Michigan PGA

10 hours ago

Sophie Stevens & Carter Housler- Girls & Boys Michigan Junior PGA Champions!

After 36 holes both the Girls and Boys overall divisions had two players tied for first place. The boys division, Carter Housler & Lorenzo Pinili both came in at 133 (-8). They went into a sudden death play off where Housler won with a birdie on hole #1. The Girls division has Sophie Stevens and Bridget Boczar both tied at 141 (+1) They went into a sudden death play off where Stevens won on hole #1.

Michigan will be sending the Champion & Runner Up to National Junior PGA Championship those players are:
Sophie Stevens, Bridget Boczar, Carter Housler & Lorenzo Pinili


Read More Here: michiganpga.com/news/michigan-junior-pga-championship/ ...

Michigan PGA

4 days ago

Playoff Dramatics Help Bradley Smithson Win Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open

ACME – Bradley Smithson went wire-to-wire to win the 104th Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship at Grand Traverse Resort Thursday but walked a wire of intense final-day drama on The Bear course to do it.
“For sure it’s the biggest win of my life,” said the 20-year-old Michigan State University golfer from Grand Rapids after he accepted the James D. Standish Trophy Thursday.
“At the end I was thinking wow, and I’m really tired, and I’m really hungry. I mean, it’s an awesome feeling. I mean, very emotional, but awesome feeling to get it done. For sure, it’s the biggest win of my life.”
Smithson, trailing by two shots on No. 18 tee in regulation play, birdied to land in a playoff when Ann Arbor teaching professional Patrick Wilkes-Krier missed the green and made bogey.
Then playing No. 18 again as the first playoff hole, he chipped in from about 15 yards off the green for birdie matching Wilkes-Krier who hit it to eight feet and made birdie.
Then they went to No. 16 where Smithson had made double-bogey 6 in regulation play with bunker trouble and missed short putt, and he hit it to 10-feet and made birdie to win.
The three consecutive birdies made him the fifth amateur in history to win the state championship, and Wilkes-Krier, 37, a runner-up with the first-place money of $12,000 from the $80,000 purse for professionals.
“I messed up 18 in regulation,” Wilkes-Krier said referring to losing a two-shot lead to a double-bogey when his tee shot landed in the rough area in the middle of the split fairway, his second shot missed the green and he missed a 10-foot par putt.
“But then, you know, he went out and earned it,” said the teacher for Dave Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti, who is also a former mini-tour player.
“He made a bunch of putts and played great. He’s a great player. He was a lot of fun to play with. So you know, I lost to a good guy, for sure.”
Smithson, who will be a junior with sophomore eligibility or the MSU golf team in the fall, shot a final 71 in regulation, and Wilkes-Krier shot 70 for the tie at 13-under 275.
Donnie Trosper, a mini-tour player from Canton and former Spartan, finished third, four shots back at 279 with a closing 65, the best round of the day.
Tyler Copp, last year’s Michigan Amateur champion who defends that title starting Tuesday at Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids, shot a closing 76 for 282. He tied for sixth with Winton Munch, a Traverse City mini-tour pro who closed with a 69.
Defending champion Brett White of Grand Rapids shot 74 for 284 and a tie for sixth with Traverse City mini-tour player Alex Scott, who shot 72.
Early in the final round it appeared to become a two-golfer race. With lead changes almost each hole of the back nine Smithson said it turned into match play in his thought process.
He thought he had lost the tournament finally at No. 16 in regulation when he had bunker trouble and missed a short putt inside two feet. His double-bogey there caused a two-shot swing because he led by one shot starting the hole and then trailed by one shot going to 17 tee.
He then bogeyed No. 17 and trailed by two to set up the three-birdie, two-hole playoff scenario.
“After the double (at 16 in regulation) I just tried to keep myself in it, thinking 17 and 18 are really tough holes especially with the wind today,” he said. “I knew anything could happen, and it kind of did. I mean a lot happened.”
Wilkes-Krier said it was a very unusual ending.
“To be honest he choked it away a little bit at the end of regulation, and then I choked it away, so when we were driving out to the playoff hole I felt like this is probably how it was meant to be determined,” he said.
Smithson said he couldn’t have picked a better championship to win, and that it will strengthen goals in golf.
“It was awesome to have my parents here, really cool,” he said. “When my dad (PGA professional Gary Smithson) hugged me he just told me he was proud of me and stuff. We’ve been coming up here since I was a little kid to watch my dad play, so this is really special.” ...

