Michigan Golf Journal September 2023

Editor’sLetter

The golf season is winding down – but is nowhere near over – as we all look forward to fabulous fall golf in Michigan.

Fall also means college sports have ramped back up, so we have continued – and expanded – the September tradition of providing previews of most of the college golf teams in the state, all found starting on pg. 36. (Andpleasenote,ifyouralmamateris notincluded,it’sonlybecausetheydidn’t replytoouroutreach.)

We are also overjoyed to bring you some exclusivecontentfromthelegendJack Nicklaus that no other media across the country has yet to share. Our goal is always to bring our readers stories like these that are fun, but also where you won’t find anywhere else.

In September we also cover:

The city of Ann Arbor is a mecca for college football, but you might be surprised by all the GREAT GOLF there is to be found in such close proximity to each other in that compact region.

The US Navy experience of MSU golf coach Casey Lubahn and his contemporaries Tom Izzo and Mel Tucker.

Another Freeways and Fairways course review – this time Clearbrook in Saugatuck.

Junior golf stories about First Tee and high school

teams…and Michigan

Lots of other

TomLang Editorand Publisher

Putter of his Missing 1986 Masters’ Putter

JACK NICKLAUS: Unlocking the Mystery JACK NICKLAUS: Unlocking the Mystery of his Missing 1986 Masters’

ByTomLang

Jack Nicklaus’ famous MacGregor Response ZT 615 putter – the one he held high in the air wearing his bright yellow shirt after sinking the long, slightly wiggling, iconic putt for birdie on the 17th green at Augusta National to win it all in 1986 – had been missing for 10 years or more.

Nowheknowswhereitis–buthe’sstill seekingitsreturn.

How the putter got there is a story of twists and turns – and now the MI Golf Journal is the first media to share Jack’s perspective on it, which he voiced at a sponsor’s event at the recent Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc.

The situation troubles him because Nicklaus said it’s the one and only golf club he doesn’t

have out of all 18 majors have out of all 18 majors he won: six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens, three Opens. Theonlyclub.

“I don’t know if people have noticed in the paper, but here in the past week that Irsay (owner of the Indianapolis Colts) bought my putter from the ’86 Masters,” Nicklaus said.

“It’s kind of a funny story. I was playing tennis for about 10 days with Ivan Lendl, Tony Roche and Billy Scanlon. They came to my house; they wanted to get ready for grass court tennis … so Ivan and I would play Billy and Tony, and we won a few sets too.

“Anyway, we’d play tennis in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. And Billy was putting terribly. I said ‘Billy, try this, just use it while you’re here.’

“But he never gave it back. It was the putter I won the ’86 Masters with. I didn’t know about it, I didn’t know where it was. Finally, Ivan told me, ‘Jack I know where it is. It’s in Billy’s rec room in a trophy case.’”

By now the small gathering of Ally guests were laughing, but some a bit nervously. The topic came up because event moderator Chantel McCabe – the only other media in the room –had previously asked Jack what he might donate to the World Golf Hall of Fame Museum. Jack replied that he would not give anything –“except maybe this” as he tugged on the shirt he was wearing that Saturday at the Ally – which drew many laughs. Nicklaus explained that his method is to retain ownership of special items for the Jack Nicklaus Museum in Columbus, but that he does have loan programs with other museums for special exhibits.

“Anyway, so, I said, ‘Ivan, I don’t know Billy well enough, but he should give me my putter back,” Nicklaus continued, with no real animosity heard in his voice. “Or if he doesn’t want to he can donate it; it’s fine with me.’ Unfortunately, Billy got cancer and died (fairly suddenly according to tennis media reports in June 2021).

“And now I’m dealing with his wife,” Nicklaus continued, “who wants to put it on eBay as fast as she can. She doesn’t own the blasted putter. It’s my putter. I never gave it to anybody. He just took it.”

The eBay statement elicited some laughs and some groans as Nicklaus told the story mostly, but not always, with a slight smile on his face.

“So, anyway, I’ve been trying to get the putter back and she wouldn’t donate it. I tried to get Augusta (National) to buy it,” Nickalus said. “And Augusta negotiated with her, I don’t know how long; they wanted to buy it because they wanted the putter and they would take it for 6 months and then I’d take it to Muirfield (Village) for 6 months.

“Augusta said they wouldn’t pay the amount of money she wanted for it. I read in the paper that (Jim Irsay) ended up buying it; she put it on eBay and he bought it. Now I’ve got to call Irsay, and I do know Irsay, so I can call him. I’ll call him and figure out some way and somewhere we’ll end up getting it back.

Here is hoping for a successful phone call between Columbus and Indianapolis.

“That’stheonlygolfclubthatIdon’thavethat Iwonamajorchampionshipwith.Irons, woods,putters,everything.”

RyderCupand CollegeFootball:

I asked Nicklaus at the Ally Challenge if he had heard from Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson.

He replied that he never heard from Johnson and was glad he didn’t. He said the newest captain had some very tough choices to make.

“I never really liked the idea of having six (Captain’s picks),” Nicklaus responded. “At the President’s Cup one year, I had two Captain’s choices, and I didn’t pick No. 11. I ended up picking 12 and 13. And I regret that, because the young man who was 11 really had earned himself through the year a better position than the guys who were 12 and 13.

“But they were playing better than he was at the time. So, I chose them, and I always felt funny about that with my relationship with that fella. I’m sure he probably has too. But, it’s something I did as a captain – and now they’ve got six choices. What happens if they start

pickingguys17,18onthelist?Whathappensto guyswhowere7,8,9,10?

“They’veplayedfairlywelltogetthemselvesin thatposition,andnottogetselected?Ithink it’satoughdeal.”Note:Nicklaussaidthisthree daysbeforethepickswereannouncedwhich includedNo.15JustinThomas.

“That’sprobablythetoughestpartofthe captain’sjob…Onceyou’vegottheteam,then youmakesurethey’vegotsunscreen,and spikesandtowelsandhats,extrateesandmake surethattheygetfood,”hequipped.

* * *

Withcollegefootballseasonuponus,Nicklaus broughtupthetopicofBoSchembechlerand WoodyHayes.Thelatterbecameagoodfriend toJackandhisfather,sinceWoodywasa customerofJack’sdad’spharmacyin Columbus.

NicklausandboxerAnthonyDirrell

“They had a great rivalry. They were like this (motioned butting heads with his hands) but they were the best of friends,” Nicklaus said.

“Every time I used to come up and play at the TPC of Michigan (for the Ford Senior Players) Bo would come out and walk with me every time, and he always came out for the Pro-Am.”

Jack went on to explain that in 1960, Woody Hayes came out to Colorado for a football conference a couple hours away from the U.S. Open. Woody had always been a customer of Jack’s father at the Pharmacy his dad owned in Columbus and built a friendship.

