Mulligan Tour NEWS

Read all about it ...  Read all about it ...  see the Mulligan Tour HEADLINES below

Season Ends with First 3 Time Winner
November 5, 2022 Salem Twp at Brae Burn GC

Corey McCue became the first 3-time winner of the Runny Nose Open Saturday on a day that may have had the warmest RNO weather ever. In fact the 72 degree high in the afternoon was 1 degree off the all-time record for the date!  Corey took to it well with a 3 under par 67 and and a 7 shot win over Tom Moran and Mark Lindeman.  Rich Dunmore finished 4th at 5 over par.   Corey went under par with an eagle on the 5th hole and gradually overcame the early lead of Noah Kline.  Tim Markel and Dunmore led the field with 33 putts.  McCue hit 14 greens including 6 in a row on the back nine. Lindeman logged 10 greens and Erik Kiekbusch hit 10 fairways. McCue caught his first Runny Nose in 2018 and defended his win from last year to break his tie with David Martin, Tom W. Litzler, Bob White and Scott Wilsey for most RNO wins.


Gregoire Masters U of M for 2nd time
October 23, 2022 Ann Arbor at University of Michigan GC

Kevin Gregoire birdied the final hole to secure his second win at the U of M Open. He came to the 18th tee tied with Greg Kline and Tyler Floyd who had just posted at 3 over par. Thom Bales birdied the 16th hole to pull into the 2nd place tie with Kline and Floyd.  Notables: Gregoire, Bales and Erik Kiekbusch all tied with 30 putts to lead the field.  Bales led with 10 fairways hit on the day. Gregoire matches Thomas Mulhern with 2 U of M wins.


Skins Winners Beat the Chill
October 8, 2022 Romulus at Links at Gateway

On a cool fall day the four Skins matches gave a variety of results.
Bob Delorey dominated the All Stars with a record tying $68 haul. David Martin took an $8 skin and Jeff Pasz a $4. Captain Withey was shut out. Delorey took 4 skins and a lot of pushes to tie Kevin Eshkanian's 2014 record winnings. Bob is 2 for 2 in his Skins career matches.
Captain Greg Kline took the Central Division game with 4 skins and $46. He came from behind with 4 back nine Skins to top first timer Brian Pieszchala who swept the front 9 with 3 Skins and $30. Eric Birkle got 1 skin for $4 and John Raymond was shut out.
In the West match, former Commissioner Jeff Klipa, who always played the good host when he was Commissioner with several runner-up finishes, decided to win this one with 3 timely Skins and $34. Topping Tyler Floyd who finished 2nd at $28 (also 3 Skins). Klipa seized the win with calm putt on the putting green to take the last skin in overtime. Scott Wilsey took 3 Skins and $16 and Kevin Gregoire was not shutout with 1 Skin for $2
In the East match, Mike Prieskorn subbed in for Don Davidson and represented well with 6 skins and $30 to edge Gregg Nothdurft's 2 and $20. Commissioner Dunmore took 3 Skins for $18 and Joe Brandenburg landed 1 for $12.


Ryan Kiekbusch is Best of Best
October 2, 2022 Taylor at Lakes of Taylor

Ignorance was bliss for Ryan Kiekbusch on Sunday at Lakes of Taylor. Having never played the track before he didn't know enough to be scared and shot a 1 under par 71 to take the Tournament of Champions. Mike Prieskorn finished 2nd at Even par and Chuck Withey, Scott Wilsey and David Martin tied for 3rd.  Tim Markel matched Kiekbush with 10 fairways hit for the day. 

Central Rings the Bell in a Playoff
October 1, 2022 at Farmington Hills GC

For the first time in the 13 year history of the Division Bell the event ended regulation in a tie!  Forcing the Bell Ringers to be decided in a unique 2-player per team aggregate playoff. Team West and Team Central both finished with a 303 total score on a day when Farmington Hills Golf Course didn't give up its usual plethora of birdies. Team East finished at 309 which tied the 2018 event for the tightest 3-team spread of only 6 shots. For the playoff, each team captain selected 2 players to represent his team. Central Captain Kline selected himself and Kevin Gregoire, who was the medalist for the day at 1 under par 70. West Captain McCue also picked himself and was joined by playing partner Grant Goodspeed. On what is one of wickedest putting greens on tour, Team Central applied the pressure early with nice 2-putts on the first playoff hole, while Team West took 3's. Team West matched Central shot for shot the rest of the way but could not make up the 2 shots they needed as Kline and Gregoire played mistake free.  McCue led team west in regulation play with a 2 over par 73 and Eric Kiekbusch led Team East with a 3 over par 74. Kline and West's Willi Hesse tied for fourth in regulation with a 4 over par 75's. This is Team Central's 5th time ringing the Bell and 2nd in 3 years.



West Takes Big Drink Again From Cup
September 23-25, 2022  Kalamazoo at Angel's Crossing GC

Team West built a solid lead over the first two days of Commissioner's Cup competition at Angel's Crossing, making Sunday a tough ask for Team Central. Team Central did win the day on Sunday, but West took the weekend with a fine 18 -12 margin. Erik Kiekbusch took the third match of the day over Nancy Hiestand to clinch the Cup for Team West.  Scott Wilsey led the event with 4 1/2 points for the winning West. Eric Kiekbusch totaled 4 and Ryan Kiekbusch, Cup rookie Brian Pieszchala, and Tyler Floyd all got 3 1/2 points for the winners. Greg Kline and Eric Birkle led the Central Team with 3 1/2 points each.



Day 3 Singles results.


West continues to extend lead with another fast start and wins in both sessions on Saturday. Captain Corey McCue and Tyler Floyd swept the day along with Scott Wilsey and Brian Pieszchala to lead the west.  Captain Kline and Eric Birkle led the Central team with a win and halved match.



West breaks out fast with four points in the opening best ball session and extends their lead in Alternate Shot. Team Kiekbusch led the way with a sweep of the day.

