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✏Learn from the best at the Michigan PGA Coaches Roundtable event! Adam Schriber, coach of U.S. Open Champion JJ Spaun, will be joining us to share his knowledge and answer your questions!

📅 Friday, September 19, 2025
📍 Kent Country Club
⏰ 10:00am – 3:00pm (lunch ...provided)
💲 $50 per person

Topics include:
✔Lesson Structure & Rates
✔Use of Technology
✔Using student feedback
✔How to effectively change motor patterns
... and more!

Michigan PGA Members & Associates can register through the link below. Registration Deadline is Friday, September 12 at 5:00pm!

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/11897434876397257426

PATRICK WILKES-KRIER BIRDIES FINAL HOLE, WINS MICHIGAN PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT WALNUT CREEK

SOUTH LYON – Patrick Wilkes-Krier, the proprietor of Kendall Golf Academy in Ypsilanti, birdied the par 5 final hole with a 76-yard pitch shot approach and two-foot tap-in and won the ...104th Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Walnut Creek Country Club Wednesday.
It was the 41-year-old teaching professional’s first major state professional title after a series of near misses, and he edged past defending champion Ben Cook of Caledonia by one shot with a final even-par 72 and a 4-under 212 tournament total.
Cook, who has left the golf profession and opened up a financial planning business near Grand Rapids, shot a final 70 for 213.
Adam Schumacher of Point O’Woods Golf & Country Club in Benton Harbor, who shot 70, and Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club, who shot 72, tied at 214.
And Ryan Lenehan, the director of instruction at Walnut Creek, who shot 68, and Matt Thompson, a Hillsdale teaching professional who shot 69, tied at 215, while eight-time champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club shot 71 for 216.
It was the first individual professional win for Wilkes-Krier, an Ann Arbor native and resident, since 2012 during his eight years of mini-tour golf following college golf at Ball State University in Indiana.
He took home the $7,500 first-place check and will have his name added to the historic Gilbert A. Currie Trophy. In addition, he will be awarded an exemption into the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic next summer at Detroit Golf Club, and he secured a spot in the PGA Professional National Championship at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon next spring.
“There’s so many levels to this,” he said in reaction to his win. “I’m so excited to play at Bandon Dunes – that’s the main goal when you come here, just to get a shot. I want to play in that PGA Professional Championship so bad and that venue is going to be so awesome.”
He said he didn’t realize the Rocket Classic exemption came with it until Lenehan told him soon after his victory.
“I’ve wanted to play in that tournament so much that it will feel like a major too,” he said. “These opportunities to play against such great players, it’s like decades of work and decades that I’ve wanted to do those things. It’s so great that the Michigan PGA puts on these events and gives us these opportunities.”
Wilkes-Krier started the final round with a three-shot lead and maintained it until a double-bogey at No. 10 followed by a bogey at 11. That opened the door for other players, including Cook and Schumacher, but he birdied four of his final seven holes, including No. 18, a par 5 that the club plays as No. 9 on the West nine.
“There was some scar tissue with situations like this in the past,” he said. “I was feeling pretty comfortable and then it all kind of came undone after I made the turn. My driver was so bad all week, and it didn’t change today, but I’ve been in that position before, too, where I lost the lead and I wasn’t able to realize I was still in the mix. So, I had to remind myself of that, and all of a sudden, I felt better, hit some really clutch shots and I’m glad that putt to win was only about two feet because I was pretty nervous.”
Wilkes-Krier, a GAM Championship winner and Michigan Amateur runner-up before turning professional, became emotional when asked about taking over the Kendall Golf Academy from its founder, Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Dave Kendall, who is battling terminal cancer. Wilkes-Krier went for lessons at the academy he now runs at age 13 and has been teaching there since his tour days.
“I think about Dave every day,” he said. “I used a Kendall Academy ball marker, and I put it down with that K up every time. A huge part of me wanted to come out on the right side of this tournament for Dave, give him something to feel good about. He’s been my mentor and my inspiration, and honestly, I’m among many who would say that. So, to come away with a trophy and kind of honor him with it feels really good.”
And while Wilkes-Krier had his dramatic ending, more drama was at hand as eight more spots in the 2026 PGA Professional National Championship were being determined.
The low nine eligible golfers at the end of the Michigan PGA Professional Championship, not including Hebert, Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy and Lenahan, who are already exempt, earn spots at Bandon Dunes. The low 20 finishers from that championship move on to play with the best players in the world at the 106th PGA Championship.
Those headed to Bandon Dunes with Wilkes-Krier, Hebert, Roth and Lenahan based on finish are Schumacher, Pearce, Thompson, Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Brian Cairns of Fox Hills in Plymouth, two-time former champion Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club in Grosse Point Woods, Josh Fryer of Franklin Hills Country Club, Kosta Ramirez of The Mines in Grand Rapids, and Scott Brotebeck, the head professional at Walnut Creek. Brotebeck was the survivor of a four-golfer playoff for the ninth spot at 5-over 221. He made par on the third playoff hole to earn the spot.

