News archives from 2006
Tom Litzler
wins Runny Nose
November 2006
With the mercury reaching
for 60º, "Old Tom" Litzler won the 2006
Runny Nose Open on Saturday, November 25th
at Harbor Club GC in Belleville. It
was easily the warmest Runny Nose
tournament to date. Litzler was
comfortably able to continue his unique
streak of wearing shorts to every Mulligan
Tour event that he has ever participated
in. He converted 5 birdies against
just 4 bogies and was the only player in
the field of 11 members to break
par. The key to his 1-stroke win
over Russ Butler may have been the natural
birdies made each time he played hole #3.
2006
Runny Nose Open FINAL RESULTS
Team West
wins 2nd Commissioner's Cup
October 2006
The 2nd Commissioner's Cup
matches were held at the Legacy Golf Club
on October 6 and 7. The defending
Central team had 7 returning members from
a squad that took the first Cup 16 to
8. But the West team, with 5 new
members, jumped out to a 7 to 1 lead after
the Friday afternoon matches and then held
on to win 14 ½ to 9 ½ on Saturday.
Team West was led by 3 Tour
rookies. Thom Bales (4-0-1), Bob
Bruning (3-1-1), and Tom Moran (3-1-1) had
just completed their first seasons on
Tour. Bales had earned the spot on
the team by ranking 3rd on the Western
division Money List. Bruning and
Moran were Captains picks - and they
validated Captain Persichetti's
choice. The 3 players were involved
in 11 ½ of the 14 ½ points won. And,
remarkably, each won his singles match to
secure the Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Team
West - 2006
Commissioner's Cup winners
(back row from left: Bob
Baar, Thom Bales, Erik Meland, Bob
Bruning, and Dan
Schwartz.
Front row: Tom Moran, Rick Persichetti,
and Carol Koch)
Ersig takes
TOUR Championship
Dennis
Ersig beats the Tour's best at Inkster
Valley
September
2006
In a war of attrition, 2nd
year pro Dennis Ersig carded 5 net birdies
to offset some of the bogies and double
bogies that were so plenty at Inkster
Valley Golf Club. Ersig finished at
5-over par 77 to win the 2006 TOUR
Championship by a stroke over David
Martin.
The elite field of 10
players took on the longest course layout
in Tour history as Inkster Valley played
to 6,709 yards. The average net
score among the 10 was 83.9 strokes.
Ersig finished his sophomore
season with 8 top-4's in 12 starts and
pocketed $130.20 in prize money ranking
5th on the final 2006 Money List.
Captain Greg Kline is hoping that Ersig
continues to play well in October as Team
Central prepares to defend the
Commissioner's Cup at the Legacy.
Dennis
Ersig - 2006 TOUR Champion
2006 TOUR
Championship
FINAL RESULTS
|
1
|
77 (+5)
|
Dennis Ersig
$50
|
2
|
78 (+6)
|
David Martin
$35
|
3
|
80 (+8)
|
Tom W.
LItzler
$25
|
4
|
82 (+10)
|
Kelly Arnold
$15
|
5
|
83 (+11)
|
Bob Baar $10
|
T6
|
85 (+13)
|
Bob White $2.50
|
T6
|
85 (+13)
|
Rick
Persichetti $2.50
|
8
|
86 (+14)
|
Greg Kline
|
9
|
90 (+18)
|
Dan Schwartz
|
10
|
92 (+20)
|
Erik Meland
|
Persichetti
and Arnold win division titles
September
2006
Rick
Persichetti won the WESTERN Championship
on Saturday, September 2nd, at the
Grande Golf Club in Jackson. The
West division commissioner was the only
player in the elite field of top-20
money winners to finish under par.
He sprinkled 7 birdies around the 6,443
yard layout of the Grande and survived
the slick greens to win by 5-strokes
over Thom Bales. Double bogies at
the 14th and 16th holes kept Bales from
closing in on Persichetti. Jeff
Kellstrom and Erik Meland finished tied
for 3rd.
FINAL
STANDINGS 2006
WESTERN Championship
|
1
|
71 (-1)
|
Rick
Persichetti
$48
|
2
|
76 (+4)
|
Thom Bales
$36
|
T3
|
78 (+6)
|
Jeff
Kellstrom
$18
|
T3
|
78 (+6)
|
Erik Meland
$18
|
5
|
79 (+7)
|
Bob Baar
|
6
|
82 (+10)
|
Bob White
|
T7
|
83 (+11)
|
Joe Castmore
|
T7
|
83 (+11)
|
Tom W.
Litzler
|
9
|
84 (+12)
|
Jeff Klipa
|
10
|
85 (+13)
|
Carol Koch
|
11
|
96 (+24)
|
Terry Baar
|
Kelly
Arnold just qualified for his first
PLAYERS Championship, ranked 20th on the
Central money list, but made the most of
his opportunity. The rookie from
Southgate led the field with 6 birdies
at Whispering Pines GC and kept division
commissioner Greg Kline from winning his
5th straight major title. Arnold
jumped up to 3rd on the Central money
list and qualified for the TOUR
Championship and the Commissioner's Cup.
