East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State junior women’s golfer Katie Lu was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week on Wednesday by the conference office.
The Spartans, ranked No. 34 in the country in the latest Golfweek rankings, are coming off a second-place finish at the Mary Fossum Invitational. Lu led the way for the Spartans, firing a 3-under par 213 (70-69-74) to finish in first place in the field of 84 golfers and notching the first win of her collegiate career. Her score of 213 was the second-best 54-hole score of her career. In winning, Lu claims the 13th Mary Fossum Invitational title for an MSU golfer and she is the 11th Spartan to win the title at least once. Her Lu shared the Big Ten Conference Golfer of the Week with Indiana’s Chloe Johnson. Michigan State is back on the course on Monday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 26, playing in the Glass City Invitational at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Wisconsin Claims Men’s Golfer of the Week Honor
Badgers’ Aas captures weekly accolade after winning the Frank Wrigglesworth Invitational Golfer of the Week Daniel Aas, Wisconsin Sr. – Båatsoe, Norway – Limestone University
Sept. 7: Hunter Thomson, Jr., MICH Sept. 14: Max Herendeen, Fr., ILL/Mac McClear, Gr., Iowa Sept. 20: Daniel Aas, Sr., WIS B1G Womens Golfers of the Week
Indiana and Michigan State Collect Weekly Golf Award
Hoosiers’ Chloe Johnson and Spartans’ Katie Lu Honored ROSEMONT, Ill. – Indiana sophomore Chloe Johnson and Michigan State junior Katie Lu have been named Big Ten Conference Women’s Co-Golfers of the Week for tournaments played Sept. 16-19. Co-Golfer of the Week Chloe Johnson, Indiana So. – Evansville, Ind. — North
Co-Golfer of the Week Katie Lu, Michigan State Jr. – Plainsboro, N.J. — West Windsor-Plainsboro North Compiled a 3-under par 213 to claim the individual title at the 37th Mary Fossum Invitational, contested Sept. 17-18 at Forest Akers West Golf Course
ORCHARD LAKE – Orchard Lake Country Club and its classic course will host one of the most popular tournaments of the golf season when it welcomes the 37th GAM Senior Championship presented by Rocket Tour Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 11-12.
A field of 156 golfers ages 55-plus, many of them multiple-time champions of various tournaments over the years, will play 36 holes of stroke play to determine the overall Senior champion as well as a Super Senior division winner for those over age 65. The Orchard Lake Country Club course was designed and built by the legendary duo of Harry S. Colt and Captain Hugh Alison in 1926. It blankets naturally rolling terrain and a restoration completed in 2013 by Virginia-based architect Keith Foster was lauded for bringing back the original design’s beauty as well as the Colt & Alison style of bunkering and natural green complexes. It can be played between 5,311 and 7,104 yards with six tee positions and features white sand bunkers to highlight picturesque settings. The club has hosted several GAM tournaments and GAM and USGA qualifiers over the years, including the 2015 GAM Senior Championship won by Mike Tungate, and the 2008 GAM Championship won by Jimmy Chestnut. In 2009 and 2010 it hosted the Michigan Open Championship. Current PGA Tour player Ryan Brehm won both of those Opens. In 2019 a renovation of the clubhouse was also completed. Brian Sleeman is the head golf professional and Aaron McMaster the superintendent. Learn more at orchardlakecountryclub.com Seven former overall champions, including defending champion John Barbour of Grand Rapids, are in this year’s field. The former champions joining Barbour include 2021 and 2019 winner Steve Maddalena of Jackson, 2018 champion David Bartnick of Livonia, four-time winner Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013), two-time winner Ian Harris of Bloomfield (2012, 2014), 2016 winner Tom Rex Jr., of Charlevoix, and 2007 winner Mike Fedewa of Canton. David Schultz of St. Joseph, the Super Senior division winner a year ago, is back, as is 2019 Super Senior winner Mark Ochsankehl of Caledonia, and Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake, an Orchard Lake CC member and the Super Senior winner in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Last year in a weather-marred championship at Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, Barbour emerged as champion from a three-golfer sudden-death playoff. He made an eight-foot par-saving putt on the third playoff hole to turn back David Martin of Saline and Tom Senkowski of Rochester Hills. Notre Dame & Michigan State Finish 1-2 at Folds of Honor Collegiate at American DunesCMU Coach Jennings and his upstart Chips are making a markThe University of Michigan men's golf team heads to the Chicagoland
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's golf team heads to the Chicagoland area to continue its fall season as the Wolverines will play in Wake Forest's Highlands Invitational, Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 18-19) in Westchester, Ill. The 14-team field will play 54-holes (36-18) at the Chicago Highlands Club.
