the lowest round of any player on Monday with a 1-under-par 71. She moved up 10 spots to tie for sixth place at 7-over-par 223 (77-75-71).
Haylin Harris tied Geer-Park for sixth place at 7-over-par 223 (76-73-74).
Nina Rissi tied for 19th place at 15-over-par 231 (76-78-77).
The Spartans will return to action Oct. 11-13 at the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
OU's Giroux riding high |
|
OU Women's Golf Team Video
Fred Couples on Warwick Hills and meeting Tom Izzo
Birdie-Eagle-Birdie Finish Powers White Lake’s Michael Coriasso to GAM Mid-Amateur Victory
HARBOR SPRINGS – Michael Coriasso of White Lake finished his day birdie-eagle-birdie and won the 37th GAM Mid-Amateur Championship presented by OmniKinetics in dramatic fashion Thursday at Boyne Highlands Resort.
Coriasso, originally from Grand Blanc, finished his regulation round on the Moor Course with a birdie on the par 4 17th, then eagled the par 5 18th to shoot a 3-under 69 and force a tie with Brad Bastion of Shelby Township, who also shot 69 for a 5-under 139 total.
Coriasso, 29 and a loan officer for Quicken Loans, then birdied the first hole of sudden-death, the par 4 10th, with a 15-foot birdie putt for his first GAM tournament victory and what he called his 100 percent biggest win ever.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win,” he said after accepting the Glenn H. Johnson Trophy for winning the championship for golfers over age 25.
“I was really the odd man out all day. From the 12th hole to the 16th I maybe hit one green. I was really scrambling just to stay in it and have a shot. Then after I birdied 17 I knew it was stacked – Brad, Steve (Nichols), me and Nathan (Clark), and I knew to have any chance I had to make eagle on 18 and Brad had to make par or worse. I hit a really good drive, and then a good 7-iron to about 18 feet. I read the putt straight and then second-guessed and thought this has to go a hair left. I played it that way, made a perfect stroke and it went in. It was a great feeling.”
Coriasso and Bastion, who also finished second last year to a dramatic rally by Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, went to No. 10 where Coriasso had birdied during regulation play
“That hole, 10, has been my nemesis for years coming up here,” Coriasso said. “Usually it is howling into the wind like today, and you have water hazards, left and right and short of the green,” he said. “I was commiserating with Brad about how that hole keeps me up at night. Sometimes in the middle of the year I will think about it. To birdie it twice today was awesome. Brad told me there was more room up there than I think, so I thought about it and hit driver both times. In the playoff I had a good lie in the rough and hit a good shot to 18 feet. I had a putt on the same line earlier today and made it, so I knew it was just outside the right edge and I knocked it in.”
Steve Nichols, who shot a second consecutive 70 for 140, took third place overall, but was also identified as the Mid-Seniors Division winner as the low scorer over age 45 in the tournament.
Nathan Clark of DeWitt shot 71 for 142 and fourth place, and Jimmy Chestnut of Royal Oak, who shot 70 for 144, finished fifth.
Strickland, the defending champion, shot 71 for 147 and tied for sixth with Austin Kreger of Harrison Township who shot 72.
David Vaclav of Flat Rock shot 75 for 148 and tied for eighth place overall with Andrew Smith of Troy, who shot 73 to close. Vaclav was declared the runner-up in the Mid-Seniors Division.
Meanwhile, the Mid-Am Senior Championship (over age 55), which closed on the Heather course on Thursday, also ended in a dramatic playoff with Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena emerging as the winner in a four-golfer sudden-death playoff.
Maddalena, 59, won his second GAM senior title and first Mid-Am Senior by shooting a closing 72 for 146 to get in the playoff. Once there, he hit a punch 7-iron third shot to 18 inches on the third playoff hole (par 5 No. 9) and made birdie to win.
He was tied at the end of regulation with Chris Chocola of Harbor Springs, who shot 73 to close, Greg Zeller of Jackson, who shot 73, and defending Senior champion Jim Lewis of Novi, who rallied with a 71. Chocola, who parred the third playoff hole, earned the runner-up trophy.
