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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 Dunes
CMU Coach Jennings and his upstart Chips are making a mark
The 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 |
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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 Watch
East 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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Celebrating our Academic All-AmericansFriends of Oakland Golf --
I hope everyone has been having a great summer and getting plenty of rounds of golf in! It's hard to believe our players will be back on campus in under two weeks for the start of the new season.
This is always one of my favorite emails to write, as I feel it indicates the type of culture we have in our program and the kind of players we recruit. Not only are we looking for talented athletes on the course but also accomplished scholars in the classroom. I firmly believe that good academics and good golf go hand-in-hand, and this couldn't be more true with the three athletes that were named 2023 GCCA Academic All-Americans!
Congrats to Colin Sikkenga, Anthony Comito, and Yaro Ilyenko on being named Academic All-Americans for the 2022-2023 season.
To be eligible for GCAA All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I.
In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.
I hope everyone has been having a great summer and getting plenty of rounds of golf in! It's hard to believe our players will be back on campus in under two weeks for the start of the new season.
This is always one of my favorite emails to write, as I feel it indicates the type of culture we have in our program and the kind of players we recruit. Not only are we looking for talented athletes on the course but also accomplished scholars in the classroom. I firmly believe that good academics and good golf go hand-in-hand, and this couldn't be more true with the three athletes that were named 2023 GCCA Academic All-Americans!
Congrats to Colin Sikkenga, Anthony Comito, and Yaro Ilyenko on being named Academic All-Americans for the 2022-2023 season.
To be eligible for GCAA All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I.
In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.
Ashton McCulloch Wins Canadian Amateur
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State men’s golfer Ashton McCulloch had been through this before.
In the third round of the 118th Canadian Amateur on Wednesday, the Spartans’ rising junior used the back nine at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ontario, Canada to firmly stand atop the leaderboard heading into the final round.
In Thursday’s fourth and final round, McCulloch found himself tied for the lead as the final group made the turn onto the back. It was there, starting on the 11th hole, that McCulloch birdied three of the next four holes to take a five-shot lead with four to play.
McCulloch made par on the final four holes and won the Canadian Amateur Thursday afternoon, finishing with a four-day total of 7-under par 277 (69-68-70-70). The Canadian Amateur Championship is the third-oldest amateur golf event in the world.
“What’s going through my mind is what has gotten me to this point,” McCulloch said following his win. “There are so many people, my parents, my friends, my girlfriend and her parents, that came out and supported me this week. I have so many people I’m thankful for. It’s not just me winning this, it’s my whole team behind me.”
McCulloch, who teamed with two other golfers near his hometown in Ontario to win the Inter-Provincial Team Championship last week, was the only player in the field to shoot under par in all four rounds.
“It was a mental grind out there, for sure,” he said. “That’s why you don’t quit on rounds, you keep on fighting. I was 2-over early in both rounds and I somehow found a way to manage myself and the emotions and keep on fighting and find some birdies late.”
McCulloch, who will be a junior at Michigan State in 2023-24, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2022 and has helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA Regionals in each of the last two seasons.
“I’m so happy for Austin and his family,” Michigan State Head Coach Casey Lubahn said. “This is such a tremendous accomplishment and his Michigan State family and all of our Spartan alums are thrilled for him. He played great this week against a really challenging field and showed that he is one of the best amateur golfers around.”
The win in the Canadian Amateur qualifies McCulloch for the 123rd U.S. Amateur, which will be held from Monday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 20 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. McCulloch will be one of two Spartans playing in the U.S. Amateur, joined by rising senior August Meekhof, who won the Michigan Amateur last month.
“It’s going to be really cool to get to share that with August,” McCulloch said. “For us, following in the footsteps of James (Piot) and seeing what he did to make it through and win a couple of years ago, but of us are really excited for the opportunity to represent Michigan State and make all of Spartan Nation proud.”
The win in the Canadian Amateur by McCulloch marks the second time in the last three years a Spartan has claimed their country’s honor as top amateur golfer.
“As Ashton’s coach at Michigan State and someone who played here too, it’s a pretty proud moment for our program. We’ve made great strides over the last decade to make our program not only one of the best in the Big Ten Conference but in the country. For us, to be able to say that our program had the winners of the U.S. Amateur in 2021 (James Piot) and now the Canadian Amateur is a great moment.”
In addition to qualifying to play in the 123rd U.S. Amateur, McCulloch also receives an entry into the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.
“It means a lot to represent the amateur team,” McCulloch said. “Getting the chance to play in the international open is just amazing.”
In the third round of the 118th Canadian Amateur on Wednesday, the Spartans’ rising junior used the back nine at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ontario, Canada to firmly stand atop the leaderboard heading into the final round.
In Thursday’s fourth and final round, McCulloch found himself tied for the lead as the final group made the turn onto the back. It was there, starting on the 11th hole, that McCulloch birdied three of the next four holes to take a five-shot lead with four to play.
McCulloch made par on the final four holes and won the Canadian Amateur Thursday afternoon, finishing with a four-day total of 7-under par 277 (69-68-70-70). The Canadian Amateur Championship is the third-oldest amateur golf event in the world.
“What’s going through my mind is what has gotten me to this point,” McCulloch said following his win. “There are so many people, my parents, my friends, my girlfriend and her parents, that came out and supported me this week. I have so many people I’m thankful for. It’s not just me winning this, it’s my whole team behind me.”
McCulloch, who teamed with two other golfers near his hometown in Ontario to win the Inter-Provincial Team Championship last week, was the only player in the field to shoot under par in all four rounds.
“It was a mental grind out there, for sure,” he said. “That’s why you don’t quit on rounds, you keep on fighting. I was 2-over early in both rounds and I somehow found a way to manage myself and the emotions and keep on fighting and find some birdies late.”
McCulloch, who will be a junior at Michigan State in 2023-24, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2022 and has helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA Regionals in each of the last two seasons.
“I’m so happy for Austin and his family,” Michigan State Head Coach Casey Lubahn said. “This is such a tremendous accomplishment and his Michigan State family and all of our Spartan alums are thrilled for him. He played great this week against a really challenging field and showed that he is one of the best amateur golfers around.”
The win in the Canadian Amateur qualifies McCulloch for the 123rd U.S. Amateur, which will be held from Monday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 20 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. McCulloch will be one of two Spartans playing in the U.S. Amateur, joined by rising senior August Meekhof, who won the Michigan Amateur last month.
“It’s going to be really cool to get to share that with August,” McCulloch said. “For us, following in the footsteps of James (Piot) and seeing what he did to make it through and win a couple of years ago, but of us are really excited for the opportunity to represent Michigan State and make all of Spartan Nation proud.”
The win in the Canadian Amateur by McCulloch marks the second time in the last three years a Spartan has claimed their country’s honor as top amateur golfer.
“As Ashton’s coach at Michigan State and someone who played here too, it’s a pretty proud moment for our program. We’ve made great strides over the last decade to make our program not only one of the best in the Big Ten Conference but in the country. For us, to be able to say that our program had the winners of the U.S. Amateur in 2021 (James Piot) and now the Canadian Amateur is a great moment.”
In addition to qualifying to play in the 123rd U.S. Amateur, McCulloch also receives an entry into the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.
“It means a lot to represent the amateur team,” McCulloch said. “Getting the chance to play in the international open is just amazing.”
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: Barrett Kelpin Shoots 64, Builds Five-Shot Lead
BOYNE FALLS – Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo said he felt like he had the green light all day.
It showed. The 34-year-old mini-tour professional fired an 8-under 64 in the red numbers on the Alpine course Tuesday and built a commanding five-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round of the 31st Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort.
“The last couple of days I’ve done a good job of keeping the ball below the hole and leaving myself good chances,” said Kelpin, who won the 2015 Tournament of Champions. “I think that’s my best round here. I shot 7-under the year I won, but today I had a lot of green-light looks where I could be aggressive and I made some nice putts.”
His 13-under 131 total for 36 holes left him five shots ahead of fellow touring pro Otto Black of Brighton, who shot a 69 for 136, and six shots ahead of the defending champion, PGA Tour Canada player Brett White, a Grand Rapid native who jumped into the mix with a 66 for 137.
Evan Bowser, a Dearborn native and pro now living in Naples, Fla., shot 66 to finish at 138 and is tied with three other pros who all shot 69 in the second round: Steven Cuzzort, a Grosse Ile native also living in Naples, John Seltzer, the director of instruction at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, and Ann Arbor teaching pro Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Kendall Golf Academy.
Black, the 2021 Tournament of Champions winner who was tied for the lead with Kelpin after round one, said he started slow but rallied in his round to stay in the mix.
“I just had a couple of bad swings early, but nothing too crazy and I made a good comeback the last 10 holes,” he said. “It’s all still right in front of me. I finished strong and I will try to come and make putts and finish strong tomorrow. Anything is possible.”
White, who now lives in Houston, said his 66 was built on continued good play from the back nine of his first round.
“I had a slow start, but it was better today and tomorrow I hope to get started early and maybe put some pressure on Barrett,” he said. “The greens are great. Birdies are possible if you hit the right spots like I did today.”
Kelpin had a three-putt bogey on No. 3 early in his round, but then hit a second-shot 7-iron to six feet and made eagle 3 at the par 5 No. 5 hole. He followed that with consecutive birdies at 6, 7 and 8, and he also birdied 14, 15 and 16 in-a-row before closing with a birdie at 18. He has 12 birdies and two eagles over the two days.
“The eagle got me going after a weak three-putt bogey early,” he said. “I started hitting good shots to the right spots after that.”
Kelpin, who counts some mini-tour wins along with his wins in Michigan, has some experience with leads and low scores. He held the lead throughout the final round when he won the 2012 Michigan Open at The Orchards in Washington Township with a 23-under score, which matched the all-time best score for an Open first set in 1948 by Chick Harbert at Tam O’Shanter Country Club. He also held the lead throughout the final round in 2015 when he won the Tournament of Champions on the Alpine course.
“It’s been a while since I had a win and the lead going into the last round, but I feel really good about it and how I’m playing,” he said. “Some family is up here so it was really nice to play well in front of them today, and I’m going to give it my all tomorrow.”
The 36-hole cut to the low 70 scorers and ties was at 6-over 150 and 74 players of the 120 starters will play in the final round of the unique championship that brings together professionals, amateurs, men, women, seniors and juniors all playing for one trophy from different tee positions.
Kelpin, Black and White, the final group, will tee off at 9:48 a.m. At stake, a $9,000 first-place check from a $66,500 purse. The winner also has his name inscribed on the Walter Burkemo Trophy, receives a traditional green dinner jacket and a membership to the Country Club of Boyne.
It showed. The 34-year-old mini-tour professional fired an 8-under 64 in the red numbers on the Alpine course Tuesday and built a commanding five-shot lead heading into Wednesday’s final round of the 31st Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort.
“The last couple of days I’ve done a good job of keeping the ball below the hole and leaving myself good chances,” said Kelpin, who won the 2015 Tournament of Champions. “I think that’s my best round here. I shot 7-under the year I won, but today I had a lot of green-light looks where I could be aggressive and I made some nice putts.”
His 13-under 131 total for 36 holes left him five shots ahead of fellow touring pro Otto Black of Brighton, who shot a 69 for 136, and six shots ahead of the defending champion, PGA Tour Canada player Brett White, a Grand Rapid native who jumped into the mix with a 66 for 137.
Evan Bowser, a Dearborn native and pro now living in Naples, Fla., shot 66 to finish at 138 and is tied with three other pros who all shot 69 in the second round: Steven Cuzzort, a Grosse Ile native also living in Naples, John Seltzer, the director of instruction at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, and Ann Arbor teaching pro Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Kendall Golf Academy.
Black, the 2021 Tournament of Champions winner who was tied for the lead with Kelpin after round one, said he started slow but rallied in his round to stay in the mix.
“I just had a couple of bad swings early, but nothing too crazy and I made a good comeback the last 10 holes,” he said. “It’s all still right in front of me. I finished strong and I will try to come and make putts and finish strong tomorrow. Anything is possible.”
White, who now lives in Houston, said his 66 was built on continued good play from the back nine of his first round.
“I had a slow start, but it was better today and tomorrow I hope to get started early and maybe put some pressure on Barrett,” he said. “The greens are great. Birdies are possible if you hit the right spots like I did today.”
Kelpin had a three-putt bogey on No. 3 early in his round, but then hit a second-shot 7-iron to six feet and made eagle 3 at the par 5 No. 5 hole. He followed that with consecutive birdies at 6, 7 and 8, and he also birdied 14, 15 and 16 in-a-row before closing with a birdie at 18. He has 12 birdies and two eagles over the two days.
“The eagle got me going after a weak three-putt bogey early,” he said. “I started hitting good shots to the right spots after that.”
Kelpin, who counts some mini-tour wins along with his wins in Michigan, has some experience with leads and low scores. He held the lead throughout the final round when he won the 2012 Michigan Open at The Orchards in Washington Township with a 23-under score, which matched the all-time best score for an Open first set in 1948 by Chick Harbert at Tam O’Shanter Country Club. He also held the lead throughout the final round in 2015 when he won the Tournament of Champions on the Alpine course.
“It’s been a while since I had a win and the lead going into the last round, but I feel really good about it and how I’m playing,” he said. “Some family is up here so it was really nice to play well in front of them today, and I’m going to give it my all tomorrow.”
The 36-hole cut to the low 70 scorers and ties was at 6-over 150 and 74 players of the 120 starters will play in the final round of the unique championship that brings together professionals, amateurs, men, women, seniors and juniors all playing for one trophy from different tee positions.
Kelpin, Black and White, the final group, will tee off at 9:48 a.m. At stake, a $9,000 first-place check from a $66,500 purse. The winner also has his name inscribed on the Walter Burkemo Trophy, receives a traditional green dinner jacket and a membership to the Country Club of Boyne.
Steve Stricker Press Conference teasing the 2023 Ally Challenge, the Ryder Cup and More
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Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Announces New Dates for 2024: June 24-30, 2024
2024 event to feature a Sunday finish for the first time
MIDLAND, Mich. – Tournament officials announced today the 2024 edition of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will take place June 24-30, highlighted by a Sunday finish for the first time in tournament history. The 72-hole two-person team LPGA Tour event will take place Thursday, June 27 – Sunday, June 30, at Midland Country Club, shifting from its traditional July dates due to the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“In the midst of an exciting tournament week at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, it is with great enthusiasm that we look ahead to the 2024 tournament schedule and our new dates in June next year,” said Carlos Padilla II, executive director of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. “The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational is made possible because of the tremendous support of our community, volunteers, fans and partner organizations and we look forward to continuing to grow this great championship into the future together.”
The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational made its debut in 2019 as the first official team competition in LPGA Tour history. That same year the tournament won LPGA Tournament of the Year – the first time this award was presented to a first-year tournament. Additionally, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational became the first event on the LPGA Tour to receive and retain full GEO® Certification for its sustainability efforts and was also the first-ever professional golf tournament to receive this recognition in its first year of operation.
Since its inception, the tournament has donated more than $1.5 million to local charities and organizations. The event partners annually with more than 250 local companies and suppliers and is estimated to have brought more than $25 million in economic impact to the Great Lakes Bay Region. In addition to the official LPGA tournament, the week-long event features many ancillary events and activities to engage the entire community, including the Eat Great Trail, an onsite STEM Center for kids and families, a youth golf clinic, and more.
The 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational continues this week at Midland Country Club, with teams competing for a share of the $2.7 million purse. The tournament is played in a 72-hole stroke play format (Wednesday -- Saturday, July 19-22) with alternating rounds of foursomes (alternate shot) and four-ball (best ball).
MIDLAND, Mich. – Tournament officials announced today the 2024 edition of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will take place June 24-30, highlighted by a Sunday finish for the first time in tournament history. The 72-hole two-person team LPGA Tour event will take place Thursday, June 27 – Sunday, June 30, at Midland Country Club, shifting from its traditional July dates due to the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“In the midst of an exciting tournament week at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, it is with great enthusiasm that we look ahead to the 2024 tournament schedule and our new dates in June next year,” said Carlos Padilla II, executive director of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. “The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational is made possible because of the tremendous support of our community, volunteers, fans and partner organizations and we look forward to continuing to grow this great championship into the future together.”
The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational made its debut in 2019 as the first official team competition in LPGA Tour history. That same year the tournament won LPGA Tournament of the Year – the first time this award was presented to a first-year tournament. Additionally, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational became the first event on the LPGA Tour to receive and retain full GEO® Certification for its sustainability efforts and was also the first-ever professional golf tournament to receive this recognition in its first year of operation.
Since its inception, the tournament has donated more than $1.5 million to local charities and organizations. The event partners annually with more than 250 local companies and suppliers and is estimated to have brought more than $25 million in economic impact to the Great Lakes Bay Region. In addition to the official LPGA tournament, the week-long event features many ancillary events and activities to engage the entire community, including the Eat Great Trail, an onsite STEM Center for kids and families, a youth golf clinic, and more.
The 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational continues this week at Midland Country Club, with teams competing for a share of the $2.7 million purse. The tournament is played in a 72-hole stroke play format (Wednesday -- Saturday, July 19-22) with alternating rounds of foursomes (alternate shot) and four-ball (best ball).
LINN GRANT WINS FIRST LPGA TITLE AT DANA OPEN
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) — Linn Grant won her first LPGA Tour title after an outstanding start to her career in Europe, enduring a charge from U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz and closing with a 3-under 68 for a three-shot victory in the Dana Open on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Grant has five victories on the Ladies European Tour — including a history-making nine-shot victory last year against a field of men and women in the Scandinavian Mixed — and earned LPGA membership starting last season. But she did not play in the United States until this year, when the U.S. dropped its COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers. The Swede did not disclose her reasons for remaining unvaccinated, calling it a private matter.
Now she's an LPGA winner and a lock to represent Europe in the Solheim Cup this fall in Spain.
"I think I've imagined this day so many times in so many ways in my own mind," Grant said. "Just being here now, I'm just so speechless and at the same time I feel familiar with the setting for some reason. But it's just so fun."
Grant entered the day with a six-shot lead after a 62 on Saturday. She parred her first seven holes, chipped in for birdie from behind the green on the par-3 eighth, and still led by six at the turn. But Corpuz, a week after she won at Pebble Beach for her first LPGA title, made it interesting with birdies on four of the last five holes to shoot 65 and get within two shots.
"It doesn't matter if it's one shot or six or whatever it is. Like, it's just awful. You just stress all the way," Grant said. "From the second I teed off to the last putt I'm just shaking, stressed, tense. It's fun, but also very not very fun."
Grant saved par on the par-4 16th and finished with a birdie on the par-5 18th, reaching the green in two with a 3-wood that she didn't think she could get there. Her four-day total at Highland Meadows was 21-under 263.
"I think it's easy to just go out and think that, well, I'll just go out there and I'll win. In my mind I'm still thinking that someone could come from behind and shoot a 9 under," Grant said. "And so in my head I still had to — like if I could just shoot 2, 3 under today, which I did, that would probably get me there."
A week after her triumph at Pebble Beach, Corpuz did not shoot worse than 68 over four rounds in Ohio.
"Really just focused on getting rest the whole week. Didn't get any sleep Sunday night and then travel day Monday," Corpuz said. "So I was a little tired, but just tried to stay focused throughout."
Corpuz moves to fourth in the Race to CME Globe standings.
"My game's just felt like it's in a really good spot," she said. "Just haven't really put four solid rounds together until, obviously, last week and this week."
Lindy Duncan also closed with a 65 and was alone in third, six shots back. Xiyu Janet Lin (67) and Stephanie Kyriacou (69) were another shot behind. Kyriacou played in the final group and had her best LPGA finish.
"I learned a whole lot about the mental side of golf. How to deal with nerves and all that stuff," the Australian said. "So a lot of things to take away from this week, even though one wasn't a trophy."
The 24-year-old Grant has five victories on the Ladies European Tour — including a history-making nine-shot victory last year against a field of men and women in the Scandinavian Mixed — and earned LPGA membership starting last season. But she did not play in the United States until this year, when the U.S. dropped its COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers. The Swede did not disclose her reasons for remaining unvaccinated, calling it a private matter.
Now she's an LPGA winner and a lock to represent Europe in the Solheim Cup this fall in Spain.
"I think I've imagined this day so many times in so many ways in my own mind," Grant said. "Just being here now, I'm just so speechless and at the same time I feel familiar with the setting for some reason. But it's just so fun."
Grant entered the day with a six-shot lead after a 62 on Saturday. She parred her first seven holes, chipped in for birdie from behind the green on the par-3 eighth, and still led by six at the turn. But Corpuz, a week after she won at Pebble Beach for her first LPGA title, made it interesting with birdies on four of the last five holes to shoot 65 and get within two shots.
"It doesn't matter if it's one shot or six or whatever it is. Like, it's just awful. You just stress all the way," Grant said. "From the second I teed off to the last putt I'm just shaking, stressed, tense. It's fun, but also very not very fun."
Grant saved par on the par-4 16th and finished with a birdie on the par-5 18th, reaching the green in two with a 3-wood that she didn't think she could get there. Her four-day total at Highland Meadows was 21-under 263.
"I think it's easy to just go out and think that, well, I'll just go out there and I'll win. In my mind I'm still thinking that someone could come from behind and shoot a 9 under," Grant said. "And so in my head I still had to — like if I could just shoot 2, 3 under today, which I did, that would probably get me there."
A week after her triumph at Pebble Beach, Corpuz did not shoot worse than 68 over four rounds in Ohio.
"Really just focused on getting rest the whole week. Didn't get any sleep Sunday night and then travel day Monday," Corpuz said. "So I was a little tired, but just tried to stay focused throughout."
Corpuz moves to fourth in the Race to CME Globe standings.
"My game's just felt like it's in a really good spot," she said. "Just haven't really put four solid rounds together until, obviously, last week and this week."
Lindy Duncan also closed with a 65 and was alone in third, six shots back. Xiyu Janet Lin (67) and Stephanie Kyriacou (69) were another shot behind. Kyriacou played in the final group and had her best LPGA finish.
"I learned a whole lot about the mental side of golf. How to deal with nerves and all that stuff," the Australian said. "So a lot of things to take away from this week, even though one wasn't a trophy."
Charles Schwab Cup Money leader Steve Stricker set to defend title at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Tournament officials of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announced today that Charles Schwab Cup Money leader Steve Stricker will defend his The Ally Challenge title at the sixth edition of the official PGA TOUR Champions stop, scheduled for the week of August 21-27 at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Moreover, the world-class field will be strengthened by reigning U.S. Senior Open champion Bernhard Langer, and PGA TOUR Champions major winners Retief Goosen and Mark O’Meara.
