Skins Game has Big Pots, Ties and Long Putts
October 14, 2018   Brighton

The 2018 Skins Game was played over the slopes and valleys of Mt. Brighton on a fine fall day. In the West Game, David Martin made par on the par 5 16th to reach $44 on the day and out distance a closing burst from Charlie Roy who took the last 2 holes and $28.  In the Central Game, Corey McCue picked off 4 of only 6 skins won by the group including a $24 7 hole push with par on #10 and an $18 win with birdie on #17 for a total of $50 and a big margin over Greg Kline's $16 skin with par on #14 and Helen Puffenberger's $14 on the final hole. In the East, World #1 Gregg Nothdurft fought to a $34 tie with former World #1 Christopher Cooley.  Cooley won with par on #12 and birdie on #15 to gather his total, but Gregg grabbed a $26 final hole birdie for the tie. This is the first tie in a Skins Game since 2011 when Thom Bales tied Phil Abele in the West Game.  In the new All Star Division Game, Chuck Withey took the money like he has all year. Chuck cashed 6 skins across the round to total $40. Bill Gordon collected $20 with a eagle on #16 and an epic putt off win for the final skin of the day. Chuck set up a 60 foot downhill, uphill, downhill 6 foot breaker for the first hole with the words "I'll give us an easy 15 footer for the 2nd hole."  Mike Nicholas then lipped out the first put to 8 inches for a sure 2. Eric Birkle slid by the edge to 2 feet. Then Bill Gordon drained the third put to stun the crowd. Chuck Withey, now needing to make for a push, then banged his off the back of the cup and it popped out to 18 inches. See here for Paula Creamer re-enacting Gordon's Putt.


Wilsey Best of the Best Again!
October 7, 2018  Ypsilanti

Scott Wilsey successfully defended his Tournament of Champions title, stringing 4 birdies in a row thru the middle of his round to seal a 2 over par 74 and the win. Dave Oliver eagled the 9th hole but finished one back of Wilsey at 3 over par. Helen Puffenberger and Chris Cooley tied for 3rd at 4 over par.


West Rings the Division Bell for 4th Time
October 6, 2018 Farmington Hills

Team West, led by Mike Prieskorn and David Martin, took a 5 shot victory at the Division Bell Invitational. On a wet sloppy track, Team West managed a 13 over par 297 to top Team East, led by Helen Puffenberger's 1 under par 70, who finished at 302. Team Central finished at 303 and was led by Chuck Withey who also shot 1 under par. Prieskorn shot 1 under also with Martin right behind at Even Par and Jeff at 5 over par followed by Charlie Roy at 9 over.  Prieskorn eagled the 6th hole and the West team played the last 3 holes in 6 under par to seal the title.

East Takes Commissioner's Cup
September 23, 2018 St. Joseph

The East team closed strong for the 2nd day in a row to take the Commissioner's Cup from Team Central and get their second Cup win in four years. The East group started with a 3 point lead and Team Central closed the gap to 1 point early in singles with wins from Mike Lum, Greg Kline and Chuck Withey and a halve from Mike Prieskorn. But Chris Cooley took the first point of the day and Kevin Gregoire took down Player's Champ Darren Covell early in match seven to set the stage for Helen Puffenberger to win the Cup on the 16th hole. The East team was led by Kevin Gregoire and Joe Brandenburg who each collected 4 points over the weekend. Mike Lum led the Central squad with 3 1/2 points. This is the East Division's 2nd Commissioner's Cup win with the first coming in 2015, also with a win over the Central Division. That Cup was also clinched by the only female in the field that year, Barb Hoelzle.








Withey Sets Money Title Record
September 15, 2018 Ann Arbor
Chuck Withey completed a record setting season with an 'in the money' finish at the Tour Championship. His $357 total winnings for the year shatter Greg Kline's previous record of $292.70 set in 2006.  Chuck played steady all year, winning money in 21 events over the course of the season. He also garnered 2 Division Money Titles, winning both the Central and West Division while Corey McCue topped the East. The win is Chuck's 2nd Money Title in his 4 year career on Tour.

Klipa Tops the Big Gamer at Tour Championship
September 15, 2018 Ann Arbor

Jeff Klipa notched his 27th Tour Win, 6th Major and 2nd win in a row at the Tour Championship on Saturday. Jeff birdied the 16th and 17th holes, the latter to retake the lead. Sandwiched in between was the shot of the day by the Tour Big Game Hunter Mike Nicholas. Nicholas couldn't decide which fairway to use on the split fairway 18th hole, so he went over the top of the trees straight at the green. The ball landed just short of the green and then hit the flag just before Chris Cooley could pull it for his groups putts! Nicholas's Eagle gave him the clubhouse lead for all of 5 minutes until Klipa finished birdie - par to take the win at 2 under par. Tim Markel finished 3rd at even par and Gregg Nothdurft tied Tom Moran for 4th at plus 1. Klipa's back to back wins move him to 3rd on the Tour career money list, moving past Tour founder Erik Meland. Jeff's shot of the day was graceful 7 iron approach on the par 5 8th hole that stopped 18 inches away from the flag and gave him the lead.  With the win Jeff joins Greg Kline and Kelly Arnold as 3 players who are one win short of a post season grand slam. Ironically, West Division Commissioner Klipa needs only the West Division Championship to complete the feat. Other notes on the day: Dan Gubachy finished in the money in his 50th event. Tom Moran strung 5 birdies in a row during his round. And Gregg Nothdurft moved to #1 in the World Rankings and can enjoy that for the winter. 