Maddalena said it felt great to win.
“I don’t win that often, especially a GAM tournament, so this is just great,” said the multiple winner of both the Michigan Amateur Championship and GAM Championship in his career. “I hit it solidly today, and I felt even par today was good. It was really tough in the wind and the greens were running fast like they always do on the Heather. I feel good about how I played.”
Maddalena, who runs the Kentwood Office Furniture location in Jackson, said winning is what drives him to keep playing in tournaments.
“If I don’t think I can win – at least in my mind – then I’m probably not going to play,” he said.
A Super Senior Division champion was also crowned among the players over age 65. Ian Harris won his third GAM Super Senior trophy of the summer and fourth including the Michigan PGA’s Senior Open, which includes a Super Senior Division. He shot 73 for 148, topping Gary Quitiquit of Highland, who shot 77 for 155.
“I need to have a little incentive so I was trying to become the first player to ever win all four of those Super Senior titles,” said Harris, who is 67 and a tennis professional. “My back is really the reason I started playing in the Super Senior this year, and it was pretty good this week. I put some self-induced pressure on myself out there and I was feeling it. I really wanted to do this, and I pulled it off.”
Coriasso, originally from Grand Blanc, finished his regulation round on the Moor Course with a birdie on the par 4 17th, then eagled the par 5 18th to shoot a 3-under 69 and force a tie with Brad Bastion of Shelby Township, who also shot 69 for a 5-under 139 total.
Coriasso, 29 and a loan officer for Quicken Loans, then birdied the first hole of sudden-death, the par 4 10th, with a 15-foot birdie putt for his first GAM tournament victory and what he called his 100 percent biggest win ever.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win,” he said after accepting the Glenn H. Johnson Trophy for winning the championship for golfers over age 25.
“I was really the odd man out all day. From the 12th hole to the 16th I maybe hit one green. I was really scrambling just to stay in it and have a shot. Then after I birdied 17 I knew it was stacked – Brad, Steve (Nichols), me and Nathan (Clark), and I knew to have any chance I had to make eagle on 18 and Brad had to make par or worse. I hit a really good drive, and then a good 7-iron to about 18 feet. I read the putt straight and then second-guessed and thought this has to go a hair left. I played it that way, made a perfect stroke and it went in. It was a great feeling.”
Coriasso and Bastion, who also finished second last year to a dramatic rally by Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, went to No. 10 where Coriasso had birdied during regulation play
“That hole, 10, has been my nemesis for years coming up here,” Coriasso said. “Usually it is howling into the wind like today, and you have water hazards, left and right and short of the green,” he said. “I was commiserating with Brad about how that hole keeps me up at night. Sometimes in the middle of the year I will think about it. To birdie it twice today was awesome. Brad told me there was more room up there than I think, so I thought about it and hit driver both times. In the playoff I had a good lie in the rough and hit a good shot to 18 feet. I had a putt on the same line earlier today and made it, so I knew it was just outside the right edge and I knocked it in.”
Steve Nichols, who shot a second consecutive 70 for 140, took third place overall, but was also identified as the Mid-Seniors Division winner as the low scorer over age 45 in the tournament.
Nathan Clark of DeWitt shot 71 for 142 and fourth place, and Jimmy Chestnut of Royal Oak, who shot 70 for 144, finished fifth.
Strickland, the defending champion, shot 71 for 147 and tied for sixth with Austin Kreger of Harrison Township who shot 72.
David Vaclav of Flat Rock shot 75 for 148 and tied for eighth place overall with Andrew Smith of Troy, who shot 73 to close. Vaclav was declared the runner-up in the Mid-Seniors Division.
Meanwhile, the Mid-Am Senior Championship (over age 55), which closed on the Heather course on Thursday, also ended in a dramatic playoff with Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena emerging as the winner in a four-golfer sudden-death playoff.
Maddalena, 59, won his second GAM senior title and first Mid-Am Senior by shooting a closing 72 for 146 to get in the playoff. Once there, he hit a punch 7-iron third shot to 18 inches on the third playoff hole (par 5 No. 9) and made birdie to win.
