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ARCHIVE - 2012
Rich Dunmore
wins Skill Challenge, Team Central rings
Division Bell, T-Jake wipes Runny Nose
November 15, 2012
The
2012 season concluded on November 10th
with Tim Jakubowski winning the warmest
Runny Nose Open in
history. T-Jake
recorded 6 birdies and an eagle in
shooting 35-31 - 66 to beat Thom
Bales by 1-stroke. The
temperature reached 63 degrees at
Harbor Club GC, eclipsing the
previous record of 60 degrees at
the 2006 RNO. The
record warmth brought out a record
number of participants - 17
Touring members among the 20 total
players.
On
October 28th, the Central Division
claimed the Division Bell for the
3rd time edging out the team from
the West Division by a single
stroke. Jon Heikkinen
(74), Greg Kline (76), Kelly
Arnold (77) and Dan Michalski (77)
totaled 20-over par 304 for Team
Central. Charlie Roy (72)
led all players and was joined by
Mike Prieskorn (73), Jeff Klipa
(78) and Phil Abele (82) to give
Team West a 305 total.
Team East finished 16-strokes back
at 36-over 320.
There
was a record turn-out for the 2012
MT Skills Challenge at Riverview
Highlands on Oct 21.
Rich Dunmore took home the $75
first prize after earning 30
points in the 7
events. He won the 3rd
event - the 5-yard chip - by
holing out and placed in the first
4 events to build a lead that held
up for the win. Joe
Robar sank a 60 foot putt to win
the tie-breaker for 2nd place
($50). Bill Gordon
settled for 3rd ($25) among the 13
contestants.
Management settles labor
unrest
October 15,
2012
Team Management kept the
President's Cup trophy with a 5 ½ to 3
½ win over Team Labor on Sunday
at St.John's Golf & Conference
Center. In
the closest matches yet in the 3 year old event,
eight of the nine matches used all
9 holes. With President Erik Meland's
troops leading 3 ½ to 2 ½ after the best ball and
alternate shot matches, Tom & Barb
Hoelzle beat Klaus Juska
and Charlie Roy 2&1
in the scrambles - the only match
not to reach the 9th hole. The
President himself made the Cup
clinching putt on the scramble's 9th hole after partner
Jeff Klipa popped a
"Mickelsonesque" lob wedge from behind a pine tree.
Meland / Klipa won the hole to halve
the match with Ron Hiestand / Joe
Brandenburg securing the 5th
point. Greg
Kline, 1-0-2 in the
matches, halved the final match
with partner Tim Jakubowski (1-0-1) to
provide the final score.
Bill Gordon was 1-1-0 in his 2
matches as he and Jakubowski played
for the first time
for Team Management.
Team Management - Jeff Klipa, Greg Kline,
Bill Gordon, Erik Meland
Tim
Jakubowski, Barb Hoelzle & Tom Hoelzle
Tour's
Western Division takes
Commissioner's Cup
October 9,
2012
Team
West wrestled away the Commissioner's
Cup from the Central Division last
weekend at Forest Dunes Golf Club ending
a 4-year reign for the team in
red. Captained by the Tour's
founder, Erik Meland, the west team
dominated in team play building a 12 to
4 lead on Saturday. Needing only
a half point in the Sunday singles
matches, Team West won the Cup for the
first time since 2007 when Thom Bales
beat Rich Dunmore 6&5 in singles
match #2. The teams would
eventually split the singles matches 4
to 4 giving the West a final 16 to 8
victory.
Bales was 5-0-0 in this 8th
Commissioner's Cup, delivering only the
6th perfect record in Comm Cup
history. The west division team
also included Mike Prieskorn (4-0-1),
Tom Moran (4-1-0), Tom Hoelzle (3-1-1),
Bill Gordon (3-2-0), Barb Hoelzle
(2-2-1) and Tim Jakubowski
(2-3-0). Meland was 3-1-1 in
his 5 matches and evened his record at 2
wins and 2 losses as a Comm Cup captain.