Notes • There will be 14 teams among the field for the Highlands Invitational, including: College of Charleston, Duke, Furman, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia, Wake Forest and Yale. • U-M will travel five starters to Chicago for the Highlands Invitational. Senior Will Anderson and junior Hunter Thomson head up the starters with redshirt-juniors Ben Hoagland and Jack O'Donnell and junior Yuqi Liu rounding out the five. It is the second straight event for U-M's starting five. • Thomson will make his 25th consecutive start for the Wolverines. He has not missed a tournament for U-M in three seasons. Anderson will start his 15th straight event for U-M and 29th of his 30-event career. • After his career-best performance helped U-M win the Island Resort Intercollegiate (Sept. 3-4), Thomson earned his third career Big Ten Golfer of the Week accolade. He set his career-best 54-hole total with a 202 (-14) tally after rounds of 71 (-1), a career-low 65 (-7) and 66 (-6), to earn a runner-up finish -- the third of his career. The 202 tally tied the U-M mark for second-lowest 54-hole tally in program history (Bill Rankin, 2008 The Maxwell). • Thomson's 202 (-14) tally was the 11th sub-par 54-hole total of his 24-event career. • In addition to Thomson's start, Hoagland used a career-low 64 (-8) in the second round of the Island Resort Intercollegiate to record a new career-low 54-hole total of 206 (-10) -- topping his prior best by four shots (210, -6) set the year prior at the Island Resort. In six rounds over the last two years at Sage Run, he has yet to post a round above par and has twice fired his career best single-round total. • A total of four career bests fell at the season opener. After Thomson and Hoagland, O'Donnell posted a career-low 215 (-1; 71-72-72), while Liu followed with his career-best 216 (E, 75-72-69). • U-M's 834 (-30) season-opening tally at the Island Resort Intercollegiate marked the second-lowest 54-hole team tournament total in program history. With career-lows by Hoagland (64, -8) and Thomson (65, -7), U-M posted a 273 (-15) second-round team total, giving the Wolverines their fourth lowest all-time. • Anderson and Thomson were the only Wolverines to start all 12 events a year ago. The duo combined to finish as the top Wolverine in 10 of those events (Thomson eight times, Anderson twice). Thomson paced the Wolverines with his 72.81 scoring average, while Anderson was just behind at 73.59. • In fact, the Wolverine duo of Anderson and Thomson have dominated U-M's statistics the last two seasons. They have combined for 37 of U-M's 75 sub-par tallies. Additionally, the duo has recorded 13 of the last 24 sub-70 rounds -- Thomson (eight) and Anderson (five). For his career, Thomson has averaged 72.95 per round, while Anderson is holding at 73.85. |
Katie Lu Wins First Collegiate Title, Spartans Finish in Second Place at Mary Fossum InvitationalEast Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State junior women’s golfer Katie Lu entered the final round of play in the lead and held on for a one-shot victory, taking medalist honors at the Mary Fossum Invitational and the Spartans finished second in the team standings in the 15-team field.