Management Breaks Even Again
September 11, 2022 Northfiled Twp at Whitmore Lake Golf Links

For the second year in a row, Management kept the President's Cup by negotiating labor to a draw. The sides played to a tie in each session as this year's event four matches per segment. Labor Captain Gregg Nothdurft and partner Rod 'Tuna' Thunissen had a perfect 3-0 day to lead the working stiffs. Management was led by Veteran David Martin and his manager trainee Jeff Cubel who partnered for 2 1/2 points. Notables: Bill Gordon took two points with partner Willi Hesse to give Gordon the all-time points lead in President's Cup competition. Gregg Nothdurft's run tied him with Jon Heikkinen for the all-time points lead for labor.


Ward Repeats as Tour Champ
September 10, 2022 Novi at Links of Novi

Don Ward eagled the 4th hole and then played a marvelously steady round with 2 birdies, 2 bogeys and 10 pars the rest of the way to secure his 2nd Tour Championship in a row. Don collected 9 fairways and 10 Greens in Regulation for his 2 under par 69.   Eric Birkle posted his 10th 2nd place finish on Tour with a 4 over par 75. Erika Fitzpatrick took 3rd at 5 over par 79 and Kevin Gregoire, David Martin and Ron Hiestand all tied for 4th at 10 over par 81.  Ward takes his 5th win on Tour in his 53rd start and his 2nd Major title.


Paddison Becomes Two Time Winner, Eh.
September 3, 2022 Canton at Fellows Creek

Greg Paddison got a birdie - bogey flip on the 16th hole to take the lead and then sealed the victory in the Canadian Open with an 18th hole eagle. He finished with and Even Par 72. Jeff Klipa and Nancy Hiestand tied for 2nd at 3 over Par 75. Corey McCue and Gary Thomas tied for 4th at 4 over par 76. On course prizes went to Corey McCue, Rich Dunmore and Tuna Theunissen.  Bob Delorey earned the trip to the All Star Skins Game. Notables: A solid 6th place finish moved Rookie Chris Stalo up to #1 in the World Rankings. As far as memory serves Stalo is the first Rookie to reach #1.  Tyler Floyd drops to 3rd after 7 weeks in his most recent run at #1. Brian Lardin hit 11 greens, Corey hit 10, and Nancy hit 11 fairways. Thomas got his 10th Top-4 Finish on Tour and Mike Prieskorn made his 250th Tour start.  Paddison got us 6th Tour win in his 76th start.


Mulhern is the No Mulligan King
August 21, 2022 Oxford at Boulder Pointe

Thomas Mulhern seems to shine in events where there are no charity mulligans. On Sunday he strung 4 birdies in a row on the front nine to get in contention and then survived the tough finishing stretch several shots better than the other contenders, concluding with a 18th hole par to secure the win with a 1 under par 71. Rookie Chris Stalo continued his hot weekend with a 2nd place even par 72 and an 18th hole birdie to make it an interesting finish for Mulhern. Willie Hesse birdied the 18th to tie Bill Gordon for third place at 3 over par. Notable: Erik Kiekbush posted his 50th career Tour start in his 2nd season on Tour.  Mulhern gets his 1st Major win and 4th overall in his 53rd career start.  


Major Markel Three-peats!

August 20, 2022 Commerce Twp at Beacon Hill

Like a cagy NASCAR driver, Tim Markel hung around all day, didn't get in any wrecks, and made a last lap charge to win!  Markel posted 3 birdies in a row on the back nine to take the lead while all but Kevin Gregoire found the back nine more than they could handle. A missed gear shift on 16 set the stage for an 18th hole birdie and a 1 over par 72, 1 shot victory over Gregoire.  Jeff Pasz took 3rd place at 3 over par 74 and Helen Puffenberger tied Mike Fox for 4th at 5 over par 76.  Notables: Bill Gordon opened at 6 under par in the first 6 holes only to find the rest of the course a bit too long. Gregoire posts his 10th 2nd place finish on Tour. Markel moves to 4th in all-time Western Championship winnings after posting the 2nd three-peat in event history, with Joe Robar accomplishing the feat in 2011 to 2013. For the trivia buffs, 5 other players in Tour history have won a single event 3 times in a row. Todd Stuart won the first 3 Strokes on Rope events 1999 to 2001, Mary Taylor won the first 3 Ugly Pants from 2001 to 2003, Greg Kline won the Match Play Championship in 2004 to 2006, Samantha Kellstrom won the Ladies Open in 2011 to 2013 and the late Chris Cooley won the Casino Classic in 2018 to 2020.  Major Markel gets his 10th Tour win in 273 starts and his 6th Major title, tying him for 5th on the all-time list with Kelly Arnold and Mike Prieskorn.



Stalo Goes Low at Players Championship
August 20, 2022 Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest

Star rookie Chris Stalo obliterated the Players Championship scoring record with a remarkable 10 under par 62 at Eagle Crest. After piecing together 3 birdies and an eagle on the front nine to make the turn at 1 under par, Chris went on a tear with 5 birdies, 2 eagles and 2 pars on the back nine for a 27 closing nine. The back nine included 10 putts and 8 one putt greens in a row from 11 to the finish. His 24 putts for the round ties the Tour record, held by Don Ward and Rick Persichetti, and the net 27 for nine holes is likely also a record, although that stat is only kept in the veterans memories. And because it is all about Brian, we note that Brian Lardin finished 2nd with an excellent 5 under par 67, with 29 putts and 10 greens in regulation. Paul Parent posted 3rd at 1 over par 73 and David Martin, Eric Kiekbusch and Tom Moran posted Top-4 finishes at 3 over par 75.  Notables: This is the 10 career 4th place finish for Moran and Mike Geisser made his 200th Tour start. The previous Players scoring record was a 6 under par 66 by Ed Campbell at Inkster Valley. Stalo gets his first Major win and 3rd of his rookies season in his 15th start.