He was tied at the end of regulation with Chris Chocola of Harbor Springs, who shot 73 to close, Greg Zeller of Jackson, who shot 73, and defending Senior champion Jim Lewis of Novi, who rallied with a 71. Chocola, who parred the third playoff hole, earned the runner-up trophy.
Maddalena said it felt great to win.
“I don’t win that often, especially a GAM tournament, so this is just great,” said the multiple winner of both the Michigan Amateur Championship and GAM Championship in his career. “I hit it solidly today, and I felt even par today was good. It was really tough in the wind and the greens were running fast like they always do on the Heather. I feel good about how I played.”
Maddalena, who runs the Kentwood Office Furniture location in Jackson, said winning is what drives him to keep playing in tournaments.
“If I don’t think I can win – at least in my mind – then I’m probably not going to play,” he said.
A Super Senior Division champion was also crowned among the players over age 65. Ian Harris won his third GAM Super Senior trophy of the summer and fourth including the Michigan PGA’s Senior Open, which includes a Super Senior Division. He shot 73 for 148, topping Gary Quitiquit of Highland, who shot 77 for 155.
“I need to have a little incentive so I was trying to become the first player to ever win all four of those Super Senior titles,” said Harris, who is 67 and a tennis professional. “My back is really the reason I started playing in the Super Senior this year, and it was pretty good this week. I put some self-induced pressure on myself out there and I was feeling it. I really wanted to do this, and I pulled it off.”
Recent- Michigan Golf Scene's latest show- (14th of the season)- Michigan T of C, Flint Golf Club and Top 50 , Jennifer Kupcho and much more
Travis Dodson on his Michigan PGA Performance
Dearborn’s Elayna Bowser Tops Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll to Win Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship
SPRING LAKE – Elayna Bowser’s first phone call after winning the 103rd Michigan Women’s Amateur was to her brother Evan, who is playing on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.
“He played in his share of Michigan Amateurs, but never got the title, so I got the edge on him,” she said and laughed. “He said ‘congrats, you are officially the better Bowser golfer.’” Bowser, a 22-year-old Dearborn resident who is turning professional for LPGA Qualifying in a few weeks, turned back Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett 4 and 3 in the championship match Friday afternoon at Spring Lake Country Club.
“It means a lot,” she said of winning the championship presented by Carl’s Golfland. “It is the top women’s amateur tournament in Michigan and to win it feels like I reached the ultimate goal for a Michigan amateur golfer.”
Bowser, who recently graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, was a runner-up last year to Kerri Parks of Flushing in a tense 19-holes final, and she admitted it played a role in her approach to the tournament this year.
“It was a part of it, a lot of it actually, and knowing this was going to be my last amateur tournament, I wanted to finish strong,” she said. Slobodnik-Stoll, the winningest golfer in Golf Association of Michigan history with 18 titles, including two amateurs in 1996 and ’98, said Bowser played great.
“She is obviously very steady, and she got up and down when she needed to,” said the 47-year-old golfer who is also the successful Michigan State University women’s golf head coach. “She didn’t really make any mistakes. She is hard to beat. She is a super nice young woman and I wish her the best of luck in Q-School. It will be nice to follow another Michigan golfer playing in Q-School.”
Bowser took the first lead of the final match on No. 4 and went 2-up on No. 5 when Slobodnik-Stoll flew the green with a sand-shot. The coach won No. 8 with a par to pull closer, but Bowser rolled in a 12-foot putt for birdie on No. 9 to go back to 2-up.
Par-saving putts on Nos. 10 and 11 were critical for Bowser.
“Those were the key putts where I kept the lead and the momentum,” she said.
Slobodnik-Stoll said she wanted her birdie-putt effort back on No. 11.
“If I make birdie there and win the hole maybe things change or it swings momentum,” she said. “But the greens were fast. I felt like I had to be careful and I didn’t make it, and she made all the putts she had to make.”
Bowser won holes 12 and 13 with pars as Slobodnik-Stoll made bogeys to go 4-up and then closed out the match at No. 15 with a par.