Team West
- Bill Gordon, Tom Moran, Thom
Bales, Erik Meland
Mike Prieskorn, Tim
Jakubowski, Tom Hoelzle &
Barb Hoelzle
Greg Kline is TOUR Champ again
September 19,
2012
Winner
of 3 of the first 4 TOUR Championships,
Greg Kline returned to the top of the
Mulligan Tour mountain in
2012. Kline finished the
2012 tournament season by winning the
TOUR Championship for a 4th time, this
one a 2-stroke win over Erik Meland, as
the season ending major moves to the
Washtenaw course of the Polo Fields Golf
& Country Club. Playing
in the final group, Kline posted pars
over the final 3 holes to finish at
4-over 76 and preserve his 10th major
victory among 20 career wins. He
also moved to the top of the career
money list having amassed $1,608 from
playing in 174 tournaments over an
11-year career.
Lou Acosta
wins Ugly Pants Open
September 3,
2012
Lou
Acosta shot a 36-36 - 72 at Downing
Farms on the first day of September to
win the rescheduled 2012 Ugly Pants Open
by 1-stroke over Ray
Collins. Acosta led the
field in putting (29 putts) thanks to
sinking 2 putts from the fringe (0-putt)
and the birdie at the 18th was the
difference. The win is
Acosta's 4th in 46 career starts and
gets Acosta into the top-10 on the 2012
West money standings and a ticket into
the TOUR Championship.
Collins
(38-35 - 73) posted his 3rd top-4 of the
year but needed to win in order to
qualify for the TOUR Championship on
September 15. Rookie Jan
Boyer (34-40 - 74) was leading after 10
holes but finished in 3rd place after
triple bogies at the 11th and
16th. Tom Sachs (40-35 -
75), Karl Carter (40-35 - 75) and Scott
Belanger (39-36 - 75) shared 4th place.
Tom
Hoelzle won the "Ugliest Attire" award -
a $40 discount on 2013 membership.
Lou
Acosta - 2012 Ugly Pants Open champ
"The
Godfather" wins PLAYERS Championship for
2nd time
Ron Hiestand
takes the EASTERN
Joe Robar
defends the WESTERN
August 30,
2012
Division
championship weekend culminated in an
epic playoff duel between Tom Sachs and
Greg Kline for the 2012 PLAYERS
Championship. Affectionately
known as the Godfather, Tom Sachs
finished the regulation 18 holes with
birdies at 17 and 18 to force the tie
with Kline at 5-over 77. The
ensuing playoff witnessed Sachs make a
30 footer for birdie-1 on the 4th hole
to make up for a 3-putt on the 2nd
hole. The 2 tied after 4
holes and continued in sudden death for
11 extra holes before a Sachs 1-putt put
an end to the longest playoff in
Mulligan Tour history. The
Godfather has 2 PLAYERS' titles on his
resume. He also won the
Central division championship at Eagle
Crest in 2010. Sachs also
finishes first on the Central money
standings ($81.00) to claim his first
Central division money title.
Mike
Geisser (36-42 - 78) bogied the 18th
hole to miss joining in the playoff
fun. The defending champ,
Young Tom Litzler, was another stroke
back at 78. Rich Dunmore
posted the Tour's 3rd hole-in-one in the
last 4 weeks after acing Northville
Hill's par-3 2nd.
Young
Tom Hit 12 Fairways and winner Sachs hit
11. Jason Rectenwald led the field with
27 putts and Kline had 29.
Tom
Sachs - 2012 PLAYERS Champ
Ron
Hiestand captured the 2012 EASTERN
Championship with an impressive 4-under
par 68 at Boulder Pointe Golf Club on
August 25th. Hiestand led the
field in putting (28) and made his first
career Tour win a major triumph.
Klaus Juska (33-36 - 69) played well
enough to win on any other day.
He hit 12 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18
greens to lead in both categories.
Kelly Arnold (38-38 - 76) and
Jack Craig (37-39 - 76) tied for
4th. Juska claimed the 2012
East Division Money Title with $76.00 in
"east side" earnings.