Gordon Goes up the Middle at Go Blue
August 14, 2022 Ann Arbor at Lake Forest GC

Bill Gordon hit 13 of 14 fairways on his way to a 6 under par 66 and 2 shot win over Chris Stalo.  With Stalo in the clubhouse at 4 under par, Gordon came to the 17th tee one behind but birdied the long par 3 17th and eagled the par 5 18th to take the title. Ryan Kiekbusch and Phil Parent tied for 3rd at 2 under par 70. On course prizes went to Jeff Cubel and Eric Kiekbusch and Scott Wilsey earned the West Skins Game invitation. Notables: Charlie Roy logged his 200th career Tour start while David Martin notched his 250th start. World #1 Tyler Floyd took 6th place money and moved into the top 50 in all-time Tour career earnings.  Gordon ended a 5 year drought with his 7th Tour win in 196 starts.


Lennane Squeezes by at BCA
August 13, 2022 Farmington at Farmington Hills GC

John Lennane posted a 3 Under Par 68 at the Breast Cancer Awareness Open and then watched the 18th hole claim his competitors one by one. 5 players had a chance to tie but couldn't get what they needed. 4 tied for 2nd at 2 Under Par 69 including Tim Markel, Paul Parent, Dan Gubachy and rookie Aaron Anderson. The event made for exciting watching on the Real Time Scoring App.  Lennane also took the on course prize. Notables: Markel recorded an Albatross in his runner-up effort. Rich Dunmore recorded his 300th Tour start and Gubachy moved to 2nd in all-time Ladies Open/ Breast  Cancer Awareness Open winnings, trailing only 3 time winner Barb Hoelzle.  Lennane gains his 3rd career win in 102 Tour starts and moves back into the top 50 in the World Rankings.

The event raised $450 for the Susan G. Komen foundation.


Loving Finds His (Western) Swing
August 6, 2022 Brighton at Huntmore GC

Ned Loving used 3 birdies and back to back eagles on the front nine at Huntmore to break out to the lead, then came home with 3 more birdies to take the Little Diablo Salsa Western Swing. Gregg Nothdurft and Rod Theunissen tied for 2nd at 1 over par 73, 4 shots behind Loving. Charlie Roy and Jeff Cubel tied for 4th at 2 over par. Roy had the fewest putts of the event with 29 and Theunissen moved into 5th place in all-time Western Swing money winnings.  Ned secured his 4th win in 148 Tour starts.


Another good day of support for the English Springer Rescue of America!



DJ Holds Off the Kiekbusch Clan for Win
July 31, 2022 Royal Oak at Rackham GC

Don Jones had 3 back nine birdies and a clutch par on 18 to take the Tee It Up for Reese Caddyshack by one shot over Ryan Kiekbusch, 3 under par 68 to 2 under par 69. Eric Kiekbusch took 3rd at 1 under par 70. Chuck Withey took 4th at 1 over par 72.  On course prizes went to Ryan Kiekbusch and Greg Paddison.  Joe Brandenburg earned the final East Skins Game invitation.  Notables: Both Son and Dad Kiekbusch logged their 10th Top 4 finishes of their careers.  Joe Brandenburg made his 150th start and Jeff Pasz logged his 200th start.  Don Jones gets his 2nd Tour victory in his 25th start.



Lardin Storms Home at Carrington
July 30, 2022 Monroe at Carrington GC

Brian Lardin made 3 birdies and an eagle on the back nine to pull away from the field and take the Carrington Classic with a 4 under par 68.  Kevin Gregoire had a 5 birdie round to finish 2nd at 1 under par.  David Martin took 3rd at Even par and Chris Stalo tied defending champ Ned Loving for 4th at 1 over par. On course prizes went to Lardin, Ken Westerman, Chuck Withey and Mike Geisser.  Loving tied Gregoire for fewest putts at 29.  Larding secured his 9th Tour win in his 122nd start.


Gabriel Gets a Pretty First Win
July 24, 2022  Salem Twp at Brae Burn GC

Rookie Chris Gabriel stood over his final knee-knocker putt knowing it was for the win.  Chris stumbled a bit on the 16th (his 17th) and couldn't help peaking at the leaderboard on the 17th tee. So he knew his birdie putt on that green mattered. And he rolled it home.  Greg Kline and Jeff Pasz were 1 shot short at 2 over par 72.  Commissioner Corey McCue, #1 Tyler Floyd and rookie Chris Stalo tied for 4th. On course prizes went to John Raymond and Willi Hesse. Rick Floyd earned the West Skins Game invitation after a reading disabled Chuck Withey was disqualified when he realized he is ALREADY IN the Skins Game. Of note: Helen Puffenberger played in her 200th The Mulligan Tour event and Jeff Pasz earned his 40th Top 4 finish of his career.  Gabriel got his 1st Tour win in only his 9th Tour start with a 1 over par 71.


Rick Floyd showed real commitment this year to the Ugly Pants Open nipping out last year's winner Mike Geisser and regain the title from his 2020 win.


Gregoire Makes Bank at Fifty Cent
July 23, 2022 Shelby Twp at Stony Creek Metropark

Kevin Gregoire collected 3 birdies in a row on the back nine at Stony Creek to pull out of the pack and grab the Fifty Cent title (64.6 cents Canadian). Kevin's 2 under par 70 topped Thomas Mulhern and Joel Beacham who tied for 2nd by 2 strokes. Erika Fitzpatrick, Grant Goodspeed, and Gary Thomas tied for 4th at 1 over par 73. On course prizes went to event sponsor Klaus Juska. (Hope you picked prizes you liked!)  For Gregoire this is his 15th Tour win in his 188th start and he is now T-8 in all-time Tour wins with our late friend Chris Cooley. 


Other Floyd (Tyler) Back to #1
July 18, 2022
Nancy Hiestand's 4 week reign as the Tour's first female #1 golfer came to a quiet end on Sunday as Tyler Floyd returned to the top spot. Neither of the contenders played this weekend, so the rotation of time and expiring points moved Tyler back to #1.