Labor Avoids Overtime at President's Cup
September 9, 2018 Whitmore Lake

In the closest match played yet in the series, the final match decided the Cup with Tim Markel and Gregg Nothdurft pulling out the win to avoid overtime. Management, being adverse to overtime, shrugged it off. The Match was close all day with Management leading after Best Ball from wins by Chuck Withey and Mike Prieskorn and David Martin and the newly promoted temporary manager Dan Gubachy. Labor evened the match in Alternate Shot with Mike Geisser and Dave Hansen and Markel / Nothdurft getting wins. The first two matches of the Scramble round split with Geisser / Hansen winning for Labor and Withey / Gubachy evening the match for Management and setting the stage for Markel and Nothdurft who went 3-0 on the day for Labor. The never tested tie-breaker system for the President's Cup remains never tested.


Klipa Gets 2nd Win Eh!
September 3, 2018 Canton

Jeff Klipa birdied his 16th and 17th holes of the day and held on to take the first Canadian Open Title, eh, over a strong field of hosers, eh. Klipa's 2 under par 70 was 1 better than Corey McCue, Thomas Mulhern and Christopher Cooley who all tied for 2nd eh. Bummer eh.  Klipa managed 8 birdies on the day despite only hitting one fairway all day. Way to go Tiger! His shot of the day was a 3W over the bunker to 4 feet on his 7th hole, #4 South. The win is Klipa's Tour leading 26th in 325 starts. Host Keven Gregoire provided a wealth of prizes including money, that is Canadian quarters for ball markers, and the highly popular Timbits. Prize winners included:
Low Putts and Low Gross – Corey McCue

High Putts – Ron Hiestand

Most Birdies – Jeff Klipa

Most Eagles – Thom Mulhern and Corey McCue

 

Some of the prizes were a case of Molson won by McCue and Withey

Timbits gift card Dave Hansen and Helen Puffenberger

Wiggle stick (old brass putter) Ron Hiestand

Winter Canuck Strange Brew Winter hat Thom Mulhern

Canadian mittens and a winter hat Jeff Klipa

Floyd has Grande Day at Western Championship
August 26, 2018 Jackson

Tyler Floyd shot a record 6 Under Par 66 at Grande Golf Club to take a comfortable win from 2nd place defending champ Jeff Pasz who finished at Even Par. Chuck Withey took 3rd at 1 over and Jeff Klipa and (not so) Old Tom Litzler tied for 4th at 3 over par. Tyler posted 7 birdies on the day against only 1 bogey on a challenging track. He is the 19th player to make a Major his 1st Tour victory in this his 10th start.

Nothdurft Guts Out Playoff Win At Eastern
August 25, 2018 Rochester Hills

Gregg Nothdurft sank and ace on the 1st playoff hole and the parred out to win a first-ever 4-way playoff for the Eastern Division Championship. Earlier Gregg had tied with Corey McCue, Christopher Cooley and Scott Wilsey in regulation at 2 over par. Wilsey also aced the first playoff hole, but bogeyed the second to finish just short. All 4 players scored 3 birdies or better over the back nine at Pine Trace only to struggle with the finishing holes of 17 and 18 to end up tied at 2 over. The win is Nothdurft's 1st Major victory and 6th on Tour in 97 starts. His playoff record is 2-1. The loss is Wilsey and McCue's first playoff loss, with Wilsey getting 2 previous wins. For Cooley it is his Tour record 9th playoff, having won 4. Interesting trivia, Cooley has 5 2nd place finishes on Tour, all coming in playoffs. 

Covell Proves He's a Playa
August 25, 2018 Ypsilanti

Darren Covell birdied the final hole at Eagle Crest to clinch his second Tour win of the year and 1st Major Championship. 2nd Place finisher Chuck Withey posted at Even Par just about the same time as Covell Eagled the 16th to go 1 under. But Covell bogeyed 17 to drop to a tie, setting up the big finish and a 1 Under Par victory. David Martin and Eric Birkle finished T3 at 3 over par. A 5th place finish for Central Commissioner Greg Kline was enough to push him back to the #1 World Ranking for the second time this season, having held the rank for 1 week in July. Covell made a strong case for Rookie of the Year with 2 wins in 11 starts so far this year. 


Canadian Open Rescheduled for Sept 3rd. Labor Day.
August 20, 2018
The Canadian Open has been rescheduled for Labor Day September 3rd.  The new registration deadline is August 23rd.  We are asking everyone to re-register at entry@themulligantour.com this week. New players can register as well. Only those registering for the first time have to pay. Eh. ;-) 


Mother Nature is Not Canadian
August 19, 2018 Canton
The first ever Canadian Open was postponed today due to a washout rain at Fellows Creek. It is hoped that it can be rescheduled.


Lardin Becomes 3 Time Winner at Go Blue Classic
August 12, 2018 Ann Arbor

Brian Lardin birdied the 12th hole at Lake Forest to get to 4 under par then parred out the back nine to hold on for a 1 shot win over Kevin Gregoire. Gregoire posted 3 under early and then waited in vain for Lardin to make a bogey and send it to a playoff. Mike Prieskorn and John Lennane tied for 3rd at 2 under par. Lennane played his way into the Western Division Championship in this last West Division event of the season. Jeff Pasz was the hard luck case for the day, missing an 'in the money' finish by 1 shot (T-8) and losing the 20th spot in the standings and a berth in the Championship by an excruciating 33 cents. For Lardin, it is his 3rd win of the year matching Scott Wilsey for most on Tour. 'Pin' Lardin also gets his 5th Tour career win in only 38 starts. On course prizes went to Tyler Floyd and Chris Dunmore. In other news, the weekend results sifted our big game hunter Mike Nicholas back up to #1 in the World Rankings for the 2nd time this season. His record of 3 major wins out of 4 in his career was matched this weekend by Brooks Koepka on another tour.   