“Woody came up to Denver and he asked around ‘where is Kaye Kessler (Columbus

Citizen, met Nickalus at age 10) and Paul Hornung’ (41 years at Columbus Dispatch), who were two sports writers from Columbus. He was told the newspapers didn’t send them out (to Denver) and he is saying ‘you’re telling me that the newspapers didn’t send anyone out to the U.S. Open when they had the U.S. Amateur champ playing in it?’ So, Woody stayed for the whole tournament and wrote an article every day and sent it back to the newspapers.”

“I also remember on a Christmas Eve, the last Christmas that we had with my father, we were having Christmas dinner and there was a knock on the door,” Nicklaus’ story went on. “It was Woody. He wanted to sit down and talk to my dad and me. We talked for a couple hours, and

Woody said we had the greatest father-son relationship he had ever known, which I was very proud of.

“Woody did those kinds of things that people didn’t know about. Bo did a lot of the same type of stuff. Bo was a great guy.”

Nicklaus finished the stories with one final Michigan-Ohio State zinger, which got a huge laugh from the gathering.

“I always got a big kick out of Woody running out of gas coming out of Michigan, and they pushed his car across the state line, so he didn’t have to buy gas in Michigan. I don’t know if that’s a true story or not, but it’s a good one.”

Freeways and Freeways and Fairways: Clearbrook Fairways: Clearbrook

ByTomLang

Nearing its 100th birthday in 2026, Clearbrook Golf Club and Restaurant is clearly a special place.

And its location is very unique in having two holes (13 and 14) bordering I-196 – yet is only one mile from the quaint town of Saugatuck and just a hop, skip and a jump from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Clearbrook’s history makes it special, as well as two distinct nines that test every part of your game. The front nine crisscrosses up and down and back and forth across a brook spanning over 2,000 linear feet trickling through the bottom of a fairly deep valley. Trees are plentiful but not intrusive unless you are way off line.

The back nine, which is about half the age of the original nine, is set more amongst the trees on the property. The fairways are tighter, but again, not suffocating. My favorite 3-hole stretch on the back is the closing three holes of 16-18.

No. 16 is a par five that turns a little, twice, to a green approach shot guarded by water left. The 17th is a classy par 3 over a small extension of the same water found on 16, and it’s usually into the wind.

After a short cart ride to the par four 18th that’s located back on the original property, you will find a highly elevated tee box and a large pond looming at the bottom of the hill on the right. The tee shot requires a decision to layup left of the water and in front of the creek –making your second shot uphill to the green that much longer. Or if you have a better-than-average drive you can clear the creek and have a shorter chip to the elevated green.

Hole5

I’d say the signature hole is No. 5. It’s a shorter par 5 with an elevated fairway that drops off out of nowhere to a deep valley with the brook running through it to clear on your approach to the green. Even more challenging is the brook forks right in the middle of the action, leaving a few choices on open patches of grass. You might have to play it a few times to figure out the best choice of strategy.

If you have never played the course but the name sounds familiar, maybe you read the December 2022 edition of MI Golf Journal which highlighted the fact that Kirk Cousins, the former QB at MSU and current NFL quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, purchased the golf course from Jim and Candy Jeltema.

The Jeltema’s first interest in the property when buying it nearly 40 years ago was always the restaurant/clubhouse,

which was expanded about the time the course went from 9 to 18 holes. They are hospitality people by trade, having held executive positions at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island before becoming entrepreneurs in the food and golf business in Saugatuck.

They continue to own and operate the restaurant, while leasing the golf course from Cousins, who should become more involved in future years, likely after football.

In the meantime, the Jeltemas continue to offer great food and beverages at what resembles a supper club mixed with family atmosphere. Their summer seating is doubled when including the porch outside overlooking a very well-attended-to garden that treats the eye and adds a flair of total relaxation after a round of golf. More information at: clearbrookgolfclub.com

Hole18

Hole12

Hole18

Destination Ann Arbor: Big House, Big Golf

Destination Ann Arbor: Big House, Big Golf

ByTomLang

The ‘Big House’ at the University of Michigan defines Ann Arbor as much as any iconic landmark.

Yet the city and overall Washtenaw County are well known for big golf events too – from the pro tours to state amateur championships. I know for certain that many golfers like playing courses that host top golf tournaments around the state and from around the country – and the Ann Arbor area has more than its share of them. In fact, three of the courses made the DetroitFreePress top 10 courses last fall.

The Ann Arbor region played host to the LPGA Tour’s stop at Travis Pointe Country Club for three years, and also is home to the third oldest golf course in the state of Michigan. So, if you are attracted to great golf amenities, or love the deep rich history of golf – or the many choices in between – give strong consideration to your next golf trip being centered around the home

of the University of Michigan.

Speaking of which, the U-M golf course right across the street from Michigan Stadium is one of the few national designs of Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the artist of Augusta National Golf Club and home of The Masters. The main campus course is also home to the U-M men’s and women’s golf teams and is often a host to NCAA tournaments. This summer it hosted a qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti hosts other NCAA events, high school state finals, national junior tournaments and is home base to the Eastern Michigan University college teams. Eagle Crest is fully open to the public and is currently building an indoor practice facility for the EMU men’s and women’s teams – as well as an extension to the clubhouse to offer indoor golf options to the public as early as this winter and all year long. In 2025 and ’26 it will host the NAIA women’s college national championships. Eagle Crest is settled on the

EagleCrest

beautiful shores of massive Ford Lake, and a large tree removal program in recent years opened up even more stunning elevated views of the water.

“We often think of Ann Arbor as an eclectic destination for fun, football, the arts, and university life...but the reality is that for golfers, this place is fantastic,” said Bill Hobson, host of Michigan Golf Live TV and radio. “Within a 25-minute drive you can be playing championship quality courses, one of the best municipal courses in the Midwest, stepping back in time to play a walkable course with more than a century of history, and you'll barely be scratching the surface of the full menu of courses in the region.

“I went to school in Ann Arbor a million years

ago (Go Blue!) and thought I had a pretty good handle on all that the area had to offer but a recent trip where the focus turned to golf was a true eye opener. Without a doubt, the Ann Arbor area is a legit golf, fun, and foodie destination.”

The Washtenaw Golf Club is the 1890s gem people statewide rave about for stepping back in time to play a classic. It’s being renovated a few holes each year to return to 1920s squaredoff corner greens, remove invasive trees, while expanding greens and adding forward tees to open the course to all skill levels. Washtenaw hosts Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) tournaments each year.

Lake Forest has been the site for many GAM

DESTINATION ANN ARBOR

tournaments as well, including the 2019 and 2021 U.S. Girls Amateur qualifier, supporting a longrooted tradition of hosting top level women ' s golf.

World Golf Hall of Famer Lorena Ochoa won her first professional tournament at Lake Forest when she started her professional career

on the now Epson Tour. The course is known for double links style fairways on holes 9 and 18. Another characteristic is the links style front 9 versus the treelined back 9 holes to provide a very different playing experience for golfers all in one round. Its huge clubhouse outdoor deck and sunset views are a great way to end a day on the links.