“I didn’t have my best golf of the week – I think I shot around even (par) in the afternoon – but I made some key putts when I needed to and was able to grind it out,” Bowser said.
“You know (Slobodnik-Stoll) is a Michigan golf legend and you know she is going to bring it each time she plays. She is just a solid player. I stuck to my game plan though and was able to come out on top. It feels good especially after last year finishing second in 19 holes. It is the icing on top. It is going to help me move forward in my career and give me some confidence.”
Bowser earned her spot in the finals with a 4 and 3 win over Abbey Pierce of Bloomfield Hills and Grand Valley State University in the morning semifinals. Slobodnik-Stoll beat Heather Forthusniak of Brighton and Kansas State University 6 and 4 in the other semifinal.
Bowser said a persistent butterfly that swirled around her and her caddie/father Brett as she lined up to putt on No. 14 in the title match made her think of her late mother Karen, who passed away when she was 14-years-old in the summer of 2011 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS).
“Did you see that butterfly? I was like, wait, I have a putt to win the match and this butterfly won’t go away,” she said. “I started thinking it’s a sign. I mean I knew she was definitely there watching every hole this week. It felt good, knowing she is there.”
Her 57-year-old father, who continues to compete in GAM tournaments and often watches when his golfing children caddie for each other in tournaments, said Elayna wasn’t the child he expected would win the Michigan Amateur.
“As a kid she didn’t want to golf,” he said. “But it became a little family rivalry. She wanted to do a little better than her brother. This means a lot. It’s wonderful. She played hard and played great. We’re all proud of her.”
“He played in his share of Michigan Amateurs, but never got the title, so I got the edge on him,” she said and laughed. “He said ‘congrats, you are officially the better Bowser golfer.’” Bowser, a 22-year-old Dearborn resident who is turning professional for LPGA Qualifying in a few weeks, turned back Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett 4 and 3 in the championship match Friday afternoon at Spring Lake Country Club.
“It means a lot,” she said of winning the championship presented by Carl’s Golfland. “It is the top women’s amateur tournament in Michigan and to win it feels like I reached the ultimate goal for a Michigan amateur golfer.”
Bowser, who recently graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, was a runner-up last year to Kerri Parks of Flushing in a tense 19-holes final, and she admitted it played a role in her approach to the tournament this year.
“It was a part of it, a lot of it actually, and knowing this was going to be my last amateur tournament, I wanted to finish strong,” she said. Slobodnik-Stoll, the winningest golfer in Golf Association of Michigan history with 18 titles, including two amateurs in 1996 and ’98, said Bowser played great.
“She is obviously very steady, and she got up and down when she needed to,” said the 47-year-old golfer who is also the successful Michigan State University women’s golf head coach. “She didn’t really make any mistakes. She is hard to beat. She is a super nice young woman and I wish her the best of luck in Q-School. It will be nice to follow another Michigan golfer playing in Q-School.”
Bowser took the first lead of the final match on No. 4 and went 2-up on No. 5 when Slobodnik-Stoll flew the green with a sand-shot. The coach won No. 8 with a par to pull closer, but Bowser rolled in a 12-foot putt for birdie on No. 9 to go back to 2-up.
Par-saving putts on Nos. 10 and 11 were critical for Bowser.
“Those were the key putts where I kept the lead and the momentum,” she said.
Slobodnik-Stoll said she wanted her birdie-putt effort back on No. 11.
“If I make birdie there and win the hole maybe things change or it swings momentum,” she said. “But the greens were fast. I felt like I had to be careful and I didn’t make it, and she made all the putts she had to make.”
Bowser won holes 12 and 13 with pars as Slobodnik-Stoll made bogeys to go 4-up and then closed out the match at No. 15 with a par.
“I didn’t have my best golf of the week – I think I shot around even (par) in the afternoon – but I made some key putts when I needed to and was able to grind it out,” Bowser said.