Tickets for the 2023 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren are on sale. The tournament is open to spectators from Thursday (August 24) to Sunday (August 27) and ticket prices start at $10. For a complete listing of ticket options please visit the tournament website at theallychallenge.com.
Stricker, 56, is enjoying his strongest PGA TOUR Champions campaign to date and one of the best starts, in fact, for any PGA TOUR Champions player in the history of the league. Stricker has finished inside the top-10 in each of his 12 starts this season, including 11 top-fives, four wins—equaling his previous best single-season win total set in 2022—and five runner-up efforts. Over his last five starts Stricker has finished 1st-1st-T2-1st-2nd, with two of those victories’ majors at the Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. The Wisconsin native has now won 15 PGA TOUR Champions events, including six majors, since joining the senior TOUR in 2017. Stricker is also the holder of 13 runner-up finishes and 51 top-10 outings over his 59 tournaments played. This will be Stricker’s second appearance at The Ally Challenge. His 15-under-par winning score in 2022 included rounds of 70-64-67, one stroke better than runner-up Brett Quigley.
Additionally, Stricker served as the 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain when the Americans rolled to a record-setting victory at Whistling Straits in his home state. This came just four years after Stricker captained the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2017 at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. In 2012, Stricker was named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, presented annually to a player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage of charitable support and his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his conduct.
Langer, 65, became the oldest U.S. Senior Open champion and set the record for most PGA TOUR Champions wins (46) with a two-stroke triumph over Stricker two weeks ago at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Langer’s historic victory was his 12th senior major since joining PGA TOUR Champions in 2007. This will be the sixth start at The Ally Challenge for the two-time Masters champion. His best finish was a solo second in 2021, one stroke behind winner Joe Durant. His tournament scoring average is 68.6 to go with earnings of $367,040. Langer currently sits at No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings on strength of five top-10 finishes over 13 events, including two victories. The Germany native was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002 and is ranked first on the PGA TOUR Champions career money list with $35,087,569 in earnings.
Goosen, 54, will be making his fourth start at this year’s The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. The South African earned his best finish in 2020 with a T-2 effort, two strokes behind champion Jim Furyk. His tournament scoring average is 68.22 and his earnings sit at $271,033. The two-time U.S. Open Champion has collected two PGA TOUR Champions wins since joining the tour in 2019. He grabbed his first title and first senior major in just his 12th start at the Kaulig Companies Championship. He picked up his second win last year at the Hoag Classic. This season, Goosen finished T-3 in March at The Galleri Classic and T-6 at the U.S. Senior Open Championship in July, in addition to three other top-five finishes. Goosen is currently ranked No. 17 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Ally ambassador O’Meara has enjoyed a successful career since turning professional in 1980. His resume includes 16 PGA TOUR wins, highlighted by the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship in 1998. He became eligible for PGA TOUR Champions in 2007 and has since recorded three wins, including the Kaulig Companies Championship, 15 runner-up efforts, 63 top-10 finishes and over $10 million in earnings. O’Meara broke his eight-year win drought in March of 2019 when he won the Cologuard Classic. The 66-year-old North Carolina native was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015 and will be making his sixth start at The Ally Challenge next month. His best finish came in the inaugural event in 2018 with a T-3 outing.
The Ally Challenge will be one of the premier Regular Season events on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2023, which will give way to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs¾a season-ending, three-tournament series used to determine the TOUR’s season-long champion.
All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
Moreover, the world-class field will be strengthened by reigning U.S. Senior Open champion Bernhard Langer, and PGA TOUR Champions major winners Retief Goosen and Mark O’Meara.
Tickets for the 2023 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren are on sale. The tournament is open to spectators from Thursday (August 24) to Sunday (August 27) and ticket prices start at $10. For a complete listing of ticket options please visit the tournament website at theallychallenge.com.
Stricker, 56, is enjoying his strongest PGA TOUR Champions campaign to date and one of the best starts, in fact, for any PGA TOUR Champions player in the history of the league. Stricker has finished inside the top-10 in each of his 12 starts this season, including 11 top-fives, four wins—equaling his previous best single-season win total set in 2022—and five runner-up efforts. Over his last five starts Stricker has finished 1st-1st-T2-1st-2nd, with two of those victories’ majors at the Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. The Wisconsin native has now won 15 PGA TOUR Champions events, including six majors, since joining the senior TOUR in 2017. Stricker is also the holder of 13 runner-up finishes and 51 top-10 outings over his 59 tournaments played. This will be Stricker’s second appearance at The Ally Challenge. His 15-under-par winning score in 2022 included rounds of 70-64-67, one stroke better than runner-up Brett Quigley.
Additionally, Stricker served as the 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain when the Americans rolled to a record-setting victory at Whistling Straits in his home state. This came just four years after Stricker captained the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team in 2017 at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. In 2012, Stricker was named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award, presented annually to a player sharing Stewart's respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage of charitable support and his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his conduct.
Langer, 65, became the oldest U.S. Senior Open champion and set the record for most PGA TOUR Champions wins (46) with a two-stroke triumph over Stricker two weeks ago at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. Langer’s historic victory was his 12th senior major since joining PGA TOUR Champions in 2007. This will be the sixth start at The Ally Challenge for the two-time Masters champion. His best finish was a solo second in 2021, one stroke behind winner Joe Durant. His tournament scoring average is 68.6 to go with earnings of $367,040. Langer currently sits at No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings on strength of five top-10 finishes over 13 events, including two victories. The Germany native was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002 and is ranked first on the PGA TOUR Champions career money list with $35,087,569 in earnings.
Goosen, 54, will be making his fourth start at this year’s The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. The South African earned his best finish in 2020 with a T-2 effort, two strokes behind champion Jim Furyk. His tournament scoring average is 68.22 and his earnings sit at $271,033. The two-time U.S. Open Champion has collected two PGA TOUR Champions wins since joining the tour in 2019. He grabbed his first title and first senior major in just his 12th start at the Kaulig Companies Championship. He picked up his second win last year at the Hoag Classic. This season, Goosen finished T-3 in March at The Galleri Classic and T-6 at the U.S. Senior Open Championship in July, in addition to three other top-five finishes. Goosen is currently ranked No. 17 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Ally ambassador O’Meara has enjoyed a successful career since turning professional in 1980. His resume includes 16 PGA TOUR wins, highlighted by the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship in 1998. He became eligible for PGA TOUR Champions in 2007 and has since recorded three wins, including the Kaulig Companies Championship, 15 runner-up efforts, 63 top-10 finishes and over $10 million in earnings. O’Meara broke his eight-year win drought in March of 2019 when he won the Cologuard Classic. The 66-year-old North Carolina native was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015 and will be making his sixth start at The Ally Challenge next month. His best finish came in the inaugural event in 2018 with a T-3 outing.
The Ally Challenge will be one of the premier Regular Season events on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2023, which will give way to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs¾a season-ending, three-tournament series used to determine the TOUR’s season-long champion.
All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
Hawaii's Corpuz Finds Paradise at the (Pebble) Beach With Women’s Open Title
Late Friday afternoon, Hawaii’s greatest female golf ambassador, Michelle Wie West, exited the U.S. Women’s Open stage at Pebble Beach Golf Links with an emotional farewell. Two days later, a new star from the 50th state took a familiar stroll down the iconic par-5 18th hole. But this time, the cheers were for the latest winner of this storied championship, Allisen Corpuz.
Corpuz, 25, joined her fellow Hawaiian as a U.S. Women’s Open champion, shooting a final-round, 3-under-par 69 (72-hole total of 9-under 279) to claim the 78th edition by three strokes over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68).
Bailey Tardy (73), the surprise 36-hole leader who came into this championship No. 455 in the Rolex Golf Rankings, and 54-hole leader Nasa Hataoka (76), who shot a third-round 66, shared fourth at 3-under-par 285.
Ayaka Furue and 2014 Amundi Evian champion Hyo Joo Kim tied for sixth at 2-under 286, while Hae Ryan Ryu was two more strokes back at even-par 288. Newly minted professional Rose Zhang shot a final-round 72 to share ninth and defending champion Minjee Lee tied for 13th.
Corpuz, a graduate of the University of Southern California, became the first American since Brittany Lang in 2016 to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy and only the seventh in the last 23 years.
The member of the victorious 2021 USA Curtis Cup Team also joined a long list of players to make the U.S. Women’s Open their first win on the LPGA Tour, a group that includes World Golf Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies.
“My mind is racing,” said Corpuz, the first to win a women’s major title at Pebble Beach. “Like I said yesterday, this is really a dream come true. It was something I had dreamed of, but at the same time kind of just never really expected it to happen.”
Composed and comfortable in the cauldron that is a final round of a major championship, Corpuz was simply stellar on the greens, registering 10 one-putts, including a clutch 16-footer for par on the par-3 12th. She played the final 11 holes on what is Pebble’s most difficult stretch in 1 under par. That included birdies on Nos. 10, 14 and 15 without any putts longer than 10 feet. She also was the only player in the field to post all four rounds under par.
All of this occurred as Hull, a 27-year-old Englishwoman, made a Sunday charge reminiscent of what Meg Mallon produced 19 years ago when she shot a 65 to beat Sorenstam and claim her second U.S. Women’s Open title. Hull matched the week’s best round with six birdies and an eagle offset by two bogeys. Starting the day seven strokes back, Hull came out sizzling with an eagle on No. 2 and birdies on the third and fourth holes. She later holed a 30-footer on No. 16 that sent a roar through the property.
That early statement sent a message to Corpuz and Hataoka in the day’s final pairing.
Fellow LPGA Tour players douse newly minted U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz with water on Pebble's 18th green. (USGA/Darren Carroll)
Corpuz was more than up to the task with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3. A player who will always be intertwined with Wie West – she surpassed her as the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links history – had been close in year’s two previous major championships. She shared the 54-hole lead at the Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, only to finish tied for fourth with a final-round 74. Two weeks ago, she carded a 69 on Sunday to tie for 15th in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
On Sunday at Pebble Beach, she finished the job to become the 20th first-time major champion in the last 21 contested.
After celebrating with her caddie, Jay Monahan (not related to the PGA Tour Commissioner), she was met by both of her parents and Mary Bea Porter-King, who ran the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association that helped produce the likes of Wie West, Corpuz, fellow Curtis Cup players Stephanie Kono and Mariel Galdiano and many others who have gone on to play collegiate golf.
“My goal with the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association was to provide more playing opportunities for junior golfers in Hawaii,” said Porter-King, a former USGA Executive Committee member. “And also help them understand how important it was to play in USGA championships. It is hard to be a national champion unless you play in USGA championship.
“As one of our HSJGA alumni retires (Wie West), another one, rises to the top.”
Corpuz, 25, joined her fellow Hawaiian as a U.S. Women’s Open champion, shooting a final-round, 3-under-par 69 (72-hole total of 9-under 279) to claim the 78th edition by three strokes over Charley Hull (66) and Jiyai Shin (68).
Bailey Tardy (73), the surprise 36-hole leader who came into this championship No. 455 in the Rolex Golf Rankings, and 54-hole leader Nasa Hataoka (76), who shot a third-round 66, shared fourth at 3-under-par 285.
Ayaka Furue and 2014 Amundi Evian champion Hyo Joo Kim tied for sixth at 2-under 286, while Hae Ryan Ryu was two more strokes back at even-par 288. Newly minted professional Rose Zhang shot a final-round 72 to share ninth and defending champion Minjee Lee tied for 13th.
Corpuz, a graduate of the University of Southern California, became the first American since Brittany Lang in 2016 to hoist the Harton S. Semple Trophy and only the seventh in the last 23 years.
The member of the victorious 2021 USA Curtis Cup Team also joined a long list of players to make the U.S. Women’s Open their first win on the LPGA Tour, a group that includes World Golf Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies.
“My mind is racing,” said Corpuz, the first to win a women’s major title at Pebble Beach. “Like I said yesterday, this is really a dream come true. It was something I had dreamed of, but at the same time kind of just never really expected it to happen.”
Composed and comfortable in the cauldron that is a final round of a major championship, Corpuz was simply stellar on the greens, registering 10 one-putts, including a clutch 16-footer for par on the par-3 12th. She played the final 11 holes on what is Pebble’s most difficult stretch in 1 under par. That included birdies on Nos. 10, 14 and 15 without any putts longer than 10 feet. She also was the only player in the field to post all four rounds under par.
All of this occurred as Hull, a 27-year-old Englishwoman, made a Sunday charge reminiscent of what Meg Mallon produced 19 years ago when she shot a 65 to beat Sorenstam and claim her second U.S. Women’s Open title. Hull matched the week’s best round with six birdies and an eagle offset by two bogeys. Starting the day seven strokes back, Hull came out sizzling with an eagle on No. 2 and birdies on the third and fourth holes. She later holed a 30-footer on No. 16 that sent a roar through the property.
That early statement sent a message to Corpuz and Hataoka in the day’s final pairing.
Fellow LPGA Tour players douse newly minted U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz with water on Pebble's 18th green. (USGA/Darren Carroll)
Corpuz was more than up to the task with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3. A player who will always be intertwined with Wie West – she surpassed her as the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links history – had been close in year’s two previous major championships. She shared the 54-hole lead at the Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, only to finish tied for fourth with a final-round 74. Two weeks ago, she carded a 69 on Sunday to tie for 15th in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
On Sunday at Pebble Beach, she finished the job to become the 20th first-time major champion in the last 21 contested.
After celebrating with her caddie, Jay Monahan (not related to the PGA Tour Commissioner), she was met by both of her parents and Mary Bea Porter-King, who ran the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association that helped produce the likes of Wie West, Corpuz, fellow Curtis Cup players Stephanie Kono and Mariel Galdiano and many others who have gone on to play collegiate golf.
“My goal with the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association was to provide more playing opportunities for junior golfers in Hawaii,” said Porter-King, a former USGA Executive Committee member. “And also help them understand how important it was to play in USGA championships. It is hard to be a national champion unless you play in USGA championship.
“As one of our HSJGA alumni retires (Wie West), another one, rises to the top.”
ALL FINANCIAL MICHIGAN OPEN: Touring Pro Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights Nets His Biggest Career Win at Home
ROCHESTER HILLS – Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights, a touring professional golfer playing one tour or another for 13 years, came home to Michigan to win the biggest check of his career.
The 36-year-old journeyman shot a closing 2-under 69 and finished two shots clear of the field at 12-under to win the Hall Financial Michigan Open presented by Make The Turn, Brighton Ford and Coppercraft Distillery Thursday at the Katke-Cousins Course at Oakland University Golf & Learning Center.
“I’ve won tournaments before but nothing that meant this much,” he said just before receiving the $18,000 first-place share from the largest purse in the 106-year history of the state championship, $122,500.
Grand Valley State University golfer Charles DeLong of DeWitt, the leader by one shot over Jusczcyk starting the final round, shot a closing 72 and tied for second at 10-under with mini-tour golfer James Holley of Howell, who shot 67. DeWitt, the recent Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the best player in NCAA Division II, was the low amateur of the championship.
Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor finished fourth after a 70 for 9-under, and Otto Black of Brighton, 2021 Tournament of Champions winner, moved up to fifth with a closing 65 for 8-under.
Two former Michigan Open champions, 2012 winner Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, and 2017 winner Matt Thompson, now the golf coach at Hillsdale College, tied for sixth at 6-under. Kelpin shot a 72 and Thompson a 66 in the final round.
Juszczyk, who has status on PGA Tour Canada, said playing mini-tour events and chasing the PGA Tour dream is tough, and joked that he thinks about giving up the road every winter..
“It’s a tough road, especially if you can’t handle the failures along the way and just be patient,” he said. “I’ve worked at being patient. Seriously though, I have thought about quitting a handful of times since I was 28 or 29, but I’m a golfer and I keep going.”
Jusczcyk kept going Thursday. He and DeLong traded the lead or were tied for the lead through the final round. It turned in Jusczcyk’s favor when he saved pars after missing the greens on Nos. 13 and 14 and DeLong missed the greens at Nos. 14 and 15 and couldn’t save pars.
“A couple bad swings got me in tough spots and I wasn’t able to recover from them,” DeLong said. “Joe was super solid all day and when he was in trouble a couple of times he was able to get back on track really well. He made a clutch par on 14 and that was kind of the turning point. It was a fun battle back and forth.”
DeLong, who has a year remaining at Grand Valley, said he will head into next week’s Michigan Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills North with confidence.
“I really feel like I didn’t have my best game this week; it was pretty good though and I was able to be in contention and be in the final group,” he said. “That was nice. I just have to clean up little mistakes and I will be there, in contention again.”
Juszczyk said he is not a scoreboard watcher and wasn’t sure where he stood throughout the round.
“I just try to keep my head down and keep playing,” he said. “I have to take care of my business, and if that’s good enough, it’s good enough.”
It was good enough for his biggest check by $3,000. The previous was $15,000 from a tournament in Brainerd, Minn., in 2019.
“This will pay a lot of bills,” he said. “It’s great to win my state open and its great they have Hall Financial and the other sponsors to make it possible. Oakland University, the course, everybody here, it was great and it was a great week for me.
The 36-year-old journeyman shot a closing 2-under 69 and finished two shots clear of the field at 12-under to win the Hall Financial Michigan Open presented by Make The Turn, Brighton Ford and Coppercraft Distillery Thursday at the Katke-Cousins Course at Oakland University Golf & Learning Center.
“I’ve won tournaments before but nothing that meant this much,” he said just before receiving the $18,000 first-place share from the largest purse in the 106-year history of the state championship, $122,500.
Grand Valley State University golfer Charles DeLong of DeWitt, the leader by one shot over Jusczcyk starting the final round, shot a closing 72 and tied for second at 10-under with mini-tour golfer James Holley of Howell, who shot 67. DeWitt, the recent Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the best player in NCAA Division II, was the low amateur of the championship.
Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor finished fourth after a 70 for 9-under, and Otto Black of Brighton, 2021 Tournament of Champions winner, moved up to fifth with a closing 65 for 8-under.
Two former Michigan Open champions, 2012 winner Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, and 2017 winner Matt Thompson, now the golf coach at Hillsdale College, tied for sixth at 6-under. Kelpin shot a 72 and Thompson a 66 in the final round.
Juszczyk, who has status on PGA Tour Canada, said playing mini-tour events and chasing the PGA Tour dream is tough, and joked that he thinks about giving up the road every winter..
“It’s a tough road, especially if you can’t handle the failures along the way and just be patient,” he said. “I’ve worked at being patient. Seriously though, I have thought about quitting a handful of times since I was 28 or 29, but I’m a golfer and I keep going.”
Jusczcyk kept going Thursday. He and DeLong traded the lead or were tied for the lead through the final round. It turned in Jusczcyk’s favor when he saved pars after missing the greens on Nos. 13 and 14 and DeLong missed the greens at Nos. 14 and 15 and couldn’t save pars.
“A couple bad swings got me in tough spots and I wasn’t able to recover from them,” DeLong said. “Joe was super solid all day and when he was in trouble a couple of times he was able to get back on track really well. He made a clutch par on 14 and that was kind of the turning point. It was a fun battle back and forth.”
DeLong, who has a year remaining at Grand Valley, said he will head into next week’s Michigan Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills North with confidence.
“I really feel like I didn’t have my best game this week; it was pretty good though and I was able to be in contention and be in the final group,” he said. “That was nice. I just have to clean up little mistakes and I will be there, in contention again.”
Juszczyk said he is not a scoreboard watcher and wasn’t sure where he stood throughout the round.
“I just try to keep my head down and keep playing,” he said. “I have to take care of my business, and if that’s good enough, it’s good enough.”
It was good enough for his biggest check by $3,000. The previous was $15,000 from a tournament in Brainerd, Minn., in 2019.
“This will pay a lot of bills,” he said. “It’s great to win my state open and its great they have Hall Financial and the other sponsors to make it possible. Oakland University, the course, everybody here, it was great and it was a great week for me.
LIV and PGA Tours Merge
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the LIV Golf League, which have been embroiled in a bitter legal battle for more than a year, have agreed to merge and move forward in a larger commercial business, the circuits announced Tuesday.
The tours called the stunning development "a landmark agreement to unify the game of golf, on a global basis."
ADVERTISEMENTThe landmark deal was reached without the knowledge of many PGA Tour members and LIV Golf players and agents.
Said one PGA Tour player reached by ESPN on Tuesday, "No f---ing way."
A golf agent, who represents a couple of high-profile LIV Golf players, told ESPN that he was unaware of the merger.
"You just made my heart skip a few beats," the agent said, before the deal was officially announced.
In a statement, the circuits said the parties have signed an agreement that "combines PIF's golf-related commercial businesses and rights (including LIV Golf) with the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour into a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from a model that delivers maximum excitement and competition among the game's best players."
The circuits said the agreement ends all pending litigation between the parties.
The three tours said they will work "cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA Tour or DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season."
"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour's history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV -- including the team golf concept -- to create an organization that will benefit golf's players, commercial and charitable partners and fans."
The LIV Golf League, which was being financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and fronted by two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman, and 11 of its players, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, had sued the PGA Tour in federal court last year, alleging that the PGA Tour had used its monopoly power to squash competition and influence vendors, media companies and others from working with LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour filed a countersuit, alleging that LIV Golf had interfered with its contracts with players.
Still to be determined is how players such as Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who defected to LIV Golf for nine-figure bonuses, can rejoin the PGA Tour after this year.
Also unclear was what form the LIV Golf League would take in 2024.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players that a thorough evaluation would determine how to integrate team golf into the game.
"They were going down their path, we were going down ours, and after a lot of introspection you realize all this tension in the game is not a good thing," Monahan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
According to the release, a board of directors will oversee the new entity's golf-related commercial operations, businesses and investments. The groups will work to establish a cohesive schedule. PIF will be the exclusive investor in the new entity and will have the "exclusive right to further invest in the new enterprise, including a right of first refusal on any capital invested.
The PGA Tour will remain a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization, according to the release, and will retain oversight of the sanctioning of events, administration of competition and rules.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will join the policy board of the PGA Tour, which continues to operate its tournaments. Al-Rumayyan will be chairman of the new commercial group, with Monahan as the CEO and the PGA Tour having a majority stake in the new venture. The PIF will invest in the commercial venture.