FINAL
STANDINGS 2006
PLAYERS Championship
|
1
|
72 (+1)
|
Kelly Arnold
$48
|
2
|
77 (+6)
|
Greg Kline
$36
|
3
|
79 (+8)
|
Tony Viviano
$24
|
4
|
85 (+14)
|
Dennis Ersig
$12
|
T5
|
87 (+16)
|
Barb Randle
|
T5
|
87 (+16)
|
Tom Hoelzle
|
7
|
88 (+17)
|
Dan Schwartz
|
Kline and
Bruning win Skins Games
August 2006
Greg
Kline, the Central division
Commissioner, needed 4 extra holes to
eliminate Ray Collins from the $32
carry-over skin and win the 2006
Central Skins Game. Kline
won 4 skins in all worth $44. Erik
Meland finished 2nd with 3 skins worth
$16. Collins and Dave Randall tied
for 3rd, each winning 3 skins totaling
$10.
Playing
in his first Skins Game, Bob Bruning won
3 skins, including a $12 skin on the 8th
hole and a $24 skin on the 14th hole, to
finish with $38 and the 2006 West
Skins Game title. Thom Bales
finished 2nd after winning the final
skin - a $32 jackpot setup on the 18th
hole after 3 carry-overs. He
totaled $34 from 2 skins. Rick
Persichetti finished 3rd after winning 2
skins for $8. Tom W. Litzler was
shut out.
Bob Baar
wins Big Dog
August 2006
Bob
Baar rallied on Willow Metropark's
back nine to claim the 2006 Big Dog
Pro-Am - his 3rd title this year.
An eagle on the finishing hole completed
a 5-under par 30 on the inward nine that
sent Baar to a 3-under 68 and a 2 round
total of 136. Hi pro-am partner,
like many in the field, was Tiger Woods
who shot a 68 in the 2nd round of the
PGA Championship.
The
win gives Baar, a 4th year pro from
Livonia, his best season on Tour.
He ranks 3rd overall ($125.50) and 3rd
on the west division money list
($85.50).
Top-4 finishers at the 2006
Big Dog Pro-Am
|
1
|
68-68 - 136
|
Bob Baar
$32
|
2
|
68-71 - 139
|
Kelly Arnold
$24
|
3
|
68-75 - 143
|
Dan Schwartz
$16
|
T4
|
68-76 - 144
|
Dennis Ersig
$4
|
T4
|
68-76 - 144
|
Tom Moran
$4
|
Dennis Ersig
grabs the gopher
August 2006
Dennis
Ersig won the 2006 Anchor Conveyor
Caddyshack Classic at the Links at Lake
Erie with a record setting
performance. A personal best gross
79 netted a 10-under 62 and a 4-stroke
win over former Caddyshack champs Chris
Drake ('05) and Erik Meland ('99).
Ersig
birdied 7 of the first 9 holes going out
in 29. He added an eagle at 11 and
2 more birdies at 16 and 17 to tie the
low net score in 2006. The win was
his 2nd official victory on Tour, after
the 2005 Central Skins Game, but the
first in a full field event.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Caddyshack
Classic
|
1
|
62 (-10)
|
Dennis Ersig
$32
|
T2
|
66 (-6)
|
Erik Meland
$22.50
|
T2
|
66 (-6)
|
Chris Drake
$22.50
|
4
|
69 (-3)
|
Tony Viviano
$9
|
It's
Deja Vu all over again!
Greg
Kline wins 3rd consecutive Match Play
Championship at the Links at Whitmore
Lake
Greg
Kline continues to reign supreme in the
match play format. He ran his
winning streak up to 10 straight matches
in claiming his 3rd Match Play
title. The #1 ranked player on the
Mulligan Tour had a first round bye but
then took care of Thom Bales (2&1),
David Martin (6&4), and Dan Schwartz
(3&2) to secure his 5th major title.
Kline
has all but wrapped up the 2006 Money
Title. The $60 first place check
pushed his season earnings to
$256.70. He will break the record
for money won in a season if he can
claim another $16 in prize money in his
last 3 tournaments - the Caddyshack
Classic, the PLAYERS Championship, and
the TOUR Championship.
Bruning
takes Two-Stick
August 2006
Bob
Bruning eagled the 18th hole to force a
playoff with his old neighbor - "Old
Tom" Litzler at the 2006 Two-Stick
Classic held at Hickory Sticks GC in Ann
Arbor on August 6th. Bruning then
holed a long putt on the 4th hole of the
4-hole aggregate score playoff to secure
his first Tour victory.
Armed
only with a 4-hybrid and a 9-iron (and a
putter), Bruning worked his way around
Hickory Stick's 5,558 yard layout in
7-over 77. He hit 8 of 13 fairways
(61.5%) and 6 of 18 greens (33.3%) with
the limited arsenal - both stats better
than his season average.
