News
archives from 2011
Thom Bales wins Runny Nose by 6
November 20, 2011
Thom Bales shot a 4-under par 68 to claim the 2011 Runny
Nose Open and bring the curtain down on the Tour's 13th
season. Bales posted 7 birdies and an eagle during 2 loops
of the Harbor Club course in Belleville - home to the Runny Nose Open
since 2002. The 6-stroke victory was worth $40 in unofficial
prize money. Bales, co-winner of the West Skins Game in
early October, won twice as much money in the silly season ($66.00) as
he did during the regular season ($29.17).
Ray Collins (37-37 - 74) finished 2nd, 1-stroke ahead of
Tom Moran (36-39 - 75). A four-way tie for 4th place
included Charlie Roy (42-37 - 79), Erik Meland (38-41 - 79), Tim
Jakubowski (45-34 - 79) and Julie Gardner (46-33 - 79).

Thom Bales - 2011 Runny Nose
Open champ
Team Central wins 2011
Commissioner's Cup
September 27, 2011
Team Central broke open a close Commissioner's Cup with
a Sunday thrashing to keep the Cup in Central hands for another
year. Commissioner Greg Kline remained perfect in singles
(7-0-0) and his troops won 7 of the 8 singles matches to take a 16 to 8
win after only leading 8½ to 7½ after the Saturday team matches.
Team East's first try for the Commissioner's Cup was
abruptly halted when close matches kept falling red for the
Central. Six of the 8 singles matches went to at least the 17th
hole but the East could only garner a half point when Kelly Arnold
halved his match with Team Central's Tim Markel.
The Mulligan Tour's Central Division has now won the
Commissioner's Cup 4 consecutive years.

2011 Commissioner's Cup
Champs - Team CENTRAL
(Mike Prieskorn, Tom Sachs,
Klaus Juska, Greg Kline, Jason Rectenwald, Rich Dunmore, Tim Markel and
Jeff Klipa)
Kelly Arnold brings curtain down on 2011
tournament schedule
September 19, 2011
Just 3 weeks after taking the EASTERN Championship,
Kelly Arnold finished the 2011 Mulligan Tour season by claiming the TOUR
Championship and finishing 2nd on the money list. Arnold
posted a 35-38 - 73 to beat David Martin by 1 and Joe Robar and Lou
Acosta by 2 in the final TOUR Championship at the Ann Arbor Polo Fields
G&CC. Arnold finished 2011 with 2 major titles and
$159.30 in prize money. Mike Prieskorn finished T-21 in the
championship but won the 2011 Money Title with $206.80 in earnings for
the year.
Martin (35-39 - 74) bogied the final 2 holes to fall
back to 2-over par for the championship. He has finished 2nd
at the TOUR Championship 4 times in 5 attempts since 2006.
Robar (38-37 - 75) and Acosta (40-35 - 75) shared 3rd place, each making
their 2nd top-4 finish at the Polo Fields in the last 3 years.
After a 3-year run at the exclusive Ann Arbor club, the
TOUR Championship is set to move to the Polo Fields Washtenaw (formerly
Washtenaw Country Club) in 2012.

Kelly Arnold - 2011 TOUR
Champion
Regional Wrap Up
August 30, 2011
It was a good weekend for
former Memorial Tournament champs.
Joe Robar shot a 1-over 72
at the Coyote Preserve on Saturday to win the 2011 WESTERN Championship
by 1-stroke over Jeff Klipa and by 2-strokes over Lou
Acosta. Robar won a Memorial Tournament in 2009, with
partner John Powell, and now has 2 major titles on his Mulligan Tour
resume. Added to the Casino Classic win in July, Robar became the
10th multiple tournament winner in 2011. He has earnings of
$97.67 from 5 top-4's this year.
Later that afternoon, Young
Tom Litzler fired a 2-under 70 at the Golden Fox to claim the 2011
PLAYERS Championship. The victory, a 6-stroke win over
Greg Kline and Terry Baar, was Young Tom's first win since the 2007
Crazy Brit and 4th in 68 career starts. A winner at the '05
Memorial with partner and dad, Old Tom Litzler, Young Tom became the
11th player in Tour history to surpass $500 in career prize money.
Then on Sunday, Kelly
Arnold, winner of the Green Towel in 2008 with partner Rick Persichetti,
shot a 3-over 75 at the Orchards Golf Club taking the 2011 EASTERN
Championship by 1-stroke over Joe Brandenburg. Arnold is the
6th player in Tour history to win 4 majors adding this EASTERN title to
the '06 PLAYERS, the '08 Memorial and the '09 Match Play.
One day after Young Tom Litzler, Arnold joined him in the career $500 club -
now 12 members strong.
Mike Prieskorn, one of only
3 players to compete in all three 2011 division championships, finished
4th in the WESTERN ($12) and 3rd in the EASTERN ($24) to wrap-up the
2011 Money Title. With $206.80 in earnings from 9 top-4's
this year, the prolific Prieskorn - he made 23 starts in 2011 - cannot
be caught for the overall Money Title with only the TOUR Championship
remaining. Incidentally, Prieskorn also has a Green Towel -
from the 2010 Memorial Tournament win with Thom Bales.

Joe Robar
Kelly Arnold
2011 WESTERN
Champ
2011 EASTERN Champ
Mike Prieskorn jumps to top of the money
standings with UPS title
August 22, 2011
Mike Prieskorn made the 2011
UPS Store Golf Classic his 2nd win of the year and the 6th of his career
by shooting a 1-under par 71 at Northville Hills on Sunday.
Prieskorn led the field in greens in regulation (11/18) and was the only
player in red numbers at day's end. The win was worth $36
and moved Prieskorn to the top of the money list with $170.80 in
earnings in 2011. Added to the Big Dog Pro-Am win in June,
he is the 9th player to earn multiple wins in 2011.
Barb Hoelzle (35-39 - 74) was
trying to conjure the spirits of the PLAYERS Championship that she won
here in 2008, but a triple bogey at the finishing hole derailed her
efforts and left her 3-strokes out of first. Lou Acosta (38-37 -
75) finished another stroke back in solo 3rd place while Steve Prew
(37-40 - 77) secured his 2nd top-4 of the season.