Covell Another Rookie Winner at Little Diablo Salsa
August 11, 2018 Brighton

Darren Covell closed the Little Diablo Salsa Western Open with 5 birdies in the last 6 holes, including an 18th hole birdie to avoid a playoff with veteran Jeff Klipa. Covell sliced thru the field like a wide receiver to finish with a 5 under par 67. And the field was large with 5 players tied for 3rd place at 3 under par including Eric Birkle, Jeff Graunke, David Martin, Helen Puffenberger and Gary Thomas.  This event closes the Central Division regular season with Covell, Klipa and Birkle playing their way into the Players Championship and delivering heartbreak to Chris Cooley, Nic Duff and Chris Dunmore who were eliminated from the Players field. The division saw 9 different winners this season. Covell becomes the 3rd rookie winner season in his 9th start, joining Nic Duff and John Nievierowski from the Eastern Division. On course prize winners were Helen Puffenberger (2), John Lennane and Mike Prieskorn.  Darren Covell and Scott Freude won the after golf raffle.
 
Commissioner Kline presents $400 donation to Stacie and Doug for English Springer Rescue


Rookie Nievierowski Singing "I'm All Right!"
August 5, 2018 Monroe

John Nievierowski eagled is final hole to get to 7 under par and leap frog veteran Jan Cepiga who posted 6 under two groups earlier. Rookie John also posted a rare Albatross earlier on the ninth hole to jump start his charge. Both players got thru the back nine under par which most of the field had difficulty doing. Eric Birkle finished 3rd with a 5 under par 67 and Jeff Klipa took 4th at 4 under par 68. Nievierowski is the second rookie to win this season, posting in only his 6th start. The results threw the East Standings into chaos as Nievierowski, Cepiga, Klipa and Pasz all played their way into the East Championship and thereby knocked out Seth Erskine, Thomas Mulhern, Rich Dunmore and rookie Darren Covell. The East Championship results in 3 weeks may have a big impact on the size of the Tour Championship field as 4 players are currently tied for the last East Division spot in the TC.

Lum Tops Withey, but Withey Sets New Record
August 4, 2018 Monroe

Mike Lum birdied his final hole to catch Chuck Withey, then topped him in the playoff. Lum, who started on the 15th hole,  made 5 birdies across the front nine in the middle of his round and was under par on both nines to finish with a 3 under par 69. Withey had 6 bidies and an eagle and also played under par on both nines to get to the playoff.  There were a host of 'almost!'s uttered after the round as Mike Nicholas, Jeff Klipa, Jeff Pasz, and Tom Moran all finished T3, 1 shot off the lead.  On course prizes went to Lum and Eric Morris. Moran had fewest putts and Withey had the low gross score. Withey took a measure of consolation in that his 2nd place money put him over the top for a new single season all-time money winning record. He stands now at $296 which is $3.30 ahead of Greg Kline's 2006 record with at least 6 more possible dates on the schedule. Chuck has finished "in the money" in 17 events so far this year.  The win is Mike Lum's 2nd on Tour in 61 starts, his first coming in the 2015 Sweet Sixteen.

Martin Pulls Away from the Ugly Field
July 29, 2018 Northville

David Martin got a milestone victory at the Ugly Pants Open. The win is his 20th career win in 175 starts on Tour. He is only the 5th player in tour history to attain 20 wins. It came with a 4 birdie and 1 eagle performance on the back nine to pull out of the pack and reach 3 under par. Kevin Gregoire and Jeff Klipa tied for 2nd at 1 over par and Bill Gordon took 4th at 2 over par.
This was Martin's 81st top 4 finish and Klipa's 80th, ranking them at 3 and 4 in that all-time category. It is also Klipa's 20th 2nd place finish on Tour. Klipa and Jeff Pasz took the on course prizes and Martin also took the final Qualifier for the West Division Skins Game.

David Hansen won the Ugliest Attire prize at the UPO. He edged out a large field of ugly attired players, including some who weren't trying to be.

Brandenburg's Big Lead Pays Dividend
July 28, 2018 Shelby Twp

Joe Brandenburg amassed a fortune in birdies thru 15 holes at the Fifty Cent Classic then spent the investment on 16 & 17 to hold on for a two shot 2 under par win. A host of bill collectors were chasing with Corey McCue, Chuck Withey, and rookie Darren Covell all finishing T-2 at even par.  McCue and Kevin Gregoire took the on course prizes. The win is Joe's 6th on Tour in his 99th start.


Tour Announces New Event
July 23, 2018 Farmington, MI
The Mulligan Tour will ad an event to the schedule courtesy of our member from the great white north. Kevin Gregoire will sponsor the Canadian Open (eh) which will be played on Sunday August 19th at Fellows Creek in Canton, MI. The event will pay 8 places and count toward the overall Tour Money List. It will be accented by other on course prizes (eh). Thank you Kevin!