The city of Ann Arbor runs and maintains two courses – Leslie Park and Huron Hills, a historic Tom Bendelow design. The latter recently celebrated 100 years of operation, starting in 1922 on very scenic property along the Huron River, and is loaded with charm and strategy but is not overly long. Leslie Park opened in the 1960s and has hosted events from qualifiers for U.S. Girls Junior Amateur to the LPGA Tour. For many decades it’s been home to the Ann Arbor All-City tournament, and more

RadrickFarms

FoxHills

recent AJGA championships. In 2010 Golf Digest voted Leslie Park Golf Course the Best Municipal Golf Course in the State of Michigan, placing Leslie Park on a short list of courses from all 50 States, including Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines and The Vineyards.

On the outskirts of the region to the east is Fox Hills Golf and Banquet Center. It was the 2000 National Golf Course of the Year and has an elite Learning Center that is known statewide for youth training and is home to the 2021 U.S. Amateur Champion James Piot. Fox Hills also runs the PGA HOPE program catering to military Veterans on its 63 holes of picturesque rolling land, making it one of the largest golf operations in metro Detroit. Read the recent August edition of MI Golf Journal for all the details.

Barton Hills Country Club about five miles north of downtown hosted the 1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 2008 U.S. Women’s Mid-Am and is one of legendary designer Donald Ross’ best in Michigan.

Whether you are a die-hard golf fan, or a football fan heading to the Big House this fall –or any time of year – don’t forget the golf clubs and take advantage of the close proximity of so many great golf courses. You should stay awhile and unwind in this unique Southeast Michigan region.

To learn more about any of the nearly two dozen golf amenities in the Ann Arbor / Washtenaw County region, visit: https://www.annarbor.org/things-todo/recreation-outdoors/golf/

Destination Ann Arbor: Destination Ann Arbor:

Eat, Play, Live Eat, Play, Live

Ann Arbor is often named the #1bestplaceto liveinMichiganfor many reasons, and we’re showing you all the ways you can make the most of your Ann Arbor stay. Discover a walkable downtown, visit world-class museums, celebrate with a Michigan craft beer, and attend festivals only found here. Check out this guide to get started:

DiscoverDowntown Downtown Ann Arbor is full of uniqueshops, plenty of diningoptionsincluding James Beard award-nominatedrestaurants, and exciting thingstodo before or after your golf outing. Explore eye-catching structures like Nickels Arcade, and catch a movie at the historic MichiganTheater. Pick up a new book at LiteratiBookstore or ThirdMindBooks, and stay up late for Ann Arbor’s vibrant nightlife.

World-ClassMuseums

Learn something new at one of the Ann Arbor area’s world-class museums. Visit theU-M MuseumofNaturalHistoryfor a multi-level experience taking you back in time, and explore a collection of U-M museums around the city. Love automobiles? Head to Ypsilanti’s AutomotiveHeritageMuseum and Michigan FirehouseMuseum. There are plenty of options for every interest.

LocalBars,Breweries&Distilleries

Ann Arbor is home to several of Michigan’s bestcraftbreweriesanddistilleries. Celebrate with drinks after a round of golf at local microbrewery, MothfireBrewingCompany, or try something new at the AnnArborDistilling Company. Discover several unique bars like

photobyNormanDannug

ConorO’Neill’s, an authentic Irish Pub serving Guinness on tap, and MashWhiskeyBar, an underground bar featuring live music.

AttendaMichiganGame:

Have extra time to spend in Ann Arbor? Catch a seasonal UniversityofMichigan football game at the largest stadium in the country, or attend an energetic U-M basketball game while in town. Gear up with Michigan merch at TheM Den before the game. Browse our weekend itinerary beyond game day.

TakeaHalf-DayTrip:

Ann Arbor is a great starting point for a few hours exploring. Bike or walk the award-winning trails of Chelsea, and try delicious restaurants next door in Dexter. Hit the driving range at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti, and shop through Milan’s charming main street area. Catch live music in Manchester, and visit Salt Springs Brewery in Saline, housed in a historic church with stained glass windows.

EmbracetheArts

Ann Arbor is an art hub filled with art in all forms. Discover renownedartgalleries like the U-

MMuseumofArt and WSG Gallery. Take an artist workshop at the AnnArborArtCenter, and explore vibrant murals on buildings across town. Explore the area’s performingarts and attend live theatre, or catchlivemusicat indoor and outdoor restaurants and venues. Come back and visit

for the annual AnnArborFilmFestand Ann ArborArtFair.

ExcitingEvents&Festivals

No matter the time of year you visit, there is always something exciting happening in the Ann Arbor area. Browse our eventscalendar for upcoming events and festivals. Discover more to do in Ann Arbor by visiting AnnArbor.org.

MSU Evans Scholar MSU Evans Scholar

Named National Most Named National Most Outstanding Student Outstanding Student

Andrew Hendren, a graduate from Michigan State University, was named the Evans Scholars Program’s most outstanding student at the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation’s annual meeting.

Hendren was one of two students honored as the 2023 Evans Scholar of the Year, the most prestigious title a student can earn within the Evans Scholars Program. Michelle Garcia, a graduate from the University of Washington, was also recognized for her leadership and academic excellence.

Hendren of Royal Oak and former caddie at Red Run Golf Club, graduated with degrees in finance and psychology from MSU and earned a 3.9 GPA. Hendren served as vice president of finance and president of the Michigan State Evans Scholars chapter. He also received the 2023 Golf Association of Michigan’s James D. Standish Award, which recognizes an outstanding upperclassman at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan based on scholarship and leadership in chapter affairs. Hendren is now at Indiana University pursuing his law degree and serving as a Graduate Resident Advisor at the Indiana Evans Scholars chapter.

“Four years ago I was fortunate enough to receive the Evans Scholarship,” he said.

“Without the support of the Evans Scholars Foundation and everyone at Red Run Golf Club, attending Michigan State would have never been possible. I’m thankful to have been able to grow as a leader, speaker and student during my time as an Evans Scholar.”

Evans Scholars are caddies who have earned a full, four-year tuition and housing grant based on their strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. The Evans Scholars Program has been run by the Western Golf Association since

its founding in 1930. This fall, a record 1,130 caddies will be enrolled at 24 universities nationwide as Evans Scholars, and more than 12,000 caddies have graduated since the program began.

Lochmoor Club's Kyle Lochmoor Club's Kyle Martin Wins Michigan Martin Wins Michigan PGA, Again PGA, Again

ByGregJohnson

It took a second consecutive win in the Michigan PGA Professional Championship, but Kyle Martin finally and humbly admitted he is somebody to be reckoned with in Michigan golf.

“To get one was the first goal, now to have two, even better,” he said after shooting a final round 7-under 65 and pulling away to win the 102nd Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Flint Golf Club.