Rick Floyd Grinds out Crazy Brit Win
July 17, 2022 Livonia at Whispering Willows

Normally closing your round with a bogey in a competition isn't a good thing. But in The Mulligan Tour Crazy Brit British Stableford scoring a bogey was worth the 1 point Rick Floyd needed to top Rich Dunmore by 1 point, 38 to 37.  Dunmore had posted his number 3 holes earlier with a par and hope. But Floyd's 5 birdies and an eagle on the day were enough to get him to that final winning point.  Mike Prieskorn finished 3rd with 36 points and moved to #1 in all-time Crazy Brit winnings. Phil Parent and Ned Loving tied for 4th at 35 points. On course prize went to Ned Loving and John Raymond earned the Skins Game invitation. Rick Floyd notched his 4th Tour win in his 71st career start. 


Big Dog Ryan Gets Win #3 with a 73
July 16, 2022 Waterford at Pontiac Country Club

Ryan Kiekbusch started the day 3 shots back after the Pros set the table on Friday. But he opened with 3 straight birdies to tie and then a 4th birdie on the 6th hole gave him the lead. A close battle the rest of the day was sealed with Ryan's 7th birdie of the day on the 16th hole to give him a 2 shot win at 134 / 10 under par over Ron Hiestand. Rookie Mike Lee got his 1st top 4 finish with a T-3 137 / 7 under par tie with Justin McCue.  Hiestand did move to #1 in all-time Big Dog Pro Am winnings with his 10th Tour career 2nd place finish. On course prizes went to Rich Dunmore and Gregg Nothdurft.  Ryan gets his 3rd win of the year and 4th career win in his 33rd start, moving him to #3 in the World Rankings. Notable was his gross score of 73.


Martin Grinds Out Upset Win
July 9-10, 2022 Brighton at Huron Meadows

Tour Vet David Martin came from the 14th seed position to take the victory in the Match Play Championship. He took progressively longer to take each win, from 3 & 2 in his first match on Saturday to 2 & 1 in the afternoon to a 1 up win on Sunday morning over 2nd seed Corey McCue to the final over Scott Wilsey in 19 holes. In his semi-final match Wilsey took down #1 seed Tyler Floyd, also 1 up. In the consolation match for 3rd place, McCue topped Floyd 5 and 4. McCue made the final 4 for the 3rd year in a row and moved to T-4 in all-time Match Play winnings. Martin, the hero of the senior tee set, accomplished a host of achievements with his win. His 22nd win in his 248th start moves him to T-4 in all-time wins. His 7th Major victory moves him to T-3 in majors tied with Jeff Klipa. His 100th Top-4 finish (2nd all-time) moves him to 2nd in all-time Match Play winnings. And probably most impressive of all is this is his 2nd Match Play victory, the first coming in 2002. No doubt a record for span between event wins.



Withey Closes His 4th Win
July 3, 2022 Taylor at Taylor Meadows

Chuck Withey birdied the 18th hole to post 3 under par 69. Six holes behind Gary Thomas held the lead, but an hour and a half later they were tied as Gary and several other top contenders found the narrow 16th and tiny 17th to be their undoing.  So the Red White and Blue went to overtime for the first time on their wicked tough putting green. Withey got the lead on the 3rd hole of the 4 hole aggregate playoff and then lagged a tough downhill putt to 4 inches to secure the win. Veterans Mike Prieskorn and Tom Moran tied for 3rd place. On course prizes went to John Raymond, Tyler Floyd, Tom Moran and Scott Wilsey. Notables: Thomas Mulhern logged his 50th Tour start on Sunday. Mike Prieskorn's T-3 check moves him to 1st place in the Red White and Blue all-time money list. Chuck secured his 14th Tour win in 259 starts, now tying him with Kevin Gregoire for 9th in all-time Tour wins. His 4th win of the year puts him on the doorstep of tying the Tour record of 5 in a season.  Observers noted that July 3rd was Chris Cooley's Birthday.
Not sayin'. Just sayin'.

 
Course prizes went to Tom Moran, Scott Wilsey, Tyler Floyd, and John Raymond


Thanks to Greg Kline for his sponsorship.
We raised $1020 for Folds of Honor.
A good first year showing.



Pieszchala Rallies and Endures
June 26, 2022  Brighton at Huron Meadows GC

In an emotional event, Brian Pieszchala provided excitement and drama. Brian eagled the final hole to catch and tie Eric Birkle, who had led most of the back nine, at 5 under par 67.  He then survived a marathon putt off by one-putting the 7th extra hole to take the win.  David Hansen finished 3rd at 3 under par 69 and Kevin Gregoire, Tim Markel and Jeff Pasz all tied for 4th at 2 under par 70.  On course prizes went to Pieszchala, Birkle, Paul Parent and Rick Floyd. Low putts prize went to Gregoire. The all-time money list for the C Cool shuffled a bit with Birkle coming out 1st, Pieszchala 2nd, and Gregoire 3rd. Gregoire also logged his 10th fourth place finish of his Tour career. John Lennane posted his 100th start of his career. This is Brian's 3rd Tour win in his 76th start.


QTC is No Challenge for Doak
June 25, 2022 Livonia at Fox Creek GC

Ryan Doak was spotted the lead by his pro teammates and didn't let them down at the Quad Tour Challenge. Doak posted the low round of the day at 7 under par and swept to a comfortable 8 shot win at 262 and 22 under par. Rick Floyd did well for his pros as well, moving up a spot to finish in 2nd place at 270 and 14 under par. Greg Kline tied with Grant Goodspeed for 3rd at 12 under par 272. They moved up 9 and 7 spots repectively on Saturday. The on course prize went to Floyd and Eric Birkle earned the Central Skins Game invitation.  Ryan Doak gets his 1st win in his 11th start on Tour. His 262 team total ties the low mark set by Jeff Klipa in 2013 and his 22 under par sets a new event record, breaking the record set by Todd Stuart way back in the very first QTC in 1999, and tied by Klipa in 2013.