"Old
Tom" Litzler finished in the top-4 for
the 5th time in 2006 and ranks 3rd on
the Mulligan Tour Money List with
$104.50 earned. Barb Randle
finished 3rd, 2-strokes back at
80. She ranks 10th on the money
List after her 4th top-4 this year.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006
Two-Stick Classic
|
1
|
77 (+7)
|
Bob Bruning *
$32
|
2
|
77 (+7)
|
Tom W.
Litzler
$24
|
3
|
80 (+10)
|
Barb Randle
$16
|
T4
|
82 (+12)
|
Tom R.
Litzler
$4
|
T4
|
82 (+12)
|
Erik Meland
$4
|
* won 4-hole playoff |
Baar wins
inaugural Carrington Classic
July 2006
Bob
Baar collected his 2nd win of the season
after finishing 35-32 - 67 at the
inaugural Carrington Classic on July
29th. Baar recorded 8 birdies
against only 3 bogies on the 6,408 yard
layout at Carrington Golf Club and
became the 5th Tour player this year to
post multiple wins. He is ranked
5th on the Money Standings with $93.50
earned in 11 starts this season.
Baar
finished 1-stroke ahead of the Tour's
leading Money winner, Greg Kline.
Leading the field in putting (29) at
Carrington, Kline posted his 9th top-4
finish of the year and has collected
$196.70 in prize money in 2006.
Rick Persichetti finished solo 3rd and
ranks 2nd on the Money standings
($134.00). Kelly Arnold netted his
3rd top-4 in his rookie campaign.
Top-4 finishers at
the 2006 Carrington Classic |
1
|
67 (-5)
|
Bob Baar
$28
|
2
|
68 (-4)
|
Greg Kline
$21
|
3
|
71 (-1)
|
Rick
Persichetti
$14
|
4
|
72 (E)
|
Kelly Arnold
$7
|
Thom Bales
picks up first win
July 2006
Rookie
Thom Bales used 2 eagles and 3 birdies
to shoot 39-35 - 74 and win the 2006
Ugly Pants Open by a stroke over 4
others. With heat and humidity
playing a role at Downing Farms GC in
South Lyon, scoring was elevated and
Bales won the tournament with highest
winning score in UPO history at 3-over
par. His birdie at the 406-yard
par-4 18th was the difference and
avoided what would have been a very
crowded 5-way playoff.
Thom
Bales, winner of the 2006 Ugly Pants
Open
Top-4 finishers at
the 2006 Ugly Pants Open |
|
NET
|
Player
|
1
|
74 (+3)
|
Thom Bales
$28.00
|
T2
|
75 (+4)
|
Greg Kline
$10.50
|
T2
|
75 (+4)
|
Tom W.
Litzler
$10.50
|
T2
|
75 (+4)
|
Terry Baar
$10.50
|
T2
|
75 (+4)
|
Barb Randle
$10.50
|
Loescher
makes grand exit
July 2006
Preparing
for relocation to New Mexico, and
retirement from the Mulligan Tour, Ed
and Cindy Loescher made their final
event a memorable one. Cindy, the
2005 PLAYERS Champ, netted an even par
72 to win the 2006 Commercial
Underwriters Harbour Pointe Open by
3-strokes. She finishes her career
with 4 top-4's in 16 starts - with 2
wins in major championships. As
the 3rd lady member to win a grand slam
event, after Sue Cwikla (2000 Memorial)
and Sue Meland (2000 PLAYERS), she has
now become the first women to register
multiple majors.
Carol
Koch finished 2nd after posting a 3-over
par 75. Koch has had back-to-back
top-4's - finishing T2 at the Holy Grail
last month. She played Majestic's
9th thru 14th holes in 7-under par to
get back to even par for the
round. Defending champ Joe
Castmore tied for 3rd.
Top-10 finishers at the
2006 Harbour Pointe Open |
|
NET
|
Player
|
Gross
|
1
|
72 (E)
|
Cindy
Loescher
$50
|
43-46 – 89
|
2
|
75 (+3)
|
Carol Koch
$35
|
54-47 – 101
|
T3
|
76 (+4)
|
Joe Castmore
$20
|
41-44 – 85
|
T3
|
76 (+4)
|
Randy Norman
$20
|
46-47 – 93
|
5
|
78 (+6)
|
Chris Drake
$10
|
47-47 – 94
|
T6
|
79 (+7)
|
Jeff
Kellstrom
$2.50
|
41-45 – 86
|
T6
|
79 (+7)
|
Thom Bales
$2.50
|
44-47 – 91
|
T8
|
81 (+9)
|
David Martin
|
42-48 – 90
|
T8
|
81 (+9)
|
Bob White
|
42-49 – 91
|
T10
|
83 (+11)
|
Bob Baar
|
52-45 – 97
|
T10
|
83 (+11)
|
Terry Baar
|
49-51 – 100
|
Cindy Loescher accepts the
Lighthouse trophy from Commercial
Underwriter's Dan Schwartz
Martin and
Litzler win Strategic Fox events
June 2006
David
Martin collected his 11th Tour win after
outlasting Barb Randle in a playoff for
the 2006 Par-54 Classic title on June
30th at the Strategic Fox.