Ron
Hiestand - 2012 EASTERN Champ
Joe
Robar successfully defended his WESTERN
Championship title. Robar led the
field in driving (9/14 fairways) and
greens in regulation (8/18) on Moose
Ridge Golf Club, hosting the WESTERN for
the 2nd time. Robar also finished
2nd in the 2010 WESTERN for 3 straight
top-2 finishes at the West division
championship. Mike Prieskorn
(38-39 - 77) finished 2nd and rookie Ed
Campbell (34-45 - 79) finished
3rd. Tom Sachs (41-39 - 80)
and Don Morris (37-43 - 80) tied for
4th.
Michalski and
O'Brien get first wins while Klipa and
Perch get career wins #9 and #20
August 24,
2012
Dan
Michalski birdied 3 of his final 4 holes
(#11-14) to pull away from the field and
make the 2012 Carrington Classic his
first career win. One of
only 2 players to record no score worse
than bogey, Michalski made an eagle and
4 birdies but added a tournament high 10
pars. His 1-under par 71 beat
tournament host Jason Rectenwald by
3-shots. Rectenwald (38-36 -
74) birdied his final hole (#18) to
secure solo 2nd place and a spot on the
2012 Central Commissioner's Cup
team. Tom W Litzler (38-37 -
75), Tom Moran (39-36 - 75) and Mike
Geisser (36-39 - 75) tied for 3rd place.
The
day after Michalski got his first win,
Jeff Klipa shot a 4-under 68 at the
Links at Lake Erie to capture his 9th
career win and his first Caddyshack
Classic title. The win,
Klipa's 2nd of the year, gave him a Tour
leading 8 top-4 finishes in
2012. No surprise then that
Klipa is leading the Tour in earnings
headed in to the final money events of
the season. The 2007
Caddyshack winner, Greg Kline, finished
one shot back and Dan Michalski was
making a bid to sweep the Tour's
"southern swing" but finished 3rd at
1-over 73. Klaus Juska
(38-37 - 75) and Charlie Roy (34-41 -
75) shared 4th place.
On
the following weekend, Rick Persichetti,
winless in over 13 months, found his
game at Lake Forest GC and shot the
year's lowest net score (62) to make the
2012 Go Blue Classic his 20th career
win. Persichetti posted 8
birdies and 2 eagles against only 2
bogies to finish at 10-under
par. Tom Hoelzle shot a
front nine 27 that included 2 eagles and
a double-eagle in one 4 hole
stretch. He cooled off on
the back nine and finished 2nd at
6-under par 66. Rich Dunmore
(32-35 - 67) birdied the 18th to finish
solo 3rd while Sam Akunuri (34-35 - 69),
Bill Gordon (33-36 - 69) and Mike Harmon
(36-33 - 69) shared 4th place.
Finally,
rookie Gail O'Brien recorded the Tour's
8th hole-in-one on her way to a 2-shot
win at the 2012 Little Diablo Salsa
Western Swing. O'Brien's
first career win gives the 2012 rookie
class a total of 5 victories this
season. O'Brien added 5
birdies and played Hunter's Ridge in
even par over 18 holes. Rich
Dunmore (35-38 - 73) collected his 7th
top-4 of the year and moved into 1st
place on the Money List. Ray
Collins (35-41 - 76) and Bill Gordon
(36-40 - 76) tied for 4th.
Jack Craig
wins Fifty Cent Classic
August 6,
2012
Rookie
Jack Craig shot a 6-under par 66 to win
the 2012 Fifty Cent Classic on
Saturday. Craig is the 4th
first time winner in the last 3 weeks
and the 5th in 2012. In just
his 5th start on Tour, Craig posted 2
eagles and 4 birdies at Stony Creek and
finished 1-stroke ahead of Todd Weakley
and Tom Moran. Craig joined
his brother Pat (Big Dog Pro-Am) in
qualifying for the EASTERN Championship
at Boulder Pointe on August 25.
