Oh my, do we have a full magazine for you in September. At 50 pages, it’s the largest ever in the history of the MI Golf Journal’s seven years.
Each September, we bring you season previews of most of the college golf teams in the state. You, as proud alumni, make it clear these teams are popular and wellfollowed by their fan base, starting on page 38.
Before getting to the end of the magazine to that ‘College Corner’ section, you can find:
A golf Q&A with Michigan’s own Meg Mallon, the most decorated woman golfer ever from Michigan. She gives her personal insights on the fastapproaching Solheim Cup, of which she played in seven times and was a captain for an eighth.
Mt. Pleasant High School produced six golfers over the years who made it to the LPGA and PGA Tours, and four of the six won titles, some multiple times. A great, fun read about the most successful small town in America at producing Tour pros.
We have another 100-year-old course in Michigan, and we give it a glowing review: Verona Hills
And so much more !
Thank you as always for joining us.
TomLang EditorandPublisher
What's Inside:
Meg Mallon: Meg Mallon:
Michigan’s Michigan’s Best Ever Best Ever LPGA Tour LPGA Tour
Player Player
Q&AonSolheim Cupandmore
By Tom Lang By Tom Lang
Michigander Meg Mallon is the undisputed best woman golfer ever from the Great Lakes State:
Won four professional majors, better than any other Michigander
Won 18 LPGA Tour events
World Golf Hall of Fame member
13-9-7 overall record (5-2-1 singles) in eight Solheim Cup appearances, plus 2013 Captaincy
Won the Michigan Women’s Amateur in 1983
All-Big Ten at Ohio State and 1985 Conference Championship runner up
She was gracious with her time to give me and three-time Michigan Broadcaster of the Year
Jack Ebling an interview in mid-August. Below is part of our tag-team talk.
Question: Another Michigander, Kelly Robbins, played in several Solheim Cups, I assume some with you – how rare do you think that is?
Mallon: “Yes, Kelly and I were playing partners in Sweden in the Solheim Cup. I just love Kelly Robbins, one of my favorite human beings out on Tour. Yes (that is rare), and we even had Becky Iverson (from the U.P.) who played in Scotland one year. All three of us were on that team. We’re a tough group. When you learn to play golf in Michigan, you can play in any type of elements.”
Q:What are you looking forward to about the 2024 event?
Mallon: “I am super excited about this one, because it’s in the Nation’s Capital… at the Robert Trent Jones course where they’ve had several President’s Cups. I just think it’s going to be spectacular, especially coming off
HALL OF FAMER MEG MALLON
the Olympics and everyone getting that national fervor going, and I think it’s really going to be a special event. I will be there the whole time.”
Q: Do you have a top memory or two from the Solheim Cup, and maybe a memory you’d rather not recall?
Mallon: “Actually I have a full circle memory to share. My very first Solheim Cup (1992) was in Scotland and we were heavy, heavy favorites. It was the second Solheim Cup ever held, and the first one the Americans dominated and it wasn’t even a match. So, we went in as heavy favorites in Scotland – and we knew the Europeans were good players, even if the American audience didn’t know. And, on my singles match, the Europeans won the Solheim Cup. And I will never forget that, as all of Europe celebrated on top of me. I think
I’m still holding Catrin Nilsmark’s golf ball. I never gave it back to her because she was gone, they were so excited. And it was just a terrible feeling, going back to your team, and having that moment, and it was rough (Europe won 7-3 in the 10 matches that final round).
“Then in my very last Solheim Cup in 2005 at Crooked Stick, it came down to my match again, and I won my match to win the Solheim Cup so I got to have both experiences and I’m very grateful for both of them and I will never forget that either. It’s quite a thrill to play in that event. It’s my favorite event to play in. I grew up in team sports in Michigan, all sorts of team sports, so to be able to do that and represent your country is a bonus – a fun event.”
Q: How many players take representing the flag as seriously as you do?
Mallon’sInductionintoWorldGolfHallofFame
HALL OF FAMER MEG MALLON
Mallon: “Oh, all of them do. They get it. And if they don’t get it, they get it after they play in one. That’s why I am really hopeful for this year for Nelly Korda, because she has yet to be on a winning team. So, I want her to get that, and feeling … that positive experience in a Solheim Cup because there’s nothing else like it. And to win it on home soil. So, I don’t want to make an early call, but boy, it would be fantastic to have that all come true. And we have won three in a row but we’ve never lost three in a row so it would be great if they pull it out this year.” (USA lost in 2021, then last year Europe retained the Cup.)
Q: What’s the difference from losing the Solheim Cup and what’s maybe different this year?
Mallon: “You can break it down in so many different ways… you could come up with all sorts of reasons, but it comes down to a putt or two or match or two here or there, and just the momentum. And it really helps to be on home soil… and there’s a lot of pressure. You’re not playing for any money, but
you’re playing for your teammates and your country and there’s a lot of pressure behind that.”
Q: We all know that the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup are the same match play format, but what might be some subtle differences between the men’s and women’s events?
Mallon: “Our atmosphere is really fun. At the first tee in the morning and the afternoon, people are singing and dancing (together),
singing national anthems. It’s really raucous at the Solheim Cup that way. The men are kind of more of a jeering kind of thing, it’s more of a taking sides kind of situation. I think ours is much more fun and I hope ours stays that way.
“And what’s funny playing the next week after playing an event like that, you’ve been screaming and fist pumping out there at the Solheim Cup. And when you get back to the next event and make your first birdie and (just) you’re going to fist pump and scream, you think, opps, I’m not at the Solheim Cup anymore.”
Q: What about the crowd and the chants and the different volume level out on the course?
Mallon: “Not every player can handle that. Some really get ignited by it. Lexi Thompson likes to get on the first tee and she wants to hit her shot when everyone’s screaming and yelling; she’s encouraging them to do it. And some players it’s dead silence, and that’s eiery... when you’re going from singing songs and it’s dead silence and it’s only you hitting that ball.”
Meet Mt. Pleasant: The Center of it All
ByTomLang ByTomLang
The central Michigan area is well known for its namesake – Central Michigan University.
Yet as I visit there more and more, I have learned it clearly offers so much beyond.
Mt. Pleasant and the surrounding area has great golf – 13 courses within a 30-minute drive – plus more than 100 established restaurants, water sports on the Chippewa River and Lake Isabella, more than 30 parks and nature preserves, a historicallymodernized and clean downtown, plus the Soaring Casino.
All in all, you will not be bored in Mt. Pleasant.
Golf alone will keep a buddies group or golfing couples very busy. Ranging from 2022 Michigan Golf Course of the Year, The Emerald, to the south, to Snow Snake to the north, Buck’s Run to the east and The Pines at Lake Isabella and Tullymore to the west, golfers have tons of choices.
Then there is the venerable PohlCat on the edge of town with course designer and former PGA Tour pro Dan Pohl onsite most days helping golfers get their round started. He can be found in the pro shop or setting up events – and best of all he gives lessons at the expansive practice area to fine tune your game. In any interaction with Pohl, expect him to fill your time there with timeless stories of Jack, Arnold, Freddie, Lee, Chi Chi and more. Pohlcat is a fabulous course that requires all the shots in the bag.
Tullymore and partnering course St. Ives are nationally ranked – yet a staple for going on nine decades is Riverwood Resort and Golf Course, located southeast of downtown. Riverwood also has 25 lanes for the only bowling alley in the region.