Quad Tour Challenge Pro-Partner Results
June 24, 2022 Various sites

1	Ryan Doak	198
2	Mike Attard	199
3	Rick Floyd	200
4	Mike Geisser	201
4	Tom Moran	201
4	Gregg Nothdurft	201
4	Jeff Pasz	201
4	Mike Prieskorn	201
4	Helen Puffenberger	201
10	Grant Goodspeed	202
10	Willi Hesse	202
12	Greg Kline	203
12	Brian Lardin	203
14	Chuck Withey	206
15	Kevin Gregoire	207
15	Pat Berry	207
17	Tim Markel	208
17	Scott Wilsey	208
19	Eric Birkle	211
19	Jeff Klipa	211

Interesting possibilities for the leaders and the chasers. Good Luck Saturday!

Withey Closes with Big Shot
June 24, 2022 Madison Heights - Red Oaks

Chuck Withey sank an ace on the 2nd putt of a 99 putt shootout that involved a record tying 7 players (more than half the field!) to take back the coolest trophy in golf.  Chuck closed his preliminary round 9 holes with a birdie to get into the playoff and scored 16 points in the Shootout for the win. Rick Floyd also birdied his final prelim hole to get into the playoff, then played a steady 2-putt game to finish 2nd with 15 points. Brian Lardin also got an ace in the Shootout to gain a tie for 3rd with Greg Nothdurft and John Ferlito.  Nothdurft was the medalist of the preliminary round with a 3 under par 28. Rich Dunmore and Bill Gordon qualified for the Shootout but finished out of the money. On course prizes went to Gordon and Nothdurft.  Chuck gets his 2nd Shootout win in 4 years and his 13th career win in his 256th start. He ties Barb Hoelzle for 10th place in all-time Tour wins.


Nancy Hiestand First to #1
June 19, 2022 New Boston

Notable Big News: Nancy Hiestand combined a modest finish at the Senior Open with the fate of expiring points in the World Ranking system to move decimal points ahead of Tyler Floyd for the #1 World Ranking!  Nancy is first female #1 ranked player in Tour history, combining 2 Major victories in the past 2 years with several 2nd's and 3rd's to move to the top.  Congratulations Nancy!


Westerman Rides to Senior Victory
June 19, 2022 New Boston - Willow Metropark

Ken Westerman has been the Tour's Walking Man for the past 2 season. But Sunday he played his Senior Citizen Card and rode in a cart for the round. Not sayin' that had anything to do with his 5 under par 1 shot victory at the Mulligan Tour Senior Open, but just sayin'.  Helen Puffenberger broke to the lead with two early eagles but Westerman strung 3 straight birdies on his back nine to get the win of Puff. Rich Dummore took 3rd at 2 under par and Mike Geisser finished strong for 4th at 1 under par. On course prizes went to Erika Fitzpatrick and Tyler Floyd.  Like a 401k, Ken Westerman cashed in his 1st Tour win in his 52nd start. Ironically his 51st start two weeks ago broke Jan Cepiga's record for a winless streak at the start of a career.

Fox Wins Grail in a Playoff
June 18, 2022 Howell - Links at Hunters Ridge

Mike Fox completed his quest for the Grail and his first win with a playoff win at Hunter's Ridge. Fox went back and forth with Brian Pieszchala thru the back nine and into the playoff. Fox eagled the 16th to get the lead after Pieszchala dropped an eagle 2 from the fairway on the 14th. Pieszchala birdied the 18th to post and Fox parred the final behind him to go to the playoff tied at 7 under par 64. Fox took the lead on the first playoff hole, but Pieszchala came back to tie. Fox got the lead again on the 3rd hole and then dropped a one putt on the final hole to capture the Grail. Helen Puffenberger tied Dave Oliver for 3rd at 4 under par 67.  On course prizes went to Justin McCue and Chuck Withey and Brian Pieszchala earned the invitation to the West Skins Game.  Mike Fox gets his 1st Tour victory in his 16th start.


Fast Start Seals Fitzpatrick Win
June 12, 2022 Hartland - The Majestic at Waldenwoods

Erika Fitzpatrick left no doubt early with an eagle, eagle, birdie start, then cruised home with 4 back nine birdies to take the Harbour Pointe Open. Fitzpatrick kept the 4 shot lead that started the day with a 1 under par 143 two day total. Helen Puffenburger finished strong and took second at 3 over par 147. Kevin Gregoire was 3rd at 151, 7 over par and Greg Kline took fourth at 8 over par 152.  Notables: Kline recorded a 30th fourth place finish on Tour.  Gregoire moved to 10th in all-time tour winnings. Don Ward logged a 50th Tour career start. Fitzpatrick got win #1 in 17 starts and jumps 22 spots in the World Rankings with the Major win to get into the Match Play conversation at 24th in the World.


Fitzpatrick Takes 4 Shot Lead into Sunday
June 11, 2022 Hartland - The Majestic at Waldenwoods

Erika Fitzpatrick put together a great opening round at The Majestic with 8 birdies and 10 greens hit. Erika birdied the last 3 holes to post a 1 under par 71 and a 4 shot lead over Greg Kline at 3 over par 75. Don Ward, Kevin Gregoire and Helen Puffenberger tied for 3rd on Day 1 with 4 over par 76's. Day 2 qualifiers also included Chuck Withey, Willi Hesse, Dave Oliver, Eric Kiekbusch, Jeff Pasz, Ryan Kiekbusch, John Raymond (2020 HPO champ), Rookie Chris Stalo, Don Jones, Tom Moran (who won the 2017 HPO on this course) and Corey McCue. Defending champ and yesterday's winner Mike Prieskorn unfortunately missed the cut by 1 shot. On course prize went to Fitzpatrick and Ward earned the All Star Team invitation to the Skins Game. 