Weakley
(29-38 - 67) blistered the front nine
and ended up with his best finish on
Tour. Moran (32-35 - 67) led
the field with 29 putts and had his best
finish since winning the Animal House
Classic in early June. Ed
Campbell (33-35 - 68) secured 4th place
just a week after getting his first
victory at the Two-Stick Classic.
Jack
Craig - 2012 Fifty Cent Classic
Ugly Pants
Open rescheduled for September 1 after
rain out
The
2012 Ugly Pants Open was cancelled when
rain moved through the area on Sunday
morning just as the start time was
approaching. The tournament
was rescheduled at Downing Farms GC for
Saturday, September 1, with a 9:00
start.
Kelly Arnold
wins 2nd Match Play title, 6th major
victory
July 30, 2012
Kelly
Arnold won the 2012 Match Play
Championship on Sunday winning 4 matches
in 2 days after Mother Nature pushed
Friday's opening round into Saturday
morning. Arnold also won the
Match Play title in 2009, at the Links
at Whitmore Lake, and now has 6 major
victories on his resume - tying him with
David Martin for 3rd most in Tour
history and trailing only Greg Kline (9)
and Rick Persichetti (7) in grand slam
wins.
Arnold
beat Steve Villerot 4&3 on Saturday
morning and followed that with a close
win against Erik Meland
2-up. In the Sunday morning
semi-finals, Arnold beat Charlie Roy in
another close match 2&1 before
needing extra holes against Tom W
Litzler to secure the title.
It was the first time in Match Play
history that the championship match
needed extra holes to define a
winner. Arnold's par 4 on
the Woodands' first hole was the winning
score when Litzler made a bogey.
Charlie
Roy won the 3rd place match over Jon
Heikkinen. But Heikkinen
earned the consolation prize of a 2-year
Tour exemption when he aced the 198-yard
15th hole. Hiekkinen was fighting his
way back from a 6-hole deficit but
finally yielded on the 17th hole 2&1
to Roy.
Kelly
Arnold - 2012 Match Play Champion
Ed Campbell
wins Two-Stick
July 30, 2012
Ed
Campbell became the 3rd rookie to win in
2012, taking the Two-Stick Classic at
the Woodlands of Van Buren on
Saturday. Campbell follows
Rich Blanton (East Side Charity Classic)
and Pat Craig (Big Dog Pro-Am) as
freshmen winners and the Tour has now
seen 6 first time winners this
year. Campbell wielded
a 3-iron and a 9-iron (and his putter)
to carve out 9 birdies in posting a
3-under 68, a new record score at the
Two-Stick.
Thom
Bales (40-36 - 76) used a 5-hybrid and
9-iron to finish 1-stroke ahead of Jeff
Kellstrom (38-39 - 77), Rich Dunmore
(44-33 - 77) and Jeff Klipa 41-36 -
77). Klipa leads the Tour in
2012 with 7 top-4's and is currently
ranked 3rd on the money list ($110.34).
Ed
Campbell - 2012 Two-Stick Classic
champ
Patrick Craig
is the Big Dog at Riverview Highlands
July 23, 2012
Rookie
Patrick Craig, making his 6th start on
Tour, shot a 32-33 - 65 for the lowest
score in the field at Riverview
Highlands on Sunday. Coupled
with his pro-am partner Jason Duffner
(66), Craig won the 2012 Big Dog Pro-Am
by 6-shots with a 131 total, 11-under
par. The win, worth $32,
brings an exemption into the EASTERN
Championship in late August.
Craig joins Rich Blanton as rookie
winners in 2012.
Klaus
Juska (37-33 - 70) stayed ahead of the
rest of the pack with a 2 player total
of 5-under 137. Jim Vazquez
(70 - 139) and Ron Hiestand (72 - 139)
tied for 3rd place.
Patrick
Craig - 2012 Big Dog Pro-Am champ
Chris Dunmore
makes Crazy Brit first career win
July 23, 2012
Chris
Dunmore, winless in his first 34 starts
on Tour, totaled up 42 points on
Saturday at the Crazy Brit to beat John
Powell by 1 point. Dunmore
had 2 eagles (4 points each), 6 birdies
(3 points), 7 pars (2 points) and 2
bogies (1 point). A
double-bogey on the par-4 4th hole was
the only one hole that he failed to
record any points.