The Dick Figg family took ownership of the original 18 holes there in the 1960s, and added nine more for 27. In more recent years, the Blue nine was closed when Riverwood purchased The Pines at Lake Isabella about four years ago.
As you will read on later pages in our story about Mt. Pleasant’s incredible production of six PGA and LPGA touring pros, almost all got their start and honed their games at Riverwood and tested themselves early against other top-end juniors in the Annual Riverwood State Junior Tournament, long before the AJGA was more popular. This year Riverwood held the 52nd edition. Concludesonnextpage>>
PohlCatHole17
The Chippewa River runs through Riverwood and starting at Lake Isabella – which was formed by the damming of the river – goes through the Mt. Pleasant Country Club, PohlCat (with my favorite ‘river’ hole, No. 2) and eventually Buck’s Run, the latter considered one of the premier courses as well. Buck’s Run is 18 holes of gorgeous golf cut through the mid-Michigan woods, with open areas of river and large ponds to navigate your Titleist. For the kids (and the kid side of you) Buck’s Run has an island near the clubhouse that is covered by a natural grass ‘putt-putt’ course providing fun for all.
One of Mt. Pleasant’s newest restaurants, Wood Shop Social Kitchen and Bar, offers New American cuisine and an extensive menu of updated standard and original cocktails, along with a curated selection of bourbon and wine. Mt. Pleasant nightlife can include the largest gaming floor in Michigan at Soaring Casino (which can also cater to the kids with their huge waterpark) or visit one of the famous Mt. Pleasant landmarks, Rubbles Bar, for some live music.
Due to its central location in the Great Lakes
After you check into your hotel at one of the many convenient lodging options, maybe head to dinner at a local favorite, Mountain Town Station. This staple brewery located downtown offers a wide array of delectable options from their famous Scotch Eggs to a mouth-watering Stone Fired Pizza – with many hand-crafted beers on tap. Looking for something more upscale? Conveniently located under the same roof, Camille’s Prime is an intimate restaurant featuring certified primegrade black Angus steaks, fresh seafood, and upscale comfort food.
State, many times Mt. Pleasant is considered a stopping point for traveling Up North – a way to break up the trip. But at least once in your golf travels, you need to make it your first and only stop. Learn more at: www.meetmtp.com
Verona Hills Celebrating a Century
Oldest golf course in Michigan’s Thumb
ByTomLang ByTomLang
On an early August day, I played Verona Hills, just two days after the club’s 100th anniversary party.
As I’m sure the party was, playing the course was a joy.
Verona Hills is located in the midst of the outlandishly flat farm country of Michigan’s ‘thumb’ – but barely a single hole is level like the surrounding countryside, east of Bad Axe.
“The surprise people will find is that it’s hilly. Who expects hills and rolling terrain in Huron County when they visit?” asked Dick Walker, a Verona Hills member for 41 years. “My favorite
hole is 14, a par 5. If I hit a good drive, I have a chance to go for it in two.
“Hole 8 is a great one too. And in the fall, it’s unbelievable when you make the turn (on the dogleg left). It’s fantastic with the trees to the west. It’s beautiful, just flat out beautiful.”
Walker showed me around the club with great pride and joy, where I found holes 7-9 as my favorite stretch of three consecutive challenges.
Hole 7 is a slightly turning left dogleg par 5 with high sides on your second shot to keep your ball in the middle on the way to a very attractive green complex awaiting you. No. 8 is a harsh left turning dogleg that once you make the corner,
CELEBRATING A CENTURY
you see a deep valley protecting the front of an elevated green. Challenging and beautiful.
No. 9 closes the front with a nice dogleg left-toright path, with water at the inside of the elbow.
PGA club pro Phil Gornowich, in his 11th year at the club after growing up in the area and playing his high school golf at the club, said the origins of Verona Hills encompasses the traditional nine holes of early courses that much later became 18.
“The original nine must have been very spread out with lots of open land in between,” he said, adding that the newest nine holes are not just set off to the side of the first nine, but rather, it’s all interconnected.
Yet two years ago, with even more land available within a gap between holes 9 and 18,
the club added a section called the ‘Hive.’ It’s five short holes where kids can learn the game and adults can improve theirs. The maximum hole length is 90 yards.
Because of the hills and doglegs, a common trait is blind shots. Yet you are always able to see the flow of the fairways through the trees, and the entire property is a great combination of challenge and beauty. No one should leave Verona Hills disappointed – even if you played poorly.
Walker said he is proud that it’s reasonably priced to play – where the public is welcomed –and all the members enjoy each other.
“I play all winter in Florida,” he said. “But when I come back here, I feel like I returned to heaven.”
PRO TOUR GOLFERS FROM MID-MICHIGAN
Mt. Pleasant Has Produced the Most Golf Touring Pros
DanPohl
Editedandrepublishedwithpermission
Mt. Pleasant is the home of several championship golf courses, which combined with its golf training opportunities, produced six PGA Tour and LPGA Tour pros – more than virtually any community in the country.
These six golfers from Mt. Pleasant have made it to the sport’s biggest stage, going from humble beginnings at Riverwood Resort and The Golf Center just down the road, to some of golf’s grandest venues. They’ve won multiple tournaments on professional tours and competed in the sport’s most prestigious events.
For many golf fans, DanPohl is forever linked to his runner-up finish in the 1982 Masters at the famed Augusta National Golf Club. The 3-sport star at
Mt. Pleasant High School shot 5-under-par 67s in the third and fourth rounds to charge up the leaderboard past the likes of Tom Watson, Ray Floyd and Seve Ballesteros. He finished in a tie for first, only to lose his chance at a life-time exemption to Augusta National in a sudden-death playoff to Craig Stadler.
While Pohl narrowly missed getting the iconic green jacket, he did go on to win two PGA Tour events and place in the top 10 at golf’s major tournaments six more times, including third-place finishes at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He was golf’s longest driver in the early 1980s and had the PGA Tour’s lowest scoring average in 1987, the same year he won a match in the prestigious Ryder Cup.
“We grew up playing at Riverwood,” said Pohl, who also was an accomplished baseball and basketball player in his youth. “We were dropped off at the golf course at 7 in the morning and picked up at 7:00 at night. (Riverwood owner) Dick Figg and the Figg family was always very receptive to us being able to play.”
In addition to his success on tour, Pohl designed Mt. Pleasant’s PohlCat golf course, which bears his name. He’s currently the director of golf operations there, serving players and offering golf training opportunities.
“Having (Mt. Pleasant) looked at as a destination is big,” Pohl said. “We’ve cut the state in half. From Detroit, we’ve cut two hours out of their drive (up north) and have quality golf courses to play. We’ve got options.”
KellyRobbins had a great career on the LPGA Tour in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Robbins grew up playing at Riverwood and The Golf Center, a practice facility still in service today, that started in the 1970s by the late PGA teaching professional Roy Gunderson.
Robbins won back-to-back individual state titles in high school before becoming an NCAA All-American and Co-Player of the Year with LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam.
Robbins won nine LPGA Tour events including one major (1995 LPGA Championship) while finishing runner-up in the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open. She played on the U.S. Solheim Cup team six times and amassed career earnings of more than $5.7 million. One of those six times she partnered with fellow Michigander Meg Mallon. “I just love Kelly Robbins; one of my favorite human beings on Tour,” Mallon said.