The Spartans entered the final round of play with an 8-shot advantage over second place Purdue, but MSU posted a 14-over par 302 in the final round and finished second at 4-over par 868 (285-281-302). Purdue posted the best round of the day, and the team’s seconds-straight 4-under par 284, to move into the lead around the turn and finished in first at 6-under par 858 (290-284-284). MSU was second, with Ohio State third (15-over par 879), Maryland fourth (17-over par 881) and Tennessee in fifth place (20-over par 884). The tournament was played on the par-72, 6,370 yard course at Forest Akers West, which will serve as a host for one of six NCAA Regionals in May 2024. Lu won her first collegiate event by shooting a 2-over par 74 in the final round to finish at 3-under par 213 (70-69-74). She held off a late run from Purdue’s Ashley Kozlowski, who finished in second at 2-under par 214, with a par on the 18th hole to claim the title. In winning, Lu claims the 13th Mary Fossum Invitational title for an MSU golfer and she is the 11th Spartan to win the title at least once. Junior Leila Raines had the best round of the day for the Spartans with a 1-over par 73 and finished in third place at 1-under par 215 (73-69-73). Junior Brooke Biermann tied for 15th place at 3-over par 219 (71-71-77). Biermann, who was tied for second place entering the final day after back-to-back rounds of 1-under par 71, finished with a 5-over par 77 on Monday. Senior Valentina Rossi finished in a tie for 43rd place at 12-over par 228 (72-78-78) and junior Shannon Kennedy tied for 52nd place at 14-over par 230 (72-72-86). Four Spartans are playing as individuals, led by freshman Ana Sofia Murcia, who finished in a tie for 19th place at 5-over par 221 (75-72-74). Sophomore Paula Balanzategui had her best round of the tournament with a 1-under par 71, finishing in a tie for 43rd place at 12-over par 228 (79-78-71). Freshman Ella Weber tied for 62nd place at 16-over par 232 (79-73-80) and sophomore Caroline McConnell tied for 77th place at 25-over par 241 (78-83-80). Michigan State is back on the course on Monday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 26, playing in the Glass City Invitational at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. MADISON, Wis. – The Indiana Hoosiers women’s golf team finished seventh at the Badger Invitational played at the University Ridge Course. The Hoosiers teed off Sunday morning and ended Tuesday afternoon with a 54-hole score of 887 (302-287-298; +23).
Sophomore Chloe Johnson finished the second round with a score of 66 (-6), tying the record for lowest individual round in Badger Invitational history. The score was tied for the second-lowest round tied round by a Hoosier in program history. TOURNAMENT INFORMATION Badger Invitational • Fitchburg, Wis. University Ridge Golf Course Par 72 • 6,248 yards Live Results: GolfStat.com Team Standings: 7th/15 – 887 (302-287-298; +23) Top Indiana Player: Chloe Johnson – 211 (73-66-72; -5) CHIP-INS • Johnson impressively shot a three-round total of 211 (73-66-72; -5) to secure a third-place finish. She recorded three birdies in the first round, six in the second round, and four in the final round. The Furman transfer led all Hoosiers in birdies and did not record a bogey in her record-breaking second round. • Senior Dominika Burdová, who competed as an individual, tied for seventh. The Czech Republic native shot a 217 (73-72-72; +1), recording impressive numbers in her first match of the season with the Hoosiers. • Graduate student Caroline Craig posted a score of 222 (77-73-72; +6) to finish t-26th overall. The Georgia native sank birdie putts on No. 9 in the first round and on No. 2, No. 3, No. 5, and No. 9 in the second round. She added birdies on No. 2, No. 9, and No. 16 in the final frame. • Redshirt sophomore Maddie May placed t-46th with a 54-hole scorecard