Martin and Randle, the defending
champion, finished the regulation 18
holes tied at 1-over 55. In the
playoff, Randle opened the door for
Martin by 3-putting the first
hole. But clutch 2-putts on the
2nd and 3rd holes allowed Randle to pull
even with Martin when he 3-putted the
3rd. Martin was able to claim
victory with a 2-putt on the 4th hole
after Randle missed her 2nd putt.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Par-54 Classic |
|
Net
|
Player
|
1
|
55 (+1)
|
David Martin
* $20
|
2
|
55 (+1)
|
Barb Randle
$13
|
3
|
58 (+4)
|
Greg Kline
$9
|
4
|
59 (+5)
|
Jeff Klipa
$7
|
Tom
W. Litzler won the 2006 Fox Hunt title
at the Strategic Fox, played
simultaneously with the Par-54
Classic. Litzler collected 60
points from hitting 11 greens,
including the first 5, and from 10
2-putts, 5 1-putts, and a chip-in at the
17th worth 3 points. The point
total was 15 more than the next best
score and 9 more than the winning total
in the inaugural 2005 event. Its
Litzler's first solo win, complimenting
his 2005 Memorial victory while teamed
with his son Tom R. Litzler.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Fox Hunt |
|
Points
|
Player
|
1
|
60
|
Tom W.
Litzler
$25
|
2
|
45
|
Rick
Persichetti
$20
|
3
|
43
|
Tom R.
Litzler
$15
|
T4
|
40
|
Thom Bales
$5
|
T4
|
40
|
Tom Moran
$5
|
White
strokes again
June 2006
Pastor
Bob White won the 2006 Strokes on a Rope
title on June 24th at Lake Erie
Metropark. His 6th career win was
his 2nd of the 2006 season and the 2nd
time he has won the Strokes on a
Rope. He also won the event in
2004, the last time it was played at
Lake Erie Metropark.
White
ranks 3rd on the 2006 Money List ($94)
and 3rd on the Central Division Money
Standings ($58). He also ranks 2nd
on the Western Division Money Standings
($76) and will certainly qualify for
either Commissioner's Cup team in
October. White was a member of the
winning Central division team in
2005.
Top-4 finishers
at the 2006 Strokes on a Rope
|
1
|
77 (+5)
|
Bob White
$36
|
2
|
80 (+8)
|
Joe Castmore
$27
|
3
|
81 (+9)
|
Tom R.
Litzler
$18
|
4
|
84 (+12)
|
Thom Bales
$9
|
Happy Father
(in-law's) Day
June 2006
When
you're "on", you're "on" and Dave
Randall was ON at the 2006 Real McCoy
Classic last Saturday, June 17th, at
Farmington Hills Golf Club.
Randall recorded his 2nd best gross
score ever, a 75, and netted a 10-under
par 61 to win the Real McCoy by 2
shots. With 9 birdies and an
eagle, Randall needed only 29 putts (1st
in the field), hitting 12 fairways (1st)
and 9 greens in regulation (T-2).
Tournament host Victor McCoy couldn't
have been happier unless he had won
himself. Randall is his
father-in-law and so the newly
commissioned trophy will spend its first
year in the family.
Top-4
finisher's at the 2006 Real
McCoy Classic
|
1
|
61 (-10)
|
David Randall
$32
|
2
|
63 (-8)
|
Terry Baar
$24
|
T3
|
65 (-6)
|
DeVonne Mowry
$12
|
T3
|
65 (-6)
|
Dan Schwartz
$12
|
Dave
Randall, left, accepting the Real McCoy
Classic trophy and first place check
from tournament host Victor McCoy
Commissioner's
Day
June 2006
June
10th was "Commissioner's Day" on the
Mulligan Tour. Greg Kline, Central
division Commissioner, won the Crazy
Brit at Whispering Willows GC in the
morning and then Rick "Perch"
Persichetti, West division Commissioner,
won the Holy Grail at St.Johns GC in the
afternoon. Each took a $32
paycheck as they secured their 9th
career wins on the same day. Kline
has now won 4 of 6 events this year and
6 of 8 tournaments since last
season. Perch became the 2nd
multiple winner in 2006 adding the Holy
Grail to his Animal House Classic title.