SPONSORS: This year’s presenting sponsors are Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex. Supporting partners are Gallagher, the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour. Supporting sponsors are Titleist/Footjoy, Callaway Golf, Nike and TaylorMade.

RESULTS: See michiganpga.com. Gallery is welcome. Parking and admission are free. More information on Walnut Creek is available at walnutcreekcc.net.

PATRICK WILKES-KRIER LEADS MICHIGAN PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

SOUTH LYON – Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Kendall Golf Academy in Ypsilanti has been in final groups and has come close to winning major Michigan championships in the past.
The 41-year-old teaching professional is ...excited for another chance after he shot a 3-under 69 Tuesday to take the lead through two rounds of the 104th Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Walnut Creek Country Club.
“I have a chance at it tomorrow and that’s what I think about all year, being able to play and try to come out on top,” he said. “The Michigan PGA puts on great events and it’s always against a bunch of really good players. If I’m at the top of the leaderboard and playing well, I think it says some good stuff because the quality of competition is really good and the courses are really good.”
He will start Wednesday’s final round in the $57,000 championship with a two-shot lead on Tim Pearce, the head golf professional at Birmingham Country Club, who was at 142 after a 72.
Kosta Ramirez, the director of instruction at The Mines in Grand Rapids, and Ben Cook, a three-time former champion from Caledonia, were at 143 after each of them shot 74. They were part of a three-way tie for the lead through the first round.
Adam Schumacher of Point O’Woods Golf & Country Club in Benton Harbor shot 72 and was alone at 144.
Scott Brotebeck, the host professional from Walnut Creek, shot 72 and was part of a group of six golfers at 145.
That group also included eight-time champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, who shot 71, 2017 champion John Seltzer of Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, who shot 74, Jim Deiters of Midland Country Club, who shot 72, Jordan Weinger of Twin Beach Country Club in West Bloomfield, who shot 70, and Joe Berklich of Dunham Hills Golf & Country Club in Hartland, who shot 72.
The 36-hole cut was made at 11-over 155 and 62 golfers will play in Wednesday’s final round. The final group of Wilkes-Krier, Pearce and Ramirez will tee off at 11:20 a.m.
At stake is the first-place check of $7,500 from the $57,000 purse, the historic Gilbert A. Currie Trophy and an exemption into the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
Also at stake is a chance to play with the best golfers in the world.
The low nine eligible golfers at the end of the Michigan PGA Professional Championship, not including Hebert, Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy and Ryan Lenahan of Walnut Creek, who are already exempt, will earn playing spots in the 2026 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon. The low 20 finishers from that championship move on to play with the best players in the world at the 106th PGA Championship.
Cook, who has left the golf business to open up an Edward Jones financial advisor office near Grand Rapids, is defending his third title via a one-year grace period under Michigan PGA rules. He is not eligible to move on to the 2026 PGA Professional National Championship.
Wilkes-Krier missed just one green and was bogey-free in his round to take the lead.
“It was not good off the tee with some clubs, but it never got me in trouble,” he said. “I always had a look at the green. I was in the rough an enormous amount, but I kept hitting good shots out.”
Pearce, another golfer with close calls and final group appearances seeking his first Michigan major, was 3-under on his first nine (the West nine) in the second round but struggled coming in (North nine).
“I made a couple of bogeys from the middle of the fairway, just kind of missed my shots and that was kind of the theme of the back nine,” he said. “We’re right where we want to be though. I think this is three years in a row in the last group. Patrick and I are good friends. I’m looking forward to going for it.”