Prieskorn Masters Crazy at the Brit
July 22, 2018 Livonia, MI

In a month that has seen the #1 ranking change hands 3 times, it now returns to where it started the season as Mike Prieskorn wins the Crazy Brit at Whispering Willows to return to the top. His 42 points topped 2nd place rookie Roger Smith who had 39. Perennial contender Chris Dunmore finished 3rd with 37 points and Corey McCue and Eric Birkle tied with 35 points for 4th. Prieskorn jumped out front with a 6 birdie, no bogey front nine and continued to amass points on the back nine with only the 18th posting zero. Smith's round was highlighted by an eagle and no scoreless holes. Both Nic Duff and McCue got the rare bird with net Albatross' on the 16th hole. McCue and Scott Wilsey won on course prizes and Duff captured the qualifier for the Central Division Skins Game.  Prieskorn grabs his 15th win on Tour in 162 starts.


Hansen is the Big Wet Dog
July 21, 2018 Waterford, MI

In an event that may have been determined by the weather more than the pros, David Hansen went out in 32 and then came home in a row boat to take the Big Dog Pro-Am at Pontiac Country Club. The last 3 groups in got drenched and their scores suffered for it including Thomas Mulhern who tied for 2nd with Gregg Nothdurft and Helen Puffenberger, who got in the best round of the day at 2 under par just before the worst rain hit. Hansen and Nothdurft were spotted a nice 6 under par from Pro partner Tommy Fleetwood, with Hansen holding up the best to finish at 5 under for the event. Nothdurft was 4 under par at the end along with Puffenberger how built on Rickie Fowler's 2 under and Mulhern who improved Matt Kuchar's 3 under score. Scott Freude and Barb Hoelzle took the soggy on course prizes. This is Hansen's 3rd win in his 25th start on Tour. 

Nicholas Repeats as Match Play Champ
July 15, 2018 Van Buren Twp

Mike Nicholas brought the trophy to the Match Play Championship Saturday morning and took it back home Sunday night.  He had a tough road to defend his title on Saturday with both matches going to the 18th hole, getting successive 1 Up wins over Jeff Pasz and Tom W Litlzer. On Sunday Mike's conditioning regimen beat the heat as well as Tour Money leader Chuck Withey in the Semi Final 3&2, and then upset minded 10th seed Jeff Graunke in the final 5&4. Graunke may have been worn down by his semi-final win over Helen Puffenberger who was marching toward a final of the last two year's champs until Graunke pulled the upset. Puffenberger did secure 3rd in the consolation match 2&1 over Withey. In other matches of note, Kevin Gregoire took down Corey McCue in the round 1 marquis match of Tour bombers. Graunke had to go 19 holes to get to Sunday by beating 2015 champ Mike "how did he get 8 stokes" Prieskorn. And in a match no one thought could be won, Brian Lardin beat Bill Gordon in the losers bracket battle of the win-less. Nicholas has become the Tour's big game hunter with his 3rd Major Title of 4 career Tour wins in 41 starts. He moves to #1 in the World Rankings. He is now T-10 in Tour Major victories, tied with Chris Cooley and Tour founder Erik Meland.

Hesse Finishes Cool at Beacon Hill
July 8, 2018 Commerce Twp

Willi Hesse shot a clean back nine 28 that included 3 birdies and 2 eagles and pulled away from the field for a 6 under par 3 shot win. Helen Puffenberger also finished strong with 2 eagles in her last three holes for 2nd place. Yesterday's winner Jeff Graunke finished 3rd at 2 under par and Kevin Gregoire was 4th at 1 under.  Hesse got his 2nd win in 106 Tour starts, the other coming at the 2017 Memorial. Host Chris Cooley supplied a plethora of on course prizes including long drive to Corey McCue, Closest to Pin in Two to Gregoire, and CTP's to Rich Dunmore, Hesse and 2 to Graunke. Cooley also played good host golf.


Graunke Makes up 10 Spots at Quad-Tour
July 7, 2018 Livonia

Jeff Graunke had 3 eagles and 3 birdies in his round at Fox Creek to come from 4 shots and 10 places back to win the Quad-Tour Challenge. Graunke and his team of Xander Schauffele, Ryan Fox and Ariya Jutanugarn posted a 15 under agreggate score, one better than Willi Hesse's team of Bubba Watson, Danny Willett and In Gee Chun. Rookie Nic Duff took third at 12 under and 3rd Round Co-Leader Charlie Roy finished 4th at 11 under par.  Graunke opened with a birdie on #9 (his first hole of the shotgun start) and then shot 31 on the back nine to charge thru the pack. The win is his 2nd on Tour in 42 starts.  Roy and David Hansen took the on course prizes and Corey McCue qualified for the Central Division Skins Game.


Hiestand Sturdy in Red Oaks Win
July 6, 2018  Madison Heights

Sam Hiestand became only the second person to win both the preliminary round and the Shootout at Red Oaks. He put on a ball striking clinic in shooting a record 5 under par 26 in the 9 hole qualifier, then out lasted the red hot Scott Wilsey in the ShootOut round. Wilsey edged ahead on the 4th ShootOut hole, but on the final hole his putt went long leaving a tough come backer, while Hiestand ran his putt to tap in distance to take the win, 14 points to 13. Helen Puffenberger shot 2 under par in the qualifier to finish 2nd there then took third in the ShootOut with 12 points. Chuck Withey took 4th place and the on course prize. The win is Sam's 2nd on Tour in 35 starts.