Mike Prieskorn - 2011 UPS
Store Golf Classic champ
Karl Carter nets 1-stroke win at Downing
Farms
August 22, 2011
Karl Carter shot a 1-over
par 72 and took a 1-stroke victory in the 2011 Ugly Pants Open at
Downing Farms on Saturday. The Dearborn resident posted 2
eagles and 5 birdies in the "up-and-down" round, epitomized by
the final 2 holes - a triple bogey at 17 and game winning birdie at
18. Carter collected a $28 first
place check and stamped his ticket to the WESTERN Championship in the
West's final regular season event.
Lou Acosta (37-36 - 73)
recorded his 5th top-4 of the year and moved up to 6th on the money list
($98.00). Phil Johnson (39-36 - 75) and Don Morris
(39-36 - 75) tied for 4th place. Morris slipped into the
lead in the West division ($86.50) and 4th overall ($110.75) in 2011
earnings.

Karl Carter - 2011 Ugly
Pants Open champ
Prez scores a playoff win at the
Caddyshack Classic
August 15, 2011
Erik Meland needed overtime
but prevailed at the 2011 Caddyshack Classic on Sunday.
Meland shot a 34-35 - 69 to tie with Eric Morris at 3-under
par. A Morris 3-putt on the first hole of the 4-hole
aggregate playoff was the difference and Meland took home the gopher
trophy for the second time. He also won the inaugural
Caddyshack in 1999.
This is the President's 2nd
win of 2011 and his 19th title in 13 years including 6 wins in 7
playoffs. Playing in his 209th tournament, the Tour's
founder tied David Martin for the career lead in top-4 finishes (71) and
tied Rick Persichetti for the career lead in wins (19). He
has earned over $1,300 and ranks 4th on the career money list.
Morris, the defending champ at the Links at Lake
Erie, made birdie on 3 of his final 4 holes to force the
playoff. Hitting a tournament best 13 greens in regulation,
Morris made an eagle and 7 birdies but fell just short of repeating at
the Caddyshack. Still, 2 runner-up finishes in one weekend's
not all bad. Morris made $36.80 in official Tour prize money
at Carrington and Lake Erie.
Don Morris (35-36 - 71)
finished in 3rd place - his 5th top-4 of the year. He ranks
5th on the overall money standings in 2011 with $95.25 in
earnings. Thom Bales (36-36 - 72) and Bill Gordon
(31-41 - 72) tied for 4th. Gordon was entertaining the
notion of sweeping the Tour's "southern swing" (Carrington
Classic and Caddyshack Classic) until running out of steam on the Links
inward nine.

Erik Meland - 2011
Caddyshack Classic champ
Bill Gordon claims Carrington title
August 15, 2011
Bill Gordon won the 2011
Carrington Classic on Saturday, becoming the 4th rookie to find the
winner's circle this year. The Ann Arbor resident shot a
back nine 30 and overcame a 9 stroke deficit at the turn. He
made 2 eagles and 4 birdies to finish at 2-under 70 - the only player to
finish in red numbers. Gordon won $36 and stamped his ticket
to the PLAYERS Championship at the end of the month.
A five-way tie for 2nd place
included the last 3 Carrington champs. Mike Prieskorn
(2010), Eric Morris (2009) and Kelly Arnold (2008) all finished at even
par 72 along with Tim Markel and Kevin Morin. The 2nd place
logjam yielded $12.80 for each player and, with 1 Central tournament
remaining, a spot in the top-20 Central money winners.

Bill Gordon - 2011
Carrington Classic champ
Powell is valiant victor at Go Blue
August 8, 2011
John Powell won the Go Blue
Classic on Sunday at Hudson Mills Metropark shooting a 32-35 - 67 that
has the Tour's statisticians scrambling to see if this is the first
perfect round on Tour. Powell recorded no net bogies on his
scorecard. He led the field in greens in regulation (8/18)
and was 2nd in putting (26 putts) and made 5 birdies and 13 pars.
The win is Powell's 2nd of
the season (Tin Cup) and 5th top-4. He is now ranked 2nd on
the money list with $133.50 in prize money, trailing Rich Dunmore by
just $5.25. The 2011 Go Blue Classic is Powell's 5th career
title. The 4th year pro from Livonia has moved into the top-10 in
career earnings ($561.40) on the strength of 26 top-4's in 52 starts.
Jeff Klipa (31-38 - 69) had
his best finish in 2011, and his 3rd top-4 of the year. The
$24 2nd place check guarantees a top-20 ranking on the west money list
and qualification for the WESTERN Championship on August
27th. Commissioner Phil Abele (38-32 - 70) took 3rd place,
his first top-4 of the year. The $16 should be enough to
qualify for the WESTERN but unfortunately, Abele will miss the division
Championship at the Coyote Preserve. Joe Robar (38-36 - 74)
and Scott Belanger (35-39 - 74) tied for 4th. Robar is 19th
on the west money list with one tournament remaining (Ugly Pants Open).

