MichAm: Willie Mack III Makes History

BOYNE HIGHLANDS, Mich. – Willie Mack III of Flint celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Michigan Amateur Saturday by becoming the first African-American champion of the state’s oldest golf tournament.

Mack, 22, romped to the title with a 4-and-3 victory over 2010 champion Joey Garber of Petoskey in the final match at Boyne Highlands Heather. The impact of the historic victory was taking time to set in.

“I’m not sure yet,” Mack said. “But I’m really happy. It’s been a long week. Being the first African-American champion feels great.” Continue Reading…

MichAm Day 4: The Final Four

BOYNE HIGHLANDS, Mich. – Willie Mack III’s path to the Final Four of the Michigan Amateur was a thrill ride Friday.

Mack, 22, of Flint, made a birdie on the seventh extra hole to defeat Eric Schleicher of Grosse Pointe Shores, 1-up, in 25 holes. Mack, playing in his second Michigan Amateur, will play Matt Thompson in Saturday’s semi-final round at Boyne Highlands.

In the other semifinal, it’s defending champion Joey Garber against Eric Lilleboe, the same pair that squared off in the championship match last year with Garber winning, 2-and-1. Continue Reading…

MichAm Day 3: Doing Whatever It Takes To Play

                The 100^th anniversary Michigan Amateur has been plagued by inclement weather. That’s the bad news.

                The good news: It’s been a masterfully-run event. The Golf Association of Michigan and the folks at Boyne Resorts have teamed to get through the rough patches, demonstrating once again that administering a golf tournament requires equally doses ability, dedication and perseverance. There were large portions of those ingredients at the Heather course again Thursday when more rain fell on the Harbor Springs/Petoskey area.

                At one point, Bernie Friedrich, senior vice president of golf, retail and marketing at Boyne Highlands; his director of golf, Mike Chumbler; and Ken Hartmann, senior director of rules and competitions for the GAM, were squeegee-ing the second green at the Heather.

                When play was halted because the rain had made the course unplayable, that heavyweight threesome wasn’t too big or too self-important to dig in and help Superintendent Matt Novenske’s staff. That’s representing golf in its most honorable form. They weren’t alone, of course. All the staff, volunteers and anybody who was willing to lend a hand did it so the Michigan Amateur could continue. GAM President Ron Gaines and past president Bill Wright were among those who were here, there, everywhere, setting an example for everybody to follow.

                When play finally resumed, defending champion Joey Garber won his opening match in the 64-man bracket, defeating veteran Bill Zylstra, 5-and-3, .

                For more details and complete results, go to www.gam.org.

MichAm Day 2: No Complaining, Just Birdies

BOYNE HIGHLANDS, Mich. – The weather at the 100^th anniversary of the Michigan Amateur hasn’t been the best but it certainly didn’t put off Eric Lilleboe of Okemos or Francesco Ruffino of Bloomfield Hills.

They were among the first to complete Wednesday’s second round of the rain-delayed state amateur and proved once again the saying, “Nay wind, nay rain, nay golf.”

Instead of bemoaning the conditions (rain), the starts and the stops, Lilleboe and Ruffino played the game as it should be played on the Boyne Highlands Heather course. Lilleboe shot a dazzling 4-under-par 68, one better than the score posted by 16-year-old Ruffino, who played in last year’s U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay. Continue Reading…

Mich Am Beats Slow Play Blues

               BOYNE HIGHLANDS, Mich. – Pace of play is an important issue for Joey Garber, the Michigan Amateur champion. A star golfer at the University of Michigan, Garber has been subjected to too many ungainly 6-hour rounds of golf during his college career.

                So when Garber and his playing partners – Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood and Joe Kosanke of Cheboygan – were told they would be assessed penalties for slow play during Tuesday’s opening round of medal play at the 100^th Michigan Amateur championship, the defending champion took it all in an understated manner.