of 227 (76-73-78; +11). Her place of t-46th marked her best of the season. The Ole Miss transfer posted birdies on No. 8 and 9 in round one, and No. 5, 10, 14, and 16 in the second round. • Redshirt junior Caroline Smith finished t-50th overall after shooting a 228 (77-75-76; +12) for the invitational. The Wake Forest transfer birdied 6, 8, and 11 in the opening round before tallying two more birdies in each of the next two rounds, No. 3 and 9 in round two, and No. 2 and 16 in the final round. • Sophomore Faith Johnson shot a 232 (76-78-78; +16) to finish t-64th. She knocked in five birdie conversions in her opening frame on holes No. 1, 7, 9, 11, and 17. She went onto convert two more birdies, one on hole 10 in the second round, and one on hole 11 in the third round. HOOSIERS IN THE STANDINGS 3. Chloe Johnson – 211 (73-66-72; -5) t-26. Caroline Craig – 222 (77-73-72; +6) t-46. Maddie May – 227 (76-73-78; +11) t-50. Caroline Smith – 228 (77-75-76; +12) t-64. Faith Johnson – 232 (76-78-78; +16) INDIVIDUAL t-7. Dominika Burdová – 217 (73-72-72; +1) UP NEXT- Indiana will return to the golf course for the Glass City Invitational played from Sept. 25-26 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. OH BROTHER: Pierce, Tait Morrissey Claim GAM Four-Ball ChampionshipJACKSON – Pierce Morrissey said he figured why not round out the summer golf season family style, so he asked his older brother Tait to play with him in the 10th GAM Four-Ball Championship presented by BOYNE Golf Monday at Country Club of Jackson.
“Why not play with someone that I feel comfortable with, that I’ve grown up with and played golf with my entire life,” he said. “I figured this would be a special event to win that way.” The Morrissey brothers, 22-year-old Pierce who is a senior and golf team member at Michigan State University, and Tait, 24, a Northville resident, put together a 9-under 63 on the Marsh and Pines nines to win both the afternoon wave and the overall championship. A field of 70-two-golfer teams was split between morning and afternoon waves. The Morrissey brothers put together nine birdies and edged Andrew Tindall of Chelsea and Nick Jallos of Plymouth, who each made four birdies to shoot 8-under 64. Gary Even Owen of Ann Arbor and Ronald Owen of Dexter, who teamed up for a 7-under 65, finished third in the afternoon wave. The morning wave champions were David LeVan and Scott Oudsema of Ann Arbor. They won a three-team playoff among teams at 5-under with a par on the second hole of sudden death. Brian King of Commerce Township and Dieter Schulz of Fort Gratiot finished second in the playoff with a team bogey on the final playoff hole (No. 9 Pines). Ron Bonatz and Matt Lewicki of Northville finished third dropping out of the mix at 5-under on the first playoff hole with a bogey (No. 1 Pines). Bonatz, however, had the shot of the day on his first shot of the day. He made a hole-in-one hitting a 9-iron 145 yards into the hole on his first swing (par 3 No. 6 Pines). Their group started the round on that hole in the shotgun-start format. Pierce Morrissey said thank you to Country Club of Jackson and the GAM for the fun tournament, and then said he and his brother ham-and-egged it around the course. “I kept the putter going all day, and Tait made some clutch putts coming down the stretch,” he said. “We had a couple of birdie strings in the middle of each nine. We played the round like a family. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we pick each up when one of gets down. We stayed positive all day and made a lot of putts.” Michigan State in First Place at the Mary Fossum InvitationalEast Lansing, Mich. – Led by three players standing atop the leaderboard, Michigan State’s women’s golf team is in first place among 15 teams after the first day of play at the 37th Mary Fossum Invitational, being played at Forest Akers West.