Kline
is the leading money winner in 2006 with
$144.20 earned from 5 top-4
finishes. Persichetti is 2nd with
an even $100 earned from 4 top-4's.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Holy
Grail
|
1
|
67 (-4)
|
Rick
Persichetti
$32
|
T2
|
69 (-2)
|
Jeff Klipa
$16
|
T2
|
69 (-2)
|
Neil Willetts
$16
|
T2
|
69 (-2)
|
Carol Koch
$16
|
Top-4
Finishers at the 2006 Crazy
Brit
|
1
|
33
|
Greg Kline
$32
|
T2
|
31
|
David Martin
$20
|
T2
|
31
|
DeVonne Mowry
$20
|
T4
|
29
|
David Randall
$4
|
T4
|
29
|
Jeff Klipa
$4
|
McCoy wins
Go Blue Classic
June 2006
Victor
McCoy earned his first Tour win Saturday
(June 3) at the 2006 Go Blue
Classic. McCoy returned to
the site of his previous close call with
victory - Lake Forest GC in Ann Arbor -
where he lost the 2004 Western Swing in
a playoff. McCoy eagled the first
hole and birdied the 2nd on his way to a
front side 31. He was 6-under par
thru 10 but alternated bogies and pars
on the last 8 holes to finish at 2-under
70.
It
was enough to avoid a playoff, however,
as Jeff Kellstrom birdied his final 3
holes but came up a stroke short
finishing at 1-under 71. Dennis
Ersig finished 3rd at 73 and Bob Baar
and Tom Hoelzle tied for 4th at 74.
Top-4
Finishers at the 2006 Go Blue
Classic
|
1
|
70 (-2)
|
Victor McCoy
$28
|
2
|
71 (-1)
|
Jeff
Kellstrom
$21
|
3
|
73 (+1)
|
Dennis Ersig
$14
|
T4
|
74 (+2)
|
Bob Baar
$3.50
|
T4
|
74 (+2)
|
Tom Hoelzle
$3.50
|
The Coming
of Sasquatch
June 2006
Tony
Viviano became the first player from the
2006 rookie class to find the winner's
circle. Playing in only his
3rd tournament, he claimed the 2006
Plymouth Open title after finishing at
2-over par 72 with David Randall.
When Randall was not available for a
playoff, Viviano became the first player
ever to win a playoff without striking a
putt.
Wielding
a Nike Sasquatch driver, Viviano has
instantly become one of the Tour's
longest off the tee. He hit 6 of
13 fairways and 11 of 18 greens at
Hilltop GC while surviving the slick
greens. He needed only 15 putts on
the back nine, lowest in the field, as
he played the final 9 holes in 1-under
par 34.
Top-4
Finishers at the 2006 Plymouth
Open |
1
|
72 (+2)
*
|
Tony Viviano
$28.00
|
2
|
72 (+2)
|
David Randall
$21.00
|
T3
|
74 (+4)
|
Greg Kline
$4.20
|
T3
|
74 (+4)
|
Jason
Rectenwald
$4.20
|
T3
|
74 (+4)
|
David Martin
$4.20
|
T3
|
74 (+4)
|
Daryl Kanary
$4.20
|
T3
|
74 (+4)
|
Dennis Ersig
$4.20
|
* won playoff by default |
Greg Kline and Bob White
win Green Towels, beat 2 other teams in
playoff
May 2006
Greg
Kline continues his impressive run on
the Mulligan Tour. Teaming with
Bob White to win the 2006 Memorial
Tournament, Kline has now won 5 of the
last 6 Tour events in which he has
participated. He has solidified
his spot as the #1 ranked player on Tour
by winning the last 3 major
tournaments. It was Kline's 8th
Tour victory (4 majors) and White's 5th
(first major).
With
Gateway GC in Romulus serving as a
substitute host course, the Kline-White
team finished at 1-under par 71 with the
Jeff Kellstrom - Rick Persichetti and
Tom Hoelzle - Barb Randle teams.
The Memorial would need a playoff to
determine a winner, only the 3rd playoff
in the event's history but the first
involving 3 teams. The playoff
easily could have had more teams
involved. Four other teams
finished 1-stroke back at even par
72.
Kline
and White have partnered 4 times in
2-player scramble events. They
first teamed up at the 2004 Memorial
finishing in 4th place. In 2005,
they finished 2nd at the Memorial and
then won the inaugural U&B Golf
Classic 2 months later.
Greg Kline, with partner Bob
White, showing how many majors in a row he
has won.