John Powell - 2011 Go Blue
Classic champ
T-Jake takes Fifty Cent Classic
August 8, 2011
Tim Jakubowski won his
2nd tournament of the year, securing a 1-stroke victory at the 2011
Fifty Cent Classic on Saturday. "T-Jake" made
birdies at 13, 15 and 17 to overtake Denny Ersig and finish at 7-under
par 65. The winning stash of 65 fifty cent pieces moved
Jakubowski to the top of the East division money standings ($60.50)
and 7th overall ($80.50).
Ersig (29-37 - 66) blistered
the front side but cooled off on the inward nine and settled for 2nd
place. He certainly secured a spot in the EASTERN Championship
with the $24.50 in prize money.
Costly bogies at the 15th
and 17th holes relegated Dan Schwartz (31-36 - 67) to 3rd place, his 2nd
top-4 finish of the year. The $16.50 should be enough to
qualify for the EASTERN. Charlie Roy (32-38 - 70) and Thom
Bales (35-35 - 70) shared 4th place.

Tim Jakubowski - 2011 Fifty
Cent Classic champ
Morin is 2011 Match Play Master
August 1, 2011
Kevin Morin, a rookie from
White Lake, took the 2011 Match Play Championship in commanding fashion
last weekend. Entering the tournament as the 15th seed,
Morin swept the 4 matches and became the first player ever to win the
Match Play title without ever having played the final 3 holes
competitively.
The title run was
impressive. Morin beat the defending champ, Thom Bales, on
Friday by a 4&3 score. He returned Saturday to face Scott Wyka,
fresh off a Crazy Brit win, and posted a 6&5 win while shooting even
par thru 13 holes. On Sunday, Morin closed the deal with a
semi final win over Karl Carter 5&3 in the morning and then
duplicated the 5&3 line over Mike Prieskorn in the
afternoon. In the 4 matches, Morin was a gross 14-over par
for 58 holes.
Morin is the first player to
make the Match Play Championship his first win on Tour. The $60 first place check
moves Morin up to 7th on the current money standings and secures a spot in the TOUR Championship in September.
Kevin Morin - 2011 Match
Play Champion
Klaus Juska takes inaugural East Side
Charity Classic
July 26, 2011
A rookie from Lake Orion,
Klaus Juska won his 2nd tournament of the year - the 2011 East Side
Charity Classic at Rammler GC on Sunday. He shot a 35-34 -
69 to finish at 2-under par and one stroke ahead of Johanna
Lewis. Juska led the field in driving accuracy (10 of 13
fairways) and was tied for most greens in regulation (8/18).
He won the Par-54 in June and is the leading candidate for
rookie-of-the-year with earnings of $87.00, 4th overall on the Money
Standings.
Lewis (36-34 - 70) posted
her 2nd top-4 finish in the month of July and earned another $21.00 in
official prize money. She is 10th on the East money
standings and 35th overall. Commissioner Tom Hoelzle (34-38
- 72) took 3rd place with Denny Ersig (33-40 - 73) and Joe Brandenburg
(38-35 - 73) sharing 4th place.
The Tour raised $240 for the
Michigan chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation. Tom Hoelzle
was closest to the pin on hole #8 winning 50% of the $60 prize
pool. He donated his half back to the charity.

Klaus Juska - 2011 East Side
Charity Classic champ
Crazy Brit is Scott Wyka's 3rd
title
July 24, 2011
Scott Wyka beat Jon
Heikkinen in a playoff for the 2011 Crazy Brit title. Wyka
made a 3-point birdie on the last hole of regulation play to get to 38
points total in the British Stableford scoring tournament.
Heikkinen, playing in the group behind Wyka, also finished with 38
points thanks to an eagle and 5 birdies. Wyka took the early
advantage in the 4-hole aggregate playoff with a par-2 to Heikkinen's
bogey-3, but he gave back the advantage on the 2nd hole with a 3-putt of
his own. Both players made par on the 3rd hole but a second 3-putt
by Heikkinen on the 4th hole gave the win to Wyka.
Wyka adds the 2011 Crazy
Brit crown to his previous wins at the 2009 Harbour Pointe Open and 2005
TOUR Championship. Saturday's win is his second top-4 in
2011 and he currently ranks 20th on the current money list.
Chris Dunmore scored 37
points and finished in 3rd place, 1 point ahead of his brother Rich
Dunmore and 3 others that included Barry Kirsch, Ned Loving and Don
Morris. Rich added another $3.25 to his 2011 coffers and
continues to lead the Tour in prize money with $138.75.

Scott Wyka - 2011 Crazy Brit
champ
Ray Collins is Senior champ
July 18, 2011
Ray Collins edged Mike
Harmon for the 2011 MT Senior Open title on a hot and muggy Sunday at Kensington
Metropark. Collins birdied the 413-yard par-4 18th, one of 7
birdies on his round, to finish
at 1-under 70 and a 1-stroke win. The victory is
Collins' 4th Tour title in 61 starts over 8 years on Tour and made him
the 28th player to earn $300 in prize money. As the 2011
Senior Open champ, Collins is exempt from qualifying for the TOUR
Championship at the Polo Fields in September.
Harmon, a rookie from
Ypsilanti, posted his first top-4 finish in his 8th start on Tour.
A birdie at the 17th tied Harmon for the lead, but a bogey at the
finishing hole avoided a playoff. Tom Moran (37-35 - 72)
finished 1-over par and took 3rd place while Tom Hoelzle (34-39 - 73)
finished in solo 4th as the field of 24 seniors all survived the 100
degree heat index .