Powell,
playing in only his 5th event in 2012,
collected his first top-4 finish since
winning the Go Blue Classic 11 months
ago. The list of 5 players
that tied for 3rd place included rookies
Mike Geisser and Lenna Blanton, along
with veterans Tom W Litzler and Jason
Rectenwald. Also in that fivesome
was Ray Wilson - posting his first
career top-4 in his 2nd year on Tour.
Chris
Dunmore - 2012 Crazy Brit champ
Experienced
Golfers Only
July 17, 2012
Denny
Ersig won the 2012 MT Senior Open on
Sunday with a 6 birdie, 1 eagle
performance at Indian Springs
Metropark. Ersig's 2-under
par 69 was 3-strokes better than Charlie
Roy and Thom Bales. Ersig
hits 7 of 18 greens in regulation (2nd
in the field) and needed 32 putts (T-4)
to claim his 6th career Tour win.
Roy
(35-37 - 72) and Bales (35-37 - 72) gave
chase but settled for 2nd
place. Bales, an 11-time
winner on Tour, posted his first top-4
of the year playing in his first Senior
Open. Roy moved up to
12th on the Money List ($60.50) with his
4th top-4 this season. Phil
Johnson (37-37 - 74) finished 4th, his
best finish since winning the Tin Cup at
the start of the season.
Denny
Ersig - 2012 MT Senior Open champ
Steve
Villerot up to the Challenge
July 17, 2012
With
a 2-shot lead after the pros finished
their rounds the weekend before, Steve
Villerot posted a 2-over 73 at Fox Creek
and increased his lead, winning the 2012
Doc's Sports Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge
by 8-strokes. His final
4-round total of 10-under 275 was helped
along by the PGA's Charlie Wi (65) and
the Champions' Kirk Triplett (66).
This
was Villerot's first top-4 since last
year's Quad-Tour and his first win since
2010, when he won the Crazy Brit and the
Fifty Cent Classic in July and August of
his rookie season.
Jeff
Klipa (77 - 283) continues to stitch
together a fine season. His
6th top-4 this year has the 10-year
veteran ranked 2nd on the Money List
($103.34) and leading the Central
Division. His $63.67 earned
on the Central circuit is 67 cents ahead
of Dan Schwartz after Schwartz gained $5
for his 5th place finish here at the
QTC. Niall Berkery (73 -
284) finished 3rd and Tom Sachs (73 -
285) finished 4th.
Steve Villerot - 2012 Doc's
Sports Retreat Quad-Tour Challenge champ
Samantha
Kellstrom repeats as Lady Golfer of the
Year
July 9, 2012
Samantha
Kellstrom is the "Lady Golfer of the
Year" - again - after successfully
defending her Indigo Salon & Spa
Ladies Open title on Sunday.
Kellstrom shot the same gross score as
last year, 42 on the front and 45 on the
back, although the field played Pheasant
Run's North and South nines this year
(South and West in 2011).
And even with 11 fewer handicap strokes
than last year (11 vs. 22), Miss
Kellstrom still managed a 4-shot win
with a net 76. She continues
to lead the Tour in earnings in 2012
with $124.00 in prize money from 4
top-4's including 3 wins.
Rookie
Gail O'Brien (39-41 - 80) stayed ahead
of the rest of the field taking 2nd
place. Another rookie,
Lenna Blanton, shared 3rd place with Sue
Meland at 83.
Samantha
Kellstrom - 2012 Indigo Salon &
Spa Ladies Open champ
Greg Kline
strings up win #19
July 9, 2012
Substituting
for Commissioner Phil Abele at the West
Division's Strokes on a Rope tournament,
Central Division Commissioner Greg Kline
captured his 19th career win posting a
2-over 73 at the Links at Whitmore Lake
and winning the title by 3
shots. Kline has 65
top-4's in 165 career starts earning
$1,490.10, ranking 3rd all-time.