“You know (Slobodnik-Stoll) is a Michigan golf legend and you know she is going to bring it each time she plays. She is just a solid player. I stuck to my game plan though and was able to come out on top. It feels good especially after last year finishing second in 19 holes. It is the icing on top. It is going to help me move forward in my career and give me some confidence.”
Bowser earned her spot in the finals with a 4 and 3 win over Abbey Pierce of Bloomfield Hills and Grand Valley State University in the morning semifinals. Slobodnik-Stoll beat Heather Forthusniak of Brighton and Kansas State University 6 and 4 in the other semifinal.
Bowser said a persistent butterfly that swirled around her and her caddie/father Brett as she lined up to putt on No. 14 in the title match made her think of her late mother Karen, who passed away when she was 14-years-old in the summer of 2011 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS).
“Did you see that butterfly? I was like, wait, I have a putt to win the match and this butterfly won’t go away,” she said. “I started thinking it’s a sign. I mean I knew she was definitely there watching every hole this week. It felt good, knowing she is there.”
Her 57-year-old father, who continues to compete in GAM tournaments and often watches when his golfing children caddie for each other in tournaments, said Elayna wasn’t the child he expected would win the Michigan Amateur.
“As a kid she didn’t want to golf,” he said. “But it became a little family rivalry. She wanted to do a little better than her brother. This means a lot. It’s wonderful. She played hard and played great. We’re all proud of her.”
Video Picture album of the Top 50 Jr. Scholarship Golf Tour-Indianwood CC stop
Oakhurst Country Club
w/Drone- 3 holes to win a championship
NOCBOR Golf Outing Picture video w/drone
ESPN Style 3rd Round T of C Hilights
July 20th-Michigan Golf Scene - LPGA , Michigan Amateur and more
Elise Fennell of Caledonia, PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan Claim GAM Junior Stroke Play Titles
By Greg Johnson- EAST LANSING – PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan and Elise Fennell of Caledonia had some of their best days in golf and emerged as champions in the 11th GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship presented by Pepsi Friday at Forest Akers East Course.
Maybank, a 14-year-old homeschooled golfer, followed up a personal-best round of 6-under 65 from Thursday with a 67 on Friday for a 10-under 132 total and five-shot win over Justin Sui of Lake Orion, who shot a closing 68 for 137.
Fennell, who is 13 and will be an eighth-grader in the fall at Pinewood Middle School in Kentwood, shot a second consecutive even-par 71, which was her personal best score as well. Her 142 total topped two golfers who tied for second at 145; Sophie Stevens of Highland, who shot a final 73, and Bridget Boczar of Canton, who shot 76.
Champions were also determined in the 12-and-under age group category.
Avery Manning of Dexter, who is 11, won the girls’ title with nine-hole rounds of 39 Thursday and a closing 37 for 5-over 76. Grace Slocum of Traverse City, who shot 44 for 88, was second.
Grace’s 12-year-old brother, Joshua Slocum, shot 40 for 81 to win the boys 12-and-under title. Dominic Gaudino of Northville shot 45 for 93 and second.
Maybank, who in 2018 was a Drive, Chip and Putt boys 12-13 national champion at Augusta National in Georgia, called winning the GAM Junior Stroke Play his best regular tournament win.
“It is definitely right up there at the top,” he said. “This is my best 36-hole score and the 65 (Thursday) was my best score ever. Shooting 67 today was great. Sometimes you can’t really back up a good round, but I had another good round today.”
Maybank, who made 13 birdies against three bogeys over the two days, said his driver early in the second round was sketchy.
“But my wedges into the green were really good this week,” he said. “I hit a lot of shots close and here you have to take advantage of the holes you can.”
Maybank wears two different golf shoes when he plays. He said it stems from an attempt to be flashy when he was younger.
“Then I played really good when I did that, so it’s kind of my thing now I guess,” he said.
His goals for golf are to play Division I in college and hopefully be a PGA Tour player one day. He thanked his long-time teacher Brian O’Neill, the director of golf instruction at the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in Orlando, Fla., who previously was a professional at the Boyne properties in Northern Michigan.
“This was the most consistent I’ve played for two days,” Maybank said. “My game is trending is the right direction.”