Ray Collins - 2011 MT Senior
Open champ
Kellstrom nets 69 to take
2nd Two Stick Classic
July 18, 2011
Jeff Kellstrom shot a
2-under par 69 at the Links at Whitmore Lake on Saturday to win the 2011
Two-Stick Classic by 7 strokes. Kellstrom used his 4-hybrid
and a wedge to set a new scoring record at the Two-Stick.
The aggregate 69 is one stroke better than Gary Rose's 2-under 70 in
2004 at Sandy Creek and matched the following year by Kellstrom's wife
Heather when she won at Rustic Glen with a 2-under 70.
Kellstrom hit 9 of 13
fairways (tied for 3rd in the field), hit 9 of 18 greens in regulation
(T-1st) and made 6 birdies (1st) to win the Two-Stick for a second
time. His first career win came at the 2002 Two-Stick played
at Carrington GC. Kellstrom now has 7 career victories among 26
top-4's in 60 starts on Tour.
Eric Morris (34-42 - 76)
finished 2nd and collected his 3rd top-4 of the year. Young
Tom Litzler (39-38 - 77) edged out his dad for 3rd place.
Old Tom Litzler (35-43 - 78) has 4 top-4's this season and is currently
ranked 11th on the Money List

Jeff Kellstrom - 2011
Two-Stick Classic champ
Rich Dunmore goes low and posts 3rd win
at Doc's Sports Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge
July 17, 2011
Shooting the lowest score on
Tour this year, Rich Dunmore passed 3rd round leader Greg Kline with a
31-33 - 64 at Whispering Willows to finish at 14-under 271 and win the 2011 Doc's Sports
Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge. Dunmore leads the Tour in wins
(3) and money earned ($135.50) in 2011 and is a lock to make the Central
Commissioner's Cup team in September.
Dunmore was aided by PGA pro
Zach Johnson (65), Champions Tour pro Jeff Sluman (70) and the LPGA's Ai
Miyazato (72) in the four-Tour combined scoring event.
Kline's professional golfers included Johnson (65), John Cook (67) and
Christie Kerr (71). Kline (36-40 - 76) finished at 6-under
279 and was a runner-up for the 4th time in 8 appearances at this event.
Dave Oliver (36-33 - 69)
took 3rd place with a total of 283 (-2) finishing in the money for the
first time in his 8th career start on Tour. Steve Villerot
(36-41 - 77) secured his first top-4 of the year with a 4-round
total of 284 on the Livonia course where he won the Crazy Brit last
year.

Rich Dunmore -
2011 Doc's Sports Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge champ

Tour President Erik Meland
presents a check for $155 to Stacy Bering of English Springer Rescue
America, Inc.
Samantha Kellstrom is Lady Golfer of the
Year
July 11, 2011
The Tour's youngest member
just became the Tour's youngest winner ever after Samantha Kellstrom
took the 2011 Indigo Salon & Spa Ladies Open on Sunday at Pheasant
Run Golf Club. Samantha shot a 31-34 - 65 from a career best gross
87. The 65 sets a new record low score at the Ladies Open
beating DeVonne Mowry's 5-under 66 at Blackheath in 2007. A
few months shy of her 13th birthday, Samantha is also the youngest
winner on Tour - 4 years younger than Young Tom Litzler when he won the
2005 Memorial Tournament at age 17.
Perennial favorite Mowry
(38-40 - 78) tied for 2nd in what may be her final Ladies Open
appearance as her career path will take her out of Michigan for a few
years. Mother-to-be Sharon Prew (40-38 - 78) finished strong
in the 95 degree heat and recorded her best finish on Tour.
Johanna Lewis (43-39 - 82) also posted her first ever top-4.

Samantha Kellstrom - 2011
Indigo Salon & Spa Ladies Open champ
Joe Robar cashes in at Casino Classic
July 11, 2011
What were the
odds? The Casino Classic is 2 for 2 in playoffs.
One year after Art Wakeford won the inaugural Casino Classic in
overtime, Joe Robar won a playoff with Ron Hiestand to take the 2011 Casino Classic at
the Twin Lakes GC
last Saturday. This is Robar's 2nd Tour win but the
first solo victory. He and John Powell won the 2009 Memorial
Tournament together.
Robar (37-34 - 71) finished
the regulation 18 holes in even par and then waited for Hiestand,
playing in the final group, to come in at level par as well.
Robar and Hiestand traded 2-putt pars for the 4-hole playoff, but Robar
birdied the first sudden death hole to claim the top prize.
The win puts Robar in the top-5 in the East ($32) and 17th overall
($44.67) in prize money.
Hiestand (32-39 - 71) held
the front nine lead, and earned an extra $20 bill for 3 consecutive
birdies, but a bogie on 18 created the tie. The 2nd place
check pushes Hiestand up to 3rd on the East money standings.
Sam Akunuri (36-37 - 73)
finished alone in 3rd place while Klaus Juska (37-37 - 74) and Joe
Brandenburg (39-35 - 74) shared 4th. Brandenburg also
snagged a Jackson for making 3 birdies in a row.

Joe Robar - 2011 Casino
Classic champ
Lou Acosta defends Strokes on a Rope at
Huntmore
July 10, 2011
Lou Acosta earned the red
ribbon for a 2nd win at the Strokes on a Rope tournament. He
and David Martin shot 5-over 77's at Huntmore GC on Saturday and Acosta
earned the playoff win thanks to a 1-putt on the 2nd hole of the 4-hole
playoff. First time winners of the SoaR get a white ribbon
attached to the trophy. Second time wins get red ribbons and
3rd time wins get blue ribbons.
Acosta hit 9 of 14 fairways
and 9 of 18 greens in regulation while making 31 strokes with the
putter. He added $36 to his season earnings and now ranks
5th on the West Money list ($41.00) and 9th overall ($59.00).
David Martin led the field
in greens in regulation with 12. Martin has had the low
score at each SoaR played at Huntmore GC - earning his red
ribbon in 2007 and losing a playoff in 2008. He earned
his white ribbon for winning the SoaR at Lake Forest in 2005.
Mike Prieskorn took 3rd
place with a 78 and Jon Heikkinen made the top-4 with an 81.