Wilsey Gets Star Spangled Sweep
July 1, 2018 West Bloomfield

Scott Wilsey continued his strong play with a third win in two weeks at the inaugural Red White & Blue.  Scott birdied the final two holes to finish at a 6 under par 66 and pull away from 2nd place finishers Helen Puffenberger and Dan Gubachy who tied at 3 under par.  Rookie Darren Covell and Jeff Graunke tied for 4th. Wilsey's score set the standard for this unique new event on Tour which honors our country's independence and features players rotating thru the tee distances of Red White and Blue.  The win is Scott's 5th on Tour in 57 starts and he becomes the first player to gain 3 wins this season. His weekend sweep is the 2nd this season, preceded by John Raymond on opening weekend. Rich Dunmore accomplished the feat last year. The event marks Covell's first top-4 finish of his career.


Wilsey Uses 2 for 2nd at Two (Stick)
June 30, 2018 Carleton

Scott Wilsey got his 2nd win of the season and proved once again that Tour pros really don't need all those clubs. At the Two Stick Classic Wilsey conquered the Thorne Hills course in a record score of 67 (5 under par) and matching his winning score to par from two weeks ago when he used all 14 clubs!  Willi Hesse also matched the old score to par event record with a 2nd place 3 under par 69. Rookies Roger Smith and Bob Delorey tied vet Mike Prieskorn for 3rd, with both getting the first top-4 finish of their young careers.  Wilsey closed with 2 birdies in his last 3 holes to shoot a back nine 32 and hold off all the challengers who also finished strong.

Lardin Solves the Mystery of the Lakes
June 24, 2018 Taylor

With a performance reminiscent of a certain Tiger in another past major, Brian Lardin solved the Lakes of Taylor course like no one else could and dominated the Harbour Pointe Open on Sunday. Opening the day with a 4 shot lead from the first round, and with chasers eager to run him down, Lardin crushed any thoughts of a collapse with a chip-in eagle on the 2nd hole and a front nine 30.  With jibes of "why don't you just ride in the cart the last three holes", Lardin closed out a 2 under par, record setting 14 shot margin of victory over playing partners Chuck Withey and Ned Loving who tied for second at 12 over par. The fourth in the final group, Tim Markel, finished 4th at 13 over, in what was a battle down to the final putts for 2nd place. Kevin Gregoire and Helen Puffenberger played notably well and moved up 5 places from day 1 to tie for 5th. Chuck Withey's 2nd place puts him within striking distance of the single season money record with 2 months to play. Lardin's victory margin tops the previous Tour record of 13 shots set by Thom Bales in 2010, also at Lakes of Taylor. Also notable is that Lardin's win comes just in time to replace his previous HPO win in 2016 in the World Rankings and keep him at #5 in the world. The win is Lardin's 2nd Major and 4th Tour win in only 32 starts.
Final Results

Experience Dominates Day 1 of HPO
June 23, 2018 Taylor

Place	Name	Score	Putts
1	Brian LARDIN	74 (2)	37 / 18
2	Tim MARKEL	78 (6)	30 / 18
3	Ned LOVING	79 (7)	32 / 18
4	Charles WITHEY	80 (8)	32 / 18
5	Tom MORAN	82 (10)	30 / 18
6	Bill GORDON	83 (11)	32 / 18
7	Eric BIRKLE	84 (12)	26 / 16
7	Eric MULLEN*	84 (12)	33 / 18
9	Scott WILSEY	85 (13)	27 / 18
10	Kevin GREGOIRE	87 (15)	34 / 18
10	Helen PUFFENBERGER	87 (15)	39 / 18
12	Christopher COOLEY	88 (16)	36 / 18
13	Eric MORRIS*	89 (17)	32 / 18
14	Nick DUFF*	90 (18)	33 / 18
14	David HANSEN	90 (18)	33 / 18
16	Jeff PASZ*	91 (19)	34 / 18
16	Mike GEISSER	91 (19)	29 / 16
Cut	Jeff GRAUNKE	92 (20)	34 / 17
Cut	Gary THOMAS	92 (20)	32 / 16
Cut	Brian PIESZCHALA	94 (22)	30 / 17

* Withdrew from Day 2

The former winners of the HPO dominated the top finishing spots on Day 1 at Lakes of Taylor. Lakes being an operative word as repeated rain showers made for a soggy slow track and felt like it played to 7000 yards. Brian Lardin finished strong on both 9's to take the lead into day 2, with all 7 of his birdies coming in the last four holes of each side. As the saying goes, Tim Markel came home in an ambulance to surrender the lead, but remains in striking distance for day 2 in 2nd place. Ned Loving posted a strong back nine (holes 1-9 on the card) at 1 under par to hold 3rd place, and Chuck Withey also closed the back nine in 1 over par to take the final spot in the final group on Sunday. Scott Wilsey collected 2 on course prizes and took home fewest putts as well, and Kevin Gregoire took the other on course prize. 


Wilsey the Best of the Old Guys
June 17, 2018  Brighton, MI

For the 2nd time this weekend a tournament was decided with a ace on the 3rd playoff hole. This time Scott Wilsey clanked home an ace to edge Joe Robar in the Senior Open. Both finished regulation play at 5 under par 66. Both competitors wheeled around the front 9 in 31 and limped home with birdies to get to the playoff. John Raymond nursed his back to a 4 under par 3rd place and Jeff Graunke took his Metamucil and held on for a 3 under par 4th place. The win is Scott's 3rd in 54 starts on Tour. Bill Gordon took his meds and both on course prizes including the first invitation to the All-Star Skins Game.