“I’m proud to say that Mt. Pleasant gave me every opportunity to help shape my professional career,” said Robbins, who is retired and splits her time between Michigan and Maine. “The men at The Golf Center, along with Dick Figg at Riverwood, had the most significant impact in framing my career. For me, it was an opportunity and a ‘golf family’ commitment. We just worked really, really hard and had the facilities to do it.”
KellyRobbins
Concludesonnextpage>>
When Tiger Woods made his debut at the PGA Tour’s Buick Open in Grand Blanc in 1997,Doug LaBelleII was in the field. Then a 22-year-old, LaBelle was only a few years removed from developing his game in the Mt. Pleasant junior program run by Gunderson.
“
CindyFigg
C ier
Mt. Pleasant junior golf and Roy Gunderson played a huge role in my introduction to the game,”
Speaking of family, CindyFigg-Currier sometimes would babysit Robbins while they were growing up in Mt. Pleasant. Ten years older than Robbins, the daughter of Dick Figg became the first woman from Mt. Pleasant to make it big on the LPGA Tour.
After winning back-to-back individual state titles in high school in the late 1970s, FiggCurrier starred at the University of Texas and enjoyed a prolific professional career. She played in more than 450 LPGA events from the 1980s into the 2000s, finishing in the top 10 more than 30 times and winning the 1997 State Farm Rail Classic.
Figg-Currier also has been successful on the Legends of the LPGA Tour, winning multiple tournaments. Her career golf winnings exceed $2 million.
DougLaBelleII
said LaBelle, now a commercial and residential real estate agent in the Mt. Pleasant area. “From that point on, I really loved being at the golf course practicing, playing and learning to get better.”
LaBelle played in nearly 100 PGA Tour events and won $2.5 million, finishing as high as fourth place in the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii. He also qualified for the U.S. Open twice and made the cut in his lone appearance at the British Open, tying for 51st in 2008 with past major champions Sergio Garcia, Michael Campbell and Zach Johnson.
RyanBrehm
A three-time individual state champion at Mt. Pleasant High School, RyanBrehm is the latest pro golf sensation to come out of the area. The Michigan State grad made the cut in the PGA Tour’s 2005 Buick Open as a 19-year-old and later won the Michigan Open three times.
Brehm earned his way onto the PGA Tour in 2017 and had some success, but his big breakthrough was winning the 2022 Puerto Rico Open at age 35. He played a full schedule all the way through the 2024 season, but his future is undetermined after not reaching the FedEx Cup playoffs this time around.
“All these young players just keep getting better, but so am I,” said Brehm, who has made the cut many times at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. “There’s a lot of gas left in this tank.”
Brehm got his start in the game at PohlCat,
which his family used to own. He also credits the junior program run by Gunderson and the annual Riverwood State Junior Tournament (a Michigan gold standard for junior golf before the evolution of AJGA events) that he played in many times.
Brehm remembers fishing with Pohl on Lake Michigan as a kid, and rooting for Figg-Currier, Robbins and LaBelle while he was growing up. At the Wyndham Championship last year, where Brehm finished in the top 25, his fellow competitor’s caddy was the same guy who caddied for Robbins in the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open.
“That’s always fun to hear the stories and see that some of the caddies are still out there and they remember (previous pros from Mt. Pleasant),” Brehm said. “The aforementioned players pioneered the way. We all had a common desire to play and learn the game, and we were given the opportunity.”
DickHorgancan’t match the career earnings of any of the other touring professionals from Mt. Pleasant. In fact, he only cashed a check on the PGA Tour a few times in his life. Yet, he remains the first pro from Mt. Pleasant to make it onto the game’s biggest stage.
Horgan grew up playing golf at Mt. Pleasant Country Club, sometimes playing 54 holes a day. He played college golf at Central Michigan, becoming an All-American and finishing sixth in the country as an individual one year.
While he went to work as a club pro, Horgan finished runner-up in both the Michigan Open and the Michigan PGA Championship. He also qualified for individual PGA Tour events on several occasions. Making it into the 1979 U.S. Open was the highlight of his career – perhaps until he finally shot lower than his age (a 73 at
age 75) for 18 holes in 2023.
“One thing I still enjoy is just to hit a solid golf shot,” he still Mt. Pleasant resident said. “That’s what hooks people on golf. They hit that one shot that jumps off the face, and they play forever.”
DickHorgan
Grand Traverse Resort: A Golfers’ Grand Traverse Resort: A Golfers’ Up North Playground Up North Playground
ByTomLang ByTomLang WolverineHole13
It’s pretty common in golf circles to hear the name Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and automatically think ‘buddy’strip.’
And while that is certainly true, when I think of the Resort my thoughts quickly range from family reunions to the Detroit Red Wings training camp; from the historic PGA Michigan Open and charity golf outings – to the nightlife of Traverse City or the Turtle Creek Casino –and from outdoor recreation to indoor pools, spa and tennis.
In other words, the Resort can offer all those things and more.
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a large property that can handle weddings, large business conferences and over 400 golfers all at one time – but for me I never feel like the place is so big you lose the personal feeling of a home away from home.
It’s been two decades since my extended family celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary at the Resort. It worked out great for each family to have their own room but also come together in a large suite to hang out, play games and eat –
and then go in different directions if some wanted to play golf, take the kids to the pool, or take a shuttle to the casino at night. It was a great weekend adventure that pretty much encapsulates what any Resort guest can experience.
ThreeChampionshipGolfCourses:
Of course, the main outdoor attraction is the golf –so much so that for nearly three decades the Detroit Red Wings have made Grand Traverse Resort and Spa its September hockey training camp to prepare for each new NHL season – and also hold a huge charity outing. The hotel accommodations and dining options easily handle the Wings’ week-long stay.
On the golf side, the Resort features a trio of championship courses, each unique to the other. There is Jack Nicklaus’ TheBear, Gary Player’s TheWolverine and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run, the original 9-hole-turned-18-hole layout on the property.
TheBear has been known from day one as one of the most difficult golf courses in Michigan. It was recently ranked as the 18th-toughest course in America, according to Golf Digest. Nicklaus designed the layout with Scottish terraced fairways, tiered greens, deep grassy roughs, moguls and mounds, and deep pot bunkers. The Resort crews have made the course a little more playable than the original for all skill levels over the years, but it remains a truly tough test from the tips or when set up for tournaments.
TheWolverine’s back nine is my favorite, especially starting at supposedly “unlucky” hole 13. From the tee box the hole looks fairly routine, but reach the corner of the hard dogleg right and the approach to the green is a
As a solo I was paired up with three buddies from Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania who plan a northern Michigan retreat together each summer – Tom, Fisher and Art.
“It’s our first time at this resort,” Art said at the time. “I like it. The courses are very challenging. A lot of undulation. The Wolverine was pretty open if you get it to the right spots, but there were a lot of places for trouble. It’s a very fair test, and certainly beautiful.
“SpruceRun was awfully tight, so you’ve got to be pretty accurate off the tee,” Art added. “If you’re not, you’ve bought yourself some trouble. A good test and it’s fair. It’s all right in front of you. A good place for a buddy’s trip.”
And so much more.
TheBearHole8 beautiful, wide-open view of your downhill shot to a bunkerprotected green against a backdrop of water and a massive cherry orchard. No. 14 is a medium par 3 that runs right alongside the same downhill approach shot you had at 13, making for back-to-back beauties.