The 39-year-old head golf professional at Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods finished with a 14-under 202 total, four shots ahead of five-time champion Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy, who shot a closing 69 for 206.

Martin, a Grand Rapids native who has also claimed two Michigan PGA Match Play titles, took home the $7,500 first place check, will receive an exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic for the second consecutive year. He missed the 36-hole cut in the PGA Tour’s visit to Detroit Golf Club in July by two shots.

“I’m super excited to go back – I wanted another shot at it and now I get it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that.”

He’s also looking forward to another trip to the PGA Professional National Championship (PNC) next April at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas, home of the new PGA of America headquarters.

Martin was one of nine golfers who earned spots in the national championship from Michigan’s championship joining Roth and Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, who are exempt as past national champs. The lowest-scoring 20 golfers in the PNC earn spots in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club, the 2015 Michigan PGA champion, and Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club, tied for third at 208 and punched their tickets to the PNC as well.

Chad Kurmel, the assistant men’s golf coach at Michigan State, Matt Thompson, the head men’s coach at Hillsdale College, and Payne Gniewek of Thousand Oaks Golf Club in Grand Rapids. They are headed to the PNC, with three others who emerged from a five-golfer playoff at 212. Scott Brotebeck of Walnut Creek Country Club, Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club and Adam Schumacher emerged from the playoff with spots in the PNC.

Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll Repeats at GAM Women’s Repeats at GAM Women’s Senior Championship Senior Championship

Stacy SlobodnikStoll promised she won’t forget to bring the Sara Wold Trophy with her to the GAM Women’s Senior Championship next year.

“I won’t forget it again,” said the Haslett resident after winning the 27th edition of the championship at Harbor Point Golf Club.

Slobodnik-Stoll – the winningest GAM golfer ever with 18 individual titles – shot a final round 1-under 70 for a 1-over 143 tournament total and runaway 11-shot victory.

Julie Massa of Pentwater, the 2022 GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, shot 152 good for second place while Joan Garety of Ada, like Slobodnik-Stoll and Massa members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, finished third with 156.

After Slobodnik-Stoll made five birdies and shot 3-under 33 on the front nine of the final round there was little drama left in the tournament. The only drama involved the Sara Wold Trophy, which is presented annually and winners have their names inscribed on it and are allowed to take it home for a year.

Slobodnik-Stoll, the defending champion, forgot to bring the trophy from home and had to call on others to help get the tournament to Harbor Point in time for the trophy ceremony Tuesday following play. They came through –just in time for Slobodnik-Stoll to win it again and take it home again.

GAM Senior Four-Ball GAM Senior Four-Ball Championship Championship

Rick Williams of Northville and Dan Gillig of Portage, longtime golf buddies, teamed up to win the 17th GAM Senior Four-Ball Championship 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 two-day 7-under total, just ahead of two teams at 138 – David LeVan of Ann Arbor and partner Bill Ulle of Novi and Vaughn Stevens of Grand Rapids and Mike Zoerhoff of Caledonia. LeVan and Ulle were presented the runner-up trophies in a scorecard playoff.

ByGregJohnson

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, and pulled away to win the 41st edition of the state championship for amateur golfers 25-and-over.

“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 calm and played well on the back nine. I’m glad I was able to hold it together and finish strong.”

Matt

Zerbel of St. Joseph Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph Wins GAM Mid-Amateur Wins GAM Mid-Amateur Championship Championship

Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph was playing the golf course and the GAM Mid-Amateur

Zerbel, who improved 10 shots from a firstround 75 on the Hills course, 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.

Katie Chipman Rallies Katie Chipman Rallies to Win the 107th to Win the 107th Michigan Women’s Michigan Women’s

Amateur Amateur

ByTomLangandGregJohnson

Katie Chipman of Canton did not start the final round strong.

Yet her strong finish was key to earning the championship title of the 107th Michigan Women’s Amateur, played at Spring Lake Country Club in mid August.

Chipman’s name is forever now on the historic Patti Shook Boice Trophy – named after the current Spring Lake member who won the event seven times – alongside several past winners from Michigan who made it onto the LPGA Tour.

Runner up Olivia Hemmila, age 18 of Troy won the first hole, immediately placing Chipman behind. The lead grew to 2-up on the front nine, before Chipman won the ninth hole with a birdie, then won the 10th with a par, despite her ball bouncing off the flagstick and into the rough of her approach shot, to make it all square.

“I thought I had a good mentality this week, and if something didn’t go my way I just tried to stay in it,” said Chipman, a former Plymouth High and Grand Valley State University player.

Chipman never had the lead the entire round until the next hole, where she drained a 39foot birdie putt from the back edge of the 17th green for the winning margin of 1-up. In the second round of match play she made an even longer putt to defeat the stroke play medalist, Shannon Kennedy of the MSU Women’s golf team.

“I tried to just feel out that putt,” Chipman said. “I tried to use more feel than judging the distance of the green, and it worked out. It did drop.

“It’s been kind of a crazy week,” added Chipman, the 2017 runner-up who has been working the last two years in golf after an unsuccessful LPGA/Epson Qualifying bid but has not played competitively and decided to seek amateur reinstatement.

“This means a lot – a lot,” she continued. “I haven’t had much practice time at all. I never thought this was how it would end up. I’m really grateful that it did, and it was really a great experience and a really fun tournament.”

First Tee Eastern Michigan kid to play in PGA Tour First Tee Eastern Michigan kid to play in PGA Tour Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach

Sound too good to be true? Not for junior golfer Lucas Power, a six-year First Tee Eastern Michigan participate. On September 19-24, Power will be one of 80 teens from First Tee chapters around the country to play in the PGA TOUR Champions’ 2023 PURE Insurance Championship.

To be selected, junior golfers are measured on their playing ability as well as their personal growth and life skills learned through First Tee’s programs.

ByJasonManshum

Ask any golfer to name their bucket list courses.

Most likely, Pebble Beach Golf Links is on that list.

Now imagine putting the peg in the ground on its first hole, with hundreds of patrons surrounding the tee and lining the fairway. Camera crews are broadcasting your round to millions more around the world on Golf Channel. Finally, imagine all this while be paired with the likes of Ernie Els, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, or Jim Furyk.

“Lucas serves as an excellent example of how First Tee is for all participants, regardless of their background or skill level,” said Diane Wojciechowski, Executive Director, First Tee Eastern Michigan. “He has worked extremely hard on his game and on the First Tee life skills that help kids build their own strength of character through the game of golf.”

A senior at Kearsley High School, Power is a member of the boys’ varsity golf team and plays Flint Junior Golf in the summer, placing first in the 18-hole Boys First Flight

Division in 2022. He was named Most Improved Player that year.

“Because of First Tee, I have become a better person on and off the golf course,” Power explains. “The core values and life skills I have learned have helped me face the challenges in my life with a brighter outlook. First Tee has given me the confidence to approach everyday as another opportunity to excel and do everything with a purpose.”

