Coca-Cola / GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open Includes ANNIKA-WAPT Golfers, Starting Monday at Crystal Mountain

THOMPSONVILLE – The Michigan Section PGA is presenting an open state championship for women golfers for the 33rd time, and for the 24th consecutive year at Crystal Mountain, ...but this time with a dramatic new wrinkle.

The 2026 Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open, set for next Tuesday through Thursday, June 30 through July 1, will still showcase several familiar faces, including two-time defending champion Jessica Welch of Thomasville, GA, and Grand Rapids native and 2022 champion Sarah White stopping in from the LPGA Epson Tour.

In addition, several of the state’s top amateur golfers and the well-known senior golfers, including Michigan Golf Hall of Famers Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor and Elaine Crosby of Jackson, will play for a separate Legends Division title (age 50-plus).

But this year’s starting field of 135 golfers for the $60,000 championship will also include 80 members of the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT).

Last fall, the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT) announced its partnership with Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA establishing the championship as an official event on the ANNIKA schedule in 2026. The tour is dedicated to providing a competitive platform for professional women golfers to develop their skills on a pathway to the LPGA.

In addition to added sponsorship, enhanced prize money and the coveted tournament title, the event will also provide the top two finishers with an exemption into an LPGA Epson Tour event during the 2026 season (Greater Toledo Open, July 13-19).

Continue reading the press release below:
https://michiganpga.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/06/Coca-Cola_GameAbove-Michigan-Womens-Open-Includes-ANNIKA-WAPT-Golfers-Starting-Monday-at-Crystal-Mountain.pdf

COON LEADS AN ELITE FIELD IN A RED-NUMBER SHOWDOWN! 2026 Michigan Boys Junior PGA Championship🏆

The historic event concluded yesterday, showcasing an absolute masterclass in elite junior golf at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek. Benefiting from perfect conditions and beautiful ...weather, a full field of 144 of Michigan's top boys aged 13–18 faced off in what will go down in history as one of the strongest, most competitive fields the tournament has ever seen.

To put the sheer depth of the competition into perspective, an unbelievable 15 players finished the tournament under par. Seeing that many competitors consistently attacking pins and putting up red numbers highlights the incredibly high standard of play from start to finish.

Leading the charge all week was 16-year-old Bentley Coon of Horton, who put on a breathtaking show on day one by racking up six birdies and a spectacular eagle on the par-5 7th hole en route to an opening-round 64 (8-under-par). He proved his ice-cold composure by backing it up with a second-round 70 to claim the overall crown at a spectacular 10-under-par total of 134.

Right on his heels was 14-year-old overall runner-up Zane Rueger of Saline, who put together an incredible performance of his own. After opening with a rock-solid 68, Zane went on an absolute birdie tear in his second round to card a 67. He turned up the heat on the back nine, draining clutch, consecutive birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17 to make for a thrilling, down-to-the-wire finish before ultimately concluding the tournament just one stroke back at 9-under-par (135).

By taking the top two spots in the field, both elite competitors have officially punched their tickets to the 50th Junior PGA Championship, which will take center stage July 28–31, 2026, at PGA Fields Ranch East & West in Frisco, Texas - the modern home of the PGA of America.

The individual age divisions featured intense battles for the podium, with the top three players in each group taking home some hard-earned hardware. In the 13-15 Division, Zane Rueger comfortably captured the title with his stellar 135 (-9). He was followed by runner-up Benjamin Vento of Rochester Hills, who finished at 141 (-3), while Collier Ludwig of Mattawan secured third place with a total score of 147 (+3). Meanwhile, the 16-18 Division saw Bentley Coon claim the championship honors at 134 (-10). Julian Sinishtaj of Macomb earned the runner-up spot with a strong 139 (-5) fired up by a stellar final-round 68, and Harris Hoekwater of Grand Rapids took third place at 140 (-4) after winning a scorecard playoff secured by a strong final-round 69.

A huge thank you to Bedford Valley, all of our incredible competitors, and the families who came out to support them during this historic championship week. Michigan junior golf is brighter than ever, and we can't wait to watch Bentley and Zane represent the state on the national stage next month!

CHAMPIONS CROWNED & A HOLE-IN-ONE! 2026 Michigan Girls Junior PGA Championship 🏆

What an unbelievable showcase of grit, talent, and determination this week at Bedford Valley Golf Club!