The PIF had dumped more than $2 billion into the golf enterprise, which critics have claimed is a form of sportswashing to repair the Saudi Arabian monarchy's history of human rights violations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The tours called the stunning development "a landmark agreement to unify the game of golf, on a global basis."
ADVERTISEMENTThe landmark deal was reached without the knowledge of many PGA Tour members and LIV Golf players and agents.
Said one PGA Tour player reached by ESPN on Tuesday, "No f---ing way."
A golf agent, who represents a couple of high-profile LIV Golf players, told ESPN that he was unaware of the merger.
"You just made my heart skip a few beats," the agent said, before the deal was officially announced.
In a statement, the circuits said the parties have signed an agreement that "combines PIF's golf-related commercial businesses and rights (including LIV Golf) with the commercial businesses and rights of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour into a new, collectively owned, for-profit entity to ensure that all stakeholders benefit from a model that delivers maximum excitement and competition among the game's best players."
The circuits said the agreement ends all pending litigation between the parties.
The three tours said they will work "cooperatively and in good faith to establish a fair and objective process for any players who desire to re-apply for membership with the PGA Tour or DP World Tour following the completion of the 2023 season."
"After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour's history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV -- including the team golf concept -- to create an organization that will benefit golf's players, commercial and charitable partners and fans."
The LIV Golf League, which was being financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and fronted by two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman, and 11 of its players, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, had sued the PGA Tour in federal court last year, alleging that the PGA Tour had used its monopoly power to squash competition and influence vendors, media companies and others from working with LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour filed a countersuit, alleging that LIV Golf had interfered with its contracts with players.
Still to be determined is how players such as Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who defected to LIV Golf for nine-figure bonuses, can rejoin the PGA Tour after this year.
Also unclear was what form the LIV Golf League would take in 2024.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players that a thorough evaluation would determine how to integrate team golf into the game.
"They were going down their path, we were going down ours, and after a lot of introspection you realize all this tension in the game is not a good thing," Monahan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
According to the release, a board of directors will oversee the new entity's golf-related commercial operations, businesses and investments. The groups will work to establish a cohesive schedule. PIF will be the exclusive investor in the new entity and will have the "exclusive right to further invest in the new enterprise, including a right of first refusal on any capital invested.
The PGA Tour will remain a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization, according to the release, and will retain oversight of the sanctioning of events, administration of competition and rules.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will join the policy board of the PGA Tour, which continues to operate its tournaments. Al-Rumayyan will be chairman of the new commercial group, with Monahan as the CEO and the PGA Tour having a majority stake in the new venture. The PIF will invest in the commercial venture.
The PIF had dumped more than $2 billion into the golf enterprise, which critics have claimed is a form of sportswashing to repair the Saudi Arabian monarchy's history of human rights violations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kimberly Dinh Wins Second GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Title
SAGINAW – Kimberly Dinh of Midland made sure the only drama involved others asking why her foot was in a brace.
The 30-year-old senior research specialist for Dow Chemical, who broke bones in her lower leg and damaged ligaments in a late January snow skiing accident – and started playing complete golf rounds again just over two weeks ago – shot a closing 2-under 69 and rolled to victory in the 25th GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship presented by Stifel Investment Services Wednesday at Saginaw Country Club.
Dinh’s 36-hole total of 139 was nine shots clear of the field, and she will have her name added to the Jeanne L. Myers Trophy for a second time. The 2022 GAM Women’s Player of the Year and 2021 Michigan Women’s Amateur Champion also won the Women’s Mid-Am in 2020.
Laura Bavaird of Trenton shot a closing 73 for 148 and second place, and Rachel Sampson of East Lansing shot 72 for 149 and third in the championship for golfers age 25-and-over.
Champions were also determined in a Senior Division (age 50-plus) and the age 19-24 Division.
An emotional Shelly Weiss of Southfield shot 77 for 152 and then topped runner-up Julie Massa of Pentwater in a USGA formula scorecard playoff to take top Senior honors. Massa, last year’s GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, also shot 77 for 152, but had a higher overall score on the back nine. Donna Benford of Linden, who shot 79 and had an eagle-2 on the par 4 No. 16 hole, finished third at 155.
Katherine Potter of South Lyon, home for the summer from the Marshall University golf team in West Virginia, shot a second consecutive 72 for 144 and the win among the college set. Grand Valley State University’s Olivia Stoll, who shot 76, and Megha Vallabhaneni of Northville and Western Michigan University, who shot 75, were next at 146.
Dinh said she felt gratitude for being able to return to form and win.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “I finally got out of the boot and my leg was super skinny and I couldn’t do much with it. I couldn’t understand how I could be ready to play competitive golf again so soon. A lot of credit goes to my physical therapists, my surgeon and Kyle (Martin, her teaching professional at The Fortress in Frankenmuth), who got me ready like he always does.”
Weiss, the GAM Senior Women’s Champion in 2018 who will be 62 on Saturday, said she committed this year to improving her game.
“I feel very emotional and proud,” she said. “I worked really hard, put in a lot of work and it was a great day out there for me. It really was.”
She said she worked on her complete game and playing in the final group with Massa, and Joan Garety, both members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, always adds pressure to the mix.
“I’m slightly retired right now so I had some time to work on my game and you know, these girls are good out here. If you don’t work and get better, you get left behind. So, I was determined to get better and I have.”
Potter, 20 and a junior-to-be in the fall, said she had a tough year at school with golf, but has put in work on her game in the last two weeks since coming home.
“I feel really good about this – it’s my first GAM win and I haven’t won anything with players like this before,” she said. “It’s really nice and kind of unexpected. It was great to be playing with people I know and like playing with, too. It was relaxing and different from school where golf always seems to have so much pressure for me.”
The 30-year-old senior research specialist for Dow Chemical, who broke bones in her lower leg and damaged ligaments in a late January snow skiing accident – and started playing complete golf rounds again just over two weeks ago – shot a closing 2-under 69 and rolled to victory in the 25th GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship presented by Stifel Investment Services Wednesday at Saginaw Country Club.
Dinh’s 36-hole total of 139 was nine shots clear of the field, and she will have her name added to the Jeanne L. Myers Trophy for a second time. The 2022 GAM Women’s Player of the Year and 2021 Michigan Women’s Amateur Champion also won the Women’s Mid-Am in 2020.
Laura Bavaird of Trenton shot a closing 73 for 148 and second place, and Rachel Sampson of East Lansing shot 72 for 149 and third in the championship for golfers age 25-and-over.
Champions were also determined in a Senior Division (age 50-plus) and the age 19-24 Division.
An emotional Shelly Weiss of Southfield shot 77 for 152 and then topped runner-up Julie Massa of Pentwater in a USGA formula scorecard playoff to take top Senior honors. Massa, last year’s GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, also shot 77 for 152, but had a higher overall score on the back nine. Donna Benford of Linden, who shot 79 and had an eagle-2 on the par 4 No. 16 hole, finished third at 155.
Katherine Potter of South Lyon, home for the summer from the Marshall University golf team in West Virginia, shot a second consecutive 72 for 144 and the win among the college set. Grand Valley State University’s Olivia Stoll, who shot 76, and Megha Vallabhaneni of Northville and Western Michigan University, who shot 75, were next at 146.
Dinh said she felt gratitude for being able to return to form and win.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “I finally got out of the boot and my leg was super skinny and I couldn’t do much with it. I couldn’t understand how I could be ready to play competitive golf again so soon. A lot of credit goes to my physical therapists, my surgeon and Kyle (Martin, her teaching professional at The Fortress in Frankenmuth), who got me ready like he always does.”
Weiss, the GAM Senior Women’s Champion in 2018 who will be 62 on Saturday, said she committed this year to improving her game.
“I feel very emotional and proud,” she said. “I worked really hard, put in a lot of work and it was a great day out there for me. It really was.”
She said she worked on her complete game and playing in the final group with Massa, and Joan Garety, both members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, always adds pressure to the mix.
“I’m slightly retired right now so I had some time to work on my game and you know, these girls are good out here. If you don’t work and get better, you get left behind. So, I was determined to get better and I have.”
Potter, 20 and a junior-to-be in the fall, said she had a tough year at school with golf, but has put in work on her game in the last two weeks since coming home.
“I feel really good about this – it’s my first GAM win and I haven’t won anything with players like this before,” she said. “It’s really nice and kind of unexpected. It was great to be playing with people I know and like playing with, too. It was relaxing and different from school where golf always seems to have so much pressure for me.”
Chelsea’s Brian Tillman, Rockford’s Jessica Jolly Win GAM Junior Kickoff Titles
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YPSILANTI – Brian Tillman of Chelsea and Jessica Jolly of Rockford are the first Golf Association of Michigan champions of the year after securing wins in the fifth GAM Junior Kickoff presented by Golf Digest Sunday at Washtenaw Golf Club.
Tillman, a sophomore at Chelsea High, shot a final-round 4-under 68 and won the boys’ title by four shots, while Jolly, a junior at Rockford High, closed with a 74 and held off her future college teammate Elise Fennell of Caledonia and East Kentwood High by one shot.
Winners were also crowned in the 15-and-under age division with Nemo Tsai of Ann Arbor firing a second-round 67 to win by seven shots and Sophia Lee of Midland shooting a final 78 to win by nine shots.
It was the first GAM win for Tillman, who in the last year made the decision to give up basketball and concentrate on golf. He trailed Mitchell Strickland, formerly of Ann Arbor and now Eatonton, Ga., by one shot after opening with a 70 Saturday, but rallied with the 68 to pull away.
Strickland shot a closing 73 for 142 and second, and Andrew Slade of Ann Arbor shot 76 for 145 and third place.
“It feels good to start off the season with a win,” Tillman said. “I’ve been playing in GAM events for a long time and to finally take one is great.”
Tillman said he was able to get away to Florida over the winter and work with his teacher, Brian O’Neill of Orlando Golf Academy, a former Boyne Mountain Resort professional.
“I practiced a lot more than ever before this winter after stopping playing basketball,” he said. “I had a lot of free time, so I was able to work in a couple of trips south to spend time in Florida and improve my game.”
Jolly, who will be 17 on Tuesday, had a three-shot lead going to the 18th hole in the final round, missed the green long and left and played to a double-bogey 6. She totaled 3-over 147 for the tournament, one better than Fennell, who shot a pair of 74s. Lauren Timpf of Macomb shot 75 for 150 and third place.
Fennell and Jolly have both committed to play at Illinois State University starting in the fall of 2024. The Redbirds are coached by former Kentwood resident and 2003 Michigan Women’s Open Champion Breanne Hall.
“I was trying not to think about where I was and if I was leading, but I knew I was playing well and had a chance and that it was going to be close,” Jolly said. “I took the longer club on 18 and my miss when I do that is turning it over that way. There were probably some nerves on that second putt but it feels good now to know I had enough.”
Jolly said hard work over the winter paid off early.
“I’ve been hitting it pretty well, and this makes me really look forward to the rest of the season,” she said. “I struck the ball well this week and overall putting was pretty good.”
In the boys’ 15-and-under Tsai made a 10-shot improvement from Saturday’s 77 to his 67 for 144. The 13-year-old was playing in his first GAM tournament. Levan shot 73 for 151 and second place, and Troy Nguyen of Macomb shot 78 for 152 and third.
Lee’s win in the 15-and-under girls’ competition was her first win in any tournament. The 15-year-old’s 156 total was never really threatened as Saisha Patil of Okemos shot 83 for 165 and second place and Esther Zhang of Ann Arbor shot 82 for 168 and third.
Tillman, a sophomore at Chelsea High, shot a final-round 4-under 68 and won the boys’ title by four shots, while Jolly, a junior at Rockford High, closed with a 74 and held off her future college teammate Elise Fennell of Caledonia and East Kentwood High by one shot.
Winners were also crowned in the 15-and-under age division with Nemo Tsai of Ann Arbor firing a second-round 67 to win by seven shots and Sophia Lee of Midland shooting a final 78 to win by nine shots.
It was the first GAM win for Tillman, who in the last year made the decision to give up basketball and concentrate on golf. He trailed Mitchell Strickland, formerly of Ann Arbor and now Eatonton, Ga., by one shot after opening with a 70 Saturday, but rallied with the 68 to pull away.
Strickland shot a closing 73 for 142 and second, and Andrew Slade of Ann Arbor shot 76 for 145 and third place.
“It feels good to start off the season with a win,” Tillman said. “I’ve been playing in GAM events for a long time and to finally take one is great.”
Tillman said he was able to get away to Florida over the winter and work with his teacher, Brian O’Neill of Orlando Golf Academy, a former Boyne Mountain Resort professional.
“I practiced a lot more than ever before this winter after stopping playing basketball,” he said. “I had a lot of free time, so I was able to work in a couple of trips south to spend time in Florida and improve my game.”
Jolly, who will be 17 on Tuesday, had a three-shot lead going to the 18th hole in the final round, missed the green long and left and played to a double-bogey 6. She totaled 3-over 147 for the tournament, one better than Fennell, who shot a pair of 74s. Lauren Timpf of Macomb shot 75 for 150 and third place.
Fennell and Jolly have both committed to play at Illinois State University starting in the fall of 2024. The Redbirds are coached by former Kentwood resident and 2003 Michigan Women’s Open Champion Breanne Hall.
“I was trying not to think about where I was and if I was leading, but I knew I was playing well and had a chance and that it was going to be close,” Jolly said. “I took the longer club on 18 and my miss when I do that is turning it over that way. There were probably some nerves on that second putt but it feels good now to know I had enough.”
Jolly said hard work over the winter paid off early.
“I’ve been hitting it pretty well, and this makes me really look forward to the rest of the season,” she said. “I struck the ball well this week and overall putting was pretty good.”
In the boys’ 15-and-under Tsai made a 10-shot improvement from Saturday’s 77 to his 67 for 144. The 13-year-old was playing in his first GAM tournament. Levan shot 73 for 151 and second place, and Troy Nguyen of Macomb shot 78 for 152 and third.
Lee’s win in the 15-and-under girls’ competition was her first win in any tournament. The 15-year-old’s 156 total was never really threatened as Saisha Patil of Okemos shot 83 for 165 and second place and Esther Zhang of Ann Arbor shot 82 for 168 and third.
Minnesota Honored with Women’s Golfer of the Week Award Golden Gophers’ McCauley Becomes Fourth Freshman Honored This Season
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Minnesota freshman Isabella McCauley has been named Big Ten Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week for tournaments played April 1-4.
Golfer of the Week
Isabella McCauley, Minnesota
Fr. – Inver Grove Heights, Minn. – Simley
2022-23 Big Ten Women’s Golfers of the Week
Sept. 15: Kelli Ann Strand, Fr., NEB
Sept. 21: Leigha Devine, Sr., RU
Sept. 29: Isabel Sy, Jr., ILL | Luisamariana Mesones, Fr., MINN
Oct. 5: Luisamariana Mesones, Fr., MINN
Oct. 12 : Miu Takahashi, So., NEB | Rikke Nordvik, Jr., RU
Oct. 19 : Crystal Wang, Gr., ILL
Oct. 26 : Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
Nov. 3: Valery Plata, Sr., MSU
Feb. 8: Lauryn Nguyen, So., NU
Feb. 15: Ashley Kozlowski, Jr., PUR
Feb. 22: Leila Raines, Jr., MSU
Feb. 28: Isabel Sy, Jr., ILL | Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
March 8: Riley Lewis, Fr., IOWA
March 15: Crystal Wang, Gr., ILL
March 22: Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
March 29: Kelly Sim, Gr., NU
April 5: Isabella McCauley, Fr., MINN
Golfer of the Week
Isabella McCauley, Minnesota
Fr. – Inver Grove Heights, Minn. – Simley
- Recorded the lowest score of any Big Ten golfer for the week, posting a 3-under-par 213 for a fifth-place finish at the Chattanooga Classic, contested April 2-4
- Compiled rounds of 74, 69 and 70, compiling 13 birdies and shooting at-or-below-par on 43 holes at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Helped Minnesota to a sixth-place finish out of 18 schools
- Earns her first Big Ten Women’s Golfer of the Week award
- Last Minnesota Golfer of the Week: Luisamariana Mesones (Oct. 5, 2022)
2022-23 Big Ten Women’s Golfers of the Week
Sept. 15: Kelli Ann Strand, Fr., NEB
Sept. 21: Leigha Devine, Sr., RU
Sept. 29: Isabel Sy, Jr., ILL | Luisamariana Mesones, Fr., MINN
Oct. 5: Luisamariana Mesones, Fr., MINN
Oct. 12 : Miu Takahashi, So., NEB | Rikke Nordvik, Jr., RU
Oct. 19 : Crystal Wang, Gr., ILL
Oct. 26 : Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
Nov. 3: Valery Plata, Sr., MSU
Feb. 8: Lauryn Nguyen, So., NU
Feb. 15: Ashley Kozlowski, Jr., PUR
Feb. 22: Leila Raines, Jr., MSU
Feb. 28: Isabel Sy, Jr., ILL | Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
March 8: Riley Lewis, Fr., IOWA
March 15: Crystal Wang, Gr., ILL
March 22: Caley McGinty, Jr., OSU
March 29: Kelly Sim, Gr., NU
April 5: Isabella McCauley, Fr., MINN
Column: Roy J. Akers
Favorite Courses Played in 2022
2022 Favorite Golf Courses Played
(In No Particular Order)
In 2021, I played nearly 75 rounds and enjoyed every one of them. In 2022, the year was far different as I played only 41 rounds and played some incredible golf courses.
This is a year with a slew of personal injuries yet, some great golf courses that are played on the PGA/LPGA. Champions Tour are on the list below.
Waiehu Municipal Golf Course on the island of Maui was far from a spectacular golf course from tee to green. But the eye candy was the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean spread over half of the course and a thunderstorm happening in the mountain on a few more holes did not disappoint. The course was a municipal one and cost just $29 to walk but another $15 per person for a cart. By the way, the wind was howling both times I played on the island at over 30 mph. What a magnificent place to play.
Oakhurst Country Club - This Arthur Hills Design located in Clarkston, Michigan has severely undulated greens and 15 carries if you add up the marsh, rock walls and one large hill that makes for a blind shot on the 16th hole. It’s a very tough test of golf. The par four Hole 17 requires your best drive to get to the hole in two
Detroit Golf Club- Home of the PGA Tours Rocket Mortgage Classic located off of 7 mile and Woodward in Detroit, it’s a typical Donald Ross design with tough greens. The course takes you back to the 1920’s.
Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc- Home of both a former PGA Tour stop and the PGA Champions Tour Ally Challenge stop, this course is easy for the pros but is a very tough test of golf for people that are not. Great holes everywhere. My nemesis hole is number the par 5 14th. A huge Oak guards the right side and anything less than a perfect shot long and down the left side will give you trouble. The greens are spectacular. Even PGA Tour pros will tell you it’s the best they putt on. Hole 17 is the best remembered hole and it takes a great tee shot to get close as a pond and two sand traps guard this hole.
Pete Dye Course- French Lick, Indiana. The only thing better than this course is the awesome staff at the resort. This course was originally deemed unbuildable by Pete Dye himself but the French Lick people gave him 10 million dollars and he moved a ton of dirt. Each hole is spectacular. The B1G, The LPGA and PGA Champions Tour and many others have played this Dye masterpiece. The smoke rising from the valley under the course adds to this great course.
Donald Ross Course- French Lick, Indiana- Home of the 1924 PGA, the course was rebuilt not long ago to the original Donald Ross design. Great holes abound everywhere. Every green plays uphill from the fairway. Less than perfect approach shots may end up on the wrong part of the green. Number 16 is my favorite. A short par three with a back to front slope that funnels to the pin. Nearly holed it twice. One of the hardest courses I have played from the back tees bar none.
Indianwood Country Club- Lake Orion, Mich.
The Aldrich family takes pristine care of one of the great golf courses in Michigan. Host of several majors for both men and women, the heather gives you an old time Scotland feel. The uphill number 8 gives you a superb challenge. So do several other holes including the long par three 13th and the risk reward hole par 4 18th. The huge green on this finishing hole in front of the clubhouse is a great way to end your round.
Hunters Ridge- Howell, Mich. Just love this short but well taken care of layout. The fairways are wide but water and fescues make you think about your shots. The greens were a little frustrating this year but it’s a terrific track. Number 18 takes two well struck shots as going for it to a very narrow approach is not wise.
Lakewood Shores- Saradella- I did not play the Gailes this year. Saradella has plenty of tree lined holes mixed with water. Classic golf and a fun time. My Favorite Golf Courses Played in 2022
(In No Particular Order)
In 2021, I played nearly 75 rounds and enjoyed every one of them. In 2022, the year was far different as I played only 41 rounds and played some incredible golf courses.
This is a year with a slew of personal injuries yet, some great golf courses that are played on the PGA/LPGA. Champions Tour are on the list below.
Waiehu Municipal Golf Course on the island of Maui was far from a spectacular golf course from tee to green. But the eye candy was the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean spread over half of the course and a thunderstorm happening in the mountain on a few more holes did not disappoint. The course was a municipal one and cost just $29 to walk but another $15 per person for a cart. By the way, the wind was howling both times I played on the island at over 30 mph. What a magnificent place to play.
Oakhurst Country Club - This Arthur Hills Design located in Clarkston, Michigan has severely undulated greens and 15 carries if you add up the marsh, rock walls and one large hill that makes for a blind shot on the 16th hole. It’s a very tough test of golf. The par four Hole 17 requires your best drive to get to the hole in two
Detroit Golf Club- Home of the PGA Tours Rocket Mortgage Classic located off of 7 mile and Woodward in Detroit, it’s a typical Donald Ross design with tough greens. The course takes you back to the 1920’s.
Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc- Home of both a former PGA Tour stop and the PGA Champions Tour Ally Challenge stop, this course is easy for the pros but is a very tough test of golf for people that are not. Great holes everywhere. My nemesis hole is number the par 5 14th. A huge Oak guards the right side and anything less than a perfect shot long and down the left side will give you trouble. The greens are spectacular. Even PGA Tour pros will tell you it’s the best they putt on. Hole 17 is the best remembered hole and it takes a great tee shot to get close as a pond and two sand traps guard this hole.
Pete Dye Course- French Lick, Indiana. The only thing better than this course is the awesome staff at the resort. This course was originally deemed unbuildable by Pete Dye himself but the French Lick people gave him 10 million dollars and he moved a ton of dirt. Each hole is spectacular. The B1G, The LPGA and PGA Champions Tour and many others have played this Dye masterpiece. The smoke rising from the valley under the course adds to this great course.