The tournament is being played on the par-72, 6,370 yard course at Forest Akers West, which will serve as a host for one of six NCAA Regionals in May 2024. The Spartans fired a 10-under par 566 (285-281) over two rounds on Sunday and enter the final round of play with an 8-shot lead over second place Purdue (2-under par 574). Ohio State is third (5-over par 581), with Tennessee in fourth place (9-over par 585) and Nebraska in fifth place (12-over par 588). MSU led the field after the opening round with a 3-under par 285 and at one point were 15-under par in the second round before closing with a 7-under par 281, tied for the 13th-best single team round in program history. Junior Katie Lu led the way for Michigan State and stops atop the field of 84 golfers at 5-under par 139 (70-69). She shot a 2-under par 70 in the opening round and had a 3-under par 69 in the second round, with four birdies. Tied for second place is senior Leila Raines and junior Brooke Biermann, who are three shots off the pace with scores of 2-under par 142. Biermann posted consecutive scores of 1-under par 71, finishing her two rounds with six birdies and 27 pars. Raines went 1-over par 73 and closed out with a 3-under par 69, with three birdies and an eagle on the par-5, 495-yard eighth hole. Junior Shannon Kennedy is tied for sixth place at even-par 144 after back-to-back rounds of 72. Kennedy had four birdies in the first 14 holes of the second round and was at 4-under par through 15 before finishing at even-par. Senior Valentina Rossi is tied for 35th place at 6-over par 150 (72-78). Four Spartans are playing as individuals, led by freshman Ana Sofia Murcia, who is tied for 20th place at 3-over par 147 (75-72). Classmate Ella Weber is tied for 49th place at 8-over par 152 (79-73), while sophomore Paula Balanzategui is tied for 66th place at 13-over par 157 (79-78) and sophomore Caroline McConnell is tied for 76th place at 17-over par 161 (78-83). The Mary Fossum Invitational will conclude with 18 holes on Monday in an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The Spartans tee off on the first three holes, playing alongside Purdue and Ohio State. Jack Nicklaus on Harbor Shores and designing a course with Justin Thomas |
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. - In a thrilling final round that saw numerous lead changes, Notre Dame (team) and Kansas’ Cecil Belisle (individual) captured victory Wednesday at the 2023 Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Club.
After a weather delay that lasted two hours and 17 minutes began the round, battles on the back nine took place on both the team and individual leaderboards. Seven golfers finished within two shots of Belisle, including second-place finishers Angelo Marcon (Notre Dame) and Jack Tanner (Memphis) who recorded the only two final-round scores in the 60s. “It started on No. 8 for me,” Marcon said. “Things weren’t going well, and I just kept telling myself that something good was going to happen. I made a 40-footer on 8 for birdie and then I was off and running.” “You never know when the next time you’re going to be able to play in an event something like this, so it eased my mind and allowed me to play some really good golf,” he continued. “I didn’t really know how the team was doing, but I felt some really good vibes. We’re really good at that regardless of how we’re playing. It was a lot of fun, especially with all of the cameras watching. I love showing people what I can do.” Belisle, the 2022 NJCAA Jack Nicklaus Award winner at South Mountain Community College, began the round three shots back and held off fierce competition to capture his first career victory at the NCAA Division I level. “I played steady, committed to my shots, had fun with it, and enjoyed the moment,” said. “This week was, in my way, a new opportunity to glorify God in how I play the game. It was a great opportunity for me to do that and I thought that I did a great