The course was in fantastic shape all week, featuring its signature heavy bunkering and ...very large greens that kept the field of 50 players in the Girls 13-18 division on their toes. The weather threw plenty of challenges at these athletes, too. Throughout Round 1, players battled a persistent, steady rain that came on and off all day. If that wasn’t enough, Round 2 swapped the damp conditions for intense, sweeping winds that tested everyone's course management and mental toughness.

Through it all, these young women put on a masterclass in competitive golf. Taking home the ultimate honors, 13-year-old Hannah Kim of Troy put together a phenomenal two-day total of 146 (+2) to be crowned our 2026 Overall Champion. Finishing just one shot behind her with a stellar two-day score of 147 (+3) was Overall Runner-Up, 15-year-old Saisha Patil of Okemos. Both of these fantastic players have officially punched their tickets and will represent Michigan proudly at the 50th National Junior PGA Championship, taking place July 28–31 at the breathtaking Fields Ranch West at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas—the magnificent new home of the PGA of America!

The high-level play continued across all of our individual age groups. In the Girls 16-18 Division, defending champion Lillian O’Grady of Grand Rapids captured first place with a two-day total of 149 (+5). She was followed by runner-up Sophia McCollum of Twin Lake with a 153 (+9), and Emanuella Micakovic of Washington Township, who secured third place in the division after winning a scorecard playoff with a final score of 154 (+10). In the Girls 13-15 Division, overall winner Hannah Kim naturally claimed the top spot on the podium, while overall runner-up Saisha Patil took home the division's second-place trophy. Rounding out the top three, Sixtine Charnelet of Bloomfield Hills secured a strong third-place finish with an impressive two-day total of 153 (+9).

🎉 SHOT OF THE TOURNAMENT 🎉
As if the leaderboard action wasn't enough, the tournament delivered a major milestone during Round 1. Despite the day's on-and-off rain, 13-year-old Dylan Hall aced the par-3 8th hole, knocking it in from 169 yards out with her 3-hybrid. Cheers echoed across the course as the ball found the bottom of the cup, marking Dylan's first-ever career hole-in-one. Congratulations, Dylan, on an unforgettable achievement on a major championship stage!

A massive thank you to the entire staff at Bedford Valley for hosting us and keeping the course in championship condition despite the wild Michigan weather. We also want to extend a huge thank you to the parents for their incredible support, and most importantly, to all the players who gave it their all out there. You made the Michigan PGA Section incredibly proud this week!

Strong start to the Michigan Girls Junior PGA Championship including a hole-in-one by Dylan Hall! 👏 ⛳

Follow tomorrow's final round through the link below:
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12459932766022173648?back_link=true

As we turn our attention to the U.S. Open this week, Michigan PGA Member Adam Schriber is helping defending champion J.J. Spaun prepare for Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

Adam was recently featured on Kelly Elbin's "Musings on Golf" podcast, where he shares his ...journey from humble beginnings in the game, how he first connected with J.J., and the evolution of their player-coach relationship.

🎧 Listen to the episode here:
https://audioboom.com/posts/8914637-adam-schriber-pga-believing-in-j-j-spaun