Prieskorn Ties Record at Par 54
June 10, 2022 Plymouth - The Strategic Fox

Mike Prieskorn topped his group to win a DQ treat and then topped the field with a record tying 50 at the Par 54. Mike had 'one of those days' when it seems you can't miss with 10 greens hit, 5 with 1 putt or less, and numerous stress free pars.  His zero putt chip in for a net ace on #17 pretty well slammed the door on 2nd place Kevin Gregoire who finished at 4 over par 58.  In other news, 186 people tied for 3rd at 7 over par including Chuck Withey, Eric Birkle, Tom W Litzler, Jeff Klipa, David Martin and Scott Wilsey... and Helen Puffenberger. Ok it was only 7.  Ryan Kiekbusch missed out on the Top-4 Finish party to land at 10th by 1 shot. Hey... a buck is a buck.  On course prizes went to Prieskorn (see picture above), Mike Geisser, Willi Hesse, Mike Attard (see how easy it is to cash-in in this league!), and guest and recruit Mark Litzler.  Notables:  Birkle logged his 20th 3rd place finish on Tour, and it was too early for fireworks, but Jeff Klipa completed his 400th Tour start.  Just for perspective, Mark Brooks holds the record on that other Pro Tour with 803 starts. You go Jeff!
For Mike P, this is his 23rd Tour victory in only 242 starts tying him with Rick Persichetti for 3rd in all-time Tour wins.


The Closer is Back at ESCC
June 5, 2022 Rochester - Sylvan Glen GC

Chuck Withey returned to the winner's circle at the ESCC with a final hole birdie to post a 3 under par 68 and hold on for a 1 shot victory over Erika Fitzpatrick.  Scott Wilsey eagled the 18th to catch Helen Puffenberger and tie for 3rd at 1 over par 72. On course prize went to Eric Birkle and Dan Davidson earned the invitation to the East Division Skins Game.  Wilsey recorded his 40th Top-4 finish on Tour and is 2nd in all-time East Side Charity Classic earnings. Chuck got his 3rd ESCC win after going back to back in 2015 -16. He is the all-time ESCC money winner and got his 12th Tour win in his 251st start.

Dunmore Posts One for the Books

June 4, 2022 Farmington Hills GC

Farmington Hills Golf Course has become famous for low scores and records and this year didn't disappont. Rich Dunmore notched a record 4th victory on the course and posted the 3rd sub 60 round in Tour history with a winning 12 under par 59. This is the third year in a row that the winning score at the RJMO has been 60 or better.  Eric Birkle finished second with an outstanding yet ordinary 65 - 6 under par. Willi Hesse was third at 5 under par 66 and Gregg Nothdurft, Brian Lardin and Mike Geisser all tied for fourth at 3 under par 68.  On course prizes went to Birkle, Kevin Gregoire, guest Kenny Ayers, and Rick Floyd whose ball stopped inches from being the seasons first ace. Birkle's winnings move him to 2nd in all-time RJMO winnings while Geisser now ranks 4th. Willi Hesse was 3rd place for the 10th time in his Tour career. Joe Robar recorded his 150th Tour start while Chuck Withey booked his 250th. Brian Lardin made number trivia with his 8th Tour 4th place finish. He now has 8 wins, 8 seconds, 8 thirds and 8 fourths. And Rich Dunmore is the all-time RJMO money winner with his 16th Tour win in 290 starts on Tour.

Charity donation presentation to Mike Lum and family members. A fitting tribute as the Tour has raised $9195 for the Alzheimer's Association from this event.

From Mike Lum:
This year's RJMO is bittersweet, as we celebrate the life of both Reatha and Norman Jackson. Gramps passed away just last week at 95 years young. Gramps went peacefully, falling asleep on earth and waking up with Grams in Heaven. Gramps was an avid golfer in his younger years and in his later years, he really enjoyed riding around in the cart to help pick up the hole sponsor signs pre-covid. He will be remembered for his easy smile and love of his family and friends. Rest in peace, Gramps.

McCue Takes Fox Hunt for 2nd Time

June 3, 2022 Plymouth - The Strategic Fox

Wilsey Wins 3-Way at Strokes

May 28, 2022 South Lyon - Cattails GC

Kiekbusch Makes it 2 Pair at Casino

May 22, 2022  Rochester - Twin Lakes

Lucky 7 for Gregoire at Dudlee's
May 21, 2022 Plymouth - Fox Hills

Jeff Graunke presents Dudlee's chairty donation check to Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Ron and Nancy Top Couple

May 14, 2022 Romulus - Links at Gateway

Eric is on a Streak!

May 7, 2022 Shelby Twp - Cherry Creek

The Meteoric Rise of Stalo
May 1, 2022 Dexter - Hudson Mills GC

Eric "The Dad" Kiekbusch Wins Playoff

April 30, 2022 Auburn Hills - Fieldstone GC

Eric Kiekbusch took the Sparty Classic in a Playoff Saturday on a cool windy day that kept the scores high.  Eric birdied his final hole to catch Scott Wilsey and then topped him in the 4 hole aggregate playoff. The Fieldstone course had unusual teeth in the wind as Kiekbusch managed 3 birdies and an eagle to match Wilsey's 4 birdies and tie at 1 over par 73.  Gregg Nothdurft, Tom W Litzler and Rich Dunmore tied for 3rd at 2 over par 74. Both on course prizes went to Nothdurft.   Dunmore extended his all-time money lead at the Sparty while Nothdurft became the 14th Tour player to top $1000 in career earnings on Tour. Dad Kiekbusch earned his 3rd Tour victory in his 28th Start. They're probably not keeping score, but Dad leads son Ryan in wins 3 to 2.  