job of it.” Making his collegiate debut this week, Notre Dame’s Jacob Modleski shot an even-par 71 on Wednesday that included an all-important eagle on the 538-yard 18th hole for his best score of the week. “It was good to hit the fairway,” said the Noblesville, Ind. native. “It’s a hole where you can score if you’re in a good position off the tee. It was a lot of fun to see that go in with some coaches, family, and friends around the green.” Fighting Irish head coach John Handrigan valued the importance of this week and event with his program. “This week was bigger than golf,” he said. “The vibe that you have here is a different feel, and we wanted to represent ourselves the best. It’s special when you can make things like that happen under that amount of pressure.” == The Irish were in the clubhouse and tied with the Spartans for the team lead at 8-over par as MSU made its way on to the 18th hole to finish the round, but could not push ahead. “After really, really fighting down the stretch to get ourselves in position, just a couple of things on 18 that you’d only understand if you play golf at this level,” MSU Head Coach Casey Lubahn said. “They just had to get over the hump and we were right there. To give ourselves after what happened on 11, 12 and 13, I was super proud of them. We played 14, 15, 16 and 17 awesome, but you have to close the deal when you get the chance.” Senior August Meekhof led the way for the Spartans, tying for sixth place at 1-over par 214 (72-69-73). He shot a 2-over par 73 in the final round, hitting a birdie on the first hole and finishing with 14 pars. Meekhof was tied for fifth among all golfers with 37 pars. Senior Bradley Smithson had the best round of the day for the Spartans, firing a 1-under par 70 and tied for 12th place at 3-over par 216 (75-71-70). Smithson was 1-over par on the front nine, but played the back in 2-under par with three birdies, including one on the 18th hole. Junior Ashton McCulloch tied for 12th place with Smithson at 3-over par 217 (73-69-74). McCulloch had a 3-over par 74 on Wednesday, with three birdies and 11 pars. McCulloch finished the tournament with 12 birdies, tied for second in the field. Graduate student Drew Hackett, who was tied for ninth place entering the final day after a 1-under par 70 in Tuesday’s round, finished in a tie for 16th place at 4-over par 217 (73-70-74). Hackett closed with a 3-over par 74, which including three birdies, two on the back nine. Hackett finished third among all golfers with 41 pars. Freshman Lorenzo Pinili tied for 48th place at 10-over par 214 (73-74-77). He closed out the tournament with a 6-over par 77 on Wednesday. The Spartans served as a host for the second-year event along with The Folds of Honor, American Dunes and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Folds of Honor and the GCAA Presidential Scholar “Despite the one-shot deficit, this a dream come true for Michigan State Golf, “Lubahn said. “I hope it’s a dream for Folds of Honors and the GCAA and everybody who’s involved that we pulled off something very special. That’s going to be our legacy 20 years from now when this tournament is one of the grandest. No one will remember what happened on 18 today, but we’ll remember the impact we had on our communities and our military families.” finish top 20 schools scores
1 Michigan State 291 279 570 +2 T2 Arizona 283 290 573 +5 T2 South Carolina 282 291 573 +5 4 Arkansas 289 285 574 +6 5 Notre Dame 287 291 578 +10 6 Florida State 291 289 580 +12 7 Memphis 286 296 582 +14 8 NC State 296 288 584 +16 9 Kentucky 290 295 585 +17 10 Indiana 284 306 590 +22 11 Oregon State 290 302 592 +24 12 Kansas 299 298 597 +29 13 Grand Valley State 297 302 599 +31 14 Howard University 292 315 607 +39 15 Air Force 297 312 609 +41 16 Army West Point 314 310 624 +56 17 Navy 311 320 631 +63 18 Florida A&M 322 310 632 +64 finish top 20 players school scores 1 Nick Mathews NC State 67 70 137 -5 T2 Zach Adams South