TRAVERSE CITY PRO CAMERON RUGE WINS HALL FINANCIAL/FOUNDERS BREWING CO. MICHIGAN OPEN Presented by Make The Turn

BELLAIRE – Cameron Ruge, an assistant professional at Bay Meadows Family Golf Center in Traverse City and a native of Coldwater, thought he wouldn’t get especially ...emotional if he won the Hall Financial/Founders Brewing Co. Michigan Open presented by Make The Turn.
Then he hit all 18 greens in regulation, shot 7-under 64 and won the 109th edition of the state championship by seven shots Thursday on the Cedar River Course at Shanty Creek Resort.
“When the last putt went in it was just a mix of emotions coming over me,” he said. “I was so locked in all day. I didn’t check the leaderboard all day. Then it started to get kind of emotional, and my mom and my girlfriend came over and gave me hugs. That and just the fact that I was able to do it and close it out was, you know.”
Ruge’s prior history in the Michigan Open was two missed cuts, but this time he took home the $15,000 first-place check, a Crystal Trophy and he will have his name inscribed on the historic James D. Standish Trophy.
His final 64 gave him a 16-under 268 total for the championship.
Four golfers tied for second at 9-under, including defending champion Otto Black of Brighton, who closed with a 67, and Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights, the 2023 champion and leader for the first two rounds, who shot 70.
Will Preston, the Penn State University golfer from Grand Rapids, was another at 9-under after shooting a closing 71. He ended up as the low amateur for the tournament.
And Matt Thompson, the 2017 Michigan Open champion, made the most noise among those who tied for second. He shot a closing 64, which included three eagles, one of which was a hole-in-one on hole 17 (7-iron from 185).
Four golfers finished at 8-under 276, including Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club, who also shot a 64, mini-tour pro Yuqi Liu of Ann Arbor, who shot 67, Michigan State University golfer Julian Menser, who shot 68, and Bentley Coon, the celebrated 16-year-old from Horton, who shot 72.
Former University of Michigan golfer and now mini-tour professional Will Anderson got in on the noise, too. He shot a course-record 63 and tied for 11th.
Ruge said while he didn’t look at the leaderboard, he did hear the chatter pass from group to group about multiple eagles being made and golfers carding low scores.
“I just played like I was tied for the lead the whole day,” he said. “I just said I’m going to keep the ball below the hole, not be too aggressive to some of those flags and keep trying to make birdies.”
He birdied holes 3, 5 and 9 on the front and had the lead even though he didn’t know it. He added birdies on 10, 13, 16 and rolled a final 10-foot birdie putt in on 18 for the gallery on the hill over 18.
He said a 5-iron approach shot he hit at hole 5 from 216 yards was his best shot of the day.
“I meant to go to the middle of the green there, but I hit a draw in there and it kept moving over and ended up a foot-and-a-half away from that back left pin,” he said. “I didn’t take that pin on. It worked over and I was like ‘wow.’ It was a big momentum booster.”
Ruge, who is 27, cited increased self-belief, a golf buddy in Florida (Shane Bryant), who is a mini-tour player who has pushed him to be a better player, and his fellow teaching professionals at Bay Meadows for helping make him a better player.
“One of the biggest things is the putter change I made last year, from a blade to a mallet, and I’ve just found that under pressure I can rock that thing a little easier,” he said. “I hit 18 greens today, but I also burned like five edges (on putts). It could have been 12-under today the way it was rolling.”
Ruge doesn’t expect the win to change his goals in golf. The former Trine University golfer who studied professional golf management likes working with junior golfers at Bay Meadows and is advancing through the PGA professional rankings (currently a PGA Associate Professional).
“I may sign up for more tournaments down the road,” he said, “but I’m just going to keep working at Bay Meadows. I love seeing the kids out there.”

ABOUT HALL FINANCIAL: Hall Financial is proud to partner with the Michigan PGA and the Hall Financial/Founders Brewing Co. Michigan Open. Supporting the Michigan PGA and its members is a passion for Hall Financial CEO, David Hall. Growing the game of golf in the state of Michigan while providing a key financial resource is a privilege for Hall Financial. David Hall started Hall Financial in 2016 with the core mission to be the most client-focused mortgage company in the industry. Since its inception, the company has built a reputation for making the mortgage process simple and fast while delivering clients with Five-Star service. With nearly 7,000 Five-Star reviews, the team at Hall Financial is committed to providing customized mortgage solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Media contact for Hall Financial: Mark Gildersleeve, Sr. Vice President- Growth & Strategy, 248-590-0131, mgildersleeve@hallfg.com. Website: callhallfirst.com

ABOUT FOUNDERS BREWING CO: Founders is one of the highest-recognized breweries and one of the 10 largest craft breweries in the country. Founded in 1997 in Grand Rapids, it has been ranked as one of the top breweries in the world by Ratebeer.com since 2006 and several of its beers are in the top 100 beers of the world on Beeradvocate.com. Surrounded by the Great Lakes, Founders is devoted to using Michigan’s freshwater resources in a sustainable fashion to provide the highest quality beer possible – from All Day IPA to craft beer stalwarts like KBS, which celebrates 20 years of barrel-aged excellence this year. Website foundersbrewing.com

ABOUT SHANTY CREEK: Shanty Creek is a four-season destination resort spanning nearly 5,500 acres and four distinct villages: Summit, Schuss, Cedar River, and Hawk’s Eye, each with lodging, dining, and golf. Located in Northern Michigan’s Bellaire, just 30 miles northeast of Traverse City, Shanty Creek offers a variety of activities and outdoor recreation perfect for your next Michigan getaway. Website: www.shantycreek.com. Media contact for Shanty Creek: Lindsey Southwell, lsouthwell@shantycreek.com, 231-676-9598.