Donald Ross Course- French Lick, Indiana- Home of the 1924 PGA, the course was rebuilt not long ago to the original Donald Ross design. Great holes abound everywhere. Every green plays uphill from the fairway. Less than perfect approach shots may end up on the wrong part of the green. Number 16 is my favorite. A short par three with a back to front slope that funnels to the pin. Nearly holed it twice. One of the hardest courses I have played from the back tees bar none.
Indianwood Country Club- Lake Orion, Mich.
The Aldrich family takes pristine care of one of the great golf courses in Michigan. Host of several majors for both men and women, the heather gives you an old time Scotland feel. The uphill number 8 gives you a superb challenge. So do several other holes including the long par three 13th and the risk reward hole par 4 18th. The huge green on this finishing hole in front of the clubhouse is a great way to end your round.
Hunters Ridge- Howell, Mich. Just love this short but well taken care of layout. The fairways are wide but water and fescues make you think about your shots. The greens were a little frustrating this year but it’s a terrific track. Number 18 takes two well struck shots as going for it to a very narrow approach is not wise.
Lakewood Shores- Saradella- I did not play the Gailes this year. Saradella has plenty of tree lined holes mixed with water. Classic golf and a fun time. My Favorite Golf Courses Played in 2022
LPGA returns to Sylvania in July 2023 |
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TOLEDO, OH – Toledo Classic, Inc., parent organization of northwest Ohio’s annual LPGA golf tournament, announced today that the LPGA tournament will return for its 39th year in 2023. The Greater Toledo LPGA Classic will be played July 10-16 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, for a purse of $1.75 million.
“We’re extremely happy to be able to bring the greatest women golfers in the world back to northwest Ohio for the 39th time,” stated Tournament Director Judd Silverman. “We’re grateful to Dana Incorporated and Marathon Petroleum for serving as the title and presenting sponsor of this year’s tournament. We’re currently in the process of working on sponsorship naming rights for the 2023 tournament and hope to have an announcement in the near future.”
The tournament also announced that this year’s Dana Open presented by Marathon generated $400,000 for 20 Toledo area children’s charities. The money will be distributed to the charities during the tournament’s annual charity luncheon on December 15th. Since its inception in 1984 the tournament has raised over $13.2 million for 215 northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities.
All four rounds of the 2023 tournament will be televised on The Golf Channel. Gaby Lopez is the defending champion.
“We’re extremely happy to be able to bring the greatest women golfers in the world back to northwest Ohio for the 39th time,” stated Tournament Director Judd Silverman. “We’re grateful to Dana Incorporated and Marathon Petroleum for serving as the title and presenting sponsor of this year’s tournament. We’re currently in the process of working on sponsorship naming rights for the 2023 tournament and hope to have an announcement in the near future.”
The tournament also announced that this year’s Dana Open presented by Marathon generated $400,000 for 20 Toledo area children’s charities. The money will be distributed to the charities during the tournament’s annual charity luncheon on December 15th. Since its inception in 1984 the tournament has raised over $13.2 million for 215 northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities.
All four rounds of the 2023 tournament will be televised on The Golf Channel. Gaby Lopez is the defending champion.
Oakhurst Country Club Leaf Tour with spectacular views
The next edition of The Rocket Mortgage Classic will be played June 26-July 2, 2023
Statement from Jason Langwell – Executive Director, Rocket Mortgage Classic
“By all measures, the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic was a smashing success. From the second playing of THE JOHN SHIPPEN the weekend before our tournament to the many special events leading into competition rounds and the beautiful Detroit summer weather we experienced all week, we could not be more proud of how everything came together to make it a special week for Detroit. To crown a champion such as Tony Finau on Sunday afternoon after watching his magnificent performance over the course of four days at Detroit Golf Club was truly special. Once again, the Rocket Mortgage Classic has shined a spotlight on all the positive things happening in Detroit and will make a meaningful impact on our communities through the Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide.
“We are already looking forward to next year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and are excited about our dates, which fall during the same week as our inaugural event in 2019 and last year’s tournament, both of which produced tremendous crowds. We’ll land two weeks after the U.S. Open and two weeks before The Open Championship, and that puts us in a nice position to assemble a very strong field of players again.”
“By all measures, the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic was a smashing success. From the second playing of THE JOHN SHIPPEN the weekend before our tournament to the many special events leading into competition rounds and the beautiful Detroit summer weather we experienced all week, we could not be more proud of how everything came together to make it a special week for Detroit. To crown a champion such as Tony Finau on Sunday afternoon after watching his magnificent performance over the course of four days at Detroit Golf Club was truly special. Once again, the Rocket Mortgage Classic has shined a spotlight on all the positive things happening in Detroit and will make a meaningful impact on our communities through the Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide.
“We are already looking forward to next year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and are excited about our dates, which fall during the same week as our inaugural event in 2019 and last year’s tournament, both of which produced tremendous crowds. We’ll land two weeks after the U.S. Open and two weeks before The Open Championship, and that puts us in a nice position to assemble a very strong field of players again.”
Finau wins Rocket Mortgage for 2nd straight PGA Tour victory
DETROIT Tony Finau has changed the conversation about him in less than a calendar year. Finau ran away with the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club to become the first player in three years to win consecutive PGA Tour events in the regular season. He closed with a 5-under 67 for a five-shot victory and a tournament-record 26-under 262 total. It was his fourth career victory, and third title in 11-plus months. Finau began his stretch of success last August at The Northern Trust, where he had his first victory in five years and 142 PGA Tour starts. TOP VIDEOS WATCH MORE × MLB Next Game - Los Angeles Dodgers “I’m proud of the way I’ve fought through adversity in my career," said Finau, a Salt Lake City native with Tongan-Samoan heritage. “They say a winner is just a loser who kept trying, and that’s me." Finau ended a drought in Detroit, winning for the first time in six attempts when he had or shared the 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event. And, he did it easily. Taylor Pendrith (72), Patrick Cantlay (66) and rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (68) tied for a distant second. “I wasn't that close," Young said. “Tony put on a show." Indeed. Finau hit 66 of 72 greens in regulation, trailing the accuracy of just two players since 1980 in a PGA Tour 72-hole event. Peter Jacobsen hit 69 greens in regulation at Pebble Beach in 1995 and a year later, Willie Wood hit 67 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Find more sports news, plus coverage from Sports Illustrated. READ MORE With Finaul's sixth birdie at No. 17 and a closing par, he broke Nate Lashley's tournament record of 25 under set in 2019 during the inaugural PGA Tour event. The PGA Tour will close the regular season at the Wyndham Championship, with the North Carolina event opening Thursday. Players on the bubble will have one last shot to finish in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings to earn a spot in the playoffs and a full card next season. Finau and Pendrith started Sunday tied after a third round that seemed like match play, and a potential Detroit duel turned into a dud.
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/article264027481.html#storylink=cpy
Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/sports/article264027481.html#storylink=cpy
Which 3 holes will determine the Rocket Mortgage Championship?
Former Head Detroit Golf Club Pro Jon Gates shows the three holes that may decide the championship
Man, it’s a lot of pressure. Consider this. after the participants of both the European and US Solheim Cup teams working their way through a 45-day grind of LPGA play, the rigors for the ladies got supercharged. They jetted to Europe for multiple events and after playing the Women’s British Open, the Olympics and now the Solheim Cup, these ladies might consider this event an ode to sweet relief.
Watching the American Teams of Ally Ewing and Danielle Khang cough up a lead down the stretch and Brittany Altomare and Lexi Thompson do the same, it looked like Team USA would help the Americans to no less than a 2-2 tie. Instead, any early match equity going into the four four-ball matches turned into a crashing zeppelin. Four matches and the home team is down by three. With the American’s losing 14 1/2 to 13 ½ at the Gleneagles in Scotland in 2019, the Yanks are hoping to salvage a morning where no team led by more than two shots in any of the four matches. When you trail 3 ½ to ½ and need only 14 ½ points to claim the Cup, every half point let alone a full point means something.
The fans at Inverness definitely want a US win, as expected, the large crowd of fans from the states and across the pond were enthusiastic, responded to the pumped-up music with large cheers with and without adult beverages. The merchandise tent was popping. It is only Saturday and most of the shelves are either empty or standing on their last hanger. I must be the only person that collects headcovers from PGA/LPGA Tour stops and once again, there were none to be found with or without the Solheim Cup logo.
Just five holes into the afternoon matches finds Europe leading the Americans in all four matches with two matches showing a 2up European lead. While you can expect an American bounce back, trailing by three after four morning matches has brought pressure to all eight Americans playing in the afteroo on day one. With Nelly Korda losing her morning match and Lexi Thompson doing the same, what is captain Pat Hurst going to do?
The inevitable comeback started with a birdie by Nellie Korda who birdied the par four 6th hole. It did not last long as her partner Ally Ewing and Korda quickly gave up their 1up lead. What is crazy is the American’s Lexi Thompson. All day long, she has not followed through on any swing. Her usual full finish has been replaced by a lightning rod finish with her club pointing at the sky like she just cannot finish her swing.
Brittany Altomare, playing with Noh drained a birdie put on number eight and it is the first time the Americans have led a match since late in the morning. A splash of red for the yanks. But that is a drop, the American’s really need to win three out of four in the pm and make it rain.
Oops! Bad news for the home team Castren and Nordqvist laid another lick on Harigae and Thompson on the tenth. They are now three up with eight to play. The American’s really need to put up some American red. On 13, Harigae and Thompson went down by four with five to play. Put a fork on this match. The meat was done a hole later Mastren-Nordqvist defeat the Americans Marigae and Thompson 4 &3.
With the Ewing- N. Korda pairing tied with the Europeans team of Madsen and Sagstrom all square after 12, N. Korda nearly drains an eagle putt. It hangs on the lip and is picked up before ten seconds elapse. Officials shortly thereafter rule the putt good giving the Americans a 1 up lead.
With the Americans showing a pulse and are now 1up in two of four matches and all square in a third, they are showing a pulse with a handful of holes to go. Kupcho made a huge putt on 14 to help her and Salas go one up. The key is if the Yanks can go up in a third match.
First things first. Ewing and Nelly Korda made their one up lead hold up for the final six holes of their match. The Americans are square at one and one in the pm matches. But they need both of the other matches that are tied. With holes running out, its nail biting time.
Lizette Salas made a clutch putt on 17 as Jennifer Kupcho looks on. Ciganda and Popov trail by one. The Americans now lead two of the three matches.
For the final American team of Altomare and Noh, they went down on the 15th against Hall and Maguire. They could not get a putt to go in and never closed the gap.
The Americans finished the afternoon at 2-2 and trail the Europeans 5 ½ to 2 ½. Pat Hurst has to sharpen her pencil to figure out what to do with her underperforming team going into Sunday.
Watching the American Teams of Ally Ewing and Danielle Khang cough up a lead down the stretch and Brittany Altomare and Lexi Thompson do the same, it looked like Team USA would help the Americans to no less than a 2-2 tie. Instead, any early match equity going into the four four-ball matches turned into a crashing zeppelin. Four matches and the home team is down by three. With the American’s losing 14 1/2 to 13 ½ at the Gleneagles in Scotland in 2019, the Yanks are hoping to salvage a morning where no team led by more than two shots in any of the four matches. When you trail 3 ½ to ½ and need only 14 ½ points to claim the Cup, every half point let alone a full point means something.
The fans at Inverness definitely want a US win, as expected, the large crowd of fans from the states and across the pond were enthusiastic, responded to the pumped-up music with large cheers with and without adult beverages. The merchandise tent was popping. It is only Saturday and most of the shelves are either empty or standing on their last hanger. I must be the only person that collects headcovers from PGA/LPGA Tour stops and once again, there were none to be found with or without the Solheim Cup logo.
Just five holes into the afternoon matches finds Europe leading the Americans in all four matches with two matches showing a 2up European lead. While you can expect an American bounce back, trailing by three after four morning matches has brought pressure to all eight Americans playing in the afteroo on day one. With Nelly Korda losing her morning match and Lexi Thompson doing the same, what is captain Pat Hurst going to do?
The inevitable comeback started with a birdie by Nellie Korda who birdied the par four 6th hole. It did not last long as her partner Ally Ewing and Korda quickly gave up their 1up lead. What is crazy is the American’s Lexi Thompson. All day long, she has not followed through on any swing. Her usual full finish has been replaced by a lightning rod finish with her club pointing at the sky like she just cannot finish her swing.
Brittany Altomare, playing with Noh drained a birdie put on number eight and it is the first time the Americans have led a match since late in the morning. A splash of red for the yanks. But that is a drop, the American’s really need to win three out of four in the pm and make it rain.
Oops! Bad news for the home team Castren and Nordqvist laid another lick on Harigae and Thompson on the tenth. They are now three up with eight to play. The American’s really need to put up some American red. On 13, Harigae and Thompson went down by four with five to play. Put a fork on this match. The meat was done a hole later Mastren-Nordqvist defeat the Americans Marigae and Thompson 4 &3.
With the Ewing- N. Korda pairing tied with the Europeans team of Madsen and Sagstrom all square after 12, N. Korda nearly drains an eagle putt. It hangs on the lip and is picked up before ten seconds elapse. Officials shortly thereafter rule the putt good giving the Americans a 1 up lead.
With the Americans showing a pulse and are now 1up in two of four matches and all square in a third, they are showing a pulse with a handful of holes to go. Kupcho made a huge putt on 14 to help her and Salas go one up. The key is if the Yanks can go up in a third match.
First things first. Ewing and Nelly Korda made their one up lead hold up for the final six holes of their match. The Americans are square at one and one in the pm matches. But they need both of the other matches that are tied. With holes running out, its nail biting time.
Lizette Salas made a clutch putt on 17 as Jennifer Kupcho looks on. Ciganda and Popov trail by one. The Americans now lead two of the three matches.
For the final American team of Altomare and Noh, they went down on the 15th against Hall and Maguire. They could not get a putt to go in and never closed the gap.
The Americans finished the afternoon at 2-2 and trail the Europeans 5 ½ to 2 ½. Pat Hurst has to sharpen her pencil to figure out what to do with her underperforming team going into Sunday.
Folds of Honor kicks off this Labor Day
MSU, Indiana and Notre Dame among 18 Schools
TEAMS COMPETING (18)
Air Force, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Florida A&M, Florida State, Grand Valley State, Howard, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State, Navy, NC State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, South Carolina
INDIANA LINEUP
1. Drew Salyers
2. Cole Starnes
3. Thomas Hursey
4. Noah Gillard
5. Eric Berggren
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Four teams in the field finished the 2022-23 season ranked inside the top-50 of the GolfWeek team standings, headlined by No. 7 Florida State. Arizona (No. 22), Arkansas (No. 32), and NC State (No. 49) round out the top-50.
• All three days of the event will feature live coverage on the Golf Channel from 4-7 p.m. ET.
• Indiana will be paired with Kentucky and Florida A&M for the opening round of the season. Day one will begin with rolling tee times with the first Hoosier hitting the tee box at 12:30 p.m. ET.
• Each team will carry an honor bag tag, representing the Folds of Honor recipients at each of their schools. Folds will award over 9,000 scholarships this fall and has awarded over 1,500 scholarships at the schools playing in this year’s Collegiate.
• The event also features a College-Am on Sept. 3 followed by a welcome party, highlighted by an appearance by golf icon and American Dunes designer Jack Nicklaus, live entertainment, and a Long Drive Contest involving all 18 schools.
Air Force, Arizona, Arkansas, Army, Florida A&M, Florida State, Grand Valley State, Howard, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State, Navy, NC State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, South Carolina
INDIANA LINEUP
1. Drew Salyers
2. Cole Starnes
3. Thomas Hursey
4. Noah Gillard
5. Eric Berggren
TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Four teams in the field finished the 2022-23 season ranked inside the top-50 of the GolfWeek team standings, headlined by No. 7 Florida State. Arizona (No. 22), Arkansas (No. 32), and NC State (No. 49) round out the top-50.
• All three days of the event will feature live coverage on the Golf Channel from 4-7 p.m. ET.
• Indiana will be paired with Kentucky and Florida A&M for the opening round of the season. Day one will begin with rolling tee times with the first Hoosier hitting the tee box at 12:30 p.m. ET.
• Each team will carry an honor bag tag, representing the Folds of Honor recipients at each of their schools. Folds will award over 9,000 scholarships this fall and has awarded over 1,500 scholarships at the schools playing in this year’s Collegiate.
• The event also features a College-Am on Sept. 3 followed by a welcome party, highlighted by an appearance by golf icon and American Dunes designer Jack Nicklaus, live entertainment, and a Long Drive Contest involving all 18 schools.
|
UM Opens 2023-24 Men's Golf Season |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's golf team heads to the Upper Peninsula to open its 2023-24 season for a third straight year at South Dakota State's Island Resort Intercollegiate, Sunday and Monday (Sept. 3-4) in Bark River, Mich. The 11-team field will play 54-holes (36-18) at Sage Run Golf Club.
Notes
• Michigan makes its third straight season-opening trip to the Island Resort Intercollegiate in Bark River, Mich. The Wolverines have posted back-to-back third-place team finishes with an 860 (291-282-287) total in 2022 and an 880 (290-285-305) in 2021.
• Individually, Will Anderson paced the Maize and Blue effort in 2021 as he tied for seventh (218, +2), while three Wolverines were among the top 12 in 2022 led by Ben Hoagland's tie for fourth (210, -6) as an individual. Hunter Thomson (213, -3) tied for ninth and Anderson tied for 11th (214, -2).
• There will be 11 teams competing at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, including: Boise State, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Northern Texas, Ohio, South Dakota State (host), St. Mary's (Calif.) and UCF.
• U-M will travel five starters and an individual to Sage Run. Senior Anderson and junior Thomson head up the starters with redshirt-juniors Hoagland and Jack O'Donnell and junior Yuqi Liu rounding out the five. Freshman Jason Gordon will make his collegiate debut as an individual.
• 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. The pair recorded 17 of U-M's 35 sub-par rounds, including Anderson's career-low 64 (-8) at the 2023 Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate.
• 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.
• The depth behind Thomson and Anderson has continued to gain experience to help the Wolverines' path forward. Liu started nine events last season, while Hoagland added eight. Hoagland had a career-year with his 74.96 average, more than four and a half shots better than his prior best. Liu knock two strokes off his scoring average last season posting 75.80 per round.
• The Wolverines hit the ground running in the fall with the Island Resort Intercollegiate (Sept. 3-4). In mid-September, U-M heads to the Windy City for Wake Forest's Chicago Highlands Collegiate (Sept. 18-19). The first month comes to a close with the co-hosted -- by Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) -- Virtues Intercollegiate (Sept. 25-26) at the Virtues Golf Club. In October, the Maize and Blue heads back to the Little Rock Invitational (Oct. 16-17) for the second straight year before closing the first half of the season at the Clerico (Oct. 23-24) at the Oaks Country Club in Tulsa.
Notes
• Michigan makes its third straight season-opening trip to the Island Resort Intercollegiate in Bark River, Mich. The Wolverines have posted back-to-back third-place team finishes with an 860 (291-282-287) total in 2022 and an 880 (290-285-305) in 2021.
• Individually, Will Anderson paced the Maize and Blue effort in 2021 as he tied for seventh (218, +2), while three Wolverines were among the top 12 in 2022 led by Ben Hoagland's tie for fourth (210, -6) as an individual. Hunter Thomson (213, -3) tied for ninth and Anderson tied for 11th (214, -2).
• There will be 11 teams competing at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, including: Boise State, Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Illinois State, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Northern Texas, Ohio, South Dakota State (host), St. Mary's (Calif.) and UCF.
• U-M will travel five starters and an individual to Sage Run. Senior Anderson and junior Thomson head up the starters with redshirt-juniors Hoagland and Jack O'Donnell and junior Yuqi Liu rounding out the five. Freshman Jason Gordon will make his collegiate debut as an individual.
• 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. The pair recorded 17 of U-M's 35 sub-par rounds, including Anderson's career-low 64 (-8) at the 2023 Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate.
• 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.
• The depth behind Thomson and Anderson has continued to gain experience to help the Wolverines' path forward. Liu started nine events last season, while Hoagland added eight. Hoagland had a career-year with his 74.96 average, more than four and a half shots better than his prior best. Liu knock two strokes off his scoring average last season posting 75.80 per round.
• The Wolverines hit the ground running in the fall with the Island Resort Intercollegiate (Sept. 3-4). In mid-September, U-M heads to the Windy City for Wake Forest's Chicago Highlands Collegiate (Sept. 18-19). The first month comes to a close with the co-hosted -- by Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio) -- Virtues Intercollegiate (Sept. 25-26) at the Virtues Golf Club. In October, the Maize and Blue heads back to the Little Rock Invitational (Oct. 16-17) for the second straight year before closing the first half of the season at the Clerico (Oct. 23-24) at the Oaks Country Club in Tulsa.
Vijay Singh wins the 6th Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills with an improbable win
By Associated Press
GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Vijay Singh won The Ally Challenge on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title in nearly five years, mainly because of a five-putt triple bogey by Paul Goydos.
Singh closed with a 4-under 68, and he walked off the 18th green at Warwick Hills thinking he would need some help from Goydos, who was in the group behind and had a one-shot lead. Singh didn’t realize the help already had been delivered. Goydos was leading by one and had about an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole. He left that about 3 feet short. He rammed the par putt by the hole. He missed the 3-foot bogey putt. And then he missed again from about 4 feet and then tapped in for triple bogey.
Goydos retrieved the ball from the cup and stood on the green, arms crossed, trying to figure out what happened. He closed with a par for a 71, two shots behind. Singh finished at 14-under 202, one shot ahead of Jeff Maggert.The big Fijian walked off the 18th green and stared at a scoreboard, trying to figure out what happened behind him.
“I was 14 (under), Jeff was 13 and no ... no Goydos,” Singh said. “I was surprised what he did there.” Singh won for the fifth time on the PGA Tour Champions, his first since the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2018. He had three straight birdies on the back nine to momentarily take the lead, only to bogey the 15th and then fail to birdie the par-5 16th.
He ended his drought on a Warwick Hills course where Singh won three times when it was a regular stop on the PGA Tour. “For some reason, I drive the ball very well here,” Singh said. “I did that this week, and I putted well. Putting has been a mystery for a long time. I found a few things out in the last few weeks and I’ve been putting really well.”
Steve Stricker, playing for the first time in a month, closed with a 68 and tied for eighth to match his worst finish of the year. He has five wins — three of them senior majors — and five runner-up finishes.
Ally Challenge News and Notes
GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Vijay Singh won The Ally Challenge on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title in nearly five years, mainly because of a five-putt triple bogey by Paul Goydos.