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Michigan PGA

5 days ago

Smithson Maintains Slim Lead in Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open

ACME – The lead isn’t as big for Bradley Smithson, but the Michigan State University golfer from Grand Rapids remained on top for a third consecutive round in the Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship.
“I’m sticking to my plan that’s worked these first three rounds, and just making sure that I keep doing that,” he said after a 1-under 71 Wednesday on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort put him at 12-under with a one-shot lead on Ann Arbor’s Patrick Wilkes-Krier, and two-shot lead on Ann Arbor’s Tyler Copp.
They played as the final group Wednesday and will do so again in Thursday’s final round of the $80,000 championship that awards a $12,000 first-place check to the top professional.
Smithson had a five-shot lead starting the third round but Wilkes-Krier, a teaching professional at the Kendall Golf Academy at Miles of Golf, shot 67 to check in at 11-under, and Copp, a recent Mercer University of Georgia graduate playing this summer as an amateur, shot 68 for 10-under.
Smithson maintained the lead with the help of a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish his round.
“I kind of had it in the back of my head that I needed that to stay ahead of Patrick,” he said. “It was a really good looking putt for me, uphill going a little left to right. I just made a good solid stroke and it went in.”
Third rounds, also known as moving days in golf, proved to be just that for more golfers than just Wilkes-Krier and Copp.
Amateur Grant Haefner of West Bloomfield checked in at 8-under with a 67 and defending champion Brett White of Grand Rapids, who last year went wire-to-wire as leader, shot 67 to move to 6-under, 6 shots back.
Local Traverse City mini-tour professionals Alex Scott and Winton Munch also had good days. Scott shot 67 and is 4-under for the tournament, and Munch shot 66 and is 3-under.
Smithson, meanwhile, maintained his lead and smile.
“I didn’t make as many birdies as I did the first two rounds, but I played pretty solid,” Smithson said. “I pulled a wedge shot into the (water) on No. 5 that I would like to have back, but I still feel good about my game. I’m having fun. Today was a bit more of a grind, but it’s going to be awesome to be in the final group and try to win.”
Wilkes-Krier said he enjoyed the pairing with Smith and Copp on Wednesday.
“They play like professionals already,” he said. “They were very nice. It was pleasurable. I would like to play close to 18 holes with just reasonable ball-striking though. It seems like every day I’m kind of losing something here and there and having to grind it out. It would be nice to have a comfortable 18.”
Wilkes-Krier has been teaching and coaching golf in recent years and came to the Open without big expectations.
“I just pretty much play scrambles and qualifiers these days and I’m exhausted at this point,” he said. “I will get some sleep and hopefully I can scrape it around, you know, good enough tomorrow. I mixed this tournament with a little bit of vacation time so my family is up here. I’m going to enjoy them and hopefully have one more good round and have the best of both worlds.”
Copp, who birdied holes 15 and 16, felt his third round was the best of the week.
“The first two rounds there was some good, but there was a lot of bad, too,” said last summer’s Michigan Amateur Champion. “Today my ball-striking was better and I felt good. I had some good things happen and some good thoughts going. Tomorrow I just want to go out and get off to a good start and maintain it.”
He said he likes being in the final group.
“I’m a scoreboard watcher and like to know where I’m at so I can adjust my game accordingly,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”
TV 9&10 of Cadillac is planning to have a camera crew on hand to follow the final group the last round just as they did the third round and livestream the feed. It can be found at the following link: www.vuit.com/live/16207/wwtv%20-%209&10%20news%20plus ...