Fennell, who has won on the Meijer Junior Tour and the West Michigan Junior Tour this summer, won her first GAM and state title.
“I started playing good a couple of weeks ago,” she said. “I got my putting finally going and I made a lot of putts. I came here and said I was going to win, and I did. I felt good about the way I was playing.”
She started her round on the back nine on Friday and birdied holes 13 and 14.
“That got it going from there,” she said. “My birdie putts were five footers on both of those holes. At 13 I hit a 9-iron in there, and on 14 I think it was a gap wedge.”
Shooting two even-par rounds was a first for Fennell. She said breaking par in a round and tournament remains one of her goals, as well as playing college golf one day and getting rid of three-putts. Like Maybank, she thanked her teacher, too. She works with Cole Meinke, a PGA assistant professional at StoneWater Country Club in Caledonia where her parents are members.
“I’m going to shoot under par soon,” she said.
It was the third consecutive year that Forest Akers East has hosted the age group championship for boy and girl golfers. The tournament is designed for young players to gain competitive experience in GAM tournaments over two days. Players are allowed to play up a division if they choose. The 13-15 players played 36 holes of stroke play, 18 holes each day, while the 12-and-under golfers played nine holes each day.
Maybank, a 14-year-old homeschooled golfer, followed up a personal-best round of 6-under 65 from Thursday with a 67 on Friday for a 10-under 132 total and five-shot win over Justin Sui of Lake Orion, who shot a closing 68 for 137.
Fennell, who is 13 and will be an eighth-grader in the fall at Pinewood Middle School in Kentwood, shot a second consecutive even-par 71, which was her personal best score as well. Her 142 total topped two golfers who tied for second at 145; Sophie Stevens of Highland, who shot a final 73, and Bridget Boczar of Canton, who shot 76.
Champions were also determined in the 12-and-under age group category.
Avery Manning of Dexter, who is 11, won the girls’ title with nine-hole rounds of 39 Thursday and a closing 37 for 5-over 76. Grace Slocum of Traverse City, who shot 44 for 88, was second.
Grace’s 12-year-old brother, Joshua Slocum, shot 40 for 81 to win the boys 12-and-under title. Dominic Gaudino of Northville shot 45 for 93 and second.
Maybank, who in 2018 was a Drive, Chip and Putt boys 12-13 national champion at Augusta National in Georgia, called winning the GAM Junior Stroke Play his best regular tournament win.
“It is definitely right up there at the top,” he said. “This is my best 36-hole score and the 65 (Thursday) was my best score ever. Shooting 67 today was great. Sometimes you can’t really back up a good round, but I had another good round today.”
Maybank, who made 13 birdies against three bogeys over the two days, said his driver early in the second round was sketchy.
“But my wedges into the green were really good this week,” he said. “I hit a lot of shots close and here you have to take advantage of the holes you can.”
Maybank wears two different golf shoes when he plays. He said it stems from an attempt to be flashy when he was younger.
“Then I played really good when I did that, so it’s kind of my thing now I guess,” he said.
His goals for golf are to play Division I in college and hopefully be a PGA Tour player one day. He thanked his long-time teacher Brian O’Neill, the director of golf instruction at the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in Orlando, Fla., who previously was a professional at the Boyne properties in Northern Michigan.
“This was the most consistent I’ve played for two days,” Maybank said. “My game is trending is the right direction.”
Fennell, who has won on the Meijer Junior Tour and the West Michigan Junior Tour this summer, won her first GAM and state title.
“I started playing good a couple of weeks ago,” she said. “I got my putting finally going and I made a lot of putts. I came here and said I was going to win, and I did. I felt good about the way I was playing.”
She started her round on the back nine on Friday and birdied holes 13 and 14.
“That got it going from there,” she said. “My birdie putts were five footers on both of those holes. At 13 I hit a 9-iron in there, and on 14 I think it was a gap wedge.”
Shooting two even-par rounds was a first for Fennell. She said breaking par in a round and tournament remains one of her goals, as well as playing college golf one day and getting rid of three-putts. Like Maybank, she thanked her teacher, too. She works with Cole Meinke, a PGA assistant professional at StoneWater Country Club in Caledonia where her parents are members.