Singh closed with a 4-under 68, and he walked off the 18th green at Warwick Hills thinking he would need some help from Goydos, who was in the group behind and had a one-shot lead. Singh didn’t realize the help already had been delivered. Goydos was leading by one and had about an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole. He left that about 3 feet short. He rammed the par putt by the hole. He missed the 3-foot bogey putt. And then he missed again from about 4 feet and then tapped in for triple bogey.
Goydos retrieved the ball from the cup and stood on the green, arms crossed, trying to figure out what happened. He closed with a par for a 71, two shots behind. Singh finished at 14-under 202, one shot ahead of Jeff Maggert.The big Fijian walked off the 18th green and stared at a scoreboard, trying to figure out what happened behind him.
“I was 14 (under), Jeff was 13 and no ... no Goydos,” Singh said. “I was surprised what he did there.” Singh won for the fifth time on the PGA Tour Champions, his first since the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in 2018. He had three straight birdies on the back nine to momentarily take the lead, only to bogey the 15th and then fail to birdie the par-5 16th.
He ended his drought on a Warwick Hills course where Singh won three times when it was a regular stop on the PGA Tour. “For some reason, I drive the ball very well here,” Singh said. “I did that this week, and I putted well. Putting has been a mystery for a long time. I found a few things out in the last few weeks and I’ve been putting really well.”
Steve Stricker, playing for the first time in a month, closed with a 68 and tied for eighth to match his worst finish of the year. He has five wins — three of them senior majors — and five runner-up finishes.
Ally Challenge News and Notes
- Seeking his 47th PGA TOUR Champions win on his 66th birthday Sunday, Bernhard Langer (T8/-10) closed with a 2-under 70 in his seventh Ally Challenge and first since finishing solo-second in 2021.
Rick Williams and Dan Gillig win 17th GAM Senior Four Ball
HOLLAND – Rick Williams of Northville and Dan Gillig of Portage, longtime golf buddies, teamed up to win the 17th GAM Senior Four-Ball Championship presented by Sullivan Golf Travel Tuesday at Macatawa Golf Club.
“We teamed up in a best-ball in Kalamazoo (Dan Parker Memorial) a few weeks ago and won that one, too,” said Williams. “We work well together. I just turned 55 so I’m just starting to play in this senior stuff and I’m having a blast, and I’ve always enjoyed playing golf with Dan.”
Williams and Gillig shot a 4-under 68 Tuesday for a two-day 7-under total, just ahead of two teams at 138.
David LeVan of Ann Arbor and partner Bill Ulle of Novi shot a second consecutive 69 for 138, and Vaughn Stevens of Grand Rapids and Mike Zoerhoff of Caledonia shot 68 for 138. LeVan and Ulle were presented the runner-up trophies in a scorecard playoff.
Frank Comito of Macomb and Gary Rymiszewski of Oxford shot 66 for 139 and fourth place, while the defending champions, Leo Daigle of Wixom and Kevin Klemet of White Lake shot 71 for 140 and tied with David Goodyke and Doug Temple of Holland, who shot a second consecutive 70.
In the Super Senior Division (golfers ages 65-plus) Ray Emsley of Davisburg and Ron Perrine of Holt emerged as champions from a three-team sudden-death playoff at 7-under 137. Perrine birdied the first playoff hole (No. 10) with a 6-iron shot to three-feet for the win. They shot 69 in regulation play.
A scorecard playoff between the other two playoff teams resulted in Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and Tom Rex of Charlevoix getting the second-place trophies. They shot 67 for their 137, and Jeff Knudson of Beverly Hills and Keith Potter of Farmington Hills shot 70 for their spot in the playoff.
The winners of the two divisions in the championship have their names inscribed on the Gus Cosmos Trophy.
Williams and Gillig met over 10 years ago when they worked for the same company and have been friends and golf buddies since.
Williams said they birdied two of the first five holes, and then hung on as the wind picked up.
“Coming down the stretch we needed a few par putts and my partner was clutch,” Williams said. “It was a solid day. We made a few putts early for birdies, and we never really backed ourselves into a corner. We made one bogey, but overall we were solid all day.”
Perrine called it a privilege to play in the tournament and Super Senior Division.
“You meet so many great people and players,” he said. “We had a great day out there playing golf.”
Emsley pointed at his partner.
“It was all Ronnie today,” he said. “He played great.”
“We teamed up in a best-ball in Kalamazoo (Dan Parker Memorial) a few weeks ago and won that one, too,” said Williams. “We work well together. I just turned 55 so I’m just starting to play in this senior stuff and I’m having a blast, and I’ve always enjoyed playing golf with Dan.”
Williams and Gillig shot a 4-under 68 Tuesday for a two-day 7-under total, just ahead of two teams at 138.
David LeVan of Ann Arbor and partner Bill Ulle of Novi shot a second consecutive 69 for 138, and Vaughn Stevens of Grand Rapids and Mike Zoerhoff of Caledonia shot 68 for 138. LeVan and Ulle were presented the runner-up trophies in a scorecard playoff.
Frank Comito of Macomb and Gary Rymiszewski of Oxford shot 66 for 139 and fourth place, while the defending champions, Leo Daigle of Wixom and Kevin Klemet of White Lake shot 71 for 140 and tied with David Goodyke and Doug Temple of Holland, who shot a second consecutive 70.
In the Super Senior Division (golfers ages 65-plus) Ray Emsley of Davisburg and Ron Perrine of Holt emerged as champions from a three-team sudden-death playoff at 7-under 137. Perrine birdied the first playoff hole (No. 10) with a 6-iron shot to three-feet for the win. They shot 69 in regulation play.
A scorecard playoff between the other two playoff teams resulted in Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and Tom Rex of Charlevoix getting the second-place trophies. They shot 67 for their 137, and Jeff Knudson of Beverly Hills and Keith Potter of Farmington Hills shot 70 for their spot in the playoff.
The winners of the two divisions in the championship have their names inscribed on the Gus Cosmos Trophy.
Williams and Gillig met over 10 years ago when they worked for the same company and have been friends and golf buddies since.
Williams said they birdied two of the first five holes, and then hung on as the wind picked up.
“Coming down the stretch we needed a few par putts and my partner was clutch,” Williams said. “It was a solid day. We made a few putts early for birdies, and we never really backed ourselves into a corner. We made one bogey, but overall we were solid all day.”
Perrine called it a privilege to play in the tournament and Super Senior Division.
“You meet so many great people and players,” he said. “We had a great day out there playing golf.”
Emsley pointed at his partner.
“It was all Ronnie today,” he said. “He played great.”
GAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Travis Pointe Hosting, August Meekhof Defending
ANN ARBOR – August Meekhof likes the idea of winning the GAM Championship and the Michigan Amateur Championship in the same year.
“I think I can do it, I have the game,” said the Michigan State University golfer from the Grand Rapids area. “I just need to stick to my game plan and play well.”
Meekhof, who earlier this summer won the Michigan Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club, will try to win the 102nd GAM Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Monday and Tuesday at Travis Pointe Country Club.
He is part of a field of 81 golfers who will play 54 holes of stroke play over two days, including two rounds on Monday and a final round Tuesday after a 36-hole cut to the low 30 scorers and ties Monday night.
“I’ve been playing solid this year,” said the defending champion who topped the field in the 101st GAM Championship last summer at Plum Hollow Country Club in a dramatic three-hole sudden-death playoff with Grant Haefner.
“I didn’t play like I can in the North and South (Amateur) or the Southern Amateur, but I’m looking forward to the GAM. It’s a great event and always has a great field. I’m excited to go defend.”
If Meekhof can defend, he will be the first golfer to win back-to-back GAM Championships since Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member John Morgan won in 1983 and ’84, and he would become just the 13th golfer to win consecutive GAM titles in the 102 years of the tournament.
If he ends up claiming both the Michigan Amateur and GAM Championship titles in the same summer, he will be the first to manage that feat since 2008 when Jimmy Chestnut won both. It has been accomplished just nine times in the shared history of the tournaments.
To get his name on the K.T. Keller Trophy for the second consecutive year Meekhof will have to succeed on a course he is playing for the first time.
“I don’t know anything about it, but I’ll go over this weekend, practice and make my plan for it,” he said. “GAM events are always on tough courses with great greens. So, I expect that.”
Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions for the GAM, said Travis Pointe fits the bill with challenging holes and great greens.
“It is definitely a challenging course,” said Hartmann of what the GAM will play at par 71 and around 7,000 yards for each round.
“There are some places where you can take advantage with the driver and length, but a lot of others where you have to keep it in play or you will make a big number. I don’t expect anyone to go really low. You have to think your way through the course, be on the right side of the fairway and layup to correct spots.”
Travis Pointe, which from 2016 to 2018 hosted the LPGA Volvik Championship, was designed by Michigan golf architect Bill Newcomb, and opened in 1977. The well-maintained modern course features six sets of tees to fit golfers of all skill levels. It can be played up to 7,326 yards.
The club has hosted several Golf Association of Michigan championships over the years, including the GAM Championship in 1990 and 2009, the Michigan Amateur Championship in 1993, and the Michigan Women’s Amateur in 1979, as well as several GAM, Michigan PGA and USGA qualifiers.
Kori Isaac is the general manager, Rocky Mullendore the PGA professional and Dan Graft the superintendent at Travis Pointe. Learn more at travispointe.com
The GAM Championship traditionally boasts a strong field of GAM members. Ryan Johnson of Bloomfield Hills, the 2014 champion, and Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, 2013 champion, are former winners playing this year.
Several top collegiate players like Michigan Amateur runner-up Will Anderson of Portage and the University of Michigan, Patrick Deardorff of Clarkston and Eastern Michigan University and Coalter Smith of Grosse Pointe Farms and the University of Wisconsin are also in the field. Non-exempt players made their way in to the championship’s starting field by earning spots in sectional qualifiers across the state.
The GAM Championship has a rich history. It dates to 1919 with two years in which it wasn’t played during World War II. Past winners include Michigan golf legends like James Standish, Chuck Kocsis, Bud Stevens, Glenn Johnson, and Pete Green, and more recently U.S. Amateur Champion and now professional James Piot, who won the championship twice.
“I think I can do it, I have the game,” said the Michigan State University golfer from the Grand Rapids area. “I just need to stick to my game plan and play well.”
Meekhof, who earlier this summer won the Michigan Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club, will try to win the 102nd GAM Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Monday and Tuesday at Travis Pointe Country Club.
He is part of a field of 81 golfers who will play 54 holes of stroke play over two days, including two rounds on Monday and a final round Tuesday after a 36-hole cut to the low 30 scorers and ties Monday night.
“I’ve been playing solid this year,” said the defending champion who topped the field in the 101st GAM Championship last summer at Plum Hollow Country Club in a dramatic three-hole sudden-death playoff with Grant Haefner.
“I didn’t play like I can in the North and South (Amateur) or the Southern Amateur, but I’m looking forward to the GAM. It’s a great event and always has a great field. I’m excited to go defend.”
If Meekhof can defend, he will be the first golfer to win back-to-back GAM Championships since Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member John Morgan won in 1983 and ’84, and he would become just the 13th golfer to win consecutive GAM titles in the 102 years of the tournament.
If he ends up claiming both the Michigan Amateur and GAM Championship titles in the same summer, he will be the first to manage that feat since 2008 when Jimmy Chestnut won both. It has been accomplished just nine times in the shared history of the tournaments.
To get his name on the K.T. Keller Trophy for the second consecutive year Meekhof will have to succeed on a course he is playing for the first time.
“I don’t know anything about it, but I’ll go over this weekend, practice and make my plan for it,” he said. “GAM events are always on tough courses with great greens. So, I expect that.”
Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions for the GAM, said Travis Pointe fits the bill with challenging holes and great greens.
“It is definitely a challenging course,” said Hartmann of what the GAM will play at par 71 and around 7,000 yards for each round.
“There are some places where you can take advantage with the driver and length, but a lot of others where you have to keep it in play or you will make a big number. I don’t expect anyone to go really low. You have to think your way through the course, be on the right side of the fairway and layup to correct spots.”
Travis Pointe, which from 2016 to 2018 hosted the LPGA Volvik Championship, was designed by Michigan golf architect Bill Newcomb, and opened in 1977. The well-maintained modern course features six sets of tees to fit golfers of all skill levels. It can be played up to 7,326 yards.
The club has hosted several Golf Association of Michigan championships over the years, including the GAM Championship in 1990 and 2009, the Michigan Amateur Championship in 1993, and the Michigan Women’s Amateur in 1979, as well as several GAM, Michigan PGA and USGA qualifiers.
Kori Isaac is the general manager, Rocky Mullendore the PGA professional and Dan Graft the superintendent at Travis Pointe. Learn more at travispointe.com
The GAM Championship traditionally boasts a strong field of GAM members. Ryan Johnson of Bloomfield Hills, the 2014 champion, and Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, 2013 champion, are former winners playing this year.
Several top collegiate players like Michigan Amateur runner-up Will Anderson of Portage and the University of Michigan, Patrick Deardorff of Clarkston and Eastern Michigan University and Coalter Smith of Grosse Pointe Farms and the University of Wisconsin are also in the field. Non-exempt players made their way in to the championship’s starting field by earning spots in sectional qualifiers across the state.
The GAM Championship has a rich history. It dates to 1919 with two years in which it wasn’t played during World War II. Past winners include Michigan golf legends like James Standish, Chuck Kocsis, Bud Stevens, Glenn Johnson, and Pete Green, and more recently U.S. Amateur Champion and now professional James Piot, who won the championship twice.
Great Lakes Dow Invitational- Szokol and Knight win the 2023 Event
By Dan Chalk- Midland Daily News, Golfers and spectators waited out a 97-minute rain delay late Saturday afternoon in the final round of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
Less than two hours after play resumed, a much longer wait was finally over for Elizabeth Szokol.
Szokol and teammate Cheyenne Knight -- who call themselves "The Elizabethan Knights" -- won the fourth Dow GLBI at the Midland Country Club for Szokol's first LPGA Tour victory in her fifth season on the tour.
They shot 5-under-par 65 in the four-ball format of the final round to finish 23-under-par overall - one stroke better than Kelly Tan and Matilda Castren - "Team FinAsia" - who took second place in the event for a second straight year.
Szokol and Knight each take home a $328,115 check in addition to trophies and 18-carat white gold and diamond necklaces from Herman Hiss Jewelers. The total purse for the LPGA team event was $2.7 million.
After the trophy presentation, Dow CEO Jim Fitterling asked the two teammates to each give a few remarks in front of the spectators.
"Cheyenne and I couldn't wait to come back (here)," said the 29-year-old Szokol, who was teaming up with Knight for a third time at the Dow GLBI. "It's so much fun being here, one of the best events on tour. Thank you to the staff and volunteers and everyone involved. Thank you so much and I'm so glad I got this first (win) with Cheyenne."
Knight, celebrating her second career win, couldn't have agreed more.
"This is so special. It's been a while since I've won, and I couldn't have dreamt anytihng better than winning with one of my best friends," Knight said. "So it's been such a great week, and Elizabeth, you were so clutch this week."
Like Szokol, Knight thoroughly enjoys playing at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
"When I first played here in 2019, I couldn't wait to come back," Knight said. "Thank you for putting on a great event and believing in us. It's just such an honor to be Dow team champions."
Szokol/Knight and Tan/Castren were paired together for the final round. Castren sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to keep herself and Tan one stroke behind Szokol/Knight.
On the 18th hole island green, Castren had an opportunity for another birdie putt to force the first playoff in the history of the tournament, but this time her putt slid past the edge of the hole, leaving Szokol and Knight to celebrate the razor-thin victory.
"You're expecting Matilda to make that putt, and when it slid by the edge, it was just, like, 'Whoa, we did it,'" Knight said.
Three teams tied for third in the tournament at 20-under-par: Jodi Ewart Shadoff/Emma Talley, Celine Borge/Polly Mack, and Celine Boutier/Yuka Saso.
Midland resident Kim Dinh and teammate Jasmine Ly, competing as amateurs, tied for the third-best round of the day at 8-under-par and finished 1-over-par for the tournament.
Next year's Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will be held June 24-30, 2024 at the Midland Country Club.
John Morgan Holds On, Wins GAM Super Senior Championship
BLOOMFIELD HILLS – John Morgan of Novi lost his big first-round lead with a bad second-round start but managed to hold on and win the 9th GAM Super Senior Championship Tuesday at Bloomfield Hills Country Club.
Morgan, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member, closed with a 3-over 74 to go with a 69 from Monday for a 143 total and four-shot win in the championship for golfers ages 65-and-over.
“I sure let a lot of people back in the tournament,” he said of a bogey, double-bogey and double-bogey start in the final round. “And then I got it together and played 2-under the last 15 holes. It was a struggle today. I hit some really good shots but a lot of bad shots and had some three-putt (greens). I think all the putts I rolled in yesterday and the good breaks yesterday came back and kind of evened it out today.”
The victory gave the 66-year-old Morgan his second Super Senior trophy of the year. He won the Super Senior Division in the GAM Senior Match Play Championship earlier this summer. The former auto industry executive played sparingly in the last 20 years due to work, but retirement has put him back on top like the 1980s when he was GAM Player of the Decade.
“It’s having won both in match play and medal play that is a big deal to me,” he said. “I’m very honored.”
Stephen Jeske of Birmingham shot a final 71 for 147 and second place, four behind Morgan.
Gary Rymiszewski of Oxford was third with the low round of the day, a 69, and finished at 148 in third place. Bob Carson of Auburn Hills, who shot 73, and Wesley Pikula of West Bloomfield, who shot 75, were next at 150.
Gary Quitiquit of Highland topped the Legends Division for golfers ages 70-and-over that was also part of the championship. He shot 74 to close at 149 for his first GAM title.
Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, the Super Senior champ in 2015 who shot 74, and George Dillon Jr., of Midland, who shot 72, tied for second at 153. Jerry Heiss of Canton rounded out the top four with a 78 for 154. Dillon earned the Grand Legend award for having the low score among the golfers ages 75 and over.
Morgan said he didn’t let being 5-over par through three holes of the final round get to him.
“So, I kind of talked to myself knowing that I’m probably still winning the tournament,” he said. “You just have to figure it out, and I did, so I was happy with that. It was kind of exciting today with birdies and bogeys.”
Quitiquit said his first GAM win of any type means a lot to him.
“You know, I’ve played in a lot of them and been second a few times, but this is my first win,” he said.
It also came at a place, Bloomfield Hills CC, where he has history and has undergone recent significant course renovations.
“I worked here when I was in college, that would be the early 70s, and it was kind of fun to come back and play the course,” he said.
Quitiquit, 73, said his four-shot Legends’ win was aided by his short-iron play.
“I’ve been practicing my short iron game the last two days,” he said. “I’m a member at Prestwick (Village Golf Club) and we have a nice short range. That’s all I worked on, anything from eight-iron down and it was really helpful because the course was in great shape and the greens were so smooth and fast.”
Morgan, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member, closed with a 3-over 74 to go with a 69 from Monday for a 143 total and four-shot win in the championship for golfers ages 65-and-over.
“I sure let a lot of people back in the tournament,” he said of a bogey, double-bogey and double-bogey start in the final round. “And then I got it together and played 2-under the last 15 holes. It was a struggle today. I hit some really good shots but a lot of bad shots and had some three-putt (greens). I think all the putts I rolled in yesterday and the good breaks yesterday came back and kind of evened it out today.”
The victory gave the 66-year-old Morgan his second Super Senior trophy of the year. He won the Super Senior Division in the GAM Senior Match Play Championship earlier this summer. The former auto industry executive played sparingly in the last 20 years due to work, but retirement has put him back on top like the 1980s when he was GAM Player of the Decade.
“It’s having won both in match play and medal play that is a big deal to me,” he said. “I’m very honored.”
Stephen Jeske of Birmingham shot a final 71 for 147 and second place, four behind Morgan.
Gary Rymiszewski of Oxford was third with the low round of the day, a 69, and finished at 148 in third place. Bob Carson of Auburn Hills, who shot 73, and Wesley Pikula of West Bloomfield, who shot 75, were next at 150.
Gary Quitiquit of Highland topped the Legends Division for golfers ages 70-and-over that was also part of the championship. He shot 74 to close at 149 for his first GAM title.
Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, the Super Senior champ in 2015 who shot 74, and George Dillon Jr., of Midland, who shot 72, tied for second at 153. Jerry Heiss of Canton rounded out the top four with a 78 for 154. Dillon earned the Grand Legend award for having the low score among the golfers ages 75 and over.
Morgan said he didn’t let being 5-over par through three holes of the final round get to him.
“So, I kind of talked to myself knowing that I’m probably still winning the tournament,” he said. “You just have to figure it out, and I did, so I was happy with that. It was kind of exciting today with birdies and bogeys.”
Quitiquit said his first GAM win of any type means a lot to him.
“You know, I’ve played in a lot of them and been second a few times, but this is my first win,” he said.
It also came at a place, Bloomfield Hills CC, where he has history and has undergone recent significant course renovations.
“I worked here when I was in college, that would be the early 70s, and it was kind of fun to come back and play the course,” he said.
Quitiquit, 73, said his four-shot Legends’ win was aided by his short-iron play.
“I’ve been practicing my short iron game the last two days,” he said. “I’m a member at Prestwick (Village Golf Club) and we have a nice short range. That’s all I worked on, anything from eight-iron down and it was really helpful because the course was in great shape and the greens were so smooth and fast.”
MICHIGAN PGA WOMEN’S OPEN: Valentina Haupt Earns First Professional Win
THOMPSONVILLE – Valentina Haupt’s first professional win happened at the same place she made her debut as a professional in 2019.
“That works out perfect for me,” said the Weston, Fla., resident and LPGA Epson Tour player after winning the 30th Michigan PGA Women’s Open presented by Coca-Cola Wednesday at Crystal Mountain. “I’m so glad because I love coming here. I love this place, the people, my host family, everyone's so nice.”
Haupt, 26 fired a final 7-under 65 for a 9-under 207 total on the Mountain Ridge course, topping two fellow Epson Tour players, Jillian Hollis of Rocky River, Ohio, and Jessica Welch of Thomasville, Ga. by two shots.
She earned $7,000 and a Crystal Trophy for her first tournament win of any kind since her freshman year at Southern Mississippi University eight years ago.
Hollis shot a closing 71 for her 209, and Welch shot 70. Haupt birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to pull away from what at one point in the day was a four-way tie for the lead with Hollis, Welch, and defending champion Sarah White of Grand Rapids.