Lou Acosta - 2011 Strokes on
a Rope champ
Perch wins 2nd HP Open, 7th major triumph
June 27, 2011
Rick Persichetti alternated
pars and birdies over the final 8 holes at the Majestic at Lake Walden
on Sunday to finish with a 68 and 2 round total of 6-under par 138 to
win the 2011 Commercial Underwriters Harbour Pointe Open by 5
strokes. Perch was chasing Sam Akunuri and Klaus Juska on
the front nine and finally overtook Akunuri for the lead on the 14th
hole. Akunuri and Juska both shot final round 75's and tied for
2nd at 1-under 143.
This was Persichetti's 2nd
HPO win, joining Thom Bales and Erik Meland with multiple HPO
titles. Persichetti won the HPO in 2004 at Eagle Crest GC in
a playoff. But no playoff was needed in 2011, the 13th
edition of the Harbour Pointe Open, when Perch closed the deal with a
back nine 33 that required only 11 putts.
Four strokes behind to start
the championship round, John Powell (72-72 - 144) started quickly with
birdies on 3 of the first 4 holes and got to within 2 of the lead after
an eagle-2 on the 14th hole but settled for 4th place alone at even
par. Tournament host Dan Schwartz shared 5th place with
Steve Prew. Schwartz (72-73 - 145) hit 12 of 14 fairways on
Sunday and had his best showing in the HPO since a 10th place finish in
2008.

2011 Harbour Pointe
Open champ Rick Persichetti with Commercial Underwriters' Dan Schwartz
Klaus Juska and Sam Akunuri lead HP Open
with first round 68's
June 26, 2011
Rookie Klaus Juska and
Memorial champ Sam Akunuri are tied for the lead after the opening round
of the 2011 Commercial Underwriters Harbour Pointe Open.
Each posted a 4-under par 68 and hold a 2-stroke lead over 2004 HPO
champ Rick Persichetti. Five others, including tournament
host Dan Schwartz, are 4 strokes back.
Eighteen players made the
cut, established at 5-over par 77, and are continuing play on Sunday
afternoon in this 36-hole major championship.
Hoelzle wins Holy Grail playoff
June 25, 2011
Tom Hoelzle captured the
2011 Holy Grail at St.Johns Golf & Conference Center on June 18th,
outlasting the defending champ, Phil Johnson, in a
playoff. Hoelzle took the lead on the first playoff
hole and held on to secure his 2nd career victory. He
has 13 top-4's in 106 career starts.
Johnson (34-38 - 72) birdied
the 18th hole to force the playoff. He has 2 career top-4's,
both coming in this event in the last 2 years.
Mike Prieskorn (39-34 - 73)
bogied the 18th and missed joining the playoff by a stroke.
Prieskorn has 3 top-4's in 2011 and is currently 5th on the Money List
($64). Don Morris (36-38 -
74) finished 4th and continues to lead the West Division money standings
with $76.00 in earnings and is ranked 3rd on the overall standings.

Tom Hoelzle - 2011 Holy
Grail champ
Terry Baar masters Farmington Hills
again, defends Real McCoy
June 20, 2011
Terry Baar shot a 6-under 65
to reclaim the Real McCoy Classic title on Saturday. Even
par through her first 12 holes, Baar played the final 6 holes in 6-under
par including an eagle-birdie-birdie finish that sealed the
deal. Baar was 36% in driving accuracy and hit 7 of 18
greens stroking 35 putts to win by 3.
In 6 appearances at Farmington Hills GC, Baar has
finished 1st or 2nd four times in the Real McCoy while carrying a 66.7
net-stroke scoring average. Baar now has 4 wins among 19
top-4's in 94 career starts.
Jon Heikkinen (35-33 - 68)
finished 2nd needing only 28 putts - best in the field. This
was Heikkinen's 2nd top-4 of the year. Lou Acosta, the 2009 Real McCoy
champ, secured 3rd place with a 2-under 69.
Acosta led the field with 13 greens in regulation. Jeff
Klipa (34-36 - 70) took 4th place alone staying ahead of a trio of
players at even par. Host Victor McCoy was T-15 with a
3-over 75.

2011 Real McCoy champ Terry
Baar
Victor McCoy and Terry Baar
Dunmore is tops on Tour after Plymouth
Open win
June 14, 2011
Rich Dunmore, a 2nd year pro
from Livonia, birdied the 18th hole at Fox Hills GC to win the 2011
Dudlee's Plymouth Open by a stroke on Sunday. Dunmore
recorded 6 birdies and an eagle to post a 2-under par 68 for his 2nd win
of the year and 4th top-4 in 8 starts. The first place check
of $28 catapulted Dunmore to the top of the Money Standings with $99.00
in earnings this year.
Tom W Litzler (33-36 - 69)
and Mike Sikes (34-35 - 69) tied for 2nd. Litzler is leading
the Central division money list with $47.50 and is ranked 5th
overall. Sikes posted his first top-4 finish in his 8th
career start. Han Kim (35-35 - 70) and Eric Morris (36-34 -
70) shared 4th place.
Host Karl Carter finished
T-12 with a 7-over 77. Carter's designated charity for
the 2011 Dudlee's Plymouth Open was Leader Dogs for the Blind.
The tournament raised $655 for Leader Dogs through the sale of
"back-nine mulligans", a blind-folded putting contest and
several raffles.

Host Karl Carter and Rich
Dunmore, 2011 Dudlee's Plymouth Open champ
Prieskorn is Big Dog at Riverview
June 14, 2011
Mike Prieskorn came from 3
strokes back to win the 2011 Big Dog Pro-Am. Tied for
6th with PGA pro Rory McIlroy's 68 going into play on Saturday, Prieskorn added
his own 68 at Riverview Highlands for a 2-round total of 8-under par 136
to beat Rich Dunmore by a stroke. Prieskorn has 8 top-4's in
32 career starts, but 5 of those are victories.
Prieskorn led the field
hitting 9 of 18 greens in regualtion and was T-1 in putting
(28). The $32 first place check ranks 4th on the East Money
Standings.
Dunmore (65-72 - 138)
notched his 3rd top-4 of the year and 2nd year pros Ron Hiestand (68-72
- 140) and Joe Brandenburg (68-73 - 141) recorded their first career
top-4's.

