DEARBORN – Dearborn Country Club and its classic Donald Ross-designed golf course, which is celebrating its centennial this year, will welcome several of Michigan’s best golfers in the 53rd Fuller Cup Matches on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Top amateur golfers representing the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) and top professionals representing the Michigan Section PGA square off in a Ryder Cup-like format with six four-ball matches and 12 singles matches to determine a winning team. FootJoy is the clothing sponsor for the matches this year.
Dearborn Country Club dates to 1923 when Henry Ford requested a course be built that anybody could play. The legendary Donald Ross was hired to design the course, and it opened in 1925. In 1966, architect C.E. Robinson redesigned the course and increased the size of the greens. The club has a membership grand celebration of the centennial planned for Oct. 25.
Dearborn CC has hosted qualifiers and tournaments for the GAM, Michigan PGA, USGA and the British Open in the past. It also hosted the 1990 Senior Players Championship won by Jack Nicklaus and two LPGA tournaments in its rich history. It can be played to over 6,800 yards and set up with as many as eight tee position combinations.
Blake Nienhuis is the head PGA professional, and Tom Lewandowski is the superintendent. Learn more at dearborncountryclub.net.
Last year at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, the GAM team built a 5-1 lead in the morning four-ball matches and eventually won 11.5-6.5.
The GAM, which has won six times in the last seven years, still trails in the historic series, 36-14-2. The PGA dominated the matches in the first three decades of play.
The format has changed over the years, but the matches are presented to promote sportsmanship, friendship and quality golf among professionals and amateurs. The matches are named for the late Ernest Fuller, a Michigan golf course developer.
The GAM team is selected via the GAM Player of the Year points and availability, and the PGA selects its team from the players who won Section events in the last year, the host Professional and its Player of the Year points.
The players representing the GAM this year are Peter Stassinopoulos of Novi and Wayne State University, Adam Burghardt of Clinton Township, Bryce Wheeler of Richland and Grand Valley State University, Ryan Gallagher of Novi and Grand Valley State University, Mike Ignasiak of Saline, David Praet of Lake Orion, Caleb Bond of Williamston and Michigan State University, Zach Koerner of Laingsburg, McCoy Biagioli of White Lake and Michigan State University, Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills and Michigan State University, Paul Wolcott of Macomb and Mason Sokolowski of Northville and the University of Detroit Mercy.
Representing the PGA are Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club, Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods, Dan Shattuck of Oakland Hills Country Club, Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center, Scott Brotebeck of Walnut Creek Country Club, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Kendall Golf Academy, Ryan Lenehan of Walnut Creek Country Club, Darren Husse of Darren Husse Golf Academy, Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club, Kosta Ramirez of The Mines, and host professional Blake Nienhuis.