SPONSORS: This year’s presenting sponsors are Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex. Supporting partners are Gallagher, the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour. Supporting sponsors are Titleist/Footjoy, Callaway Golf, Nike and TaylorMade.

RESULTS, TEE TIMES: See michiganpga.com. Gallery is welcome. Parking and admission are free. More information on Walnut Creek is available at walnutcreekcc.net.

THREESOME TIED FOR LEAD AT MICHIGAN PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

SOUTH LYON – Defending champion Ben Cook of Caledonia, Kosta Ramirez, the director of instruction at The Mines in Grand Rapids, and John Nowosatka, an assistant professional at Traverse City Golf & Country Club, ...shared the lead through Monday’s first round of the 104th Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Walnut Creek Country Club.
They each shot 3-under 69 in windy and sometimes rainy conditions.
Tim Pearce, the head professional at Birmingham Country Club, shot 70 to stand second alone.
Four golfers shot 71, including three-time past champion Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth, 2017 champion John Seltzer of Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Kendall Academy of Golf in Ypsilanti and Mathew Little of GOLFTEC-Lakeside in Macomb.
And a trio shot 72, including Adam Schumacher of Point O’Woods Golf & Country Club in Benton Harbor, Josh Fryer of Franklin Hills Country Club and Kyle Roman of Hidden River Golf & Casting Club in Brutus.
The field plays another 18 holes across the North and West nines at Walnut Creek Tuesday before a 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties. The $57,000 state championship for PGA professionals continues through Wednesday.
Cook, who has left the golf business to open up an Edward Jones financial advisor office near Grand Rapids, is defending his third title via a one-year grace period under Michigan PGA rules.
He said he wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleased to be tied for the lead.
“I have beer league on Thursdays, that’s nine holes, and then if I can scrounge another nine holes with my wife on weekends, that’s about all I’m playing,” he said. “I’m surprised. I mean, I’ve actually been hitting it decently when I do play. It’s like not being in golf anymore, there’s less pressure right there. I’m not playing as much, and I’m not worried about it. If I play great, great. If not, I still have a normal job.”
This is his first time playing Walnut Creek and he found it tricky in spots.
“I hit more hybrids and irons off the tee than the driver,” he said. Then you have longer second shots into the par fours, but I handled those today. The course is in great shape. The ball was rolling great on the greens. It’s not long, but it’s not easy. You just have to be careful and pick the right club out there.”
Ramirez, the 2022 Michigan PGA Match Play champion, didn’t realize he was tied for the lead when he finished.
“I didn’t look at any of the scores from this morning, but right now I’m feeling pretty good about my game,” he said. “I’ve practiced a little bit more getting prepared for this and the (Michigan PGA Match Play) coming up.”
The 34-year-old teaching pro said wind is usually tough for him, but he played a lot of boring golf before closing with a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 18 (West No. 9).
“Fairways and greens,” he said. “The driver was good today and I hit a lot of quality second shots. “It feels good to get off to a good start. This (tournament) is definitely one that you circle on the calendar. There’s a lot to play for.”
Nowosatka, a 57-year-old assistant in his second year at Traverse City G&C, said he felt lucky to be tied for the lead.
“I hit every green but one, and I hit a couple very close and made birdies,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting this. I came with no expectations, but hit it well, including some long irons. I didn’t hit any really bad shots, and we’ll see if I can keep it up tomorrow. Today was a good day.”
A lot is in play for the field beyond winning the state title. The low nine golfers at the end of the Michigan PGA Professional Championship, not including Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy and Ryan Lenahan of Walnut Creek, who are already exempt, will earn playing spots in the 2026 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon. The low 20 finishers from that championship move on to play with the best players in the world at the 106th PGA Championship.
Cook will not be eligible to advance to the Professional National Championship in 2026 because he is no longer working in golf. He is eligible, however, to win the championship check, have his name added once again to the historic Gilbert A. Currie Trophy and garner the exemption into the 2026 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club that the PGA Tour awards to the Michigan Section PGA Champion.

SPONSORS: This year’s presenting sponsors are Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex. Supporting partners are Gallagher, the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour. Supporting sponsors are Titleist/Footjoy, Callaway Golf, Nike and TaylorMade.

RESULTS, TEE TIMES: See michiganpga.com. Gallery is welcome. Parking and admission are free. More information on Walnut Creek is available at walnutcreekcc.net.