More than 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play, and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field. Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill on that Friday and Saturday. The final round will be contested at Pebble Beach on Sunday, where 24 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament crowns one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday.

“Although I’m still learning, I believe First Tee has improved my attitude for the better,” Power added. “I’m learning to work around the obstacles in my life, whether it’s a bad shot or a bad grade in school and push myself to achieve my goals. I’m very grateful to First Tee and our excellent coaches for looking past my flaws and insecurities and seeing the potential in me these past six years.”

ManyOpportunitiesforGrowth

First Tee West Michigan has sent three participants the past two years to the same PURE Insurance Championship, but this summer they sent Bradley Lardie to the Game

Changers Academy in Philadelphia – a five-day learning and empowerment academy which provides conversations around issues of identity, racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In addition, the West Michigan Chapter sent participant Maya Fitzgerald to the Participant Advisory Council (PAC) in Florida over the summer. PAC advises First Tee HQ on matters pertinent to all First Tee participants. It is critical for youth to beheard, and the PAC provides an important forum for youth to express themselves, voice their ideas, and provide input for projects or programs that impact the experience of all First Tee participants.

Learn more about the national opportunities First Tee offers to its junior golfers.

A Battle for Rochester A Battle for Rochester and the State and the State

Adams enters this year as the defending statechamp after a resounding triumph at Battle Creek’s Bedford Valley at the 2022 state tournament last fall. The Highlanders captured their first state championship by finishing 47 strokes

ByKeithDunlop

Editor’snote:Reblishedwithpermissionof

theMHSAA

The Division 1 state girls golf tournament might not be until October, but there probably will be many events before that time that feel like the state tournament, at least for Rochester Adams and Rochester.

That’s because whether it’s at invitationals, dual matches or league tournaments, whenever Adams and Rochester are competing at the same event, it will likely be more than a battle of the best teams in Rochester or metro Detroit.

It could very well be a contest between the two best teams in the state that reside roughly just three miles from one another.

“It’s nice to be battle-tested,” Adams coach Jeff Kutschman said. “We see Rochester this year between duals and tournaments probably six or seven times.”

ahead of runner-up Brighton, and Adams might be even more potent this year.

The only player lost to graduation off of that team was Grace Wang, so Adams is in a great spot to repeat with nine of 11 players back.

Laura Liu, Katie Fodale and Olivia Dance will be the senior leaders, with junior Alexa Camargo and sophomore Hannah Wang are also back after playing at the state tournament last year.

“The mindset for the girls is just like it was last year, where it was one day at a time and one shot at a time,” Kutschman said. “We tried not to let anything get too big in front of us. Just go out and play golf. Just have a good time and focus on what you’re doing at the time.”

A traditional power that went through some hard times after winning its last state championship in 2016, Rochester High seems to be back on the upswing.

The Falcons finished third at last year’s state

tournament 52 shots behind Adams inwhat was their first top-5 finish at a state tournament since the 2016 squad won it all.

Even better for Rochester is that its best four golfers are back from last year’s team, seniors Brooke Haney and Natalie Haise, junior Madison Yang and sophomore Ananya Kumar.

For Rochester head coach Jeff Haney, who has helped guide the program to three state championships (2008, 2009, 2016) and two runner-up finishes since girls golf moved to the fall in 2007, it’s good to begin a season with lofty expectations once again.

“I’ll be honest, after we won in ‘08 and ‘09, I figured that would the extent of that for me,” Haney said. “I was then fortunate to have those teams in ‘15 and ‘16. I really didn’t think it would come back around again. I feel pretty lucky to have a real strong team again.”

There is work for the Falcons to do in order to try and make up the 52-stroke difference Adams

had on the Falcons at the state tournament last year, but Haney likes his team’s overall depth beyond the top-four who are back.

“We have better depth than most people,” he said. “At a tournament, probably all nine of my girls can shoot under 100, compared to some other teams I’ve had where we barely had anyone who could shoot under 100.”

To be sure, Adams and Rochester won’t be the only state title contenders in Division 1.

Brighton lost just one senior from last year’s runner-up team and is powerful as well, while Rockford has four golfers back from its team that finished fifth last year, including senior Jessica Jolly, who tied for third individually at the state tournament and is coming off a solid summer of junior tournament events.

But given the talent and experience both Adams and Rochester have returning, don’t be surprised if the state meet in October turns into a de facto “Rochester Invitational.”

MSU Golf Coach Joins MSU Golf Coach Joins the U.S. Navy the U.S. Navy

ByTomLang

Casey Lubahn joined the U.S. Navy this summer – for 27 hours.

The head men’s golf coach planned the trip at the invitation of the Navy and took along 7-to-8 additional coaches, including Michigan State basketball’s Tom Izzo and football’s Mel Tucker.

It was familiar territory for Izzo,

who took his team to San Diego 12 years ago to play hoops on a temporary basketball court on the same deck of the USS Carl Vinson, resulting in a two-point loss to North Carolina. This time, the ship and the experience took place at sea – more than 200 miles offshore according to Tucker.

“I stood there on the deck and I remembered back when we played there in 2011,” Izzo told

the Lansing State Journal. “And I thought of the veterans we recognized before our games and how much hearing the national anthem means in those moments. But to get the opportunity to see these guys work, to be in their environment and then to spend the night on the carrier, it took on a whole different meaning. It was just the experience of a lifetime.”

Lubahn felt a similar vibe.

“Easily this was the coolest event I have done in life, no offense to James Piot (MSU’s 2021 U.S. Amateur Champion) or the Big Ten Championships or all the things we get to do in this profession. It’s the coolest thing I have ever done,” Lubahn told me in his only media interview on the topic.

Lubahn said within the first 20 minutes of

landing on the ship via helicopter, the first F-18 super hornet landed 30 feet from their group. He said the sights and sounds cannot be appropriately explained. What impressed him more was the ship’s personnel.

“The core of the ship are people the same age as those we coach… and when they make mistakes, people (can) die. So, everything they do in life is calculated, it’s very disciplined, they are incredible about instruction and learning lessons.”

When touring the bridge, Lubahn said he was very focused on a young man who was steering the ship: “This kid is at the helm, and I’m thinking in my head that if this 18-year-old that just got into the Navy is steering the ship, steering must not be one of the hardest jobs. But then you think about a plane coming in at 150-160 mph; if the boat moves one or two degrees one direction, then that airplane is not going to land.

“So, his job for the next three hours was to make sure those pilots had a stable runway. Everyone on that ship has a job that could have catastrophic circumstances if they don’t do that job. So, we as coaches talked about how all that accountability between 5,200 people on that ship was incredibly important. And we should be able to have that accountability across our programs, whether 8-to-10 (players) or over 100

people, everyone needs to do their job.”

Tucker echoed some of Lubahn’s thoughts about the people on board, but also talked more about the sheer size of the sea-going vessel.

“The carrier looked like a postage stamp when we were in the air, but we (land) on the thing and it’s massive,” Tucker said at Big Ten media days. “It’s like three football fields long, it’s more than a football field wide.