Hollis had bogeys and 16 and 17 to take her out of the title chase. Welch couldn’t get birdie chances to fall on the last three holes, and White double-bogeyed 17.
“I started really good,” Haupt said of her front-nine 6-under 30, which included an eagle-2 on the par 4 No. 7 hole courtesy of a 123-yard nine-iron shot that holed out. “Then mid-round I was like, okay, you know you’re playing good, just keep going. I never really thought I was going to be where I am right now, but it worked out because I just played freely pretty much.”
White, who came roaring from behind a year ago to win, tried the same again. This time she came up short with a 68 for 210.
Anika Dy of Traverse City, the former Crystal Mountain cart attendant who won the championship in 2019 and just finished her University of Michigan golf career, also shot 68 for 210.
Epson pros Jessica Porvasnik of Ponte Vedra, Fla., and Jean Reynolds of Newnan, Ga., rounded out the foursome tied at 210, also shooting 68s
Haupt, a native of Chile who with her family has lived in the U.S. for 11 years, said she surprised herself greatly this week. She was sidelined with a fractured hand from last October through May and didn’t touch a golf club.
“So I’ve struggled some this year and my comfort level was not high coming into this,” she said. “I never thought I was going to win. So it’s a good surprise. You know, sometimes when you least expect, you play better.”
It was the third trip to the Michigan PGA Women’s Open for Haupt and her third time staying with Phyllis and Scott Kladder who are Crystal Mountain members and live adjacent to the golf course. The 65 was also her low round on Mountain Ridge.
“It’s like our kid won,” Phyllis Kladder said just before the trophy ceremony.
Haupt, who played for her native Chile in the 2015 Pan American Games, said things lined up from the start on the final day.
“The first tournament I played as a pro was here, and I was paired with Jessica (Porvasnik) and today I was paired with Jessica again,” she said. “And I remember my first time here I was really nervous. She was so nice and played a really good round. I was like wow, this is impressive. So today it was like coming full circle. It was so much fun and so great to see how it worked out.”
“That works out perfect for me,” said the Weston, Fla., resident and LPGA Epson Tour player after winning the 30th Michigan PGA Women’s Open presented by Coca-Cola Wednesday at Crystal Mountain. “I’m so glad because I love coming here. I love this place, the people, my host family, everyone's so nice.”
Haupt, 26 fired a final 7-under 65 for a 9-under 207 total on the Mountain Ridge course, topping two fellow Epson Tour players, Jillian Hollis of Rocky River, Ohio, and Jessica Welch of Thomasville, Ga. by two shots.
She earned $7,000 and a Crystal Trophy for her first tournament win of any kind since her freshman year at Southern Mississippi University eight years ago.
Hollis shot a closing 71 for her 209, and Welch shot 70. Haupt birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to pull away from what at one point in the day was a four-way tie for the lead with Hollis, Welch, and defending champion Sarah White of Grand Rapids.
Hollis had bogeys and 16 and 17 to take her out of the title chase. Welch couldn’t get birdie chances to fall on the last three holes, and White double-bogeyed 17.
“I started really good,” Haupt said of her front-nine 6-under 30, which included an eagle-2 on the par 4 No. 7 hole courtesy of a 123-yard nine-iron shot that holed out. “Then mid-round I was like, okay, you know you’re playing good, just keep going. I never really thought I was going to be where I am right now, but it worked out because I just played freely pretty much.”
White, who came roaring from behind a year ago to win, tried the same again. This time she came up short with a 68 for 210.
Anika Dy of Traverse City, the former Crystal Mountain cart attendant who won the championship in 2019 and just finished her University of Michigan golf career, also shot 68 for 210.
Epson pros Jessica Porvasnik of Ponte Vedra, Fla., and Jean Reynolds of Newnan, Ga., rounded out the foursome tied at 210, also shooting 68s
Haupt, a native of Chile who with her family has lived in the U.S. for 11 years, said she surprised herself greatly this week. She was sidelined with a fractured hand from last October through May and didn’t touch a golf club.
“So I’ve struggled some this year and my comfort level was not high coming into this,” she said. “I never thought I was going to win. So it’s a good surprise. You know, sometimes when you least expect, you play better.”
It was the third trip to the Michigan PGA Women’s Open for Haupt and her third time staying with Phyllis and Scott Kladder who are Crystal Mountain members and live adjacent to the golf course. The 65 was also her low round on Mountain Ridge.
“It’s like our kid won,” Phyllis Kladder said just before the trophy ceremony.
Haupt, who played for her native Chile in the 2015 Pan American Games, said things lined up from the start on the final day.
“The first tournament I played as a pro was here, and I was paired with Jessica (Porvasnik) and today I was paired with Jessica again,” she said. “And I remember my first time here I was really nervous. She was so nice and played a really good round. I was like wow, this is impressive. So today it was like coming full circle. It was so much fun and so great to see how it worked out.”
Wyndham Clark Wins the 2023 U.S. Open for His First Major Title
LOS ANGELES — With a pressure-packed round of even par, Wyndham Clark became a first-time major champion on Sunday with a win at the U.S. Open.
The 29-year-old Colorado native held on down the stretch, rebounding from back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16 with two pars to win at 10 under par, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy and three in front of Scottie Scheffler.
For McIlroy, this U.S. Open was another agonizing result in his nine-year run without a major title. He birdied the first hole Sunday but he wouldn't make another one. He tied for first in greens in regulation on Sunday (and was No. 1 for the tournament) but was 57th in strokes-gained putting for the round, losing two shots to the field. Those two shots proved the difference.
Clark and Rickie Fowler began the day tied for the lead at 10 under. Fowler had three bogeys in his first seven holes and was never a factor.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking and SI World Golf Rankings, began the day three back but two bogeys early in the back nine ended his hopes.
Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, shot a Sunday 67 to finish fourth while Tommy Fleetwood shot another final-round 63 in a U.S. Open to finish in a tie for fifth.
Clark's final birdie came at the par-5 14th when he hit a terrific fairway wood onto the green and two-putted, giving him a three-shot lead.
ADVERTISINGClark won for the first time on the PGA Tour just last month at the Wells Fargo Championship, an elevated event that he said gave him the confidence to contend this week.
He's the fifth straight player to become a first-time major champion at the U.S. Open.
The week began with Fowler and Xander Schauffele shooting opening-round 62s, the lowest in U.S. Open history. Fowler finished tied for fifth and Schauffele tied for 10th.
The 29-year-old Colorado native held on down the stretch, rebounding from back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16 with two pars to win at 10 under par, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy and three in front of Scottie Scheffler.
For McIlroy, this U.S. Open was another agonizing result in his nine-year run without a major title. He birdied the first hole Sunday but he wouldn't make another one. He tied for first in greens in regulation on Sunday (and was No. 1 for the tournament) but was 57th in strokes-gained putting for the round, losing two shots to the field. Those two shots proved the difference.
Clark and Rickie Fowler began the day tied for the lead at 10 under. Fowler had three bogeys in his first seven holes and was never a factor.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking and SI World Golf Rankings, began the day three back but two bogeys early in the back nine ended his hopes.
Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, shot a Sunday 67 to finish fourth while Tommy Fleetwood shot another final-round 63 in a U.S. Open to finish in a tie for fifth.
Clark's final birdie came at the par-5 14th when he hit a terrific fairway wood onto the green and two-putted, giving him a three-shot lead.
ADVERTISINGClark won for the first time on the PGA Tour just last month at the Wells Fargo Championship, an elevated event that he said gave him the confidence to contend this week.
He's the fifth straight player to become a first-time major champion at the U.S. Open.
The week began with Fowler and Xander Schauffele shooting opening-round 62s, the lowest in U.S. Open history. Fowler finished tied for fifth and Schauffele tied for 10th.
Rose Zhang keeps making history, wins first professional start after NCAA title
t wasn’t easy.
Rose Zhang hopped in a golf cart and headed back to the tee at the par-4 18th for a second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho at the Mizuho Americas Open.
The 18th hadn’t been kind to the budding superstar on Sunday; she bogeyed it in regulation and had to make a clutch putt on the first extra hole to stay in it.
For the first time in three tries she found the fairway, but was left with 180 yards for her approach. Kupcho had just 146 and appeared to be in the driver’s seat.
That changed with one swing.
Full-field scores from the Mizuho Americas Open
Zhang took the headcover off a hybrid and took dead-aim, curling an approach inside 10 feet on her 20th hole of the day. She called it one of the best shots she's ever hit.
Kupcho, with an 8-iron in hand, came up well short of the pin and then putted off the green.
When Kupcho failed to secure par, Zhang only needed to two-putt for victory, and she did just that. It was a fitting conclusion. Zhang, who started the round with a two-shot lead, didn't make a birdie on Sunday. Not one; 16 pars and two bogeys for a 74, then two more pars in the playoff.
And yet, as it has been for more than a year, the final moment belonged to her.
The 20-year-old quickly found herself holding a bouquet of roses as she was engulfed by close friends who watched from just off the back of the green. In her first start as a professional, Zhang was a winner, becoming the first woman to accomplish that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
Just 13 days removed from winning her second consecutive individual national championship at Stanford, Zhang was overwhelmed after securing the victory, fighting back tears as she smiled ear-to-ear in her post-round interview.
"I honestly didn't even expect to make the cut, and the reason why I say this is because I don't think about my expectations a lot," Zhang said Sunday. "I think about playing the golf course. I think about trying to shoot the best score that I can.
"Obviously I have frustrations, disappointments with my game, but I never once think about where I finish, where I should finish, et cetera. So with that on my mind, the expectation for me winning did not even cross my mind. I was just playing my game. I was having a good time out there. This is the game that I love, and I'm so thankful to be a professional doing it now."
It was a whirlwind week for Zhang, who had all eyes squarely fixed on her after an amateur career in which she held the No. 1 ranking for 141 weeks, the most all time.
After opening in 2-under 70, Zhang said she was trying to keep everything in perspective and be realistic.
Fair enough.
Rose Zhang hopped in a golf cart and headed back to the tee at the par-4 18th for a second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho at the Mizuho Americas Open.
The 18th hadn’t been kind to the budding superstar on Sunday; she bogeyed it in regulation and had to make a clutch putt on the first extra hole to stay in it.
For the first time in three tries she found the fairway, but was left with 180 yards for her approach. Kupcho had just 146 and appeared to be in the driver’s seat.
That changed with one swing.
Full-field scores from the Mizuho Americas Open
Zhang took the headcover off a hybrid and took dead-aim, curling an approach inside 10 feet on her 20th hole of the day. She called it one of the best shots she's ever hit.
Kupcho, with an 8-iron in hand, came up well short of the pin and then putted off the green.
When Kupcho failed to secure par, Zhang only needed to two-putt for victory, and she did just that. It was a fitting conclusion. Zhang, who started the round with a two-shot lead, didn't make a birdie on Sunday. Not one; 16 pars and two bogeys for a 74, then two more pars in the playoff.
And yet, as it has been for more than a year, the final moment belonged to her.
The 20-year-old quickly found herself holding a bouquet of roses as she was engulfed by close friends who watched from just off the back of the green. In her first start as a professional, Zhang was a winner, becoming the first woman to accomplish that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
Just 13 days removed from winning her second consecutive individual national championship at Stanford, Zhang was overwhelmed after securing the victory, fighting back tears as she smiled ear-to-ear in her post-round interview.
"I honestly didn't even expect to make the cut, and the reason why I say this is because I don't think about my expectations a lot," Zhang said Sunday. "I think about playing the golf course. I think about trying to shoot the best score that I can.
"Obviously I have frustrations, disappointments with my game, but I never once think about where I finish, where I should finish, et cetera. So with that on my mind, the expectation for me winning did not even cross my mind. I was just playing my game. I was having a good time out there. This is the game that I love, and I'm so thankful to be a professional doing it now."
It was a whirlwind week for Zhang, who had all eyes squarely fixed on her after an amateur career in which she held the No. 1 ranking for 141 weeks, the most all time.
After opening in 2-under 70, Zhang said she was trying to keep everything in perspective and be realistic.
Fair enough.
EMU's Deardorff Ties For Ninth at Fighting Illini
URBANA, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University junior Patrick Deardorff (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) recorded his first career top-10 finish Sunday, April 23, in star-studded field at the Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate hosted by the University of Illinois. The Clarkston, Mich., native closed with a three-under 68 to finish the event with a 218 (76-74-68). The two-day mark is tied for the second lowest 54-hole tally of his career, as he edged a pair of nationally ranked golfers en route to the strong showing.
As a team, Eastern finished eighth with a tally of 912 (305-302-305) at the Atkins Golf Club. The Green and White finished 10 shots ahead of cross-county rival Michigan, which notched a 922.
The No. 3-ranked Fighting Illini men's golf team pulled away for a convincing win in the inaugural event at the team's newly renovated home course. Illinois' Adrien Dumont de Chassart notched a two shot victory over Northwestern's Daniel Svard finishing with a seven-under 206 (72-66-68).
How It Happened
Deardorff totalled eight birdies over the course of the weekend, tied for eighth-most at the event. The Clarkston, Mich., native finished tied for ninth, one shot better than No. 61 Jackson Buchanan of Illinois and 11 strokes in front of No. 29 Drew Salyers of Indiana.
Senior Cam Kellett (London, Ontario-Saint Thomas Aquinas-Nevada) and freshman Ryan Somerville (Aurora, Ontario-Aurora) tied for 31st with a 228. Kellett ranked second in scoring average on par 5 holes with a 4.56 (-4), while Somerville ranked fifth in the event with 39 pars over the 54 holes. Freshman Victor Caliguri (Cincinnati, Ohio-Elder) added a 240 (80-81-79) in 63rd, while classmate Logan Graf (Sylvan Lake, Alberta-HJ Cody) notched a 241 (80-79-82) in 64th-place.
Playing as individuals, freshmen Nathaniel Gray Lamont (Guelph, Ontario-Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute) and Cooper Eberle (Richmond Ky.-Madison Central) scored a 231 (81-80-70) and a 241 (77-83-81), respectively.
Up Next
The Eagles compete next at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Athens, Ala. Sunday, April 30, through Tuesday, May 2.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-9. Patrick Deardorff 76-74- 68=218
t-31. Cam Kellett (1) 74-74-80=228
t-31. Ryan Somerville (2) 75-75- 78=228
63. Victor Caliguri (5) 80-81-79=240
t-64. Logan Graf (4) 80-79-82=241
*t-45. Nathaniel Gray Lamont 81-80- 70=231
*t-64. Cooper Eberle 77-83-81=241
* - playing as an individual
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. No. 3 Illinois 291-280-279=850
2. No. 32 Northwestern 297-296-283=876
3. Michigan State 300-296-289=885
4. Loyola Marymount 296-293-298=887
5. Ball State 299-293-297=889
6. Nebraska 297-297-296=890
7. Indiana 295-301-296=892
8. Eastern Michigan 305-302-305=912
9. Michigan 315-308-299=922
As a team, Eastern finished eighth with a tally of 912 (305-302-305) at the Atkins Golf Club. The Green and White finished 10 shots ahead of cross-county rival Michigan, which notched a 922.
The No. 3-ranked Fighting Illini men's golf team pulled away for a convincing win in the inaugural event at the team's newly renovated home course. Illinois' Adrien Dumont de Chassart notched a two shot victory over Northwestern's Daniel Svard finishing with a seven-under 206 (72-66-68).
How It Happened
Deardorff totalled eight birdies over the course of the weekend, tied for eighth-most at the event. The Clarkston, Mich., native finished tied for ninth, one shot better than No. 61 Jackson Buchanan of Illinois and 11 strokes in front of No. 29 Drew Salyers of Indiana.
Senior Cam Kellett (London, Ontario-Saint Thomas Aquinas-Nevada) and freshman Ryan Somerville (Aurora, Ontario-Aurora) tied for 31st with a 228. Kellett ranked second in scoring average on par 5 holes with a 4.56 (-4), while Somerville ranked fifth in the event with 39 pars over the 54 holes. Freshman Victor Caliguri (Cincinnati, Ohio-Elder) added a 240 (80-81-79) in 63rd, while classmate Logan Graf (Sylvan Lake, Alberta-HJ Cody) notched a 241 (80-79-82) in 64th-place.
Playing as individuals, freshmen Nathaniel Gray Lamont (Guelph, Ontario-Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute) and Cooper Eberle (Richmond Ky.-Madison Central) scored a 231 (81-80-70) and a 241 (77-83-81), respectively.
Up Next
The Eagles compete next at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Athens, Ala. Sunday, April 30, through Tuesday, May 2.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-9. Patrick Deardorff 76-74- 68=218
t-31. Cam Kellett (1) 74-74-80=228
t-31. Ryan Somerville (2) 75-75- 78=228
63. Victor Caliguri (5) 80-81-79=240
t-64. Logan Graf (4) 80-79-82=241
*t-45. Nathaniel Gray Lamont 81-80- 70=231
*t-64. Cooper Eberle 77-83-81=241
* - playing as an individual
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. No. 3 Illinois 291-280-279=850
2. No. 32 Northwestern 297-296-283=876
3. Michigan State 300-296-289=885
4. Loyola Marymount 296-293-298=887
5. Ball State 299-293-297=889
6. Nebraska 297-297-296=890
7. Indiana 295-301-296=892
8. Eastern Michigan 305-302-305=912
9. Michigan 315-308-299=922
ON ICE: PGA GOLFERS VS. RED WINGS Michigan PGA, Detroit Red Wings Alumni to Faceoff for Veterans on Feb. 19
DETROIT – The golfers of the Michigan Section PGA, with the help of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association (DRWAA), plan to demonstrate golfers can play hockey and help armed service veterans in the process when they present the Michigan PGA Red Wings Alumni Game on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Belfor Training Center at Little Caesars Arena.
The goal of the Michigan PGA and Red Wing Alumni partnership is to raise funds for a trio of veterans service organizations that help Michigan veterans – PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and Folds of Honor.
The 3 p.m. game with two 30-minute run-time periods will feature a team of Michigan PGA golfer/hockey players taking on the Red Wings Alumni. Scheduled to appear: Mickey Redmond, Dino Ciccarelli, Larry Murphy, Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, Todd Bertuzzi, John Ogrodnick, Ed Mio and Derian Hatcher.
Vladimir “Vlady” Konstantinov, part of the famous Russian Five that helped the Red Wings win the 1997 Stanley Cup, will be dropping the puck in the ceremonial start to the game.
The PGA players and their coaches are raising a minimum of $500 each for the veteran’s groups with a goal of raising over $50,000. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are available to purchase. Spectator tickets are not being sold due to limited seating and parking. Learn more at michiganpga.com.
George Bowman, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club in Clarkston, is also the secretary for the DRWAA and is leading the partnership effort for the game.
“Hockey players want to be golfers and this game will show you that some golf professionals made a successful transition from hockey to golf while helping veterans all at the same time,” Bowman said. “I know I transitioned to golf because golf courses/equipment smell better.”
Bowman will play with the PGA professionals, which will have a team that also includes former NHL player Dean Kolstad, the current president of the Michigan PGA Section and Director of Golf at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort near Kalamazoo.
John Lindert, the current President of the PGA of America and the PGA Director of Golf at Country Club of Lansing, will serve as a coach for the Michigan PGA team. Several members of the Michigan PGA squad have collegiate, club, and even professional hockey experience like Brandon Scero of Salem Hills Golf Club and Matt Morin of Orchard Lake Country Club.
“The Red Wings are the stars on ice and they do it for fun and to help groups raise money for charitable causes,” Bowman said. “The PGA players are the ones raising the money in this effort and getting to do something they still love – playing hockey.”
The goal of the Michigan PGA and Red Wing Alumni partnership is to raise funds for a trio of veterans service organizations that help Michigan veterans – PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and Folds of Honor.
The 3 p.m. game with two 30-minute run-time periods will feature a team of Michigan PGA golfer/hockey players taking on the Red Wings Alumni. Scheduled to appear: Mickey Redmond, Dino Ciccarelli, Larry Murphy, Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, Todd Bertuzzi, John Ogrodnick, Ed Mio and Derian Hatcher.
Vladimir “Vlady” Konstantinov, part of the famous Russian Five that helped the Red Wings win the 1997 Stanley Cup, will be dropping the puck in the ceremonial start to the game.
The PGA players and their coaches are raising a minimum of $500 each for the veteran’s groups with a goal of raising over $50,000. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are available to purchase. Spectator tickets are not being sold due to limited seating and parking. Learn more at michiganpga.com.
George Bowman, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club in Clarkston, is also the secretary for the DRWAA and is leading the partnership effort for the game.
“Hockey players want to be golfers and this game will show you that some golf professionals made a successful transition from hockey to golf while helping veterans all at the same time,” Bowman said. “I know I transitioned to golf because golf courses/equipment smell better.”
Bowman will play with the PGA professionals, which will have a team that also includes former NHL player Dean Kolstad, the current president of the Michigan PGA Section and Director of Golf at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort near Kalamazoo.
John Lindert, the current President of the PGA of America and the PGA Director of Golf at Country Club of Lansing, will serve as a coach for the Michigan PGA team. Several members of the Michigan PGA squad have collegiate, club, and even professional hockey experience like Brandon Scero of Salem Hills Golf Club and Matt Morin of Orchard Lake Country Club.
“The Red Wings are the stars on ice and they do it for fun and to help groups raise money for charitable causes,” Bowman said. “The PGA players are the ones raising the money in this effort and getting to do something they still love – playing hockey.”
The Double Eagle Podcast
1.12 Kevin Aldridge at Indianwood CC
Indianwood Country Club is the home of 3 PGA/LPGA Tour Majors and is a superb test of golf.
1..11 DEG Oakhurst PGA Pro George Bowman on playing goalie for the Detroit Red Wings Alumni, his hole in one at Valhalla at the PGA in 1996, the Ally Challenge, Arthur Hills design at Oakhurst and more.
1.9 Rocco Mediate, Olin Browne and David Duval
Double Eagle Golf Podcast- Moves to Rocket Mortgage Classic 1.4 with Will Zalatoris, Ryan Brehm and Rory Sabbatini
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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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BUCKET LIST: Midland’s Kimberly Dinh Wins 105th Michigan Women’s Amateur
SAGINAW – The Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship has been on the bucket list of Midland’s Kimberly Dinh since her undergraduate days as a golfer at the University of Wisconsin.
The 28-year-old Senior Research Specialist for Dow Chemical checked it off Friday winning a tense 1-up title match against University of Michigan golfer Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield at Saginaw Country Club.