2006
Memorial Tournament FINAL
STANDINGS |
|
NET |
Team |
1 |
71 (-1)
|
Greg Kline – Bob
White * $40
|
2 |
71 (-1)
|
Jeff Kellstrom –
Rick Persichetti $25
|
|
71 (-1)
|
Tom Hoelzle – Barb
Randle $25
|
4 |
72 (E)
|
Tony Viviano – Matt
Murdza (a) |
|
72 (E)
|
Tom W. Litzler – Tom
R. Litzler $10
|
|
72 (E)
|
Kelly Arnold – Thom
Bales $10
|
|
72 (E)
|
John Stepek –
Dennis Ersig $10
|
8 |
73 (+1)
|
Bob Baar – Terry
Baar |
9 |
74 (+2)
|
Ed Loescher – Cindy
Loescher |
10 |
75 (+3)
|
Jeff Klipa – Victor
McCoy |
|
75 (+3)
|
Dan Schwartz – Neil
Willets |
|
75 (+3)
|
Eric Jenkins – Russ
Butler |
13 |
76 (+4)
|
Jim Cwikla – Chris
Drake |
|
76 (+4)
|
David Martin –
Jason Rectenwald |
15 |
78 (+6)
|
Bob Bruning – Tom
Moran |
|
78 (+6)
|
Erik Meland – Sue
Meland |
PLAYOFF RESULTS
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
TOTAL
|
Greg KLINE –
Bob WHITE
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
Jeff
KELLSTROM – Rick PERSICHETTI
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
10
|
Barb RANDLE –
Tom HOELZLE
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
13
|
Meland
favors moving Memorial Tournament over
postponement
May 2006
Memorial
Tournament host Erik Meland moved the
event to a substitute site after Willow
Metropark closed for flooding. For
the first time in the tournament's 11
year history, the 2-man scramble will be
played at a course other than Willow
MP. In 2004, flooding forced a 2
month postponement of the tournament,
but it remained at Willow.
The
2006 tournament will be hosted by
Gateway GC in Romulus. Gateway
previously hosted the 2001 Harbour
Pointe Open golf championship.
Ironically, that major title was won by
Meland in a playoff over Ron Stuart.
Martin takes
10th career title in a playoff
May 2006
David
Martin won the 2006 Sweet Sixteen on
Saturday, May 13th, in less than perfect
conditions. Rain soaked Salem
Hills GC became the site of Martin's
10th career win, after he outlasted Tom
W Litzler in a playoff. Both men
signed for net even par scores after
eliminating their 2 worst holes.
They needed a record 10 playoff holes to
settle the score. Notables: Martin
is the Mulligan Tour's career money
leader, with earnings of $783.50 from 42
top-4 finishes in 74 tournaments
played. Tony Viviano led the field
with 12 Greens hit, Joe C led with 11
fairways and Tom W led with 30 putts.
Litzler
finished runner-up for the 2nd year in a
row. In last year's inaugural
Sweet Sixteen, Litzler finished 2nd to
his son, as Tom Jr scorched the Salem
Hills track for a net 59 for 18 holes
and a net 49 for his best 16.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Sweet Sixteen |
1
|
E (61)
|
David Martin
*
$28
|
2
|
E (61)
|
Tom W.
Litzler $21
|
T3
|
+1 (64)
|
DeVonne Mowry
$10.50
|
T3
|
+1 (62)
|
Kelly Arnold $10.50
|
Zoo Keeper
May 13, 2006
Rick
Persichetti won the 2006 Animal House
Classic at Salem Hills on May
13th. The western division
Commissioner shot 35-35 - 70 to win by
8-strokes. It was his 2nd AHC
title in 3 years and his 3rd win on the
Salem Hills course, having also won the
2003 Strokes on a Rope at SHGC.
The win was worth $36 pushing his career
winnings to within $3 of the $600
plateau.
Persichetti
also won the 4-player putt-off for the
$25 Carl's Golfland giftcard. A
2-putt par on the 2nd hole was the
difference in beating Bob Baar, Tom
Moran, and Russ Butler in the 4-hole
contest featuring the 4 lowest Zoo
ratios from the tournament.
Jeff
Kellstrom, Bob Baar, and Russ Butler
tied for 2nd with net 78's. Baar
is the leading money winner in the
western division ($50) with a win and a
T2 in 2 starts this year.
Top-4
finishers at the 2006 Animal House
Classic |
1
|
70 (-1)
|
Rick
Persichetti $36
|
T2
|
78 (+7)
|
Jeff
Kellstrom $18
|
T2
|
78 (+7)
|
Bob Baar $18
|
T2
|
78 (+7)
|
Russ Butler $18
|
Congratulations
to Thom Bales, finishing
closest-to-the-pin on hole #17 and
earning the first invitation to the
western division Skins Game scheduled
for August 27th. Jeff Kellstrom led the
field with 33 putts.
Make that 4
in a row
May 2006
Greg
Kline has now won the last 4 tournaments
that he has entered. Finishing
2005 with wins at the Match Play
Championship and TOUR Championship,
Kline starts the 2006 season with wins
at the Tin Cup and the Western
Swing. Kline eagled both par-5's
on Calderone Farms' back-nine and held
off a late charge by the 2000 Western
Swing winner Chris Drake. The 2006
Western Swing is Kline's 2nd Western
Swing title. He won the 2003 event
at Huron Meadows Metropark.
Rookie
Mike Thompson completed his Q-school
requirements by finishing T-4 with a
gross 1-under 71. It was only the
2nd time in Tour history that a player
shot a gross score under par. The
first was Craig MacBeth's 1-under 70 at
the 2003 Animal House Classic that he
won in a playoff. Thompson
graduates from Q-school with the lowest
MTHI ever recorded (0.1).