Dave
Oliver (34-42 - 76) had his best finish
on Tour getting solo 2nd place.
MIke Prieskorn (37-40 - 77), Tim Markel
(34-43 - 77) and Tom Sachs (34-43 - 77)
tied for 3rd.
Greg
Kline - 2012 Strokes on a Rope champ
Berkery
cashes in at Casino Classic
July 1, 2012
Niall
Berkery used back-to-back-to-back eagles
at Twin Lakes' 11th, 12th and 13th holes
to rise out of the congested field of 30
and take charge of the 2012 Casino
Classic. A birdie at the
18th provided the final cushion for his
first Tour win, posting a 37-32 - 69,
2-strokes better than playing partner
Erik Meland. Berkery's
maiden Tour victory, worth $32, comes in
his 15th start and grants an exemption
into the EASTERN Championship in late
August.
Meland
(36-35 - 71) posted 6 birdies, 6 pars
and 6 bogies to finish at even
par. His 4th top-4 of the
year pushed his earnings up to $79.50
(3rd overall) and to the top of the East
money standings ($56.00).
Joe Robar (35-37 - 72) and Jan Cepiga
(36-36 - 72) tied for 3rd.
Robar, the defending champ, likely would
have have forced a playoff for the 3rd
time in Casino Classic history if not
for a double-bogey, bogey
finish. Cepiga recorded his
first career top-4 finish in 8 starts
Berkery
was the only player to record 3
consecutive birdies (or better) and
collected an additional $20 for the
feat. Other players pulled a
chip out of a bag corresponding to the
number of a hole in which they recorded
a birdie (or better). Those
players included Berkery and 6 others -
each taking a $10 bill for the good
fortune.
Niall
Berkery - 2012 Casino Classic champ
Tim Markel
has major win at Eagle Crest, winning
wide open Open
June 25, 2012
Tim
Markel followed a Saturday 69 with a
Sunday 74 to finish at 1-under par 143
and a 3-stroke win in the 2012
Commercial Underwriters Harbour Pointe
Open. Markel's 2nd career
win was a major victory for the Ann
Arbor resident. Before
this, he had 8 top-4's in 61 starts with
his first win coming just 13 months ago
at the Western Swing.
Markel
started the championship round a shot
behind Sam Akunuri but 4-strokes ahead
of Charlie Roy and the '07 Open champ
Jeff Klipa. Akunuri, the
18-hole leader last year as well,
struggled on Sunday recording 4 of the
dreaded "other" scores (double-bogey or
worse). He finished in 4th
with a 2 round total of 4-over 148.
Klipa
(73-80 - 153) and Roy (73-84 - 157)
could never mount a charge.
Instead, it was Jon Heikkinen that
nearly gave the 14th HPO a
come-from-behind winner.
Tied for 10th to start the final round,
Heikkinen posted 8 birdies and an eagle
to tie for the lead with 2 holes to
play. But his 2nd
triple-bogey of the day came at the
par-4 18th and relegated the 3rd year
pro to 2nd place.
Young
Tom Litzler (76-71 - 147) was the only
other player to break par on
Sunday. He finished in 3rd
place. Litzler, Klipa,
Akunuri and Mike Prieskorn were the only
players to make the cut (+5) that had
major titles on their
resumes. Many of the Tour's
low handicappers missed the cut on
Saturday - including Greg Kline (78),
Lou Acosta (80), Kelly Arnold (80) and
Joe Robar (82). Past champs
Rick Persichetti (82) and Erik Meland
(82) also missed the cut as the HP Open
was, indeed, wide open.
Markel
moves up to 7th place on the Money
Standings ($59.00) and secures a spot in
the TOUR Championship in September.
Tim
Markel receives the Lighthouse Trophy
from Dan Schwartz
Bill Gordon
wins Par-54
June 25, 2012
A
double-bogey at 18 made the finish
close, but Bill Gordon won the 2012
Par-54 Classic with a 1-under 53 to stay
ahead of Jeff Klipa by 1.