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Michigan PGA

6 days ago

Bradley Smithson Stays On Top at Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship

ACME – Steady brisk winds blew others off course, but Bradley Smithson moved five shots in front at the Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship.
The Michigan State University golfer from Grand Rapids shot a 5-under 67 on The Bear course Tuesday to lead the state championship for the second consecutive round and stand at 11-under 133.
“It’s pretty cool to be in the lead at this one,” said Smithson, the son of PGA golf professional Gary Smithson, who now works with Yamaha Golf Cars Plus.
“I remember being up here at Opens riding in a cart with my dad and he always played well here. I guess it’s come full-circle. He (Gary) is watching me now and giving me advice.”
The closest chasers are a pair of Ann Arbor golfers. Patrick Wilkes-Krier, a 37-year-old teaching professional for Kendall Golf Academy at Miles of Golf, shot a 67 for 138, and he was joined there by Tyler Copp, last summer’s Michigan Amateur Champion, who shot 68.
Four golfers finished at 141, eight off the lead, including Howell mini-tour professional James Holley, who shot 74, Josh Gibson of Sunnybrook Country Club in Grandville, who shot 70, Bloomfield Hills amateur Grant Haefner, who shot 72, and Auburn Hills mini-tour player Connor Jones, who shot 71.
Defending champion Brett White of Caledonia stayed in the mix at tie for 11th with a 72 for 143.
The 36-hole cut to 70 low scorers and ties was made at 8-over 152 with 71 golfers moving on to the third round. Play continues through Thursday in the $80,000 championship. Third round play will start at 8 a.m. and the final group will tee off at 11:50 a.m.
TV 9&10 of Cadillac is planning to have a camera crew on hand to follow the final two groups over the last two rounds and livestream the feed. It can be found at the following link: www.vuit.com/live/16207/wwtv%20-%209&10%20news%20plus
Smithson’s 67, on the heels of a Monday 66, came with a double-bogey 6 on hole 11 where he thinks maybe the wind finally got him.
“I really still don’t know what happened,” he said. “It was a flush iron shot and then it flew the green.”
Forced to take an unplayable lie penalty, Smithson made a double-bogey 6. He followed it up with a par save from a greenside bunker on No. 12 and then made birdies on the par 5 No. 15 hole and the par 4 No. 18 hole.
Playing to a front right pin at 18, Smithson hit a drive down to the large pond that fronts the green. He had 86 yards left to the hole location and used his 60-degree wedge to knock it to six feet for birdie.
“I didn’t let the double-bogey get to me,” he said. “They happen here. I knew there was a birdie chance at 15 coming in to get one back, and another one would be a bonus. I got that, too.”
Wilkes-Krier said the wind wasn’t a problem on the front nine, but on the back nine it became difficult.
“I did not expect that,” he said. “I guess I took advantage of the course when it played a little easier, and then I would have liked to make some putts on the back to kind of replicate what I had going on the front.”
Wilkes-Krier, a former assistant golf coach at the University of Michigan, said as a teaching professional he has no expectations in the Open.
“I just try to come out and play the game and today it was good for the front nine,” he said.
Copp, playing as an amateur for one last summer after graduating from Mercer University in Georgia, overcame a double-bogey 6 on the tricky par 4 No. 5 hole. He made an eagle 3 on the downwind par 5 No. 15 hole. He hit an 8-iron second shot to 11 feet and made the birdie putt.
“It was windy out there and I didn’t get off to a good start,” he said. “Then I started controlling my ball flight a little bit more to hit better tee shots. I think tee shots are so critical here.”
He likes his position at the halfway point but prefers not to think about score yet.
“There are a lot of holes left, a lot of golf to play,” he said. “I feel good about the way I’m playing. You never know what is going to happen over the next two days. You just have to keep playing smart, playing your game, and hopefully you stay in the mix and have a chance in the last round.” ...

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