Hole 16 is a hard dogleg right after you climb a hill off the tee. The fairway then trickles downhill to a green that looks just as nice, or better, when you look back up the fairway. Hole 18 is a great finishing par 5 that goes downhill off the tee with unique bunkering on that first shot to test all your decision-making skills.
Eastern Michigan University Golf Headed to New Heights
ByTomLang ByTomLang
The biggest announcement in college golf in Michigan this year, and perhaps nationally, is the recent $6.5 million financial investment at Eastern Michigan University by GameAbove –which first built the remarkable new indoor practice center and is now funding an entirely new direction for the men’s and women’s golf programs.
This will no longer be your father’s EMU.
The recent influx of financial support marks a new era for Eastern Michigan men’s and
women’s golf, as the transformation of the program began with the opening last January of the $8 million GameAbove Golf Performance Center, dedicated to recently-retired and legendary coach Bruce Cunningham. This wonderful 13,000 square foot indoor training facility, coupled with the new $6.5 million infrastructure gift from GameAbove, has enabled EMU to hire top-tier coaches, expand the tournament schedule and possibly position the program for national championship success.
Keith J. Stone, GameAbove’s Founder and Chairman, said in the announcement of the its recent gift to EMU Golf, "GameAbove’s reinvestment in EMU Golf further bonds our
strategic partnership to build a national powerhouse. “By empowering coaches, academic awards, and every side of player development, we are creating an unrivaled environment to attract top recruits and cultivate champions. Together with the GameAbove Golf Performance Center, EMU Golf is poised to become a perennial contender, bringing pride and recognition to EMU for years to come. "
Eagle Crest Golf Course, the home of the GameAbove Golf Performance Center and both the men’s and women’s teams, was recently ranked No. 9 best college golf course in the country by NBC’s GolfPass raters. The new financial infrastructure will also allow the teams to travel to top tournaments all over the country in an effort to develop championship opportunities and individual growth of the athletes to achieve more than they imagined. One small example, EMU has hired their first-ever full-time women’s assistant coach, Caterina Don, a former top player at Georgia.
With all these positives going for it, EMU golf will have a totally different look and feel this season and beyond.
Josh Brewer was tapped as the new women’s head coach. During his tenure at the University of Georgia, Brewer guided the Bulldogs to 16 tournament wins, 10 NCAA
said. “Our schedule prepares them for these dreams as we will play back to back weeks just like a tour player. We will also compete against the best amateurs in the world. This is important as it allows our players to raise their college and world rankings, thus allowing them to be named an All-American, selected for their national teams or receive invites to elite amateur events. Our schedule will rival any program in the country. I must also thank the coaches who invited us to their events and have allowed us to compete in their storied events."
Another benefit to the GameAbove infrastructure support was the naming of Dan McLean as Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director, General Manager for Golf. This type of administrative collaboration can only help elevate the golf program.
component of the 1997 Pepperdine NCAA Championship team, then won a national title as coach at Lynn University, and two more leading South Mountain Community College (SMCC). Between Pepperdine and coaching, Walker embarked on an 11-year pro playing career.
The new men’s coach is Andy Walker, coming from Virgina Commonwealth (VCU). Walker was in mid-August named 2024 Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA) Coach of the Year for NCAA Division I. A four-time national champion as a player and coach, Walker was a key Regional qualifications, and four NCAA National Championship appearances.
“Our players have aspirations of competing on the LPGA Tour and in the Olympics,” Brewer
Under Walker's guidance, individual accolades at VCU included the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year
Brewer
Walker
SPOTLIGHT ON EASTERN MICHIGAN
and the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, with three players being named to the A10 AllConference team. Walker's vision and recruiting propelled the team to a national ranking of No. 38, a significant leap from their No. 187 ranking when he started. A career highlight included Walker's selection as the coach for Team USA at the Toyota Junior World Cup of Golf in Japan. By the end of the 2023-24 season, VCU had achieved three wins and four more top-three finishes.
I ran into Walker by chance at the PGA Tour
Champions Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills and he was ecstatic over the infrastructure support from GameAbove and how it will so dramatically shape the new season and the long-term future of the program.
EMU grads Michael Blair, Beau Breault, Cameron Kellett, Brett White are all pursuing
their PGA Tour cards and are also sponsored by GameAbove Sports.
“This is huge news for EMU, and I’m excited to see the results. I haven’t heard of any other (college) program doing what EMU is doing,” White told me. “I am super happy to be on board with GameAbove and I hope you’ll see our brand all over professional golf tours too.”
Six New Inductees for the Michigan Women’s Golf Assoc. Hall of Fame
ByTomLang ByTomLang
A wide range of women golfers, ranging from those who volunteer their time to kids, to rules officials, to champion players and Mich PGA members, were inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Michigan Women’s Golf Association, at a ceremony in Westland on August 18.
They are, in alphabetical order:
JaneKersjes: Volunteerism is her middle name. Jane started out her career as the first every female Evans Scholar winner in Michigan, starting at MSU in 1973. Her volunteer work includes the MWGA as current treasurer, and teaching with the USGA-LPGA Girls Golf Program for 17 years.
SusanMadej: If you have a handicap need, Susan is your person. She has chaired handicapping, rules and publicity for the organization for more than a dozen years – also
achieving USGA/PGA Rules school with advanced certification in 2019.
JeanMurray: Winner of 10 MWGA state championships and first-ever GAM Women’s Senior Championship winner. Qualified for two U.S. Senior Women’s Championships. Inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame last year, and has the Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur trophy named after her.
Karen Peek: a pioneer in the
golf course operations industry, she was the first black Class A member of the LPGA Teacher and Club Pro Division. Peek operates all three Detroit city courses; Rouge park, Chandler Park and Rackham Golf Courses.
TerryAnthonyRyan: In 1984, became the first woman to obtain PGA Membership in the Michigan Section. Has served as head pro at the City of Southfield Golf Couse sine 1989, and is the current boys and girls golf team coach at Southfield High. Prior she served as head coach at U-D Mercy for 14 years, earning Horizon League Coach of the Year three times.
StacySlobodnik-Stoll: The Michigan State women’s golf coach for nearly 30 years – with five Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades – is the ultimate GAM champion by winning 25 titles, the most of any man or woman. Slobodnik-Stoll has also qualified for numerous U.S. Women’s Ams, U.S. Mid-Ams and two Sr. Ams since turning 50 two years ago.
GAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS
GAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
Biagioli Wins
ByGregJohnson ByGregJohnson
McCoy Biagioli took the summer amateur golf schedule by storm, and Mother Nature’s storms, resulting weather delays and the rest of the state’s top golfers had trouble stopping him.
and a Barton Hills member, shot 211 for runner up.
“I finally committed to golf as my sport as a junior (in high school), so for the last three years I’ve seen it building,” Biagioli said. “The short game kind of brought it all together for me, and I’ve learned to handle the game mentally, too. I proved that to myself today.”
The 19-year-old Ferris State University golfer from White Lake, who earlier this summer won the Michigan Amateur Championship, shot a closing 71 despite about five hours of weather delays to win the 103rd GAM Championship at Barton Hills Country Club.
It is the second consecutive year with a single golfer winning the state’s top two amateur events – the GAM Championship and the Michigan Amateur Championship – and Biagioli is the 11th golfer to pull off the feat in 103 years. A year ago, August Meekhof won both championships. He since turned professional.