“It feels amazing,” Dinh said following the 105th edition of the state championship presented by Carl’s Golfland.
“This was always one of my goals and I never quite got it done when I was in high school and college and playing all the time. I didn’t think I would play in it after that just because of everything else, but here I am and it’s amazing.”
Dinh, who started playing again after graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and won the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2020, made a six-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 16 hole off a 54-degree wedge shot to tie the match for the final time and then won on No. 18 with a pressure-packed par.
“The match could have gone either way,” Dinh said. “We were pretty much trading shot for shot and ultimately it was going to come down to who was going to make the shot at the right moment.”
Neither golfer had a bigger lead than 1-up through the match. They each won a single hole on the front nine to make the turn tied in the match.
Schulz, 19, rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the tough par 4 No. 11 hole to go 1-up, then Dinh hit her 54-degree wedge to four-feet at the short par 4 No. 12 hole for birdie to tie it again.
Dinh hit a wayward tee shot on No. 14 into the trees left of the fairway at No. 15 and made bogey and Schulz went 1-up again with a par. That set up the birdie for Dinh at 16, matched pars on the par 5 17th and a pressure-packed hole No. 18.
Schulz approach shot drifted right and ended up in the rough just above a greenside bunker, while Dinh hit a hybrid 178 yards to within 10 feet of the tucked right hole location. Schulz played to bogey and Dinh made par for the win.
“I didn’t want to pull it left so maybe I just tugged on it and tried to keep it out right a little too much,” Schulz said. “It was tough lie for the chip. I mean if it would have gone in the bunker that would have been up-and-down 100 percent. Kimberly hit an awesome shot in there though. She couldn’t have hit it better.”
Dinh earned her spot in the final match with a 3 and 1 morning semifinal win over Ariel Chang of Macomb Township, last summer’s Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Champion who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy to play golf.
Schulz, in the other semifinal, fought off defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis in another tense 1-up match.
“I felt intensity and pressure in every match for sure, and it was a string of great matches, great competition,” Schulz said. “It was an honor to be competing in this championship. My last two putts, at 17 it just hung on the lip and at 18 I left it short right on line. Kimberly was right there though. She played great.”
Dinh said last summer just before starting at Dow, she realized she missed the thrill of competition. She entered the Mid-Amateur and won it.
“I had so much fun, and I realized I need to go chase this a little bit more because it is so much fun,” she said. “The girls are always so nice, the courses are always in great shape and the GAM always runs great tournaments. Mikaela played great. She hits the ball so far and is such a good player. She for sure will be back and can keep going for these like I have.”
The 28-year-old Senior Research Specialist for Dow Chemical checked it off Friday winning a tense 1-up title match against University of Michigan golfer Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield at Saginaw Country Club.
“It feels amazing,” Dinh said following the 105th edition of the state championship presented by Carl’s Golfland.
“This was always one of my goals and I never quite got it done when I was in high school and college and playing all the time. I didn’t think I would play in it after that just because of everything else, but here I am and it’s amazing.”
Dinh, who started playing again after graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and won the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2020, made a six-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 16 hole off a 54-degree wedge shot to tie the match for the final time and then won on No. 18 with a pressure-packed par.
“The match could have gone either way,” Dinh said. “We were pretty much trading shot for shot and ultimately it was going to come down to who was going to make the shot at the right moment.”
Neither golfer had a bigger lead than 1-up through the match. They each won a single hole on the front nine to make the turn tied in the match.
Schulz, 19, rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the tough par 4 No. 11 hole to go 1-up, then Dinh hit her 54-degree wedge to four-feet at the short par 4 No. 12 hole for birdie to tie it again.
Dinh hit a wayward tee shot on No. 14 into the trees left of the fairway at No. 15 and made bogey and Schulz went 1-up again with a par. That set up the birdie for Dinh at 16, matched pars on the par 5 17th and a pressure-packed hole No. 18.
Schulz approach shot drifted right and ended up in the rough just above a greenside bunker, while Dinh hit a hybrid 178 yards to within 10 feet of the tucked right hole location. Schulz played to bogey and Dinh made par for the win.
“I didn’t want to pull it left so maybe I just tugged on it and tried to keep it out right a little too much,” Schulz said. “It was tough lie for the chip. I mean if it would have gone in the bunker that would have been up-and-down 100 percent. Kimberly hit an awesome shot in there though. She couldn’t have hit it better.”
Dinh earned her spot in the final match with a 3 and 1 morning semifinal win over Ariel Chang of Macomb Township, last summer’s Michigan Girls’ Junior State Amateur Champion who is headed to the University of Detroit Mercy to play golf.
Schulz, in the other semifinal, fought off defending champion Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis in another tense 1-up match.
“I felt intensity and pressure in every match for sure, and it was a string of great matches, great competition,” Schulz said. “It was an honor to be competing in this championship. My last two putts, at 17 it just hung on the lip and at 18 I left it short right on line. Kimberly was right there though. She played great.”
Dinh said last summer just before starting at Dow, she realized she missed the thrill of competition. She entered the Mid-Amateur and won it.
“I had so much fun, and I realized I need to go chase this a little bit more because it is so much fun,” she said. “The girls are always so nice, the courses are always in great shape and the GAM always runs great tournaments. Mikaela played great. She hits the ball so far and is such a good player. She for sure will be back and can keep going for these like I have.”
Ann Arbor’s David Levan Birdies 18, Wins GAM Senior Match Play
AUGUSTA – Ann Arbor’s David Levan hit a 35-yard flop shot from the right rough to just inches from the cup on the final hole for a birdie and won the 13th GAM Senior Match Play Championship Friday at Gull Lake Golf Club & Resort’s Stoatin Brea course.
“I never expected to win something like this in my life,” said the 55-year-old owner of Endeavor Group who rallied from a two-down deficit to turn back Robert Matthiesen of Mason 1-up in a championship match.
“We had a very competitive match, right down to the 18th hole, and that’s all you can ask for, right? I mean, what more do you want?”
Levan, who landed in the 31 seed slot in the 32-golfer championship bracket after Monday’s stroke play round, beat defending champion Mitch Wilson of Portage in his first match on Tuesday (5 and 3), and then in the semifinals Thursday afternoon took down Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena of Jackson (3 and 2).
“I’ve made match play over the years in the Michigan Amateur, but I’ve always lost in the first round,” he said. “I’ve just gotten better over the last couple of years. I attribute a lot of it to going down to Whisper Rock in Arizona, I’m a member down there, and playing with some really good players. The competition is so keen. I’ve also learned to drive the golf ball better. I wasn’t typically a good driver before.”
Matthiesen was 2-up after nine holes and didn’t make a bogey in the title match. Levan, however, birdied the par 4 12th and the par 5 16th to tie the match and set up his final flop shot on the par 5 18th.
“I was just in the rough over there and it allowed me some air under the ball so I could hit a flop shot,” Levan said. “I was fortunate to get it close and win a tough match. (Matthiesen) is such a quality guy. It was exciting.”
Matthiesen, who is 58 and owns Pop-Ity Popcorn Co., in Lansing, earned the top seed as Monday’s stroke play medalist and then had to go 20 holes to win his first-round match with Mark Ronan. He also had to go 20 holes to turn back Ken Hudson of Bloomfield Hills in the semifinals.
He said he played great golf through the week and had little to be disappointed about.
“(Levan) hit some great shots on the back and he beat me on 18,” he said. “I didn’t give anything away. My shot into 18 was really close to being great. It just didn’t work out. He hit the key shots and made some big putts, more than I did today. It’s hard to feel bad because I really had a great week of golf.”
In the Super Senior Division final, Larry Vaughan, a 65-year-old Detroit native who returns home from his North Carolina residence to compete in GAM tournaments each summer, capped the week by making it a sweep of first-time GAM winners when he topped Jackson’s Pete Walz 3 and 2 in that final.
“I just stood in the parking lot for a few minutes and cried,” Vaughan said. “I started playing junior golf with a lot of these guys when I was 13, over 50 years ago, and to finally beat them just feels great. I’ve been waiting a long time to do this, played in a lot of tournaments. It was finally my week.”
Vaughan, a retired software executive, earned medalist honors and the top seed in the 16-golfer Super Senior bracket on Monday and survived a series of close matches. He beat Craig Camalo of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in Thursday’s semifinal to get his slot in the finals.
Walz, meanwhile, was a 10-seed who topped Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2,in the semifinals. He lost two balls, one on No. 13 and again on No. 16, in the final match with Vaughan.
“Pete is a crafty veteran and he was tough to shake,” Vaughan said. “I was fortunate to make every putt that I really need to make, and I did that all week. I was never behind today. When I needed to make a putt to keep the lead, I made it.”
“I never expected to win something like this in my life,” said the 55-year-old owner of Endeavor Group who rallied from a two-down deficit to turn back Robert Matthiesen of Mason 1-up in a championship match.
“We had a very competitive match, right down to the 18th hole, and that’s all you can ask for, right? I mean, what more do you want?”
Levan, who landed in the 31 seed slot in the 32-golfer championship bracket after Monday’s stroke play round, beat defending champion Mitch Wilson of Portage in his first match on Tuesday (5 and 3), and then in the semifinals Thursday afternoon took down Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Steve Maddalena of Jackson (3 and 2).
“I’ve made match play over the years in the Michigan Amateur, but I’ve always lost in the first round,” he said. “I’ve just gotten better over the last couple of years. I attribute a lot of it to going down to Whisper Rock in Arizona, I’m a member down there, and playing with some really good players. The competition is so keen. I’ve also learned to drive the golf ball better. I wasn’t typically a good driver before.”
Matthiesen was 2-up after nine holes and didn’t make a bogey in the title match. Levan, however, birdied the par 4 12th and the par 5 16th to tie the match and set up his final flop shot on the par 5 18th.
“I was just in the rough over there and it allowed me some air under the ball so I could hit a flop shot,” Levan said. “I was fortunate to get it close and win a tough match. (Matthiesen) is such a quality guy. It was exciting.”
Matthiesen, who is 58 and owns Pop-Ity Popcorn Co., in Lansing, earned the top seed as Monday’s stroke play medalist and then had to go 20 holes to win his first-round match with Mark Ronan. He also had to go 20 holes to turn back Ken Hudson of Bloomfield Hills in the semifinals.
He said he played great golf through the week and had little to be disappointed about.
“(Levan) hit some great shots on the back and he beat me on 18,” he said. “I didn’t give anything away. My shot into 18 was really close to being great. It just didn’t work out. He hit the key shots and made some big putts, more than I did today. It’s hard to feel bad because I really had a great week of golf.”
In the Super Senior Division final, Larry Vaughan, a 65-year-old Detroit native who returns home from his North Carolina residence to compete in GAM tournaments each summer, capped the week by making it a sweep of first-time GAM winners when he topped Jackson’s Pete Walz 3 and 2 in that final.
“I just stood in the parking lot for a few minutes and cried,” Vaughan said. “I started playing junior golf with a lot of these guys when I was 13, over 50 years ago, and to finally beat them just feels great. I’ve been waiting a long time to do this, played in a lot of tournaments. It was finally my week.”
Vaughan, a retired software executive, earned medalist honors and the top seed in the 16-golfer Super Senior bracket on Monday and survived a series of close matches. He beat Craig Camalo of Ann Arbor 2 and 1 in Thursday’s semifinal to get his slot in the finals.
Walz, meanwhile, was a 10-seed who topped Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, 3 and 2,in the semifinals. He lost two balls, one on No. 13 and again on No. 16, in the final match with Vaughan.
“Pete is a crafty veteran and he was tough to shake,” Vaughan said. “I was fortunate to make every putt that I really need to make, and I did that all week. I was never behind today. When I needed to make a putt to keep the lead, I made it.”
The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale might get all the attention these days by hosting the PGA Tour's Waste Management Phoenix Open, but another standout tournament venue in the Valley of the Sun resides just four miles to the north.
The 36-hole Grayhawk Golf Club has a long history of hosting some of the most talented players on the planet, whether it's pros or amateurs. That legacy will only grow as the home for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships over the next three years. The women will compete first from May 21-26 followed by the men May 28-June 2.
When the NCAA Championships for men and women changed their format from all-stroke play in 2009 to three rounds of stroke play, followed by match play involving the top 15 teams to qualify (then 8 teams after 72 holes), it became a compelling spectacle perfect for TV. This is the first year both NCAAs will be available for streaming internationally on GolfPass.
Grayhawk's mix of risk-reward holes, especially on the finishing holes of Tom Fazio's Raptor Course, should only intensify the drama. Local golfers can still play the Talon Course and a limited number of spectators can walk the Raptor Course to watch the action. Last year's NCAAs were canceled because of the pandemic, which has only heightened the anticipation for Grayhawk's debut this year.
Soon after, the 1995 Andersen Consulting World Championships (a precursor to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship) introduced the Raptor Course to the world. After two more editions in 1997 and 1998, Grayhawk followed up with the Williams World Challenge, a tournament won by Tom Lehman that was the first to raise money for the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Tommy Bahama Challenge in 2004-05 was a unique Tour-sanctioned event featuring a team of American "young guns" (Zach Johnson, Aaron Oberholser, Ben Crane, etc.) against an international squad (Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, etc.). Its success led to a three-year run of the Frys.com Open from 2007-09.
The upcoming NCAAs will feature more of golf's future stars.
A
The 36-hole Grayhawk Golf Club has a long history of hosting some of the most talented players on the planet, whether it's pros or amateurs. That legacy will only grow as the home for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Golf Championships over the next three years. The women will compete first from May 21-26 followed by the men May 28-June 2.
When the NCAA Championships for men and women changed their format from all-stroke play in 2009 to three rounds of stroke play, followed by match play involving the top 15 teams to qualify (then 8 teams after 72 holes), it became a compelling spectacle perfect for TV. This is the first year both NCAAs will be available for streaming internationally on GolfPass.
Grayhawk's mix of risk-reward holes, especially on the finishing holes of Tom Fazio's Raptor Course, should only intensify the drama. Local golfers can still play the Talon Course and a limited number of spectators can walk the Raptor Course to watch the action. Last year's NCAAs were canceled because of the pandemic, which has only heightened the anticipation for Grayhawk's debut this year.
Soon after, the 1995 Andersen Consulting World Championships (a precursor to the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship) introduced the Raptor Course to the world. After two more editions in 1997 and 1998, Grayhawk followed up with the Williams World Challenge, a tournament won by Tom Lehman that was the first to raise money for the Tiger Woods Foundation. The Tommy Bahama Challenge in 2004-05 was a unique Tour-sanctioned event featuring a team of American "young guns" (Zach Johnson, Aaron Oberholser, Ben Crane, etc.) against an international squad (Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, etc.). Its success led to a three-year run of the Frys.com Open from 2007-09.
The upcoming NCAAs will feature more of golf's future stars.
A
LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information, follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. For the latest news and information, follow the tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheGenesisInv.
About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about
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No Drama Here: Former MSU Star Sarah Burnham wins Women's Michigan AM by ten
RUNAWAY WINNER: Sarah Burnham Sizzles, Wins 2020 Michigan PGA Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain
THOMPSONVILLE – Former Michigan State University star Sarah Burnham shot a sizzling 9-under 63 and ran away with the 27th Michigan PGA Women’s Open Championship Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge course at Crystal Mountain.
The 24-year-old second-year LPGA Tour player from Maple Grove, Minn., was just one shot short of the tournament and course record and totaled 18-under 198 to set a 54-hole scoring record for the championship. She was also 10 shots better than her three closest pursuers and won $6,500 of the $40,000 purse.
Burnham, who has won three mini-tour events this spring in Arizona and Florida, rolled in a 7-iron shot from 145 yards on the par 4 third hole for an eagle-2 and was off to the races with seven birdies and the eagle.
“I feel like I was a little lucky,” she said. “I felt like I was hitting it well, but when it went in for my eagle early I was just able to play comfortable and confident and try to shoot a great round.”
She was just one-shot short of the single-round scoring record 62 set in the first round of the 215 championship by Kimberly Dinh of Midland, but raced past the previous 54-hole tournament scoring record of 12-under, which was tied last year by winner Anika Dy of Traverse City.
Liz Nagel of DeWitt, another LPGA Tour player and the 2018 Michigan PGA Women’s Open champion, shot 68 for 8-under 208 and tied for second with Symetra Tour player and former Ohio State standout Jessica Porvasnik of Hinckley, Ohio, who shot 70, and Emma Jandel, a former LPGA player from Sandy Springs, Ga., who shot 71.
Allie White, a Symetra Tour player from Athens, Ohio, shot 67 for 209 and fifth place.
Sarah Shipley of Hastings, a University of Kentucky golfer, was the low amateur in the championship with a 70 for 210. She tied for sixth place with LPGA player Kendall Dye of Edmond, Okla., who closed with a 67.
Burnham, who started the day with a one-shot lead on Nishtha Madan of Grand Rapids, had a five-shot lead by the eighth hole and continued to pull away with a 4-under 32 on the back nine.
“I knew how far ahead I guess I was at the turn, but I just was like, I’m here to play golf and I’m playing the golf course so let’s see how well I can end up playing,” she said. “I didn’t want any bad mistakes to happen so I just kept playing my game.”
She lauded the smooth greens at Crystal Mountain, which hosted the championship for the 18th consecutive year, and said it was great being back in Michigan with several of her former teammates and Big Ten friends in the field.
“It’s one of my biggest wins and I’m hoping it will bring me some confidence out on tour,” she said. “I hope to come back if it works in my schedule. This is my second time here at Crystal Mountain. I love it, I would actually want to come in the winter sometime, go skiing or snowboarding. It’s so beautiful up here and the golf course is great as well.”
Nagel, another former Michigan State standout, said Burnham played an amazing tournament, and she was surprised to be tied for second.
“Got some of the rust off,” she said. “I haven’t played competitively since February, so it was good to be out and play and feel those competitive feelings. I think we’re all happy to be here considering the circumstances. I didn’t have my best stuff to keep up with Sarah, but she has been playing and winning on the Cactus Tour (Arizona) and in Florida so she was trending toward something like this.”
THOMPSONVILLE – Former Michigan State University star Sarah Burnham shot a sizzling 9-under 63 and ran away with the 27th Michigan PGA Women’s Open Championship Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge course at Crystal Mountain.
The 24-year-old second-year LPGA Tour player from Maple Grove, Minn., was just one shot short of the tournament and course record and totaled 18-under 198 to set a 54-hole scoring record for the championship. She was also 10 shots better than her three closest pursuers and won $6,500 of the $40,000 purse.
Burnham, who has won three mini-tour events this spring in Arizona and Florida, rolled in a 7-iron shot from 145 yards on the par 4 third hole for an eagle-2 and was off to the races with seven birdies and the eagle.
“I feel like I was a little lucky,” she said. “I felt like I was hitting it well, but when it went in for my eagle early I was just able to play comfortable and confident and try to shoot a great round.”
She was just one-shot short of the single-round scoring record 62 set in the first round of the 215 championship by Kimberly Dinh of Midland, but raced past the previous 54-hole tournament scoring record of 12-under, which was tied last year by winner Anika Dy of Traverse City.
Liz Nagel of DeWitt, another LPGA Tour player and the 2018 Michigan PGA Women’s Open champion, shot 68 for 8-under 208 and tied for second with Symetra Tour player and former Ohio State standout Jessica Porvasnik of Hinckley, Ohio, who shot 70, and Emma Jandel, a former LPGA player from Sandy Springs, Ga., who shot 71.
Allie White, a Symetra Tour player from Athens, Ohio, shot 67 for 209 and fifth place.
Sarah Shipley of Hastings, a University of Kentucky golfer, was the low amateur in the championship with a 70 for 210. She tied for sixth place with LPGA player Kendall Dye of Edmond, Okla., who closed with a 67.
Burnham, who started the day with a one-shot lead on Nishtha Madan of Grand Rapids, had a five-shot lead by the eighth hole and continued to pull away with a 4-under 32 on the back nine.
“I knew how far ahead I guess I was at the turn, but I just was like, I’m here to play golf and I’m playing the golf course so let’s see how well I can end up playing,” she said. “I didn’t want any bad mistakes to happen so I just kept playing my game.”
She lauded the smooth greens at Crystal Mountain, which hosted the championship for the 18th consecutive year, and said it was great being back in Michigan with several of her former teammates and Big Ten friends in the field.
“It’s one of my biggest wins and I’m hoping it will bring me some confidence out on tour,” she said. “I hope to come back if it works in my schedule. This is my second time here at Crystal Mountain. I love it, I would actually want to come in the winter sometime, go skiing or snowboarding. It’s so beautiful up here and the golf course is great as well.”
Nagel, another former Michigan State standout, said Burnham played an amazing tournament, and she was surprised to be tied for second.
“Got some of the rust off,” she said. “I haven’t played competitively since February, so it was good to be out and play and feel those competitive feelings. I think we’re all happy to be here considering the circumstances. I didn’t have my best stuff to keep up with Sarah, but she has been playing and winning on the Cactus Tour (Arizona) and in Florida so she was trending toward something like this.”
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GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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FARMINGTON HILLS – A few years ago West Bloomfield’s Ryan O’Rourke was playing hockey with the elite USA Eagles travel program.
“I never really expected to play golf,” he said. “But a while ago my dad joined Orchard Lake Country Club and kind of forced me to try the junior golf program even though I had never really liked golf.
“I started playing every Tuesday. It started growing on me, and then I started playing every day and I quit playing hockey. I was a good hockey player, but I never felt the connection with hockey that I feel with golf now.”
O’Rourke, 15 and the son of Marc and Carrie O’Rourke, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) 15-and-under Junior Boy’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, GAM senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll points system and totals can be found on a pull down from the Championships tab at gam.org. The 15-and-under Junior Girl’s Player of the Week will be announced Friday.
Previously, Dan Ellis of East Lansing and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing were named the Players of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson and Julie Massa of Holt were named Senior Players of the Year, Ian Harris of Bloomfield was named the Super Senior Player of the Year and August Meekhof of Eastmanville and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids were named the Junior Players of the Year.
O’Rourke, a freshman at Walled Lake Northern High School, highlighted his summer season with wins in the 15-and-under division of the Michigan Junior State Amateur and the GAM Junior Invitational.
It helped him build an Honor Roll point total of 1,185. Ieuan Jones of Ann Arbor, a GAM member through Youth on Course, was second with 662 points.
Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Twin Lakes Golf & Swim Club (543), Robert Burns of Grand Blanc and Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club (475) and Bryce Wheeler of Augusta and Gull Lake View Golf & Resort (442) rounded out the top five.