“Yet the most remarkable thing is that the sailors were the same age of our football players, they are 18-to-22 year olds… the men and women doing all the heavy lifting on that ship. And it was serious, serious business.”

Tucker joked about how he and Izzo shared a room and slept – well, they tried to sleep but had a hard time doing so with jets taking off as late as 2:00 a.m. – in bunked quarters right below the flight deck.

“You know Tom, he’s just a salt of the earth type guy, and we walk in and he says (demandingly) ‘I’ve got the top bunk.’” according to Tucker. “I said ‘ come on coach, let me go up there.’ He says, ‘ no, no, I got it. You’re a bigger guy, I got it.’

“I don’t know how he got up there or how he got down, but he got it done.”

Lubahn was anticipating a dictatorial environment of a Navy leader barking orders and then they get done. But he witnessed a much more collaborative working environment than he expected.

“Very much more Ted Lasso, than maybe compared to Bobby Knight,” said Lubahn.

“Just different leadership styles, but what I got to see was a bunch of young people who had input into the process and when you gave them the chance to be normal and be themselves, and have input, they were much more adaptive to changes.”

That realization carved out a strong impression for Lubahn that he has already begun discussing this summer with his golf team: “Don’t just do something because I say so, do it because we all believe in what’s going on.

“In athletics of course we talk about sports performance …. And the precision, the care, and just the quality of work that these young people do in the Navy was exceptional to see. What they do is truly inspirational and makes you proud to be an American.”

CoachCaseyLubahn

U-M Wins Island Resort U-M Wins Island Resort

IIntercollegiate ntercollegiate

MSUComesuponestroke shortatFoldsofHonor Intercollegiate

With a 2-3 finish by junior Hunter

Thomson (202, 14under) and redshirtjunior Ben Hoagland (206, 10-under) and four career-best 54-hole Wolverine tallies, the University of Michigan

men ' s golf team posted an 834 (30-under par) team total to capture a season-opening team title at the Island Resort Intercollegiate at the Sage Run Golf Club in the Upper Peninsula.

It’s the third consecutive year the Wolverines opened their season at the event. Michigan was tied for fifth after the first round but finished the second round with a one-shot lead thanks to Hoagland setting a career-low with his 64 while Thomson followed with his career-low 65.

Thomson posted a final round clean sheet 66 (-6) with six birdies and 12 pars to earn a runnerup finish with a career-low 202 (-14; 71-65-66), which tied U-M's second lowest all-time 54-hole total as it equaled Bill Rankin's 202 (-8) at the 2008 Maxwell. In six rounds at Sage Run the past two years, Hoagland has yet to post a round above par and has twice fired his careerbest single round total.

Alex McCulla of Illinois State won medalist at 17-under par.

AtAmericanDunesinGrandHavenatthe FoldsofHonorCollegiate, Notre Dame clipped MSU by one stroke in the three day event that aired all three rounds on the Golf Channel. MSU had the second round lead (after a 5-under 2nd round) ahead of 17 other teams but the Irish scored a 2-under par team total on day three when MSU shot 7-over par.

Cecil Belisle of Kansas, where Folds of Honor founder Col. Dan Rooney played college golf, won the individual title at 1-under par over three rounds. MSU senior August Meekhof placed T6 following four players at runner up with even par. MSU’s Bradley Smithson and Ashton McCulloch both placed T12 at 3-over par.

Arkansas, South Carolina and Arizona placed 3rd, 4th and 5th. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army also played in the event to honor all military who sacrificed their lives, and raise funds for the Folds of Honor scholarship platform.

College Preview: College Preview: Michigan Women Michigan Women

ByTomWywrot

After becoming the second straight Wolverine to reach the Final Four at the U.S. Women's Amateur, Hailey Borja (39 career events) returns along with Mikaela Schulz (32 events) by virtue of the NCAA's COVID-19 year, headlining U-M's returning starters. As Monet Chun (the 2021 U.S. Woman’s Amateur runner up) enters her final season and UCLA graduate transfer Emilie Paltrinieri joins the program, veterans will serve as the backbone of the team as the Maize and Blue look to make a third straight trip to the NCAA postseason and fifth overall in the last eight years.

After her strong summer winning the 2023 Pacific Northwest Amateur and earning a runner-up finish at the 2023 California Women's Amateur, Lauren Sung will look to capitalize on her momentum heading into her

h more season. Lauren's twin sister, and redshirt freshman Mara Janess ed to grow their games this summer help bolster coach Jan Dowling's ore.

o incoming freshmen, Dowling adds to th with the additions of Sidney h, who highlighted her summer with a final appearance at the 2023 U.S. Junior hile Grace Wang (Rochester Adams) our top 20 finishes this summer, ng winning the Golfweek Championship ucky.

Continuing to challenge her team, Dowling has set up another competitive nine-event schedule. After opening the fall with a pair of local events -- at Michigan State's Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 17-18) and Toledo's Glass City Invitational (Sept. 25-26) -- the Wolverines will travel across the country for their final two events.

Following the three-month training break, the Wolverines open their spring heading to the Bahamas for the Texas Tech's Nexus Invitational (Feb. 12-14). After beginning March at Florida's Vystar Gators Invitational (March 2-3), U-M has back-to-back events in Georgia.

“The start of a new season is always incredibly exciting,” Dowling said. “We have quite a mix of experience on our team, starting with our two fifth-year seniors, Hailey (Borja) and Mikaela (Schulz). They know Michigan Golf, and they are incredibly invested in leaving this program better than they found it. They've achieved more than any other team in women ' s golf history already, so they want to pass the torch, but lead one last time.”

College Preview: College Preview: Michigan Men Michigan Men

ByTomWywrot

With Will Anderson and Hunter Thomson serving as the core of coach Zach Barlow's University of Michigan men ' s golf team, the Wolverines look to continue their upward trend in the Big Ten and return to the NCAA postseason.

The Maize and Blue duo started all 12 events a year ago and combined to finish as the top Wolverine in 10 of those events (Thomson eight times, Anderson twice). Overall, Anderson has started 27 of his 28 career events, while Thomson has not missed an event in two seasons (23 straight). Thomson paced the Wolverines with his 72.81 scoring average, while Anderson was just behind at 73.59. In fact, 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 depth behind Thomson and Anderson has continued to gain experience to help the Wolverines’ path forward. Jude Kim and Yuqi Liu each started nine events last season, while Ben Hoagland added eight. In fact, Hoagland had a career-year with his 74.96 average, over four and a half shots better than his prior best, while leading U-M at the Island Resort Intercollegiate with his first career top five finish (t-4th).

In addition to the developing depth, Barlow has brought in two newcomers with the duo of Jason Gordon and Caden Pinckes. The No. 1 junior golfer in Illinois and 2021 state champion, Gordon helped his Glenbrook North squad reach the Class 3A State Finals four straight years winning the 2021 team title. Prepping at Classical Academy in California, Pinckes was a two-time All-CIF second team selection and helped the Caiman to back-toback runner-up finishes at the Division II championships.