Biagioli shot a 3-under 207 total for the 54-hole championship.
Casey Baker, a two-time GAM champion (2005, 2010), the COO of sponsoring Carl’s Golfland
GAM Boys Championship: Winslow Robinson of Traverse City
Winslow Robinson of Traverse City pulled away on the back nine to win the first GAM Boys’
Championship at Washtenaw Golf Club. The senior-to-be at Traverse City West High School shot a final round 3-under 69 and pulled away to a four-shot win at 142 total.
It was his first GAM title in a tournament that was started this year as a replacement for the former GAM Junior Kickoff Championship.
“I mean this is a big tournament to win, and I’ll get invited to the GAM Invitational in the fall, that’s big,” he said. “It’s exciting to win something like this.” He went on to credit taking a week off from golf for a needed break.
Will Pollack of Grand Rapids, Mathieu Duflo of Ada and Adam Thanaporn of Ann Arbor, all finished four back at 146.
GAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS
GAM WOMEN’s CHAMPIONSHIP: Bridget Boczar
ByGregJohnson ByGregJohnson
Kate Brody of Grand Blanc and the University of Wisconsin, who rallied with a 68, and Laura Bavaird of Trenton, finished second at 141. Bavaird, the director of the GAM Foundation, was awarded the second-place trophy based on a scorecard playoff.
Bridget Boczar of Canton called winning the GAM Women’s Championship in back-to-back years, very, very special.
“As a junior (golfer) I didn’t think of myself as being very successful, but since going to college at Oakland (University), I feel like I’ve improved a lot the last couple of years,” she said after winning the 33rd GAM Championship at Saginaw Country Club.
Boczar, who has transferred to Baylor University in Texas starting this fall, shot a final-round even-par 71 to pair up with her first-round score of 66 for a final 5-under 137 total, and four-shot victory.
“I was really excited after the 66, so today I just did my best to focus on the process,” she said. “My caddie (her brother Jack) helped me through a lot of the shots and just staying consistent and hitting fairways.”
Stacy SlobodnikStoll of Haslett won her third consecutive GAM Women’s Senior Championship with what she called some boring golf at Hidden River Golf & Casting Club.
“Today was just really kind of steady golf, hit it in the fairway, hit in on the green, two-putt. It wasn’t exciting. I would say boring, but that kind of boring works,” said the 52-year-old head women’s golf coach at Michigan State University.
Slobodnik-Stoll shot a 142 total to win her record 19th GAM individual title.
Lori Schlicher of Lewiston, the reigning Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur champion, shot 149 to finish as the runner-up – while Julie Massa of Pentwater (formerly Holt), a two-time former champion, was next with a 151.
Slobodnik-Stoll, a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, is starting her 29th year leading the Spartans.
Folds of Honor Collegiate
ByTomLang ByTomLang
Women make up 57 percent of Folds of Honor college scholarships, so it is fitting that the field of the 3rd annual Fold of Honor Collegiate feature women’s golf teams for the first time.
What began as a brainchild of MSU golf coach Casey Lubahn has turned into one of the most sought-after college golf invitationals in the country. This year, all three days of competition, Sept. 9-11, will be aired on The Golf Channel. But if you can make it to American Dunes in Grand Haven, don’t skip it in person to see 30 men’s and women’s teams from many prominent programs, that even include Div. II, HBCU’s and the military academies.
“The Folds of Honor Collegiate is the most meaningful and dramatic event in college golf, and we couldn’t be more proud to be the host
institution who helped start this event,” Lubahn said. “The student-athletes and coaches will be treated to a one-of-a-kind experience, where the best of America and the best of college golf unite for a bigger purpose.”
Eight schools are sending both men’s and women’s teams: MSU, Florida State (co-host), Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Kansas, Grand Valley State and Navy – plus Alabama (M), Arkansas (M), South Carolina (M), Illinois (M), Air Force (M), Army (M), Arizona (W), Baylor (W), Howard (W), Kansas (W), Tulsa (W) and Virginia (W).
MSU Women’s coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said: “We are thrilled that the Folds of Honor event will now include a women’s division. It is rare to have a collegiate event where both men’s and women’s teams are both competing on the same course on the same days. It will be an honor and a privilege to compete in an event that has so much meaning behind it. Hearing Taps played at 1pm at American Dunes & seeing the
wall when you walk in when you walk in certainly stirs anyone’s emotions and gives us all perspective on how lucky we are to have the freedom and privileges we enjoy as Americans.”
GAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS
GAM
Mid-Amateur Championship: John Quigley’s Second Title
ByGregJohnson ByGregJohnson
John Quigley of Sterling Heights pulled off an incrediblebirdie- finish, including the last hole in regulation play and two holes of a three-golfer sudden-death playoff, to win
the 42nd GAM Mid-Amateur Championship at The Highlands at Harbor Springs.
It was the second Mid-Amateur title for Quigley, who also won in 2017.
First, Quigley rolled in a 60-foot putt from the back of the green on the par 5 final hole to finish off a final-round 73 for 142 total and tie Michael Coriasso of Royal Oak, who had shot a 72 for 142. Seconds later Erik Schleicher of Petoskey, playing in the same group as Quigley, made it a three-golfer tie by rolling in a three-foot birdie putt to finish his 74 for 142.
The playoff sent them back to No. 18 tee, and this time Quigley remarkably rolled in a 50foot putt for birdie on the same line as his previous putt. Coriasso matched the birdie with a 10-foot putt, and Schleicher dropped out and into third place with a missed 12footer for birdie.
On the second try at 18, Quigley made a 15-foot putt from the front of the green for and the win.
“That was absolutely crazy,” said Quigley, 41 and a director for Blue Cross Blue Shield. “I think I totally blacked out after the first putt. I actually read it to break more and when I hit it, I thought I pushed it. And then it kind of stayed on the same line over the ridge...”
GAM Senior Four-Ball: Cortland Skoog, David Sperry Win
Cortland Skoog and David Sperry, Traverse City area golf buddies, shot a second consecutive round of 6-under 66 to win the 18th GAM Senior Four-Ball Championship at Eye.
“I kind of feel like this puts Traverse City on the map a little bit,” Sperry said after their 132 total left them four shots clear of the field. “We have a lot of good players, especially seniors, up there, and it was nice to come down and represent Traverse City.”
Two-time past champions Kevin Klemet of White Lake and Leo Daigle of Wixom also shot a closing 66 to finish at 136 and in second place.
Joe Juszczyk Survives Three-Player Playoff to Win Tournament of Champions
ByGregJohnson ByGregJohnson
Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn
Heights made a six-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a threeway suddendeath playoff to win the 32nd Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort.
The 2023 Hall Financial Michigan Open champion and PGA Tour Americas player shot a final 4under 68 on the Alpine course for 11-under 205 and was tied at the end of regulation play with Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Werkmeister of Hudsonville, and the 2022 and ’23 Michigan PGA Professional champion Kyle Martin of Grosse Pointe Woods and the Lochmoor Club. Juszczyk won with a birdie putt.
He earned $11,000 from the $75,000 purse, will have his name added to the Al Watrous Trophy, and was awarded a traditional green dinner jacket as a new lifetime member of the Country Club of Boyne, all in his first visit to the unique championship that brings together men, women, professionals, amateurs, seniors and juniors – all who have won significant Michigan championships – playing for the same title from different tee positions.