Oliver Finishes Strong to Seize the Grail
June 16, 2018  Plymouth, MI

Dave Oliver finished with an eagle and 2 birdies in his final 5 holes to post a Tour season low 62 (7 under par) and pull past Mike Prieskorn (2 under par 67) to ride off with the Holy Grail. Rookie Tyler Floyd broke onto the money list with a 3rd place 1 under par. Barb Hoelzle finished 4th at Even par. Oliver captures his 3rd career win in 52 starts. Two on course prizes also went to Oliver and Justin Bennett shot a great round and captured the West Skins Game invitation. Mike Prieskorn notched his 20th second place and 50th top-4 finish on Tour and Keven Gregoire played his 50th Tour event.

Martin Returns to the Winner's Circle at Par 54
June 15, 2018 Plymouth, MI

David Martin sank an ace on the 3rd playoff hole to edge out fellow veteran (Not So) Old Tom Litzler and return to the winner's circle after a 7 year drought. Martin's 19th win on tour in his 173rd start leaves him 5th in all-time wins and 4th in top-4 finishes for his career. He got his first win since the 2011 Fox Hunt and 2nd win in the Par 54 with first coming 12 years ago in 2006, when he also won by playoff against another tour vet and that year's defending champ Barb Hoelzle. Hoelzle went on the win the event 2 more times in 2008 and 2016. Martin and Litzler's Even par performance topped the 2 over par players Mike Prieskorn, Tom Hoelzle, and Helen Puffenberger.  On course prizes went to Martin, Litzler, Scott Wilsey and Chuck Withey. Martin came back twice to get the win, catching Litzler(who finished birdie-birdie) with a birdie-eagle finish on course, then came from 1 down in the playoff.


Cooley Plays 4 of a Kind on Front 9 to Win Casino
June 10, 2018 Oakland, MI

Chris Cooley posted a front nine 28 including a '4 of a kind' - four under-par holes in a row - on his way to a 9 under par 62 and a 6 shot win over Kevin Gregoire and Willi Hesse. Chuck Withey, Jeff Klipa and Ron Hiestand all tied for 4th at 1 under par. Gary Thomas matched Cooley's 4 of a kind and Jeff Klipa and Willi Hesse posted 3 in a row to take the unique Casino prizes. Thomas Mulhern and Gregoire took the on course prizes. The win is Chris Cooley's 10th on Tour in 104 starts. And Kevin Gregoire hit the jackpot becoming the third person in Tour history to hit 100% of the fairways in a round. Don Morris accomplished the feat in 2011 and David Martin did it twice in 2005 and 2007.

Rich Dunmore Extends Streak at RJMO.
June 9, 2018 Farmington Hills

Sponsor Mike Lum presents winners check to Rich Dunmore

Rich Dunmore came from behind at Saturday's Reatha Jackson Memorial Open to extend his tour leading winning streak to 8 years in a row. He notched 3 birdies over the last 5 holes to post a 7 under par 64 and over take Scott Freude who finished 2nd at 6 under par in his 50th career start.  Jeff Pasz, Charlie Roy, and tournament host Mike Lum all tied for 3rd at 5 under par.  On-course prizes went to Roy, Corey McCue, Jeff Klipa, and Dan Gubachy. John Lennane posted 27 putts for the round and Chuck Withey posted a net albatross on the 14th hole. The win is Rich's 13th on Tour in 217 starts moving him to solo 7th place in all-time wins.
The event also raised a record $1700 for the Alzheimer's Association in Reatha Jackson's memory. 




Tom W. Litzler Subdues the Fox
June 8, 2018 Plymouth

At the Fox Hunt, Tom W. Litzler hit 7 of 9 greens on the front nine and added 5 more on the back to post a near record score of 61 points, then held on as John Raymond made a late charge and finished with 58. Raymond hit 11 greens including the tough 17th and 18th.  Chuck Withey continued to rack up dollars with a 3rd place and 53 points. Helen Puffenberger and Mike Prieskorn tied for 4th at 52 points and Prieskorn edged into the all-time money lead for the Fox Hunt. On course prizes went to Puffenberger, Prieskorn, Kevin Gregoire and Withey. The win is Tom's 6th in 205 starts on Tour.

Birkle Sets Records at East Side Charity Classic
June 3, 2018 Troy

Eric Birkle shot a 7 under par 64 Sunday at the Sylvan Glen edition of the East Side Charity Classic. The tournament rotates between Sylvan Glen and Sancutary Lake and Birkle's score sets both a course and tournament record. #1 ranked Corey McCue finished second with a 4 under par score that also topped the course record. Chuck Withey finished 3rd at 2 under par and Rich Dunmore took 4th at 1 under. On course prizes went to McCue, Scott Wilsey, and Barb Hoelzle. Chuck "The Closer" Withey did finish with 2 birdies and finished in the money for a remarkable 8th time in 11 starts this season. He leads the Tour money standings and now has nearly doubled the amount of 2nd place John Raymond. Birkle put together 2 eagles and 6 birdies in his round and finished with a back-nine 30 for a record setting 5th win on Tour in his 76th start.  And special recognition to Corey McCue who tied an 18 year old record by hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation. He tied Todd Stuart who managed the feat in the 2000 Western Swing at Pierce Lake. If it's any consolation, Todd didn't win that year either, finishing T4.


Robar's Key Eagles Lead to Win at Dudlee's
June 2, 2018 Plymouth

Sponsor Karl Carter, Winner Joe Robar, and Leader Dog Representative Jeff Graunke

Joe Robar eagled both par 5's on the Fox Hills Classic Hills and Woodlands circuit to post a 6 under par score and hold on for his 7th Tour win in 115 starts. Joe made a key bounce back eagle on #2 that righted the ship after a tough first hole, then eagled the 15th to break away from the pack.  Ned Loving made a back-nine run with 3 birdies but fell a shot short and tied Chuck Withey for 2nd at 5 under par. Greg Kline, Dave Oliver, and John Lennane all shared 4th. The remarkable round included 7 players who shot gross scores in the 70's including all the top finishers and World #1 Corey McCue. On Course prizes went to Withey, Loving and Helen Puffenberger who gathered 2 CTP's.  Dudlee's event raised $550 for Leader Dogs for the Blind.
 