Mike Prieskorn - 2011 Big
Dog Pro-Am champ
Martin bags another Fox Hunt
June 14, 2011
David Martin collected
career win #18 by successfully defending his Fox Hunt title last Friday. Martin
recorded 51 points on the Strategic Fox layout - the same score that won
him the 2010 Fox Hunt title. A veteran of 128 tournaments
over 11 years, Martin has 70 top-4 finishes and over $1,400 in career
earnings.
Tim Jakubowski finished 2nd
with 49 points with Mike Prieskorn taking 3rd (48 points) and Jeff
Kellstrom (46) getting his first top-4 since rejoining the Tour.

David Martin - 2011 Fox Hunt
champ
Don Morris' 70 is good
again
June 6, 2011
Don Morris won the Animal House Classic for the 2nd time in 3 years at Salem Hills GC on
Saturday. He posted a 37-33 - 70 to win the 2011 event by 3 strokes over
Kelly Arnold and John Powell. The aggregate 70 has been the
same winning score in the AHC for 5 of the last 6 years - the only exception
being Morris' 5-over 77 in wet & windy conditions in 2009.
The victory is Morris' 2nd
of the year, after winning the Pine View Classic in April.
He is 3rd on the overall Money Standings but leads the West Division
with $68 from the 2 wins. Morris has 5 career titles and
$282 in career earnings.
Arnold (36-37 -
73) finished in the top-4 for the 2nd time and is 6th on the Money
List. The $22.50 for T-2 has Powell (35-38 - 73)
still leading the Tour in earnings with $75.50 after his 4th top-4 of
the season. Thom Bales, Joe Robar and Tom Sachs tied for
4th.
Sachs prevailed in the
Zoo putt-off for the 4 players with the lowest Zoo ratios. He
outlasted Leo Bechard on the 3rd extra hole after Bales and Morris bowed
out after 4 holes.

Don Morris - 2011 Animal House Classic
champ
Pressure Cooker
June 6, 2011
Erik Meland won
the inaugural Cherry Creek Classic last Saturday by outlasting Barb
Hoelzle in a 7 hole playoff. This was the Tour
founder's 18th
career Tour win but his first since the 2008 Quad-Tour Challenge.
Meland and Hoelzle finished the regulation 18 holes at 1-under par 71
and then traded 2-putt pars for the 4-hole playoff. Meland
secured the win on the 3rd extra hole with his 7th consecutive 2-putt
while Hoelzle finally succumbed to a tricky putt that rose nearly 2 feet
and then dropped back down 2 feet to a hole 15 feet away.
In regulation,Meland played the final 6
holes in 6-under par with 4 birdies and an eagle to force the
playoff. The win, worth $32, sends Meland to the top of the
East Money List ($46) and almost certainly secures a spot on the East
Commissioner's Cup team in September. Hoelzle, the Tour's
all-time leader among female members with 6 wins and $470 in career
earnings, is 0-3 in playoffs but she is ranked 2nd on the East Money
List ($33.60) and has most likely secured her spot on the East
Commisioner's Cup team as well.
Charlie Roy (36-36 - 72)
recorded birdies on 4 of the last 5 holes but a double-bogey at 17
derailed the comeback and he missed joining the playoff by 1
stroke. Steve Prew (39-36 - 75) and Rick Persichetti (38-37
- 75) shared 4th place.

Erik Meland - 2011 Cherry Creek
Classic champ
Akunuri and Carter claim Green
Towels at 2011 Memorial
May 22, 2011
Sam Akunuri and Karl Carter
are Mulligan Tour major champions after beating a veteran field of
competitors at the 2011 Memorial Tournament. Under sunny
skies and warm temps that do not always (OK, hardly
ever) frame the
backdrop of Erik and Susan Meland's Memorial Tournament, Akunuri and
Carter played steady scramble-golf netting 6 birdies to finish at
4-under 68. Bogies on the 2 back-nine par-3's were their
only setbacks.
Dan Schwartz and Ned Loving
(33-36 - 69) birdied their final hole to finish solo 2nd at 3-under
par. The pair needed only 24 putts on the Gateway greens - lowest
in the field. A 3-way tie for 3rd at 2-under 70
included the teams of Rich and Chris Dunmore, Mike Pearcy and Erik
Johnson, and Bob and Terry Baar.
This is Carter's 2nd win (2010
Chelsea Classic) and Akunuri's first,
as the pair get their first major victories on Tour. The $40
first place checks move both players up to 4th on the Money List as the
Tour breaks for the Memorial Day weekend.

Sam Akunuri and Karl Carter
- 2011 Memorial Tournament champs
Top-10
at the 2011 Memorial Tournament |
|
NET
|
Player
|
1
|
33-35 – 68
|
Karl Carter – Sam Akunuri
$40
|
2
|
33-36 – 69
|
Dan Schwartz – Ned Loving
$30
|
3
|
34-36 – 70
|
Rich Dunmore – Chris Dunmore
$15
|
|
35-35 – 70
|
Mike Pearcy – Erik Johnson $15
|
|
34-36 – 70
|
Bob Baar – Terry Baar $15
|
6
|
35-36 – 71
|
Tom Moran – Tim Markel
$5
|
7
|
36-36 – 72
|
Steve Prew – Sharon Prew
|
|
34-38 – 72
|
Mike Sikes – Han Kim
|
|
36-36 – 72
|
Jeff Klipa – Victor McCoy
|
10
|
35-38 – 73
|
Don Morris – Eric Morris
|
Click
here for complete final standings of the 2011 Memorial Tournament
Martin is 2011 Chelsea Champ
May 16, 2011
David Martin posted a 34-33
- 67 at Pierce Lake GC to win the 2011 Chelsea Classic by
4-strokes. The perennial leader in accuracy, from the tee
and with the approach, hit 9 of 13 fairways and 11 of 18
greens. Martin, a 12 year veteran from Belleville with
nearly $1,400 in career earnings, needed 32 putts and converted an eagle and 4
birdies against a lone bogey to finish 5-under par for his 17th career
title.
John Powell (39-32 - 71) led
the Chelsea field in driving (11 fairways hit) and greens in regulation
(12) as well as birdies made (6). The 2nd place finish moves the #1 ranked player on
Tour to the top of the Money Standings with $53 earned in 3 starts this
year. Tom Moran (36-36 - 72) fell back to 3rd place
with a double-bogey on the finishing hole. Lou Acosta (36-37
- 73), Ray Collins (34-39 - 73) and Charlie Roy (37-36 - 73) shared 4th
place.