Michigan PGA Professional Championship: Benny Cook Wins
Benny Cook rallied from behind and then held on to win the 103rd Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Harbor Shores Resort. The 30-year-old director of instruction at Quail Ridge Golf Club in Ada won the state title for the third time by shooting a 3-under 68 in the final round on the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout on the shores of Lake Michigan.
He slipped past eight-time champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club.
Cook, who won the championship in 2021 and 2022 while still playing as a touring professional and teaching half the year, said he was thankful to win again. He took home a first-place check of $7,800 from a $58,500 purse, and his name will go on the historic Gilbert A. Currie Trophy once again. In addition, he will be awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club and the 2025 PGA Professional National Championship next April at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
COLLEGE CORNER
College Preview:
Western Michigan Women
Western Michigan set records last year that head coach Kim Moore hopes continue into the 2024-25 season.
The Broncos return Northville native Megha Vallabhaneni (8th at MAC Championship, 2nd team all-conference) and Jenna Hayes of Dayton, Ohio – as
as well as two-time Indiana State high school individual champion, Macy Beeson, and now-sophomore Bella Brooks from Lexington, KY. Freshman Lauren Lupinek, of Wisconsin is also off to a great start and looks to be a starter.
The team also tied the all-time low 54-hole score in school history of 883, which was first set the prior year at the Bowling Green Falcon Florida Classic. Vallabhaneni shot a 67 for the second best in school history. The birdies also continued to pile up, recording the most birdies in a single season with 312 (and one ) which superseded the previous record the year prior of 297 total in 12 tournaments. The team won the Butler Spring Invitational as well, the first win in the previous four years.
Academically the Broncos finished the season with a 3.72 team GPA.
College Preview: Central Michigan
ByAndySneddon ByAndySneddon
A unique co-ed event, the inaugural Motor City Matchup, is among the highlights for Central Michigan golf in 2024-25. The Chippewa men’s and women’s teams are set to host at historic Birmingham Country Club Oct. 14-15.
The three-round match play tournament comprises the CMU squads and those representing Detroit Mercy, Oakland and Green Bay. The won-loss records of the men’s and women’s team for each school will be combined, making it a true co-ed competition, the only of its kind in NCAA Division I.
The Chippewa men begin their third season under coach Kevin Jennings, a Benton Harbor
native, and they are eyeing continued mprovement while once again facing a rugged chedule. That slate includes a return to Napa, Calif. for the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational at Silverado Country Club.
The CMU-hosted event is part of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, which is designed to enhance competitive and mentorship opportunities for student-athletes from underrepresented communities and historically black colleges and universities.
The Chippewas return most of their key players, including junior Philippe Yturralde, who finished T12 in the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship. Yturralde, who hails from La Mesa, Calif., holds or shares the program 18-, 36and 54-hole records.
Among CMU’s other returnees are Clawson native Jeffrey Andrus, a Royal Oak Shrine grad, and program mainstays Orlando Coons, Nicholas Kilgore and Easton Phillips.
Third-year coach Ryan Williams and the Chippewa women are re-tooling after the graduation of Ashley Goh, the top player CMU has seen since the program’s resurrection in 2014-15. Goh wrapped up her brilliant career with a sixthplace finish – her 15th career top 10 -- in the MAC Championship, leading CMU to a surprising fifthplace finish.
That finish is an encouraging starting point to 2024-25 for Williams as he rebuilds with promising transfer Hailey Katona, who joins a cast of several young players and a strong class of incoming freshman, among them Michigan natives Rachel Niskanen of Negaunee, Lauren Davis of Coopersville, and Brooke Morris of Canton.
College Preview: Michigan State Men
ByMichaelCarey ByMichaelCarey
This year’s edition of the Green & White will have a decidedly different look than its representation at the last 8 consecutive NCAA finals, but one that head coach Casey Lubahn is excited about as the season gets underway. Graduation took away three of the team’s top four players – with All-Big Ten honorees Drew Hackett, August Meekhof and Brad Smithson –but the cupboard is not bare for the Spartans.
Leading the way is senior Ashton McCulloch, the 2023 Canadian Amateur Champion who
led the team with a 70.89 scoring average that was the best single-season mark in program history, besting the mark of 71.33 set by former U.S. Amateur champ James Piot in 2021. He enters his senior year with a 71.74 career scoring average that ranks as the top mark in program history.
McCulloch is also coming off a stellar summer, advancing to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Amateur, finishing as the runner-up at the Canadian Amateur, posting top-10 finishes in two other top amateur events, while also qualifying to play in the U.S. Open and the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour.
Sophomores Lorenzo Pinili, the former Mr. Golf Michigan, appeared in all 13 tournaments and carried a 74.35 scoring average, while Lucas Acevedo made eight appearances, including the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.
Lubahn also welcomes Caleb Bond, a native of nearby Williamston, who spent his first two years at Ferris State and helped lead the Bulldogs to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships last season.
They will all get a push from a talented group of freshmen: East Lansing native Drew Miller, the 2022 Michigan Player of the Year; and Joe Canitano, a native of the Atlanta area who helped lead Rivers Academy to three national titles and two state titles in Georgia. Julian Menser, a product of Detroit Catholic Central, won the Michigan Division I boys golf state final and qualified to play in the U.S. Amateur. Juan Carlos Velasquez, a native of Colombia, comes to East Lansing with a wealth of international experience and played in the USGA Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills in July.
AshtonMcCulloch
College Preview: Michigan State Women
Michigan State made a run through the postseason last spring and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the 16th time in program history and the 14th under Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, who is going on 30 years at the helm – and is fresh off another GAM Women’s Senior championship title as her competition career continues.
different for the Spartans – who return two of the team’s top three scorers – seniors Katie Lu and Brooke Bierman – and four of the five scoring players from a team that finished as the runner up at the Big Ten Championships, placed third in the NCAA East Lansing Regional and tied for 17th at the NCAA Championships, narrowly missing a chance to advance to the final match round.
Lu had one of the best seasons in program history, earning honorable mention All-America honors after leading the team with a 71.54 scoring average, the second-best single-season mark in program history. A First Team All-Big Ten selection, Lu won two events and posted 11 top-20 finishes in 13 events last year. Lu was one of three Spartans to play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur over the summer.
Classmate Biermann has been one of the program’s most consistent scorers in her career. She was third on the team last year with a 73.16 average, winning one event and posting six top-20 finishes. Biermann, who won the Missouri state amateur title and played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, ranks third all-time at Michigan State with a 73.31 career scoring average.
Senior Shannon Kennedy, who won Michigan Women’s Amateur and also played in the U.S. Amateur, appeared in all 13 tournaments last year and carried a 75.70 scoring average.
Paula Balanzategui had a breakout sophomore year for the Spartans, finishing fourth on the team with a 74.37 scoring average. She was second on the team in rounds played (38) and had four top-20 finishes. Sophomores Ana Sofia Murcia and Ella Weber each made four tournament appearances in their first year on campus and are expected to push for spots in the lineup this year.
KatieLu
COLLEGE CORNER
College Preview: University of Michigan Men
ByTomWywrot ByTomWywrot
The University of Michigan men ' s golf team continued its upward trend under the guidance of head coach Zach Barlow. With a solid mix of veteran experience and six underclassmen hungry to crack the line-up, the 2024-25 season is shaping up to be another step forward. The Wolverines are led by All-Big Ten first-teamer Hunter Thomson, who helped the Wolverines return to the NCAA postseason with his regional invitation in 2024.