Gordon's 2nd career win was worth $20
and an exemption into the 2012 PLAYERS
Championship in August. The
2nd year pro from Ann Arbor added the
Par-54 title to his Carrington Classic
win in his rookie year making 4 top-4's
in 22 career starts.
Klipa's
5th top-4 of the year has the 8-time
winner working his way up the money
standings with $72.34 in earnings -
including $39.67 on the Central circuit
that has him ranked 2nd in the division.
Charlie
Roy and Rich Dunmore tied for 3rd at 55
with Kelly Arnold and Old Tom Litzler
sharing 5th at 56.
Bill
Gordon - 2012 Par-54 Classic champ
Don Morris
claims the Holy Grail
June 18, 2012
Don
Morris collected career win # 6 on
Saturday taking the 2012 Holy Grail
by shooting a 34-30 - 64 on St.John's
Mark and Matthew nines. The
5-under par performance was 2-strokes
better than a trio of players that
included leading money winner, Samantha
Kellstrom. Morris hit 7 of
12 fairways (T-3) and 6 of 18 greens
(T-7) but he led the field in putting
with 27 strokes with the
flatstick. His 6th
victory is among 19 top-4's in 60 career
starts.
Kellstrom
(34-32 - 66) carded 4 eagles and a
birdie and was making a bid for her 3rd
win of the year. A bogie at
16 and a double-bogey at 17 derailed the
bid, but she still leads the Tour with
$92.00 in earnings this
season. Mike Harmon
(34-32 - 66) and Bill Gordon (32-34 -
66) also tied for 2nd.
Harmon jumps to the top of the West
Division money standings ($48.00) while
Gordon posted his first top-4 of the
year.
Don
Morris - 2012 Holy Grail champ
Rich Blanton
takes East Side Charity Classic in
overtime
June 11, 2012
Tour
rookie Rich Blanton found himself
in a playoff with 8-time winner Kelly
Arnold and 3-time winner Charlie Roy at
the 2-year old East Side Charity
Classic, but he never
blinked. While the veterans
each encountered 3-putt bogies during
the overtime session, Blanton made 4
consecutive 2-putt pars and laid claim
to the East Side title.
The
3 players finished the regulation 18
holes tied at 3-under par
68. Blanton birdied the 18th
to tie Arnold in the clubhouse and Roy,
playing in the final group, had 2-putts
to win but bogied the home hole to fall
back into the tie.
Barb
Hoelzle (36-35 - 71) finished 1-stroke
ahead of the defending champ, Klaus
Juska, and moved to the top of the East
money standings (7th overall) on the
strength of her 3rd top-4 of the season.
Rich
Blanton - 2012 East Side Charity
Classic champ
Ten year wait
over for Schwartz
June 11, 2012
The
2012 Real McCoy Classic came down to a
playoff between Dan Schwartz and Bob
Baar - Tour veterans with over 240
starts between
them. Schwartz last won
on Tour in 2002 and Baar was looking for
his first win since 2006.
The 4-hole playoff had Baar making a
3-putt bogey on the first hole and he
could never make up the
difference. Both player's
2-putted everything else and Schwartz
had his first win in 10 years.
After
starting on Farmington Hills' 15th hole,
Schwartz (35-32 - 67) finished his
regulation 18 with eagles on the par-3
13th and par-5 14th to forge the
tie. Baar (32-35 - 67)
was T-3 in greens in regulation (10) and
was honing in on career win #5 until
making bogey and double-bogey on the two
back nine par-5's. Schwartz jumps
to the top of the Central money
standings ($58.00) and undoubtedly
locked up a spot on the 2012 Central
Commissioner's Cup team.
Rookie
Steve Dent (34-34 - 68) took solo
3rd after a solid performance that
included an eagle and 3
birdies. Greg Kline,
Scott Belanger and Tom Sachs shared 4th
place at 2-under 69.
Host
Vic McCoy presenting to Dan Schwartz -
2012 Real McCoy Classic champ
Tournament
host Victor McCoy (38-41 - 79) tied for
22nd but was elated by the generosity of
the players. A total
contribution of $545 was made to the
Michigan Animal Rescue League.