“With a nice balance of seasoned veterans and some highly touted freshmen, we have the potential to be a very deep team,” Barlow said. “This helps create competition amongst ourselves, but when we compete as well. This group really wants to push each other to continue to get better and as a coach you can't ask for much more than that.”

College Preview: College Preview:

MSU Women MSU Women

Coming off one of the most successful postseasons under Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Michigan State’s women’s golf team is poised to stake its claim as one of the best programs in the Big Ten Conference and nationally once again.

Michigan State closed out the year ranked No. 34 in the country by Golfweek, then won the NCAA Palm Beach Regional (the programs first) and finished just four shots shy of making the cut at the NCAA Championships (18th place), with juniorKatieLubecoming the first MSU golfer to individually reach the final round of stroke play (T30th place with at 1-over par 217).

Senior Valentina Rossi, who has played in a pair of NCAA Championships during her first three years on campus and went to the

semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur, was second on the team in scoring last year with a 72.70 average. Rossi, who ranks 8th alltime at MSU by scoring average, tied for 9th place at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional and is coming off a summer that saw her play in the LPGA Amundi Evian Championship in France and the

Women’s Open in Scotland.

Junior Brooke Biermann finished third on the team in scoring average last year (72.89) and led the team with five top-20 finishes. More prominently shetiedforfirstattheNCAA PalmBeachRegional, with a 3-under par 213.

Sr. Leila Raines was fourth on the team in scoring with a 73.85 average in nine tournaments and 27 rounds. Raines, who played in the 2022 NCAA Championships as an individual, posted two top-20 finishes in the spring, including her first career win at the Moon Golf Invitational when she tied an MSU program record with a 203 over 54 holes.

Junior Shannon Kennedy, who posted a 75.41 average, became a key part of the rotation at the mid-point of the season last year. She is coming off a successful summer, which included a finish as the medalist during the stroke play portion of the Michigan Women’s Amateur.

Golf MSU Men’s Golf

ByMikeCarey

The standard has been set for Michigan State men’s golf over the last 12 years by head coach Casey Lubahn.

Michigan State has won at least one tournament in 10 of 12 of Lubahn’s dozen years at the helm and finished among the top four in the Big Ten Conference in four of the last five years with a squad this year looking to break through to the top. MSU has also had representation at each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments and will enter the 2023-24 season looking to reach the NCAA Regionals for the 7th time in the last eight years.

Graduate student Drew Hackett, who transferred from UNC Wilmington last year, stepped in and was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, while also earning NCAA AllMidwest region honors. He led the team in scoring average (71.86) and had a team-best six top-20 finishes.

A pair of MSU veterans are also back in the lineup in senior August Meekhof and graduate

student Bradley Smithson. The Spartans also welcome back junior Ashton McCulloch, who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2021. McCulloch, whowontheCanadianAmateur overthesummer and played in the U.S. Amateur, was second on the team with a 72.46 scoring average.

Meekhof, who was an All-Big Second Team pick as a sophomore and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Championship team, was third on the MSU team last year with a 72.57 scoring average and won his first collegiate event with an 11-under par. This summer he won his second-straight Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Championship and also snatched the historic Michigan Amateur title.

Smithson, the most experienced player on the team with 115 collegiate rounds, returns for his fifth year at State. He was fifth on the team in scoring average (72.57). Graduate student Pierce Morrissey and junior Satchel Pierce are also back.

A pair of freshman, Lucas Acevedo of South Carolina, and Lorenzo Pinili will challenge the returning players. Pinili, the No. 2 junior in the state of Michigan and a finalist for the USA Today Boys Golfer of the Year, played at Brother Rice and was the Detroit Free Press Boys Golfer of the Year in 2022 and ‘23. He just returned from playing in the U.S. Amateur.

College Preview: Eastern College Preview: Eastern Michigan University Michigan University

TheEasternMichigan Universitywomen'sgolf team is stepping into an exciting new era, fueled by a combination of determination, talent, and state-of-the-art resources. The construction of the GameAbove Golf Performance Center marks a turning point, providing the team with the tools to achieve unprecedented success.

ByGregSteiner

Get ready for an exhilarating 2023-24 season, as the Eastern Michigan University men 'sgolf teamtees off with heightened anticipation. With the impending opening of the GameAbove Performance Center at Eagle Crest later this year, it has the Eagles buzzing with excitement.

The season takes flight at the River Run Collegiate hosted by Davidson University, Sept. 11-12, marking the first step in an impressive national journey that includes tournaments at formidable foes like Wisconsin, Purdue, and Georgetown.

The team is a blend of continuity and fresh energy, boasting a complete return of the last squad alongside standout additions of freshman Avery Mahoney and transfer Zander Gibson. Co-captains Cam Kellett and Patrick Deardorff, who showcased their prowess in competitive amateur golf this summer, are primed for stellar performances, aiming to secure coveted All-Mid-American Conference honors.

The 2023-24 season welcomes a fresh wave of talent with two impressive freshmen, Gabriella Tapp (South Lyon) and Riley Kim. Riley, hailing from Aldie, Va., brings a competitive spirit and a track record of achievement, while Gabriella, a high school state champion, adds a strong team mentality and a history of triumphs to the lineup.

Returning players Sophia Wygonik and Paige Zolciak, who have spent the summer competing, are eager to make their mark. Junior Alyssa DiMarcantonio aims to build on her solid performance at the MAC Championship, showcasing her potential for tournament victories. Anna Watson and Natai Apichonlati are set for stellar final seasons. With an eye on first-team All-MAC honors, Watson's journey is marked by progress, while Apichonlati's veteran status and golf acumen position her as a strong contender for All-MAC recognition.

An exciting highlight awaits as EMU proudly hosts the Shirley Spork EMU Invitational on Oct.3-4 at Eagle Crest Golf Club.

College Preview: Central College Preview: Central Michigan University Michigan University

ByAndrewSneddon,Jr.

It’s Year 2 for the Central Michigan men’s golf program, and, as one might expect, expectations are ratcheted up.

The Chippewas posted a relatively strong sixth-place finish as rookies in the 2022-23 Mid-American Conference Championship in April. That they finished ahead of three established programs in their first year of varsity golf since 1985 is a testament to the accelerated growth of a young team that faced a rugged schedule and pitted it against some of the nation’s best.

The CMU roster comprised seven freshman and a junior college transfer a year ago. Among them was Caledonia native Arie Jackman, who in August qualifiedfortheU.S.Amateur after leading the Chippewas with a 75.38 scoring average a year ago.

Jackman, now a senior, headlines a group that includes sophomores Philippe Yturralde and Jeffrey Andrus (Royal Oak), who ranked second and fourth a year ago in scoring average. Yturralde finished tied for second in July in the Southern California Golf Association Amateur, one of the most competitive amateur tournaments in the nation. Andrus tied for 10th last spring in the MAC Championship. He was one of three freshmen to place in the top 10.