David Martin - 2011 Chelsea
Classic champ
Dunmore Spartys On at Pine Trace
May 16, 2011
Rich Dunmore shot a 37-35 -
72 to claim the 2011 Sparty Classic by 5-strokes. The
Livonia resident, starting his 2nd year on Tour, made 5 birdies playing
in the final group and saved Commissioner Tom Hoelzle from conducting a
large playoff with several players leading in the clubhouse with 5-over
77's. Dunmore recorded 6 greens in regulation and
needed 36 putts to earn his first win, and 3rd top-4, in his 21st career
start.
The group of 5 players that
tied for 2nd included Barb Hoelzle, Tom Sachs, Eric Morris, Dick Spiers
and rookie Kevin Morin.

Rich Dunmore - 2011 Sparty
Classic champ
Jakubowski nets first win in a
Sweet Sixteen playoff
May 9, 2011
Tim Jakubowski, a 2nd year
pro from Lincoln Park, overcame a 2 stroke deficit in a playoff with
Kelly Arnold to capture his first Tour win at the 2011 Sweet Sixteen at
Blackheath Golf Club. Arnold, after an eagle on the 18th
forced the playoff, took a 1-stroke lead on the first hole of the
4-hole playoff when Jakubowski 3-putted. Arnold then
extended the lead to 2 with a nice 18 footer on the 2nd
hole. When both players 3-putted the 3rd hole it seemed a
certainty that Arnold would secure his 7th Tour victory. But
that's when things got interesting.
Jakubowski cleaned up a
2-putt par on the 4th hole and Arnold missed his 2nd and 3rd
strokes. He drained a 2 footer to force sudden death but the
gallery sensed Arnold's dejection. On the 2nd extra hole
Arnold could not match Jakubowski's 2-putt par and the comeback was
complete. Jakubowski collects a $28 first place check
Jakubowski and Arnold had
both finished 6-under par after throwing out their 2 worst holes in the
Sweet Sixteen format. Erik Meland (3 under) took 3rd place
and Charlie Roy (2 under) finished 4th.

Tim Jakubowski - 2011 Sweet
Sixteen champ
Markel makes Western Swing his first Tour
victory
May 9, 2011
Tim Markel shot
a 33-37 - 70 to win the 2011 Western Swing by
5-strokes. A closing double-bogey on 18 was of no
consequence after he recorded a double-eagle on the 16th to open a 7
shot margin. Aided by 6 birdies, an eagle and the
double-eagle, Markel tallied his first win on Tour in 38 career starts.
The Ann Arbor resident had 5 top-4's previously with his closest chance
coming in a playoff loss to Thom Bales at the 2009 Quad-Tour Challenge.
Young Tom Litzler (38-37 -
75) finished in 2nd place, 3 strokes ahead of his dad. Old
Tom (39-39 - 78) has 2 top-4's in as many starts in 2011 as the
father/son team prepare for the Memorial Tournament in 2
weeks. Joe Robar (41-38 - 79) and Jon Heikkinen (37-42 - 79)
shared 4th place.

Tim Markel - 2011 Western
Swing champ
Tin Cup is John Powell's 4th win
May 1, 2011
John Powell beat Greg Kline
in a playoff to claim the 2011 Tin Cup - his 4th win in his 4th year on
Tour. Powell and Kline both finished at 5-over par 77, the
same score Kline had in winning the Tin Cup in 2006. The
field averaged a net score of 84.6 at Hickory Creek. Kline,
3 strokes behind Powell with 3 to play, made a birdie at 14 and caught
Powell when John made a double-bogey at 16.
The playoff was a reversal
of fortune. Powell took the lead in the 4-hole playoff with
par-2's on the first 2 holes while Kline was 3-putting.
Kline had not 3-putted at all during regulation play. Both
players 3-putted the 3rd and Powell had a 2-stroke cushion with one to
play. Kline finally got down in 2 while Powell 3-putted
again but the win was secured. The 3rd ranked player on
Tour, Powell's 4th title gives him 22 top-4's in 43 career starts and
$459.90 in career earnings.
Tom W Litzler (38-40 - 78)
and Scott Wyka (40-38 - 78) shared 3rd place. Wyka finished
his round with a birdie-2 at the 17th and Litzler completed his round at
18 with an eagle-3 but both fell 1-stroke short of joining the
playoff. Young Tom Litzler (43-37 - 80) and Steve Prew (38-42 -
80) tied for 5th. Young Tom also earned an invitation to the
Central Skins Game on October 2nd by finishing closest-to-the-pin on
hole #11.