With his 70.56 scoring average, Thomson set a new Wolverine single-season record, topping Kyle Mueller's 70.76 average in the 2017-18 season. They are the only two Wolverines to average below 71 in program history. He won his first collegiate event at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate with a career-low 201 (68-69-64) 54-hole total.
Ben Hoagland returns after a career year in 202324. His 72.61 scoring average was a career-low by
just over two shots (74.96; 2022-23) and he posted five sub-par 54-hole totals, including a career-low 206 (-10) at the Island Resort Intercollegiate. Adding to U-M's veteran list is Yuqi Liu, one of four Wolverines to play in every event, who finished with a career-low 73.81 per round average.
U-MHeadCoachZachBarlow
"We have a great mix of players. The roster is mainly comprised of underclassmen, however, we have a ton of experience with four seniors. So, we feel we cover all aspects of a solid roster from top to bottom. I’m excited to watch those seniors leave their legacy in this program. They’ve done a great job buying in and laying the groundwork for us to have some success this year and in the future. We hit the ground running, as we play every week in September. So, they will have the competitive juices flowing at a high level. We can't wait for that."
Sept. 16-17: Canadian Collegiate Invitational (MacTier, Ontario)
Sept. 20-22: Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational (Olympia Fields, Ill.)
Feb. 9-11: Puerto Rico Classic (Rio Grande, P.R.)
March 7-8: Desert Mountain Intercollegiate (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
HunterThompson
College Preview: University of Michigan Women
Coach Jan Dowling and her University of Michigan women ' s golf team turn the page in 2024-25 as the Wolverines move on to a new chapter following the departure of U-M greats Monet Chun and Hailey Borja and three experienced veterans. However, with an influx of experience, four signees, and the return of assistant Mandi Unruh, Dowling's Wolverines are looking forward to the next legacy moment.
Last season, Michigan made its fifth straight trip to an NCAA regional and celebrated Chun, who won her second Big Ten title, was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Year, and earned WGCA All-American honors. Now, juniors Lauren and Sydney Sung return to guide U-M. Lauren started eight of her 10 events while setting a new career-best scoring average (75.23), while her twin sister, Sydney, started seven of her nine events and lowered her prior best scoring average by nearly a stroke and a half (76.00).
Fresh off a summer trip to her first U.S. Women's Amateur and advancement to match play, Mara Janess is ready to carry the confidence gained from the USGA event into her second full season. Another key for Michigan will be the addition of a strong freshman class -- Thomasine Bartholdson (Sweden), Mimi Guo (New Zealand), Jenna Shilts (Illinois), and Suzie Tran (Washington). All four will have opportunities to contribute from the first day.
HeadCoachJanDowling
"This upcoming season is turning over a new leaf for our program. With five players departing, four incoming freshmen, and the return of assistant coach Mandi Unruh, it is an exciting time for our program! This season is a chance to relish our well-earned history, yet write new chapters and a year of opportunity. With Hailey Borja and Monet Chun departing as two of the greatest all-time golfers at Michigan, we certainly will lean on our upperclassmen to set their tone while they honor and use the lessons they learned from such great team members. We … believe our freshmen class brings a pretty powerful punch."
KeyTournaments:
Sept. 22-23: Mary Fossum Invitational (East Lansing, Mich.)
Oct. 11-13: Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
March 7-9: Gators Invitational (Gainesville, Fla.)
March 28-30: Chattanooga Classic (Ooltewah, Tenn.)
COLLEGE CORNER
College Preview: Eastern Michigan Men
ByGregSteiner ByGregSteiner
The 2024-25 season marks the dawn of a new era for Eastern Michigan University’s men’s golf program, spearheaded by first-year Head Coach
Andy Walker. With a history of success and an innovative vision, Walker brings a wealth of experience to the s, who are poised to make waves on the national stage this year. Backed by unprecedented support from GameAbove, the program is set to transcend its mid-major status, aiming to compete with the nation's best.
Walker, a celebrated coach known for his remarkable tenure at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he led the Rams to multiple championships and NCAA appearances, has embraced the challenge of turning EMU into a powerhouse. His appointment, along with significant investments in the program, underscores a transformative vision for the s.
"I'm very excited for this opportunity to coach this new team at Eastern Michigan," Walker said. "Eastern, with the generous and unprecedented help from GameAbove, is now poised to do something in college golf that hasn't been done before turning a mid-major program into one funded at the level that only a few Power 4 schools have attained."
Walker has wasted no time in assembling a formidable team for the upcoming season, primarily through the NCAA Transfer Portal. The 2024-25 roster features six transfers and three highly touted. Leading the charge is Rory
McDonald, a transfer from USC-Aiken who boasts a winning pedigree, including an English Amateur title and a victory at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate. Timothy Chan (New Mexico JC/VCU), another key addition, played a crucial role for Walker last year and is known for his ability to go low, having recently shot a 60 to win an event in Singapore.
There is also Pietro Fenoglio, a transfer from TCU, Daniel Robles Delval, a member of the Spanish National Team and a transfer from Rogers State, and Bavake Sihota, who comes from the University of Michigan. A late add is Brodie Ferguson, a top amateur of New Zealand.
The season kicks off at the Southern Dunes Collegiate in Arizona, then on to New Mexico, followed by the Virtues Intercollegiate in Ohio, the Indy at Forest Hills in Indiana, and the West Bay Collegiate Invitational in Florida. The fall season wraps up with a highlight event the White Sands Bahamas Invitational at the Ocean Club in the Bahamas from Oct. 25-27.
College Preview: Eastern Michigan Women
ByGregSteiner ByGregSteiner
The Eastern Michigan University women’s golf team is gearing up for what could be a landmark year. With a renewed focus, plus an
impressive lineup of talent and a challenging schedule, Head Coach Josh Brewer has set his sights on a Mid-American Conference title and a deep postseason run. This season is poised to redefine the program, driven by the leadership of Coach Brewer and the financial support from GameAbove.
The men’s and women’s teams will both be utilizing the new $8 million GameAbove Golf Performance Center, as well as playing and practicing at the EMU home course, Crest, recently ranked the No. 9 best college golf course in the country by NBC’s GolfPass.
The men’s and women’s teams will both be utilizing the new $8 million GameAbove Golf Performance Center, as well as playing and practicing at the EMU home course, Crest, recently ranked the No. 9 best college golf course in the country by NBC’s GolfPass.
The roster for the 2024-25 season is a blend of returning talent and exciting new additions. Leading the charge is sophomore Riley Kim (Aldie, Va.), the standout player from last year, whose stability and experience will be crucial as the team grows. "Riley will add the stability we need as we grow the program," Brewer noted.
Joining Kim is Savannah DeBock (Belgium), a European Individual Champion and one of the best amateurs in the world. DeBock, who transferred from Georgia after playing under Brewer there, brings a wealth of experience, including appearances in two British Opens and the Augusta National Women's Amateur. "Savannah is a worldclass talent who wants to be part of a winning team," said Brewer.
The team also welcomes three national team players: Marianna Vega (Colombia), Julianna Go (Philippines), and Maddysun Beeching (England). Additionally, senior Amaya Melendez (Ann Arbor Pioneer), who has patiently waited four years to don the Green and White, will finally get her chance to contribute to the team's success.