Top-4 at the 2006 Western
Swing |
1
|
68 (-4)
|
Greg Kline $36
|
2
|
69 (-3)
|
Chris Drake $27
|
3
|
70 (-2)
|
Bob White $18
|
T4
|
71 (-1)
|
DeVonne Mowry
$4.50
|
T4
|
71 (-1)
|
Jim Cwikla $4.50
|
T4
|
71 (-1)
|
Mike Thompson
|
Meland at
home in Chelsea
May 2006
Erik
Meland won the 2006 Chelsea Classic at
Calderone Farms. Meland won the
2nd year event with a 4-under par 68
carding 8 net birdies during the
round. The founding member of the
Mulligan Tour has 12 wins in 93 career
starts.
Jeff
Klipa netted his 2nd top-4 finish in 2
starts this year. Klipa had 3
eagles during the round and posted a
2-under 70 for 2nd place, 1-stroke ahead
of Tom Litzler.
Field
leaders included 29 putts for Rick
Persichetti, 8 greens hit for Meland,
and 9 fairways for Dave Randall and
Litzler.
Top-4 at the 2006 Chelsea
Classic |
1
|
68 (-4)
|
Erik Meland $28
|
2
|
70 (-2)
|
Jeff Klipa $21
|
3
|
71 (-1)
|
Tom W.Litzler
$14
|
4
|
72 (E)
|
Rick
Persichetti $7
|
Mr. and Mrs.
GoodBaar
April 2006
Bob
Baar, a 3-year Tour veteran, played the
back-nine in 2-under par 34 to capture
his first full field win by finishing at
2-over par 74 at the Pine View
Classic. He finished
2-strokes ahead of his spouse and was 3
shots clear of the defending
champ. Baar was making his 33rd
career start at the western division
season opener. The win was worth
$32 in official Tour earnings but he
added to his small fortune by winning
the "Drive for Dough" challenge on hole
#4 to collect another $18.
Baar's
wife, Terry, made it a 1-2 finish by
carding a 4-over 76. She also
finished closest-to-the-pin on hole #17
and was awarded a dozen Callaway golf
balls.
The
2-time defending champ, Erik Meland, was
derailed from a 3-peat when he scored a
triple bogey at #9 and a double bogey at
#10.
Top 4 at
the 2006 Pine View Classic |
1 |
74 (+2) |
Bob
Baar $32 |
2 |
76 (+4) |
Terry
Baar $24 |
3 |
77 (+5) |
Erik
Meland $16 |
4 |
79 (+7) |
Dennis
Manning $8 |
Kline wins
Tin Cup
April 2006
Central
division Commissioner Greg Kline was the
only player to hit the peninsula green
at Hickory Creek's 17th hole completing
the comeback and winning the 2006 Tin
Cup on Saturday. He shot 40-37 -
77 and beat the '04 Tin Cup champ David
Martin by a stroke. Martin maxed
out on the 17th taking a quadruple bogey
7 and a finishing birdie at 18 was not
enough to force a playoff.
Kline
hit 8 of 18 greens, most in the field,
and putted just well enough on Hickory
Creek's slippery slopes to finish with
the lowest net score. The 5-over
77 was the highest winning score in Tour
history, not counting the Strokes on a
Rope tournament. Bob White led the
field with 31 putts and Barb Randle hit
10 fairways.
Top 4 at
the 2006 Tin Cup |
1 |
77 (+5) |
Greg
Kline $32 |
2 |
78 (+6) |
David
Martin $24 |
3 |
80 (+8) |
Jeff
Klipa $16 |
T4 |
81 (+9) |
DeVonne
Mowry $4 |
T4 |
81 (+9) |
Eric
Jenkins $4 |
Viviano, Thompson medal at
Q-school; Young guns lead '06 rookie crop
April 2006
Tony
Viviano and Mike Thompson took medalist
honors at the 2006 Qualifying schools
held recently in Livonia. It was
the first time in 4 years that the Tour
completed both stages in one
season. Bad weather had forced the
cancellation of 1 of the 2 events in
each of the last 3 years.
Tony
Viviano shot a gross 5-over par 76 at
the Fox Creek GC on April 15th while 5
others shot in the 80's. Mike
Thompson shot a 13-over 84 and then came
out a week later at Whispering Willows
GC and and shot an 8-over 78.
All
12 of the Tour's new members attended at
least 1 of the Q-schools and 9 of the
rookies will make their tournament
debuts this weekend at Pine View or
Hickory Creek.