It'sYear2,ofsorts,fortheCMUwomenwho are also coming off an outstanding 2022-23

season capped by a third-place finish – far and away the best in the 10-year history of the program – in the MAC Championship in April.

Second-year coach Ryan Williams led a veteran squad to a pair of wins among six top-three finishes in 11 tournaments a year ago, further solidifying CMU as one of the league’s up-andcoming programs.

Williams is looking to replace five players, nearly all of them contributors or program mainstays, who have graduated or transferred, including Casilda Allendesalazar, the top player in program history.

Still, the Chippewas return solid veterans in Rachel Kauflin and Ashley Goh, the latter a senior from Malaysia who last spring placed fourth in the MAC Championship – the best finish ever by a Chippewa – and posted five top10 finishes in 2022-23.

College Preview: College Preview: Western Michigan

Western Michigan

Women Women

ByHeadCoachKimMoore

I am really looking forward to the 2023/2024 season. We graduated one player from last year, returning 7 of our 8 players, with the addition of 2 new faces. Alissa Fish returns for one more year. She led our team in scoring last season with a 76 average. We are also returning Natalie Samdal, Megha Vallabhaneni, and Jenna Hayes who all were in the top 5 in scoring last season. We are bringing in a two-time Indiana State Individual Champion, Macy Beeson, and a very promising walk-on in freshman Bella Brooks from Lexington, KY.

We look to build on some great accomplishments from last season, when we broke a couple school records with the lowest 54-hole team score in school history of 883 at the Bowling Green Falcon Florida Classic and the most birdies in a single season with 297 total in 12 tournaments. Academically, we had some great success last season with a 3.83 Team GPA in the Fall, which was the best ever in our program’s history for a semester and the best in the athletic department in the fall. We finished the season with a 3.78 team GPA, which put us in the top 25 in the nation!

College

Preview: College Preview: Grand Valley State Grand Valley State

ByLoganTaylor

The Grand Valley State men’s and women’s golf teams head into the 2023-24 season after strong campaigns last year in which the two teams combined to win 13 tournaments, earn

three All-Americans, four all-region players, and nine All-GLIAC members.

Coming off their most successful season in program history, in which they won 10 tournaments, theLakermen will look a bit different this year, as head coach Gary Bissell stepped down to take the job at the University of Denver. Assistant coach Steve Milewski has been named the interim head coach.

There is still plenty of talent returning for last season’s GLIAC and Midwest Region Champions, led by PING Second-Team AllAmerican Nick Krueger and All-Region honoree Drew Coble, who were both FirstTeam All-GLIAC. Also returning are Charlie Cooley and Bryce Wheeler, who both were named Second-Team All-GLIAC. The Lakers also add two incoming players to their roster, gaining 2023 GAC Freshman of the Year Manuel Cue Vargas via transfer and freshmen Winston Lerch (of Brighton).

TheLakerwomen will return their top five from last season, in which they won three tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the seventh consecutive season.

Head coach Rebecca Mailloux will have a strong group of golfers heading into the season led by honorable mention All-American Paula Badino and All-Region and GLIAC Golfer of the Year Olivia Stoll (Haslett). Also returning are First-Team All-GLIAC golfer Megan Miron and second teamer Julia Sanchez. The Lakers will add two freshmen and transfer Rachel Krieger who earned honorable mention All-GLIAC last year at Saginaw Valley.

The men opened their season playing the Folds of Honor Collegiate at the American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven, while the women open the following week on September 11th in the Indianapolis Fall Invitational at Prairie View Golf Course.

College Preview: Wayne College Preview: Wayne State University State University

ByCooperWeidenthaler

The Wayne State University men 'sgolf programis entering year No. 23 under coach Mike Horn in 2023-24.

The Warriors are fresh off a springtime appearance in the NCAA Midwest/Cen Super Regional, their 15th showing in t NCAA Tournament since 2004. The Wa return all nine players from a season ag played in at least 10 rounds, including f GLIAC performers in Max Leppelmeier Team), Josh DiCarlo (Second Team), G Day (Second Team), and Mat Hawryluk Team). Those four scoring averages inc 72.6 for Leppelmeier, 72.8 for DiCarlo, 7 Day, and 74.3 for Hawryluk.

The WayneStateUniversitywomen'sgolf program is coming off the most successful season in program history thanks to its firstever appearance in the NCAA Championships. The Warriors will be guided by third-year head coach Larry Hamilton. Team-wise, five of the seven members from that team are back, including Beca Vestman. Last season, Vestman becamethefirstwomen'sgolferinschool history to earn WGCA All-Region honors and paced the squad in scoring average with a 76.6. Also back is GLIAC defending individual champion, Maisarah Hezri, now just a sophomore.

College Preview: Ferris Stat College Preview: Ferris Stat

ByRobBentley

The Ferris State University men ' s and women ' s golf teams have high aspirations entering the 2023-24 season under head coach and Bulldog alum Sam Stark. Last year, the Bulldogswon theGLIACWomen'sGolfChampionship and reached the NCAA Tournament while the men ' s team advanced to the league semifinals and received its 18thNCAATournamentberth in the last 20 years, which ranks as one of the best stretches in the country.

Both teams return a strong nucleus for this coming season and annually rank among the top programs in both the league and the region.

A year ago, Stark was voted as the GLIAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year after leading FSU to its first league championship since 2007. FSU also reached the NCAA Tourney on the women’s side for the second-straight year.

Additionally, FSU had an All-GLIAC First Team honoree in Alayna Eldred (Osakis, Minn.) along with a pair of second team all-conference recipients in Kamryn Shannon (Jackson/Michigan Center) and Dani Staskowski (Clarkston/Notre Dame Preparatory). Finally, Lizzie Anderson (Lockport, Ill.) garnered GLIAC Honorable Mention kudos with all returning this season for the Bulldogs.

Last year, FSU’s Caleb Bond (Williamston) was chosen as the GLIAC Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year and claimed All-GLIAC First Team

honors. Bond, who returns this year, compiled a total of six top-10 tournament finishes during his rookie season, including earning medalist honors once. He also placed among the top 20 golfers in 10 of his 12 tournaments overall.

In addition to Bond, the Bulldogs also welcome back two other All-GLIAC standouts in Zach Koerner (Laingsburg) and Adam Arif Madzri (Selangor, Malaysia). Madzri paced the Bulldogs in stroke play action at the GLIAC Championships, shooting a two-round 139 figure to place sixth individually. Koerner also had a strong performance at the league event, coming in tied for 26th overall for the Bulldogs with a two-round 145 total.

The men opened their season playing the Folds of Honor Collegiate at the American Dunes Golf Course in Grand Haven, while the women open the following week on September 11th in the Indianapolis Fall Invitational at Prairie View Golf Course.