Rules Update*
April 28, 2022
During the last week I’ve been in discussion with the Board about the Rules Committee for each tournament and its effectiveness for resolving a rules issue if members of the committee are out on the course or have left for the day.  We have adopted a new rules committee format and procedures for handling a rules committee question/issue.  Below is the Rules Committee Procedures and Committee Members

2022 Rules Committee members

• Greg Kline – tournament commissioner
• Rich Dunmore – tournament commissioner
• Corey McCue – tournament commissioner
• Chuck Withey – tournament commissioner
• Jeff Klipa
• Mike Prieskorn
• Tom W Litzler
• Thom Hoelzle
• Bill Gordon
• David Martin
• Tim Markel
• Helen Puffenberger
• Brian Lardin
• Nancy Hiestand
• Jeff Graunke

Rules Committee Procedures

1. Group with the Rules Committee issue/question will go to the Tournament Commissioner and advise him that there is a rules committee issue/question that needs to be discussed and resolved
2. Commissioner will gather up 2 additional members from the 2022 Rules Committee to form a quorum of 3 to hear the issue/question. 
1. Realize this could take up to 15 minutes or so depending on which members of the Rules Committee are playing in the tournament and that they could still be out on the course.
2. Worst case scenario in that it is the last group of the day and/or there are no other Rules Committee members available the Tournament Commissioner will call an additional Tournament Commissioner and conduct the meeting as a conference call.
3. The Rules Committee (3) and the Group will move off to a more private area of the club house, golf course, practice area to discuss the issue/question.  We would want all 4 members of the group to attend the meeting.
4. The Rules Committee will hear the issue/question, discuss it and based on the discussion render a decision by majority (2 of 3) by the rules committee. 
1. Please note in the worst case scenario (conference call which is only using 2 people on the committee we need a unanimous vote by the 2 committee members)
5. The rules decision will be applied to the players scorecard for the tournament and the issue resolved.

Thanks

Chuck

*Remember Rule #1 and Rule #2

Stalo Keeps out of the Wind for 1st Win
April 24, 2022 Salem Twp - Hickory Creek

Chris Stalo apparently stayed true to his name on a windy day at Hickory Creek. He managed the wind to get his 1st career Tour win in only his 3rd start. Possibly the fastest trip the winner's circle for a rookie in Tour history.  Stalo posted a 2 under par 70 to over take playing partner Paul Parent and red hot Ryan Kiekbusch who tied for 2nd at Even par 72. A 4th place tie was shared by World #1 Tyler Floyd, Dad Eric Kiekbusch, and Phillip Parent.  On course prizes went to the Brians - Lardin and Pieszchala.  Stalo's rapid win moves him all the way to 60th in the World Rankings.

The Mulligan Tour raised a tidy $625 for Gleaner's Food Bank at the Tin Cup. Thanks to all players and donors!

Nievierowski Holds Off Charge
April 23, 2022 Salem Twp - Salem Hills

John Nievierowski held off hard charging #1 ranked Tyler Floyd and a tough Old Tom Litzler. Nievierowski eagled the 16th to create just enough space to hold on after Floyd strung 6 birdies in a row on the back nine and Litzler logged 4 birdies in 6 holes. Both challengers fell 1 shot short to Nievierowski's Even Par round. Kevin Gregoire took 4th.  Chuck Withey finished in the money to move to 2nd on the all-time Animal House winnings list. On course prizes went to Greg Paddison and John Ferlito. This is Nievierowski's 4th Tour win in his 54th start and he moves up 9 spots in the World Rankings to #21.

In the Mulligan Tour exclusive Zoo Animal Putt off, Mike Geisser shot a par round in the 4 hole aggregate putt off to top Chuck Withey, John Ferlito and Tom W Litzler.

Ryan Kiekbusch Matches Dad at the 16
April 10, 2022 Rochester Hills - Blackheath

Ryan Kiekbusch held par over the tough Blackheath finishing holes and was able to keep his 5 birdies with 11 pars in his set of 16. He notched a 2 shot win over Bill Gordon who came in fresh off a Florida warm up to finish 3 under. Chuck Withey and Rod 'Tuna' Theunissen tied for 3rd at 2 under par.  Notable: Chris Stalo and David Wilson finished in the money for the first time in their young careers.  On course prizes went to Ryan and Helen Puffenberger. This is Ryan's 2nd career win in his 20th start. He matches dad Eric with his first solo win after they teamed up the win the Memorial for their first.  Dad is quick to point out he got the solo win first, but Ryan's rockets him to #5 in the World Rankings. A Scottie Scheffler in the making?

Withey Brings Arizona Game to Ypsi
April 9, 2022 Ypsilanti - Pine View

All that winter work in Scottsdale paid off for Chuck Withey with a victory in the season opening Pine View Classic.  Chuck 'The Closer' is back after a two year winless drought.  He finished with a chip in eagle on 18 to shake off Jeff Pasz who finished 2nd. Chuck was 2 under par for the day while Pasz finished at 2 over par. World #1 Tyler Floyd stretched his lead with a 3rd place finish at 3 over par while Tom W Litzler took 4th at 4 over par. On course prizes went to Floyd, Kevin Gregoire, Ned Loving and Helen Puffenberger.   The win is Chuck's 11th on Tour in 238 starts and moves him to 2nd on the all-time Pine View Classic money list.

The Pine View Classic raised another $701 for Rollin' with the Homies to fight MS.

Q-School 2 a Warm Up in the Cold
April 3, 2022 Livonia - Whispering Willows
Q-School 2 served as a warm up for the veterans and some rookies continued their qualifying process.  Chris Stalo again led the rookies while Tom Mulhern took medalist for the vets at 4 over par.

Q-School 1 in the Books
April 2, 2022 Livonia - Fox Creek
The Tour welcomed 4 new qualifiers to Q-School on Saturday with rookie Chris Stalo (who actually started Q-School last year) posting the best round ahead of Noah Kline, Chris Gabriel and Daniel Davidson. Phillip Parent took medalist for the veterans with a 1 under par 70.

Info to Know as We Close In on QS-1

Today is March 4 and our first event is Q School on April 2 so we are 4 weeks away.  I need pass on a few items.