Q-School I (April
15, 2006 at Fox Creek GC)
1
|
Tony VIVIANO
|
37-39 – 76
|
2
|
Kelly ARNOLD
|
42-40 – 82
|
3
|
Fred BUECHEL
|
41-42 – 83
|
4
|
Mike THOMPSON
|
43-41 – 84
|
T5
|
Thom BALES
|
42-45 – 87
|
T5
|
Matt MURDZA
|
44-43 – 87
|
7
|
Dave RANDALL
|
44-46 – 90
|
8
|
Neil WILLETS
|
48-48 – 96
|
9
|
Richard SPIERS
|
56-50 – 106
|
10
|
Daryl KANARY
|
58-49 – 107
|
Q-School II
(April 22, 2006 at Whispering Willows
GC)
1
|
Mike THOMPSON
|
40-38 – 78
|
2
|
Kelly ARNOLD
|
43-42 – 85
|
3
|
Dustin RIDGEWAY
|
46-42 – 88
|
T4
|
Tom MORAN
|
47-42 – 89
|
T4
|
Dave RANDALL
|
43-46 – 89
|
6
|
Thom BALES
|
44-46 – 90
|
T7
|
Bob BRUNING
|
46-48 – 94
|
T7
|
Neil WILLETTS
|
43-51 – 94
|
9
|
Daryl KANARY
|
47-54 – 101
|
Bob White takes Runny Nose
for 2nd time
March 2006
Bob
White, Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in
Belleville, won the 2005 Runny Nose Open
on March 4th at Harbor Club GC.
The rescheduled event - snow in late
November 2005 forced the postponement -
was played in sunny skies with
temperatures ranging through the 30's
during the round.
White
netted a 31-39 - 70, 2 strokes under
par, to win by 4 strokes over John
Stepek. The win was worth $12 in
unofficial earnings for White who also
won the 2002 Runny Nose Open.
Stepek finished 33-41 - 74 and took home
$9 for 2nd place.
David
Martin, the 2003 Runny Nose Open champ,
finished 3rd with a 37-41 - 78, winning
$6. Greg Kline rounded out the
top-4 with a 39-41 - 80 worth $3.
Links at
Whitmore Lake awarded 2006 Match Play
Championship
March 2006
The Tour
finalized a deal with the Links at
Whitmore Lake to begin hosting the Match
Play Championship starting in
2006. The Links course will hold
the first round on Friday, August 4th,
and the 2nd round on Saturday, August
5th. The semi-finals and final
will be held on the following
weekend. The matches are scheduled
to begin each day at 3:30 pm.
The
switch to Whitmore Lake also allowed a
reduction to the entry fee. As
high as $140 when the event was played
at Inkster Valley or the Woodlands, the
expected entry fee for the Match Play at
Whitmore Lake is $100. As before,
players dispatched after the first or
2nd round will get refunds - $75 (1st
round loss) or $50 (2nd round loss).
Tour
announces changes, schedule for 2006
season
February 2006
Among the
few changes approved for the 2006 Tour
season at the Board of Directors meeting
was the exciting possibility to earn a
2-year exemption from membership dues
with a hole-in-one during Mulligan Tour
competition. The decision
comes after 2 players made aces in the
2005 season. DeVonne Mowry carded
the Tour's first hole-in-one at the 2005
U&B Golf Classic in July. Greg
Kline made a hole-in-one on his way to
winning the TOUR Championship in
September.
Also new
in 2006 is a World ranking system that
will allow a relative comparison of Tour
members across all regional
divisions. Players earn 100 points
divided by their placement in every
tournament (250 points for
majors). So, a player earns 100
points for a win, 50 points for 2nd
place, 33.3 points for 3rd place,
etc. Then, the points are averaged
over the number of tournaments played
over the last 2 years.
The
Mulligan Tour Chronicles will now be
published monthly. The Tour's
newsletter will concentrate on
previewing upcoming events and
introducing individual players to the
membership. As a consequence,
players will need to refer to the Tour's
website to find their tee times if they
are playing in the coming weekend's
tournaments.
The 2006
Tour schedule is nearly
solidified. The Tin Cup (Hickory
Creek GC) and Pine View Classic (Pine
View GC) have their traditional season
starts for the Central and West
divisions on April 29. Then the
Tour visits Calderone Farms GC for the
first time as the Western Swing and
Chelsea Classic share the course on May
6. Popular Salem Hills GC hosts
the Sweet Sixteen and Animal House
Classic on May 13 before the season's
first major takes the Tour's best
twosomes down to Willow Metropark GC for
the Memorial tournament on May 20th.
Other
tournaments that are set on the schedule
include the Go Blue Classic at Lake
Forest GC (June 3), the Crazy Brit at
Whispering Willows GC (June 10), the
Holy Grail at St.Johns GC (June 10), and
the Quad-Tour Challenge at Fox Creek GC
(July 22).
The most
noticeable change in the schedule is the
Match Play Championship moving from
September into early August. The
move spreads the Tour's majors out more
evenly over the season. The
tournament has been alternately hosted
by The Woodlands of Van Buren (odd
years) and Inkster Valley GC (even
years) but the Tour is considering a
move to Links at Whitmore Lake, the
venue that was put into emergency use
last year after a scheduling snafu at
the Woodlands.
|