Kyle Wolfe, who directs the junior championships for the GAM, said O’Rourke and his family made smart decisions to compete in the 15-and-under division of tournaments instead of pressing to play among the older juniors.
“He was able to develop that feeling of winning and the ability to win, which is important as you go on to put yourself in contention in tournaments,” Wolfe said. “By the end of the year he was shooting some of the best scores of any of the juniors. He had a great round, a 67 in the GAM Invitational and won his division by several shots. It was a rainy, terrible day, too and he just lit it up. He has the game to go in the older division now and I expect him to do really well.”
O’Rourke, who finished second recently in a junior tour event in Florida, has his eye on collegiate golf in the future. His older brother, Max, recently signed with the golf program at Wayne State University.
“College golf would be fun,” he said. “I’m working toward that.”
He said the work of the last year with PGA teaching professional Danny Thomas of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center has helped him improve his putting.
“My putting was a lot better this year,” he said. “It helped because my chipping isn’t the greatest and I have to work on improving that. I also improved on consistency with my driver. It hasn’t been that great in the past, but I was more consistent. I hit it out there farther than a lot of the guys I play with, but it hasn’t always been consistent.”
“I never really expected to play golf,” he said. “But a while ago my dad joined Orchard Lake Country Club and kind of forced me to try the junior golf program even though I had never really liked golf.
“I started playing every Tuesday. It started growing on me, and then I started playing every day and I quit playing hockey. I was a good hockey player, but I never felt the connection with hockey that I feel with golf now.”
O’Rourke, 15 and the son of Marc and Carrie O’Rourke, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) 15-and-under Junior Boy’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, GAM senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll points system and totals can be found on a pull down from the Championships tab at gam.org. The 15-and-under Junior Girl’s Player of the Week will be announced Friday.
Previously, Dan Ellis of East Lansing and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing were named the Players of the Year, Steve Maddalena of Jackson and Julie Massa of Holt were named Senior Players of the Year, Ian Harris of Bloomfield was named the Super Senior Player of the Year and August Meekhof of Eastmanville and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids were named the Junior Players of the Year.
O’Rourke, a freshman at Walled Lake Northern High School, highlighted his summer season with wins in the 15-and-under division of the Michigan Junior State Amateur and the GAM Junior Invitational.
It helped him build an Honor Roll point total of 1,185. Ieuan Jones of Ann Arbor, a GAM member through Youth on Course, was second with 662 points.
Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Twin Lakes Golf & Swim Club (543), Robert Burns of Grand Blanc and Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club (475) and Bryce Wheeler of Augusta and Gull Lake View Golf & Resort (442) rounded out the top five.
Kyle Wolfe, who directs the junior championships for the GAM, said O’Rourke and his family made smart decisions to compete in the 15-and-under division of tournaments instead of pressing to play among the older juniors.
“He was able to develop that feeling of winning and the ability to win, which is important as you go on to put yourself in contention in tournaments,” Wolfe said. “By the end of the year he was shooting some of the best scores of any of the juniors. He had a great round, a 67 in the GAM Invitational and won his division by several shots. It was a rainy, terrible day, too and he just lit it up. He has the game to go in the older division now and I expect him to do really well.”
O’Rourke, who finished second recently in a junior tour event in Florida, has his eye on collegiate golf in the future. His older brother, Max, recently signed with the golf program at Wayne State University.
“College golf would be fun,” he said. “I’m working toward that.”
He said the work of the last year with PGA teaching professional Danny Thomas of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center has helped him improve his putting.
“My putting was a lot better this year,” he said. “It helped because my chipping isn’t the greatest and I have to work on improving that. I also improved on consistency with my driver. It hasn’t been that great in the past, but I was more consistent. I hit it out there farther than a lot of the guys I play with, but it hasn’t always been consistent.”
Play suspended RBRIDGEPORT, W.Va.(EMUEagles.com) – With just one round officially in the books, the Eastern Michigan University men's golf team sits in 13th-place at The Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational at the Pete Dye Golf Club Monday, Oct. 7.
Golfers played through a steady rain for most of the day, slowing play. Officials blew the horn at 6:30 p.m., calling for players to complete their holes before heading in. Due to the change, Tuesday's play will begin in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. with players finishing the remaining holes of the second round and heading directly into the third.
EMU shot a 317 as a team in the first round and is just three stokes outside of the top-10. Florida Atlantic, who finished the first round with a 292, sits atop the leaderboard ahead of host West Virginia (294) and Southern Mississippi (300).
All five of the Eagles still have holes to finish to complete the second round.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-46. Ty Celone 80-+4 (15) +12
t-46. Cougar Collins 77-+7 (16) +12
t-46. Zack Mason 82-+2 (15) +12
t-53. Zach Sudinsky 81-+5 (15) +14
t-64. Luke Pelak 79-+9 (16) +16
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Florida Atlantic 292 +4
2. West Virginia 294 +6
3. Southern Mississippi 300 +12
4. James Madison 305 +17
t-5. Xavier 306 +18
t-5. Davidson 306 +18
t-7. Connecticut 308 +20
t-7. Washington State 308 +20
9. Rice 309 +21
10. George Washington 313 +25
t-11. Youngstown State 314 +26
t-11. Towson 314 +26
13. Eastern Michigan 317 +29
14. Marshall 325 +37
15. Akron 326 +38 Rounds continue
Golfers played through a steady rain for most of the day, slowing play. Officials blew the horn at 6:30 p.m., calling for players to complete their holes before heading in. Due to the change, Tuesday's play will begin in a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. with players finishing the remaining holes of the second round and heading directly into the third.
EMU shot a 317 as a team in the first round and is just three stokes outside of the top-10. Florida Atlantic, who finished the first round with a 292, sits atop the leaderboard ahead of host West Virginia (294) and Southern Mississippi (300).
All five of the Eagles still have holes to finish to complete the second round.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-46. Ty Celone 80-+4 (15) +12
t-46. Cougar Collins 77-+7 (16) +12
t-46. Zack Mason 82-+2 (15) +12
t-53. Zach Sudinsky 81-+5 (15) +14
t-64. Luke Pelak 79-+9 (16) +16
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Florida Atlantic 292 +4
2. West Virginia 294 +6
3. Southern Mississippi 300 +12
4. James Madison 305 +17
t-5. Xavier 306 +18
t-5. Davidson 306 +18
t-7. Connecticut 308 +20
t-7. Washington State 308 +20
9. Rice 309 +21
10. George Washington 313 +25
t-11. Youngstown State 314 +26
t-11. Towson 314 +26
13. Eastern Michigan 317 +29
14. Marshall 325 +37
15. Akron 326 +38 Rounds continue
Hot Putter Powers Scott Hebert to Victory at the Michigan PGA Match Play Championship |
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LANSING – Scott Hebert said something happened with the putter, and it resulted in the Traverse City Golf & Country Club professional winning the 2019 Michigan PGA Match Play Championship presented by the PGA Tour Wednesday at Country Club of Lansing.
He made seven birdies in 14 holes and turned back fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth 6 and 4 in the final match.
“I’ve been toying around and toying around with the putter and still putted miserable all year,” he said. “I was out in a practice round on Monday and stuff started working. I stuck with it and I probably putted the best I have in years.”
The 50-year-old Hebert won the Michigan PGA Match Play title for the second time and it marked his all-time leading 18th Michigan PGA Section major championship win. It also wrapped up his eighth Michigan PGA Player of the Year Award pushing him past Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy in the point standings.
He said he enjoyed playing the final match with the 55-year-old Cairns, who is a longtime rival and friend.
“It’s always great to beat the bombers, and we talked about it out there with some of the younger guys hitting shots we disagree with,” he said. “On this course you can only hit it where it allows you to hit it, and BC and I did that. This afternoon, I don’t think BC was 100 percent.”
Cairns admitted fatigue and said Hebert is playing great and he is looking forward to both of them playing in next week’s Senior Professional National Championship in Austin, Texas.
“I couldn’t get to the left with my body the last 11 holes and Scotty was hitting it close and making putts,” he said. “I lost the magic, and he had it. It’s great to see him playing so well.”
Hebert said winning tournaments is what drives him to continue to compete.
“This is what gets me to practice the little bit that I do – to try and win stuff,” he said after accepting the $3,200 first-place check. “It’s nice to win this for the second time. It’s the culmination of a good season that started in May and here we are in September and I’m Player of the Year again. It’s been a good season.”
Hebert, the Northern Chapter champion, advanced to the championship match with a 5 and 4 win over Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, the Western Chapter champion. With the tee moved up at the par 4 No. 13 hole to about 280 yards to tempt strategy, Hebert drove the green and made a 30-foot eagle putt.
Cairns, the Senior Chapter champion, advanced with a 2-up win over Eastern Chapter champion Cody Haughton of Red Run Country Club in Royal Oak. He led most of the match but had to hold off Haughton at the end.
Hebert’s birdie barrage started in a quick-work quarterfinal win over Kyle Wittenbach, the Ferris State University golf coach and the runner-up a year ago. He topped Wittenbach 5 and 4, and then added the 5 and 4 win over Urban and the 6 and 4 win over Cairns.
“It was the putter,” Hebert said. “Going to try and keep it going for next week. I’m fortunate I have two good guys to watch the shop next week so I can go play in the Senior PNC.”
He made seven birdies in 14 holes and turned back fellow Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth 6 and 4 in the final match.
“I’ve been toying around and toying around with the putter and still putted miserable all year,” he said. “I was out in a practice round on Monday and stuff started working. I stuck with it and I probably putted the best I have in years.”
The 50-year-old Hebert won the Michigan PGA Match Play title for the second time and it marked his all-time leading 18th Michigan PGA Section major championship win. It also wrapped up his eighth Michigan PGA Player of the Year Award pushing him past Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy in the point standings.
He said he enjoyed playing the final match with the 55-year-old Cairns, who is a longtime rival and friend.
“It’s always great to beat the bombers, and we talked about it out there with some of the younger guys hitting shots we disagree with,” he said. “On this course you can only hit it where it allows you to hit it, and BC and I did that. This afternoon, I don’t think BC was 100 percent.”
Cairns admitted fatigue and said Hebert is playing great and he is looking forward to both of them playing in next week’s Senior Professional National Championship in Austin, Texas.
“I couldn’t get to the left with my body the last 11 holes and Scotty was hitting it close and making putts,” he said. “I lost the magic, and he had it. It’s great to see him playing so well.”
Hebert said winning tournaments is what drives him to continue to compete.
“This is what gets me to practice the little bit that I do – to try and win stuff,” he said after accepting the $3,200 first-place check. “It’s nice to win this for the second time. It’s the culmination of a good season that started in May and here we are in September and I’m Player of the Year again. It’s been a good season.”
Hebert, the Northern Chapter champion, advanced to the championship match with a 5 and 4 win over Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, the Western Chapter champion. With the tee moved up at the par 4 No. 13 hole to about 280 yards to tempt strategy, Hebert drove the green and made a 30-foot eagle putt.
Cairns, the Senior Chapter champion, advanced with a 2-up win over Eastern Chapter champion Cody Haughton of Red Run Country Club in Royal Oak. He led most of the match but had to hold off Haughton at the end.
Hebert’s birdie barrage started in a quick-work quarterfinal win over Kyle Wittenbach, the Ferris State University golf coach and the runner-up a year ago. He topped Wittenbach 5 and 4, and then added the 5 and 4 win over Urban and the 6 and 4 win over Cairns.
“It was the putter,” Hebert said. “Going to try and keep it going for next week. I’m fortunate I have two good guys to watch the shop next week so I can go play in the Senior PNC.”
Ally Challenge Celebrity Challenge is a big hit with superstars, fans and a lot of dough raised for charity
Tradition-Rich Country Club of Lansing Hosting 33rd GAM Senior Championship
LANSING – By Greg Johnson-The Country Club of Lansing, which features a classic William Langford-designed course that dates to 1921, will host the state’s top senior male golfers in the 33rd GAM Senior Championship presented by Sullivan Golf Travel Monday and Tuesday.
A field of 156 golfers, 100 playing for the Senior title for golfers age 55-and-over, and 56 playing in the Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over, will play two rounds of stroke play.
Country Club of Lansing has a time-tested championship golf course for such a field, and at the same time is family oriented and offers a full range of amenities, including a driving range, tennis courts, fitness facility, swimming and dining.
Founded in 1908, The Lansing Golf Club was formed by a group of 17 men. In 1920 members acquired 160 acres of land that adjoined the club and Langford, a nationally known golf course architect of the time, was commissioned to develop the new course layout. The Chicago Park Builders were engaged to construct the course, and the new clubhouse which was designed by Samuel Butterworth. In 1921 a new opening and a new name emerged – the Country Club of Lansing.
In 1999 a $7 million renovation to the clubhouse helped the club continue to provide a traditional country club lifestyle for its membership, their families and guests. The course plays to a maximum of 6,889 yards from the championship tee positions. John Lindert is the director of golf and Mark Magee the superintendent. Find out more about the Country Club of Lansing at cclansing.org.
Defending champion David Bartnick of Livonia is in this year’s field. Last year he took advantage of a final-round hole-in-one at Battle Creek Country Club to rally from behind and win by one shot over Mike LeBarre of Battle Creek. Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake won the Super Senior Division by seven shots.
Bartnick is one of six former champions in the field, including 2015 winner Mike Tungate of East Lansing, two-time champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills (2014, 2012) and four-time champion Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights (2013, 2011, 2010, 2008). Mike Fedewa, the 2007 champion, and Roger Kuhl, the 2003 winner, are playing in the Super Senior division.
A field of 156 golfers, 100 playing for the Senior title for golfers age 55-and-over, and 56 playing in the Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over, will play two rounds of stroke play.
Country Club of Lansing has a time-tested championship golf course for such a field, and at the same time is family oriented and offers a full range of amenities, including a driving range, tennis courts, fitness facility, swimming and dining.
Founded in 1908, The Lansing Golf Club was formed by a group of 17 men. In 1920 members acquired 160 acres of land that adjoined the club and Langford, a nationally known golf course architect of the time, was commissioned to develop the new course layout. The Chicago Park Builders were engaged to construct the course, and the new clubhouse which was designed by Samuel Butterworth. In 1921 a new opening and a new name emerged – the Country Club of Lansing.
In 1999 a $7 million renovation to the clubhouse helped the club continue to provide a traditional country club lifestyle for its membership, their families and guests. The course plays to a maximum of 6,889 yards from the championship tee positions. John Lindert is the director of golf and Mark Magee the superintendent. Find out more about the Country Club of Lansing at cclansing.org.
Defending champion David Bartnick of Livonia is in this year’s field. Last year he took advantage of a final-round hole-in-one at Battle Creek Country Club to rally from behind and win by one shot over Mike LeBarre of Battle Creek. Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake won the Super Senior Division by seven shots.
Bartnick is one of six former champions in the field, including 2015 winner Mike Tungate of East Lansing, two-time champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills (2014, 2012) and four-time champion Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights (2013, 2011, 2010, 2008). Mike Fedewa, the 2007 champion, and Roger Kuhl, the 2003 winner, are playing in the Super Senior division.
Indiana Earns First Women’s Golfer of the Week Honor Hoosiers’ Schmid scores seven-under 209 at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational
Golfer of the Week
Priscilla Schmid, Indiana
Jr. – Montevideo, Uruguay – IMG Academy – Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
Priscilla Schmid, Indiana
Jr. – Montevideo, Uruguay – IMG Academy – Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
- Tied for second at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., after scoring a three-round total of 209 (-7)
- Tallied a 68 on day two of the invitational, her second-best career round
- Carded 12 birdies and 49 holes at-or-below par
- Earns her first Golfer of the Week award
- Last Indiana Golfer of the Week: Mary Parsons (April 17, 2019)
Why I play the Top 50 Scholarship Golf Tour |
Top 50 Players reflections of Indianwood CC
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Team 'I'm in' wins at LPGA event in Midland |
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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
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From Midland-Michigan Golf Scene and the LPGA Golf Show |
SAGINAW – Sarah Shipley didn’t let a two-stroke penalty for hitting from a wrong tee box on the sixth hole ruin her day.
The Hastings resident and University of Kentucky golfer shot a 1-under 70 despite the penalty and won the 28th GAM Women’s Championship presented by Global Golf Post Tuesday at Saginaw Country Club.
“It was early enough in the round that I didn’t get that worked up about it,” she said after the four-shot win over 2017 champion Kerri Parks of Flushing and Marshall University and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing and Michigan State University, who tied for second.
“It was frustrating, but I had birdied a couple of holes and knew I had a cushion. Plus, I knew there were more birdies out there.”
Shipley’s closing 70 gave her a two-day total of 4-under 138. Parks, who rallied with a 6-under 65, and Tanida, who shot a second consecutive 71, tied at even-par 142.
Defending champion Allyson Geer-Park of Brighton and Michigan State shot 69 for 143 and fourth place. Katie Chipman of Flushing and Grand Valley State University shot 69 for 144 and fifth.
Michigan State head women’s golf coach and Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, who shot 74, and Chaithra Katamneni of Midland and the University of Nevada, who shot 72, tied at 145.
Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis, the 2016 champion, shot 72 for 146, and Elayna Bowser of Dearborn and Loyola University-Chicago shot 72 for 147. Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston and Central Michigan, who shot 78, and Haylin Harris, another Michigan State golfer who shot 74, rounded out the top 10 at 148.
Shipley said she was in conversation with playing partners Slobodnik-Stoll and Deardorff when she stepped to what she thought was the No. 6 tee and hit a shot. Deardorff then stepped on the tee and noticed it was not the correct tee.
“I had to hit another one, take the two strokes, try to make a birdie for bogey, but I made par for a double-bogey,” she said. “I’ve never done that before. I’m glad it was earlier in the round. That’s why I didn’t get too down about it. If I do something like that late in the round it might have been a different story.”
Shipley, 21 and a senior-to-be this fall at Kentucky, said she was proud that she worked through the mistake and kept playing well.
“I had two rounds in the red (under-par) so I feel really good about that,” she said. “It’s my best play of the summer for sure. It will boost my confidence going into the season back at school. I had the kind of rounds I will need to have to go back to school and win a college tournament.”
Shipley, who was qualifying medalist in last year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, will miss the Aug. 5-9 championship at Spring Lake Country Club with a mission trip to Nicaragua with some other University of Kentucky athletes.
“I will play in the Women’s Western Amateur and that’s it before going back to school,” she said.
Parks, the defending Michigan Women’s Amateur champion said she will also miss the championship. She heads back to Marshall for summer classes on Monday.
“I’m excited I shot a good round before I head back to school,” she said after her 65 that helped her forget an opening 77. “I had good distance with my driver today and seemed to hit it to 9-iron distance a lot,” she said. “I hit good shots and made a few putts. Yesterday I hit several errant shots, but today I played much better.”
Tanida, who will be a junior at Michigan State and is originally from Japan, said her 71 was frustrating.
“I started out very bad,” she said. “I struggled to make pars, struggled all through the round.”
The Hastings resident and University of Kentucky golfer shot a 1-under 70 despite the penalty and won the 28th GAM Women’s Championship presented by Global Golf Post Tuesday at Saginaw Country Club.
“It was early enough in the round that I didn’t get that worked up about it,” she said after the four-shot win over 2017 champion Kerri Parks of Flushing and Marshall University and Yurika Tanida of East Lansing and Michigan State University, who tied for second.
“It was frustrating, but I had birdied a couple of holes and knew I had a cushion. Plus, I knew there were more birdies out there.”
Shipley’s closing 70 gave her a two-day total of 4-under 138. Parks, who rallied with a 6-under 65, and Tanida, who shot a second consecutive 71, tied at even-par 142.
Defending champion Allyson Geer-Park of Brighton and Michigan State shot 69 for 143 and fourth place. Katie Chipman of Flushing and Grand Valley State University shot 69 for 144 and fifth.
Michigan State head women’s golf coach and Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, who shot 74, and Chaithra Katamneni of Midland and the University of Nevada, who shot 72, tied at 145.
Anna Kramer of Spring Lake and the University of Indianapolis, the 2016 champion, shot 72 for 146, and Elayna Bowser of Dearborn and Loyola University-Chicago shot 72 for 147. Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston and Central Michigan, who shot 78, and Haylin Harris, another Michigan State golfer who shot 74, rounded out the top 10 at 148.
Shipley said she was in conversation with playing partners Slobodnik-Stoll and Deardorff when she stepped to what she thought was the No. 6 tee and hit a shot. Deardorff then stepped on the tee and noticed it was not the correct tee.
“I had to hit another one, take the two strokes, try to make a birdie for bogey, but I made par for a double-bogey,” she said. “I’ve never done that before. I’m glad it was earlier in the round. That’s why I didn’t get too down about it. If I do something like that late in the round it might have been a different story.”
Shipley, 21 and a senior-to-be this fall at Kentucky, said she was proud that she worked through the mistake and kept playing well.
“I had two rounds in the red (under-par) so I feel really good about that,” she said. “It’s my best play of the summer for sure. It will boost my confidence going into the season back at school. I had the kind of rounds I will need to have to go back to school and win a college tournament.”
Shipley, who was qualifying medalist in last year’s Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship, will miss the Aug. 5-9 championship at Spring Lake Country Club with a mission trip to Nicaragua with some other University of Kentucky athletes.
“I will play in the Women’s Western Amateur and that’s it before going back to school,” she said.
Parks, the defending Michigan Women’s Amateur champion said she will also miss the championship. She heads back to Marshall for summer classes on Monday.
“I’m excited I shot a good round before I head back to school,” she said after her 65 that helped her forget an opening 77. “I had good distance with my driver today and seemed to hit it to 9-iron distance a lot,” she said. “I hit good shots and made a few putts. Yesterday I hit several errant shots, but today I played much better.”
Tanida, who will be a junior at Michigan State and is originally from Japan, said her 71 was frustrating.
“I started out very bad,” she said. “I struggled to make pars, struggled all through the round.”
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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
B
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
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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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AJGA crown Qian and Clemente
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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.
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Fred Couples on Warwick Hills and meeting Tom Izzo
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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 |
Brian, will be featured on Michigan Golf Scene talking about cutting edge golf products and where you can find them.
Tom Lang talks Michigan golf and rules changes, pro golf and moreShow 4-May 17th, 2019- New Show, On this show, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, the LPGA in Grand Rapids, junior and college golfShow 3- May 1,2019 Michigan Golf Scene Show Three with Fred Couples, Helen Alfredsson, and college golf - Show 1.3 |