                The Golf Association of Michigan is a stickler for pace of play. It should be. Slow play is killing golf and doing something – anything – about it is a good thing. Garber, who is from Petoskey, has experienced the GAM’s wrath on slow play before and he is refreshingly honest about golf’s biggest problem.

                “It’s clear-cut,” said Garber, who shot 71. “It’s all in your hands. There’s no reason to play over (the allotted) time. There’s no reason to be 25 minutes behind.” Continue Reading…

Antingua: Apparel that’s a perfect match for Michigan

Antigua is making sure it’s a comfortable and fashionable season for golfers.

The Antigua Group, now in its 32^nd year, is offering updated performance in men’s and women’s golf shirts.

Apparel technology has made huge strides in recent years and gained a lot of favor with golfers in all climates. That technology has changed the face of golf apparel. The modern golf wear ratchets up the comfort level and helps you look really good at the same time.

The golf swing is all about speed. The new materials developed by Antigua also incorporate a good dose of speed in their design and performance. Continue Reading…

Terry Schieber Returns to Michigan at Tullymore & St. Ives

TaylorMade Taking Orders for new R11 Driver

            TaylorMade Golf begins taking orders Thursday, January 6, for its new R11 Driver.

            The manufacturer calls it a revolutionary product and given TaylorMade’s history for doing just that with its drivers, there’s a great deal of anticipation for the unveiling.

            The R11 takes adjustability to the next level and adds to the technology a unique look with a satin white crown. It should be stunning at addess. Continue Reading…

Zeno-Link is a hit Champions Tour debut

Endicott, N.Y. – Proving you can teach seasoned golfers new tricks, ZenoLink was a hot topic at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

The Champions Tour event at En-Joie Golf Club was the first professional golf event to offer contestants and pro-am participants complimentary testing by ZenoLink™, a 3-D Motion Analysis Technology that’s the cutting edge in golf swing evaluation and injury prevention.

“People just ate it up,” said Chris Welch, founder and CEO of ZenoLink.

More than 70 pros and 300-plus amateur golfers were tested, a process that began with players being videotaped from two angles hitting their tee shots on the 11th hole at En-Joie, a 441-yard par 4.

But this wasn’t your standard video analysis of a golf swing. Rather, ZenoLink’s experts in functional movement used the video images to make highly sophisticated, research level biomechanical measurements and turned that data into digital models of each player’s motion. The models were used to assess exactly how each player performed his or her golf swing, their risk of possible injury, and the possibilities for improved performance.
Continue Reading…

2013 Mich Amateur goes to Muskegon CC

Farmington Hills – The Golf Association of Michigan has awarded the 2013 Michigan Amateur Championship to Muskegon Country Club.

 “We are thrilled to bring the 2013 Michigan Amateur Championship, Michigan’s premiere golf event, to this outstanding golf course,” said Lee Juett, GAM President.  “Muskegon CC offers a spectacular setting and boasts a long tradition of hosting major championships in the state of Michigan.”
        
Muskegon Country Club was founded in 1908 on 130 acres of dunes. It still sits on the original acreage and continues to thrive as an integral part of the community. The golf course was designed by Donald Ross and has had the honor of hosting the regional qualifying rounds for the US Amateur, as well as the US Open and was the site of the 2005 Michigan Amateur Championship. 
    
“I’m deeply honored that Muskegon CC was selected to host the 102^nd Michigan Amateur Championship,” said Fred Bleakley, President of Muskegon CC. “I thank the Golf Association of Michigan for its confidence in our ability to produce an outstanding championship. We look forward to working with their tournament officials, staff and volunteers as preparation begins for this major championship in Michigan.”

 “As a state association, the GAM takes pride in moving our major championships around the state and supporting the clubs and players that make up the backbone of the GAM,” said Executive Director David Graham.  “The community volunteer support for this major state championship was outstanding in 2005 and we look for another great championship at Muskegon CC in 2013.”