“I’m going to shoot under par soon,” she said.
It was the third consecutive year that Forest Akers East has hosted the age group championship for boy and girl golfers. The tournament is designed for young players to gain competitive experience in GAM tournaments over two days. Players are allowed to play up a division if they choose. The 13-15 players played 36 holes of stroke play, 18 holes each day, while the 12-and-under golfers played nine holes each day.
Petoskey's Joey Garber Rockets his way to bigger goals on the PGA Tour
Michigan Golf Scene - Jack Nicklaus Interview, Bernhard Langer, MHSAA, Flint Golf Club and more 6.20.19 NEW SHOW
Michigan Golf Scene's latest episode 6.8.19
MHSAA Boys's golf- which county is the best in the Michigan? HS Golf, Detroit Golf Club, Darren McCarty LPGA and Lexi Thompson
|
All Photos are $5 and your purchase goes to support junior/college golf coverage
to order Contact Roy J. Akers rjakers2002@yahoo.com or 248-238-4449 BIG RAPIDS – A new class, a new website, a new home and raffle winners make for a big Michigan Golf Hall of Fame weekend ahead.
Go now to http://www.mghof.org to see the new official website of the Hall of Fame. Go to http://events.eventease.com/mghof/ and order tickets before the Friday night deadline for a chance to win six great golf prizes in The Michigan Golf Hall of Fame Raffle. The drawing is Saturday. As previously announced, the class of the late George Bayer, Ron Beurmann, Bernie Friedrich and Al Mengert will be inducted Sunday evening to the Hall of Fame, now housed in the new Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center at Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Club. In addition, the Golf Association of Michigan will receive a special award marking its centennial year of providing services to Michigan golf. “We have a lot to celebrate this weekend, a new home that will allow us to grow and thrive in a great golf and learning environment, a new website that serves as a source for Michigan golf history, and especially our 2019 class of the Hall of Fame and the Golf Association of Michigan,” Greg Johnson, chairman of the MGHOF, said. “We are proud the center is named for Ken Janke Sr., our Hall of Fame co-founder. He was a man of vision who loved the game of golf, and his son, Ken and Ken’s wife Kim, honored this project with a great financial gift to help bring life to his vision. It’s a great weekend for the Hall of Fame, a great weekend for Ferris State University, a great weekend for the Janke family and so many other wonderful donors, and a great weekend for golf in Michigan.” The new website, mghof.org, includes updated biographies of the 123 current members of the Hall of Fame as well as other information. The weekend is centered around the induction of Bayer, a former Detroit Golf Club head professional and PGA Tour player, Beurmann, head professional at Country Club of Jackson, Friedrich, senior vice-president of golf operations and resort sales for Boyne Resorts, and Mengert, a former Oakland Hills Country Club head professional. They will bring the Hall of Fame’s membership to 127. |
Eastern Michigan Women's Team is hungry for wins in 2019-20 season.Mariah Stackhouse goes from college powerhouse to consistent LPGA casher
Media Day Photos from the Rocket Mortgage Press ConferenceBrian Minbiole of Callaway talks about the 2019 edition of Callaway clubs |
Drone Course Review- Sultan's Run near French Lick, IndianaThe Flint GC is on a RollMichigan Golf Scene Show Inaugural Show- w/ John Daly, Laura Davies, The Orchards three best holes by drone with Jeff Stalcup, Michigan Golf Show and more.Michigan Golf Scene with Corey Pavin, Jan Stephenson, The Michigan Golf Show and aerial drone of the Pete Dye Course |
Brian, will be featured on Michigan Golf Scene talking about cutting edge golf products and where you can find them.
Tom Lang talks Michigan golf and rules changes, pro golf and moreShow 4-May 17th, 2019- New Show, On this show, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, the LPGA in Grand Rapids, junior and college golfShow 3- May 1,2019 Michigan Golf Scene Show Three with Fred Couples, Helen Alfredsson, and college golf - Show 1.3 |