Carolina 69 71 140 -2 T2 Cecil Belisle Kansas 68 72 140 -2 T4 Alex Goff Kentucky 72 69 141 -1 T4 Filip Jakubcik Arizona 70 71 141 -1 T4 August Meekhof Michigan State 72 69 141 -1 T7 John Driscoll Arkansas 71 71 142 E T7 Ashton McCulloch Michigan State 73 69 142 E T9 Tiger Christensen Arizona 69 74 143 +1 T9 Nathan Franks South Carolina 70 73 143 +1 T9 Drew Hackett Michigan State 73 70 143 +1 T9 Rylan Johnson Oregon State 70 73 143 +1 T9 Nicolas Quintero Oregon State 69 74 143 +1 T9 Drew Salyers Indiana 70 73 143 +1 T9 Jacob Skov Olesen Arkansas 72 71 143 +1 T9 Esteban Vazquez Memphis 68 75 143 +1 T9 Tyler Weaver Florida State 72 71 143 +1 T18 Cole Anderson Florida State 73 71 144 +2 T18 Noah Gillard Indiana 68 76 144 +2 T18 Angelo Marcon Notre Dame 69 75 144 +2 T18 Sam Sommerhauser Arizona 72 72 144 +2 T18 Nate Stevens Notre Dame 70 74 144 +2 Team Scores T9 1 Michigan State 291 279 570 +2 2 T2 Arizona 283 290 573 +5 1 T2 South Carolina 282 291 573 +5 6 4 Arkansas 289 285 574 +6 5 5 Notre Dame 287 291 578 +10 T9 6 Florida State 291 289 580 +12 4 7 Memphis 286 296 582 +14 12 8 NC State 296 288 584 +16 T7 9 Kentucky 290 295 585 +17 3 10 Indiana 284 306 590 +22 T7 11 Oregon State 290 302 592 +24 15 12 Kansas 299 298 597 +29 T13 13 Grand Valley State 297 302 599 +31 11 14 Howard University 292 315 607 +39 T13 15 Air Force 297 312 609 +41 17 16 Army West Point 314 310 624 +56 16 17 Navy 311 320 631 +63 18 18 Florida A&M 322 310 632 +64 MSU Women Golfers to WatchEast Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State women's golfers Brooke Biermann, Leila Raines and Valentina Rossi were named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List, announced by the conference office on Thursday.
Biermann led the team in events played (12) and rounds played (36), finishing third on the team in scoring average at 72.89, the ninth-best mark in a single season at MSU. She won her first collegiate event at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional with a 3-under par 213, becoming the first MSU women's golfer to win an NCAA Regional. Biermann, who received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Meijer LPGA Classic over the summer, reached match play in the North & South Amateur and the Round of 32 in the Women's Western Amateur this summer. Raines, a senior, finished fourth on the team in scoring average last year at 73.85 over nine events and 27 rounds. She was the team's top finisher in two events during the spring, including a tie for first place at the Moon Golf Invitational in February. Raines fired a 13-under par 203, tying the MSU record for a 54-hole score, including a 7-under par 65 in the final round that was the fourth-best 18-hole score in program history. Raines was a 2022 NCAA Championships qualifier as an individual. Rossi had a busy summer of travel following her win in the Women's Amateur Latin America (WALA) in November 2022. The win at the WALA qualified her to play in the LPGA Amundi Evian Championship in France, the AIG Women's Open in England and the Chevron Championship during the summer. Raines, a senior, finished second on the team in scoring average last year with a 72.70, the eighth-best single-season mark at MSU, and enters her senior year with a career 73.99 scoring average, the fifth-best in program history. The Spartans are coming off one of the most successful postseasons in program history under Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. Michigan State returns its entire lineup from last year's team that won the program's first NCAA Regional title and finished in 18th place at the NCAA Championships. Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph Wins GAM Mid-Amateur ChampionshipBy Greg Johnson HARBOR SPRINGS – Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph was playing the golf course and the GAM Mid-Amateur Championship for the first time, but he finished like he knew exactly where he was going and what he was doing.