• Registration – 2 options
• Email your registration to Entry@themulligantour.com
• Use the handicap system – Mulligantour.golfclub.net
• You’ll see the tournaments listed and you can register for any and all up to the cut off date for each.
• This is also where you can see your handicap and all your tournament scores. 
• You can also see any active member’s handicap and scores
• Any login issues contact Brian – Blardin@gmail.com
• Annual Membership – Deadline for the $20 discount to your annual membership fee of $120 is March 15. 
• You can email me the application or mail it to the MT at PO Box 530097, Livonia, MI 48153
• Senior Tees – Deadline to declare for the Sr Tees is March21.  You have to send me an email to declare/register.  This is an annual renewal you are not rolled over year after year.  You must register to play the Sr Tees each year. 
• Any member that is 57 years old or will be by June 1 2022 can declare to play the season from the Senior Tees. 
• The Rules for Senior Tees are the following – you have to play the Sr Tees the entire season.  Your handicap will adjust as you play during the season but you always start at your current handicap. 
• If you don’t register for the Sr Tees and you played them last year then you will be moved back to the Regular Men’s Tees
• Golf courses we play do not have a Sr Women’s tee box as we set up the women to play the forward tees and do not have them move back a tee for women under the age of 57.
• Not all tournaments will have a Sr Tee box that is different than the regular men’s tee box.  Not all courses provide an additional tee box.  At those events Sr Men will play the same tee box as the regular men.  At some events the Sr Men will play the white tees and the regular men’s tee box will be the blue tees.  It varies by every tournament and/or golf course.

I’m looking forward to another great season on the MT and look forward to seeing each of you out on the course. 

2022 Season Nearing Launch
February 22, 2022

Well the 2022 Season is right around the corner.  Let’s hope that Winter will ease into spring soon.  I’m booking our tournaments for the next season with 14 already confirmed.  The rest will be added once they are booked over the next month as courses are not open or staffed over the winter.   We had a great 2021 season and in 2022 we look forward to more golf, fun and socializing.  During our Board meeting over the Christmas Holidays we have updated a couple of tournament rules. 

• Handicaps – No Changes to the Handicap system and calculations.  It will remain 5 of 10 tournaments.
• Scorecards –

• We will continue to send out scorecards (Excel spreadsheet) with the tee sheet
• At the end of the tournament each playing member will need to turn in your individual scorecards. 
• Your Scorecard can be the one you print from our Excel Spreadsheet or a course scorecard.
• Please remember to turn in your scorecards after each tournament

• Division Tournaments – Changes to qualification
• Starting this year we are expanding the qualifications to Top 30 on the money list for each Division.  It was top 20 and now we are expanding it to the Top 30 (this will allow more to play on Division Tournament weekend and make it easier to qualify and give more members an opportunity to qualify for the Tour Championship and Commissioner Cup.
• Tournament registration – Additional option provided this year.
• New to 2022 – register via http://mulligantour.golfclub.net/
  
• You can register for multiple tournaments at the same time.  The registration will cut off on Thursdays
• If you have lost or forgotten you login credentials email Brian Lardin – Blardin@gmail.com
• Email your registration to entry@themulligantour.com
• Late registrations as always are to be emailed to me and I’ll let you know if there is still space. 

Tournament Pricing – As many of you may know or seen in the last 2 years Golf Participation in the US and Michigan is up.  Additionally inflation is a factor for all of the courses.  Several courses have increased their greens fee prices and we will see that when I book our tournaments.  I will work to keep pricing low but there are some tournaments we will see increases.  HPO at Lake Walden is one of those tournaments.   Also the Metroparks will not allow us to have a Mod Shot Gun start so we will see more rolling tee times. 

C Cool Classic – Chris Cooley passed away this last year.  He was too young and I miss him all the time.  He will not be forgotten.  We will continue the C Cool Classic and we will use this to fight Brain Cancer with Mulligans and other donations by Members so we can help find brain cancer and cancer in general.  I’m still researching which Charity to donate to but I’m looking at the Brain Cancer Research or V Foundation.  All members that asked about sponsoring the C Cool Classic I appreciate the offer and instead ask that you donate money to MT for our collective donation. 

In addition to the C Cool Classic we will also honor Chris at the Memorial Tournament.  He will be our  2022 Honoree.

Membership Applications – 2022 Application is on this site.  Please fill it out and return to me via email or you can mail it to the MT at

Mulligan Tour Holdings

PO Box 530097

Livonia, MI 48153

If you register and pay your annual dues by March 15 there is discount of $20 off of the Full Membership of $120.   There is also a limited membership of $80 that allows you to play the Q School events plus 6 other regular tour events.  There is no discount on that price for early payment. 

The Rules and Players Handbook can be found here on the site as well.

I look forward to seeing all of you in the spring and look forward to a great 2022 Season.  

Thanks

Chuck

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year.   Today is New Year’s Eve Eve.  Please be safe on NYE. 

The First Segment of the Fantasy Golf League is complete.  The Segment winner is Vill – Steve Villerot.   If you login the Segment leader is listed as Jay’s Top Quarks however Jay earned/won points in Fortinet Tournament.  Our League did not start until the 2^nd tournament of the Segment – Sanderson Farms Championship.  So his segment total has to be adjusted for those 88 points.  The same for Sunrise West who has 77 points in their segment total for Fortinet.

Final Segment Standings

1. Vill – 1257 points
2. Jpa – 1236 points
3. Jay’s Top Quarks – 1223 points
4. Cubes – 1222 points
5. Cwit – 1221 points

Vill wins a $50 Gift Card from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

SEGMENT 2

2022 is right around the corner.  Right now we have 51 people in the Mulligan Tour Fantasy golf league.  I know I cannot figure out who all the players are based on their league name. 

Segment 2 starts the first week in January with the Sentry Tournament of Champions.  I encourage any member not already signed up to sign up.  The link below will take you to the Mulligan Tour Fantasy Golf

https://fantasygolf.pgatour.com/leagues/5007

No Cost to the member’s to play.

The winner of each segment will win a $50 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The winner of each of the 4 majors and the Players Championship (the fantasy winner for that tournament) will win a $50 gift card to Outback Steakhouse.  
  Thanks Chuck