John Powell - 2011 Tin
Cup Champ
Morris cuts down Pine View field
May 1, 2011
Don Morris shot a 37-36 - 73
to win the 2011 Pine View Classic by 1 over Erik
Meland. Morris hit 4 of 14 fairways and 3 of 18 greens,
needing 31 putts to finish 1-over par. His 4th win in 34
career starts (and 10th top-4) is his first victory since August 2009.
Morris showed concern for the PVC trophy that had filled it's 12 years
of champions around the base so Meland, acting in official Tour
capacity, hand wrote the details on the bottom of the trophy.
Meland, a winner here in '04
and '05, was 3-under par thru 10 and trying to become the first player in
over 10 years to score in the 60's at Pine View. But playing the
final 8 holes in 5-over par doomed the former champ to 2nd
place. Meland has 7 top-4's at Pine View having started in
all 13 tournaments.
Barb Hoelzle (43-38 - 81)
and Rick Persichetti (37-44 - 81) finished 8-strokes back of Morris but
that was good enough for a share of 3rd place. Once again,
Pine View offered a tough start to the West division schedule as the
field averaged nearly 14 strokes over par.

Don Morris - 2011 Pine
View Classic champ
New Season underway Saturday
April 26, 2011
The 2011 season is set to
kick-off on Saturday as the Tour's Central Division opens at Hickory
Creek for the 13th edition of the Tin Cup. The Tour's
West Division also starts on Saturday as the Pine View Classic will be
contested for the 13th time. There are 24 players in the
field at Pine View and the Tin Cup has 28 entrants. The
weather looks good for Saturday and hopefully the turf will dry out a
little by the weekend.
Q-School 1 is lost to weather
April 22, 2011
The April 22 make-up date
for the first Q-School was cancelled - again due to wet and rainy
conditions. And the 2nd Q-School, set for April 23 at
Whispering Willows, is in jeopardy as well. A rain out there
would leave both Q-Schools cancelled for the first time in Tour history.
School's Out
April 17, 2011
April showers,
bring... delayed tournaments!!
It's a rainy start to the
2011 season. The first Qualifying School, scheduled for
April 16 at Fox Creek GC in Livonia, was rained out. Though
the day did not bring a complete washout, the Tour opted for a
postponement of Q-School 1, rather than subject the rookie class to
cool, windy and wet conditions. Although, it would have made
good practice for the Memorial Tournament!
The Tour may try to save the
fate of Q-School 1 by rescheduling for Friday, April 22, the day before
Q-School 2. All members are welcome to re-register for the
Good Friday edition of Q-School.
Ladies Open gains sponsor in Indigo Salon
& Spa
April 8, 2011
In the event's 5th year, the Mulligan Tour's Ladies
Open picks up a title sponsor for 2011. Indigo Salon,
Spa and Boutique of Canton has agreed to sponsor the Tour's ladies
championship. The "Rally for a Cure" event,
scheduled for July 10 at Pheasant Run GC, will continue to
support the efforts of the Susan G Komen foundation for breast cancer
awareness.
Voted the best Salon &
Day Spa in Detroit, Indigo will provide $25 gift certificates as
closest-to-the-pin prizes (3 of 4 par-3's) and one longest drive
(ladies). There will also be the traditional 50/50 putting
contest to raise money for cause. There is also speculation
that Indigo massage therapists may be on hand before the tournament to
give neck and shoulder massages in return for a donation to the Susan G
Komen foundation.
Indigo
Salon, Spa & Boutique website
Doc's Sports Retreat to sponsor Quad-Tour Challenge
April 7, 2011
The Quad-Tour Challenge
picked up a title sponsor for the 2011 season. Doc's Sports
Retreat in Livonia has agreed to a 1-year deal to sponsor the event,
scheduled for July 16 at Whispering Willows GC.
The tournament will formally
be called the Doc's Sports Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge and the format
will continue to test the players knowledge of professional
golfers. Each player will add 3 pro scores to his/her net
score at Whispering Willows for a four round team score. The
3 pro scores will come from the better score of 2 draft choices in each
pro tour - the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour and the LPGA
Tour. The pro scores will come from their July 10th
rounds.
The tournament will feature
$20 Doc's Sports Retreat gift certificates as closest-to-the-pin prizes
on each of the 4 par-3 holes. The event will also support
English Springer Rescue America, Inc. by donating $5 from every player's
entry fee and 50% of the Springer Putting Challenge to the organization.
Doc's Sports
Retreat website
Membership dues hold for '11
February, 2011
The Mulligan Tour continues
to grow in 2011, the Tour's 13th season.
Membership rates will remain
the same for the 4th year in a row. A full membership will cost
$120 for the year, although there is a $20 discount if the membership is
received by March 31. A limited membership (6 events max) is
still available for $80. Golfers can join
at any time of the year.
The Tour will conduct more
than 40 events in 2011 including 10 tournaments in the West Division, 10
tournaments in the Central Division and 9 tournaments in the East
Division. Add in the major championships, and the Ladies
Open and the Senior Open, and the total purse during the season is over
$3,800.00!!
Click here for the tentative
2011 tournament schedule.
Once again the Tour will
host 2 Qualifying Schools (April 16 and 23) to give new members a head
start on establishing a Mulligan Tour Handicap Index. The
Q-Schools are not mandatory, but are helpful for new members to get
oriented to Tour playing rules and procedures.
The major championship sites
for 2011 include Gateway GC (The Memorial), the Majestic at Lake Walden
(HP Open), and the Woodlands of Van Buren (Match Play Ch.).
The division championships scheduled for August 27 include a return to
the Golden Fox for the PLAYERS (Central) Championship, a return to the
Coyote Preserve for the WESTERN Championship and, tentatively, a first ever stop at
the Orchards GC for the EASTERN Championship. The TOUR
Championship will conclude its 3-year run at the Polo Fields G&CC on
September 17.
The Mulligan Tour will again
have
a booth at the 2011 Michigan Golf Show, scheduled for March 4-6
at the Suburban Collection Showplace (formerly
Rock Financial Showplace) in Novi. Visit http://michigangolfshow.com/
for details about show.
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