"Our goal is to compete and win in the postseason," Brewer emphasized. "To prepare for April and May, we had to create a schedule that would allow us to challenge ourselves during the regular season. This means competing in different time zones, on different grasses, as well as at various elevations."
The season kicks off at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., on Sept. 16-17. From there, the team heads to the GolfWeek Challenge in Wolcott, Colo., before traveling to Lawrence, Kan., in early October – before a tropical test at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in O'ahu, Hawaii, and finish the fall season at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla.
COLLEGE CORNER
College Preview: Grand Valley State
ByLoganTaylor ByLoganTaylor
The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s golf programs will be heading into the new season with high expectations. Both programs return plenty of talent and experience with a goal to improve upon strong seasons a year ago.
Voted the Midwest region’s Coach of the Year, secondyear head coach Gareth Lappin will get his first full season at GVSU after being named the head coach last year in mid-October. The men won six tournaments and placed fourth at NCAA Regionals to advance to Nationals for the third consecutive season, where they ended with a 10th placed finish.
Plenty of talent returns to Allendale this season, highlighted by First-Team AllAmerican and GLIAC Golfer of the Year Drew Coble. Joining him are All-GLIAC and All-Region performer Manuel Cue Vargas, along with First-Team All-GLIAC members Bryce Wheeler and Charlie Cooley. Three newcomers will be joining the squad this year, with freshman Jan Eckhard, Ryan Gallagher, and Matthew Sokorai all making their debut seasons for the Lakers.
On the women’s side, head coach Rebecca Mailloux returns her entire starting five from the reigning GLIAC Champions. The Lakers won an additional two tournaments and advanced through the Regional to their eighth consecutive National appearance, finishing in 13th. Mailloux is now in her 17th season in Allendale and has won 13 GLIAC Championships and her teams have advanced to the National Tournament 14 times.
Leading the way for the Lakers is returning All-American and back-to-back GLIAC Golfer of the Year Olivia Stoll. First-Team All-GLIAC member Julia Sanchez is back for her senior season, alongside fellow seniors, and second-team All-GLIAC honorees, Megan Miron and Paula Badino. Rounding out the returning five is another second-team All-GLIAC selection in junior Rachael Krieger. Two freshmen, Charlotte Goersch and Lea Stotz, will add to the team’s young talent.
Both the men and women will open their season on September 9th at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, played at American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven.
College Preview: Ferris State
ByRobBentley ByRobBentley
The Ferris State University men ' s & women ' s golf teams once again have high aspirations entering the 2024-25 season under head coach and Bulldog alum Sam Stark. Both teams return a strong nucleus for this coming season and annually rank among the top programs in both the league and the region.
Last season, the Bulldogs won the GLIAC Men's Golf Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament while the women ' s team advanced to the league semifinals and also received an NCAA Tourney berth.
The men’s squad made its 19th NCAA Tournament berth in the last 21 years, which ranks as one of the best stretches in the country, and finished ninth in the nation. Last year’s trip to the GLIAC finals for the men
represented the 5th consecutive time in which FSU has reached at least the medal match play semifinals under the league format.
Two years ago, Stark was voted as the GLIAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year after leading FSU to its first league women’s championship since 2007 and the program has now made three-straight national tourney bids.
The Bulldog men’s squad had a pair of Division II PING All-America honorees last spring in former standouts Caleb Bond and Nathan Kraynyk, who was the national runner-up while tying for secondplace overall at the national championships. Stark was tabbed as the GLIAC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year in 2024 and freshman McCoy Biagioli earned the GLIAC Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year honor. Biagioli went on to win the 113th annual Michigan Amateur Championship, followed by a GAM Championship this summer and earned an automatic exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
On the women’s side, Kamryn Shannon was an AllGLIAC First Team selection and Dani Staskowski garnered second-team status while Lizzie Anderson claimed honorable mention all-conference accolades.
Ferris State’s returning standouts this coming year include both Biagioli and Shannon, giving the Bulldogs significant experience near the top of the lineup as they aim for both conference and national accolades this coming year.
COLLEGE CORNER
College Preview: Wayne State
Coming off another appearance in the NCAA Midwest/Central Super Regional, the Wayne State University men ' s golf team enters year No. 24 under veteran head coach Mike Horn in 2024-25. Expect another stellar campaign for the Warriors as the squad's top five primary individual scoring averages return from 2023-24. Those stroke averages belonged to redshirt senior Mat Hawryluk (72.5), redshirt senior Josh DiCarlo (72.6), senior Max Leppelmeier (73.3), redshirt senior Ian Smith (73.5) and redshirt junior Adam Burghardt (74.2).
DiCarlo, Leppelmeier and Smith competed in 13 of the team's 14 tournaments; Hawryluk played in 12 of them and Burghardt was part of the lineup for nine events. The team's three newcomers include a pair of freshmen in Troy Chapman and Jack Julian as well as Northern Illinois transfer Luc Warnock (redshirt senior). Warnock saw time in 18 tournaments during his four seasons as a Husky. The fall portion of the 2024-25 schedule gets underway on SaturdaySunday, Sept. 7-8 at Saginaw Valley State's Al Watrous Invitational in Saginaw.
After appearing in the NCAA East Regional again last May, the Wayne State University women ' s golf program will begin year 11 of existence and season three under head coach Larry Hamilton. The Warriors lost their top three scoring averages from a season ago, which means junior Sabel Imesch is the top returner after an 81.2 average as a sophomore. Also back are junior Orianna Bylsma (84.9 average) and sophomore Clarita Laffitte (82.5). Those two will be joined by two rookies in Ting Ting Kuo and Claudia Portillo Navas as well as Eastern Michigan transfer Sophia Wygonik (redshirt senior). Wygonik participated in 66 rounds in three seasons for the s. WSU's schedule will open on Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 9-10 for the UIndy Invitational at Rock Hollow Golf Club in Peru, Ind.
MatHawryluk
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College Preview: Oakland University
Excitement is building as the Oakland University golf teams prepare to tee off for the upcoming season, with both the men ' s and women ' s squads eager to make their mark.
The Oakland men’s team will be led by Flushing native and sophomore, Robert Burns. As the leading returner, who averaged 72.5 last season, Burns brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the Grizzly squad.
This season is particularly special as the men ' s team will host their first-ever tournament, the Golden Grizzlies Intercollegiate, at the Oakland Golf and Learning Center’s Katke
Cousins Golf Course. Sponsored by Elliott Group International, this event offers the program a chance to shine on home turf against 14 other teams from across the country. The Golden Grizzlies will also see the sunshine state multiple times this upcoming spring as well, playing in Florida three times.
Adding fresh talent to the roster are newcomers and Michigan natives, Peter Roehl (the MHSAA Div. 1 State Champion in 2023) and Brennan Sullivan. They look to add depth to a squad with four upperclassmen and five underclassmen.
Thewomen'steam enters the season with a target on their backs as the reigning Horizon League Champions. They will do so with newly named Head Coach, Heather Fortushniak, a Brighton native. Sophomore Olivia Hemmilia will need to play a key role in their quest to defend the title. Hemmilia had a successful freshman campaign which saw her as a staple on a championship team.
The women ' s season kicks off at the picturesque AGa-Ming Resort in northern Michigan, providing
an early challenge that will set the tone for the season. Additionally , the women will see warm weather this spring with the likes of Arizona and Florida in their travels.