Zerbel fired a final-round 6-under 65, including a 5-under 30 on the back nine on the Moor course at The Highlands in Harbor Springs Thursday, and pulled away to win the 41st edition of the state championship for amateur golfers 25-and-over and presented this year by Stifel Investment Services. “It’s great to win one of these things,” said the 28-year-old who works in the family truck brokerage company in St. Joseph. “I just felt good today. I just felt calm and played well on the back nine. I’m glad I was able to hold it together and finish strong.” Zerbel, who improved 10 shots from a first-round 75 on the Hills course Wednesday, had a 3-under 140 total for the tournament and was clear of the field by four shots. Chet Vandenberg of Portage shot a closing 71 for 144 and the runner-up spot. In addition to the overall Mid-Amateur champion, winners in three other age categories were determined (Mid-Seniors 45-and-over, Seniors 55-and-over and Super Seniors 65-and-over). Billy Nelson of Kalamazoo, who shot 74 for 145 to finish third overall, was presented the Mid-Seniors 45-and-over trophy for first among the 45-and-over set. Jeff Champine of Rochester Hills, who shot 73 for 146 and was tied for fourth overall with 76-shooting Greg Davies of West Bloomfield, was awarded the Mid-Seniors runner-up trophy. Kevin Vandenberg of Pulaski, N.Y., a Mattawan native and the 2000 Mid-Amateur champion, won the Senior title. He shot a closing even-par 72 on the Hills course for a 1-over 145 total and the win by three shots. David LeVan of Ann Arbor, who closed with a 74 for 148, was the Senior runner-up, and Greg Zeller of Jackson, who shot 74 for 151 was third. Ian Harris of Bloomfield won his third age group title in the championship and second Super Senior title (Senior 2015, Super Senior 2019). The 70-year-old tennis pro shot fired a 4-under 68, the low round of the tournament on the Hills course, for a 146 total. John Barbour of Grand Rapids, who shot 72 for 148, and Mike Raymond of Jackson, who also shot 72 for 148, tied for second. Barbour was presented the runner-up trophy via a scorecard playoff. Jim Lewis of Novi was next with a 71 for 149. Zerbel, who will have his name inscribed on the Glenn H. Johnson Trophy and earlier this summer won the Michigan PGA State Pro-Am with Midland Country Club pro Jim Deiters, said his wedge game was much improved Thursday over Wednesday. “I was hitting it close and I was making the putts,” he said. “I started to feel the pressure on 12 when I looked at the scores and knew I had a chance. But I started feeling it again, hit a few close and made a few birdies in a row (four consecutive on holes 14-17). I was in the final group at the GAM Championship, played poorly and was disappointed in that. But I was able to close it today.” The former Columbus State University of Georgia golfer said he played conservatively off the tee on the Moor because it was his first time on the course. “I didn’t really know where to hit it, but I kept it in good spots and hit my irons well,” he said. The 57-year-old Vandenberg, who maintains a GAM membership each summer and owns his own financial planning firm, said it always feels great to win something. “Plus, it’s just always good to come here to Boyne and see a bunch of guys I know, see all my friends and stuff and have fun, and I played well and it was a lot of fun,” he said. He said the key was his finish with a par-save from off the green on 15 following a birdie on the par 3 14th. He then said he played the par 5 No. 18 conservatively for the first time ever. “I’ve never gone around the water like that,” he said and laughed. “I just told myself, slow down, focus on the shot, hit 3-wood off the tee, and just get it in and win.” Harris said at age 70 it felt wonderful to win again among the Super Seniors. “I hit the ball beautifully both days, but coming down the stretch I felt a lot of nerves,” he said. “I was able to get it up and down at 16 for par when I hit a stinker of a tee shot left. What did Billie Jean King say, being nervous is a privilege or something like that. So, it was great to be nervous and see that I could do it again.” Oakland Univ. Celebrates academic
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Folds of Honor kicks off this Labor Day
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Brooke Henderson on her 2021 season and playing in the Olympics
We double dip with this weeks Monday Conversation
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Why I play the Top 50 Scholarship Golf Tour |
Top 50 Players reflections of Indianwood CC
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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
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.” |
Blair O'neal on the
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Divison 4
Division 1 Boys Golf-Final
Lake Orion is your state champion
Note- Top 4 teams are from Oakland County
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

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Boys- Final AJGA Day 3
Grace Yang of Rochester Hill and Kate Brody of Grand Blanc on their AJGA Coca-Cola Tournament
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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.”
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.”
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
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
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
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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.
OU's Giroux riding high |
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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 |
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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 |