Klipa Plays Out the String for 2nd SOAR Win
May 26, 2018  Howell

Jeff Klipa managed his string well for the 2nd year in a row and secured a Red Ribbon for his 2nd career victory at the Strokes on a Rope tournament on Saturday. Firm greens despite the wet weather lately translated to several chips close to the hole and good putting which enabled Jeff to use his string sparingly and leave some for the 18th green and a key one-putt to save bogey on the hole and preserve the win. Not a leader-board watcher, Klipa knew he was playing well, but was surprised to see himself in the lead at 1 under par at the end of the round, leaving a nervous wait in the clubhouse as the course and lack of string did in his chasers one by one down the stretch. Money List leader Chuck Withey finished 2nd at 1 over par and past winners Tim Markel, Greg Kline, and David Martin all tied for 3rd at 2 over par. Markel and Scott Wilsey won on course prizes and Rich Dunmore secured a spot in the West Skins Game for October. The win is a Tour leading 25th for Klipa (308 starts), who also logged his 78th top 4 finish. However Martin logged his 79th top 4 to hold off Klipa for 4th all-time in that list. This is the 2nd time in Klipa's career he has successfully defended a title, having accomplished the feat at the 2014 Casino Classic. The last to repeat on Tour was Rich Dunmore at last year's Fifty Cent Classic. The event also marked Chris Cooley's 100th on Tour.


Cooley Converts 5th Extra Hole for Memorial Win
May 19, 2018 Romulus

Cooley and Withey are presented winners check by Tournament Sponsor Erika Meland

Down the stretch the leader-board of the The Memorial churned and the teams of Chris Cooley / Chuck Withey and Bill Gordon / Dan Gubachy came out tied at the top at 3 under par. Cooley and Withey made 5 birdies to charge to the lead, but came home in an ambulance with 2 bogeys in their last 4 holes. Meanwhile Gordon and Gubachy birdied their final hole (the 13th) to slide into the playoff. In the playoff, acting Commissioner Mike Prieskorn laid out a tough course and both teams made clutch saves on the way to a 1 over par regulation 4 hole aggregate. On the first overtime hole, Commissioner Prieskorn relented with a straight forward set up and Chris Cooley, in his second playoff in as many weeks, dropped a dramatic ace on the first shot. Gubachy's attempt to match drifted right and Gordon left his effort an agonizing 3 inches short of the hole. The win marks Cooley and Withey's 2nd Green Towel victory and they become the 3rd team in tournament history to win twice as a team (Caruana - Martin 2001,2003 and Carter - Akunuri 2011,2014). The teams of Kline/ Raymond, Carter/ Graunke, and Dunmore / Dunmore all finished tied for 3rd at 2 under par. On course prizes went to Mike Nicholas, Rich Dunmore, Helen Puffenberger, and Karl Carter. Dave Oliver and Rookie Justin Bennett, playing as an amateur team took Low Am honors with a notable 2 under par actual score. The win is Cooley's 9th in 99 starts on Tour and 3rd Major, while Withey gets his 7th win in 103 starts and 2nd Major.

Duff Comes From Behind Twice to Get First Win
May 12, 2018  Shelby Twp

Coming down the stretch in the last group of the day, after a great under par round, Nic Duff's hopes for his first win dimmed when a bogey on 17 dropped him 3 shots back of Chris Cooley who was in the club house at 5 under par. But a great drive and approach shot on 18 left him 20 feet away from an improbable tie for first! With hushed gallery watching, including Cooley, Nic sunk the putt for the season's first net Albatross! In the ensuing playoff, Duff took the early lead with a par at the first. But Cooley bounced back with par on the very difficult 3rd hole while Duff knocked his first shot off the back of the green and took 3 more to get in the hole.  Suddenly one down with one hole to go, Duff's final hole 15 foot down-hiller slammed the back of the cup for an ace! Cooley was unable to convert to tie and Duff had win number 1. Jeff Pasz finished 3rd at 2 under par and Scott Wilsey was 4th at 1 under.  Duff's win sent the Tour archivists scurrying into the records vault to see if anyone else has managed a first win with a temp MTHI. They haven't come back yet. On course prizes went to Barb Hoelzle and Jan Cepiga while Gregg Nothdurft won the 2nd Qualifier for the East Skins Game. Wilsey's 4th place prize money was just enough to edge him past Hoelzle for the all-time lead in Cherry Creek winnings.

Lardin Survives Rain and Snakes at Animal House
May 6, 2018 Salem Twp

Brian Lardin finished atop an ever-changing leader-board at the end of a sometimes rainy, mostly windy day at the Animal House Classic. He birdied the final 3 holes to shoot 5 under par and overtake Tim Markel who finished at 3 under par. Chuck Withey was third at 2 under par and Jeff Klipa took fourth at 1 under par. Lardin's strong finish overcame being bitten by 7 zoo animals on the day including 4 snakes (sssssss). Helen Puffenberger and Brian Pieszchala took the on course prizes. The win is Brian's 3rd in 28 Tour starts, moving him to #2 in the World Rankings.
The low zoo ratios went to Kevin Gregoire, Chris Cooley, Puffenberger and Markel. In the exciting gift card putt off, Gregoire took the early lead after two holes, but Cooley sunk an ace on the third to tie for the lead. That set up a climatic downhill ace by Gregoire to take the zoo keeper title.

Kevin Gregoire and his assistant zoo keeper.


McCue Takes #1 World Ranking at Sparty
May 5, 2018 Auburn Hills

Corey McCue got career win #3 (28 starts) at the Sparty Classic and wrested the World #1 Ranking away from Mike Prieskorn in the process. Corey flirted with the tournament record before settling for a 5 under par, 3 shot victory over Eric Morris, claiming that the beer ran out on the last four holes. Seth Erskine, Tom W. Litzler, and Sam Hiestand all tied for third at 1 under par. Notable milestones were achieved at the Sparty by Chuck Withey (100th start), Mike Prieskorn (150th start) and Barb Hoelzle (200th start).  Kevin Gregoire got the fewest putts prize with 28. On course prizes went to Seth Erskine and Steve Villerot (the coveted Sparty Towel) and Mike Prieskorn did have a bright spot in the day when he took the first qualifier for the East Skins Game.


Kline Finally Re-Takes the Tin Cup
April 29, 2008 Superior Twp

Kathy Kowaczyk of Train with Tami presents the Tin Cup to Greg Kline

Greg Kline won the Tin Cup tournament in 2006. In the next 11 years he managed 7 top 4's, including 4 2nd's, without another win. But this year he made it back to the winner's circle with a even par one shot victory over Tom Moran. Chris Cooley was 3rd and Helen Puffenberger and Chuck Withey tied for 4th. Kline said the highlight of his round was birdieing the 17th par 3 over water that has been the cause of many a 2nd place finish. He is excited to have an early jump on qualifying for the Player's Championship. The win is his 22nd on Tour in 252 starts, tying him for 3rd in all-time wins. Prize contest winners included Rich Dunmore for fewest putts, Ned Loving closet to pin, Helen Puffenberger who takes the first spot in the Central Skins Game, and Bob Delorey who got highest gross score in his temp-2 round. Well played sir.


Old Tom's Experience Conquers Chelsea Classic
April 28, 2018 Chelsea

In his 199th start on Tour TomW Litzler broke from the gate early with 2 birdies and an eagle in the first 5 holes and then kept the field at bay the rest of the day for a 4 shot win over Chuck Withey. Tom's 5 under par tied the Pierce Lake course record held by David Martin. Former CC winner Eric Birkle, Joe Robar, and Jeff Graunke all tied for third. The win moved T.W. into the top 16 in the World Rankings. Tom said he wasn't leader board watching, but knew it was a solid day as he really only got loose on one hole, but even then still managed a bogey.  Kevin Gregiore took an on course prize for the third event in a row, a possible record. Jeff Pasz also took home a CTP prize.


Raymond Sweeps Weekend at Sweet Sixteen
April 22, 2018 Oakland Twp

After waiting nearly 4 years for his first Tour win on Saturday, John Raymond only waited 24 hours for his 2nd!  John again set a course record, this time matching Chris Cooley's 9 under par mark from 2 years ago. 2014 champ Joe Brandenburg finished 2nd with a sterling 6 under par. Kevin Gregoire posted his 2nd top four finish of the weekend with a 5 under par third place. Gary Thomas kicked off his season with a 4th place 4 under par. Bill Gordon, Seth Erskine and Mike Nicholas all finished in the money for the 2nd day in a row.  Gregoire took an on course prize for the 2nd day in row.


John Raymond Opens Season with First Win
April 21, 2018 Ypsilanti

Picking up where he left off in last fall's "Silly Season", John Raymond scorched the normally very tough Pine View layout for his first career official win in a course and event record 7 under par. Raymond said he did watch the leaderboard and was pushed to birdie 5 of his last 7 holes by a hard charging runner up Kevin Gregoire, who while playing in the group behind Raymond also broke the event record at 5 under par, all acquired over his last 7 holes. Even more impressive was that the dueling duo finished in the treacherous wooded back nine section of holes 11 thru 15. Bill Gordon, playing in Raymond's group, couldn't match JR down the stretch and finished 3rd at 1 over par. Chuck Withey finished 4th at 2 over. Gregoire and Greg Nothdurft took the on course prizes. Raymond's first win comes in his 79th start on Tour after finishing 2nd or 3rd 13 times.

Mother Nature Takes Weekend Sweep
April 16, 2018 Livonia

Mother Nature proved once again she is a formidable foe this weekend as both Q-Schools were rained/snowed/iced out. The greens fees paid for the two Q-S tournaments will be left on account as a credit toward future registrations. 

 

We have 9 new members this year.  The cancellation of both Q-S tournaments does not prevent any from playing in any regular tournament.  There will be a brief Mulligan Tour meeting for any new members who are playing Saturday or Sunday next week.

Lum Takes First Fantasy Major of the Year
April 8, 2018  Augusta Georgia
Mike Lum took the Masters in The Mulligan Tour's Golf Channel Fantasy league. He picked Tiger and Rickie to lead his team, and then picked up some guy named Patrick Reed as his last pick. Who knew? Greg Kline finished 2nd behind Jordan Spieth's big finish. Steve Villerot was 3rd and Chuck Withey 4th.  The win is Michael's first major. He won the Last Summer Segment contest in 2015. The fantasy league continues weekly. Sign up info is on the bottom of the home page. Next big contest is the US Open.


Time To Roll It!