Jason
Rectenwald wins Fox Hunt
June 11, 2012
Jason
Rectenwald picked up career win #2
taking the 2012 Fox Hunt with 51
points. The 8-year veteran
from Ohio, Rectenwald collected 16
points on the last 3 holes of the
Strategic Fox course at Fox Hills
G&BC to come from behind and finish
1-point ahead of Mike Prieskorn and Rich
Dunmore. Dunmore moved up to
2nd on the money list with his 3rd top-4
of the year. Rick
Persichetti recorded 46 points and
earned his 3rd top-4 finish of the year
as well.
Jason
Rectenwald - 2012 Fox Hunt champ
Klaus Juska
wins windy Dudlee's Plymouth Open
June 4, 2012
Klaus
Juska picked up career win number 3 at
the 2012 Dudlee's Plymouth Open on
Sunday. The 2nd year pro
recorded 6 birdies on his way to a
2-under par 68 and a 5-stroke win over
Tom Sachs. Juska led the
field in greens in regulation (9) and
was T-2 in putting (31). The
win moves Juska up to 3rd on the money
list after his 3rd top-4 finish this
year.
Sachs
(35-38 - 73) moves into the top-10 on
the money list ($42.00) after 2 top-4's
in one weekend. A day after
finishing 3rd at the Abacus Animal House
Classic, Sachs managed a solo 2nd place
at the Dudlee's. Tournament
host Karl Carter took 3rd place shooting
37-37 - 74. Don Morris
(39-37 - 76) and Jeff Klipa (35-41 - 76)
shared 4th place.
Karl
Carter presenting the trophy and 1st
place check to Klaus Juska
Tom Moran
sets new scoring record at the Animal
House
June 4, 2012
An
8-year pro from Ann Arbor, Tom Moran
shot an 8-under par 64 at Salem Hills to
win the 2012 Abacus Animal House Classic
by 1-stroke over Joe
Robar. Moran broke the
previous scoring record for the Animal
House (65) that was shared by 4 players
at 3 different venues - last done by
Rick Persichetti at Salem Hills in
2004.
Robar
(33-32 - 65) shot the Tour's 2nd ever
sub par gross score (1-under 71) and had
to settle for 2nd
place. The other sub
par gross score was turned in by Craig
MacBeth at the 2003 Animal House Classic
played at Taylor Meadows GC.
His 1-under 70 netted out a 6-under 65
and a playoff win over Dan
Schwartz. Robar led the
field in greens in regulation (13/18)
and was 2nd in fairways hit
(10/14). Robar was also T-1
in putting with 30 strokes from the flat
stick.
Tom
Sachs (36-37 - 73) won the battle for
3rd place. Tim Markel (38-36
- 74) posted his first top-4 in 2012 and
tournament host Sam Akunuri (40-35 - 75)
tied for 5th.
Moran
also won the putt-off among the 4
players with the lowest Zoo
Ratio. He outlasted Sachs,
Phil Johnson and Tim Jakubowski in the
4-hole putting competition and won a $30
Dick's Sporting Goods card.
Sam
Akunuri presenting the trophy and 1st
place check to Tom Moran
Barb Hoelzle
wins Cherry Creek Classic by 8 shots
June 4, 2012
Barb
Hoelzle found redemption at Cherry Creek
in 2012. One year after a
playoff loss to Erik Meland at the
inaugural Cherry Creek, Hoelzle took
playoff out of the equation by shooting
a 5-under par 67 for an 8-stroke win
over Scott Fuller. Hoelzle
has 7 wins among 28 top-4's in 116
career starts. Her career
earnings of $544.27 rank 13th all-time
on Tour and tops among lady members.
Fuller,
the rookie from Redford, netted 6
birdies and an eagle to shot a 32-43 -
75 and record his first top-4
finish. A bad stretch from
10 to 13 (9-over par) kept Fuller from
challenging Hoelzle for the win.
Todd
Weakley (36-41 - 77) also captured his
first career top-4 gutting out an even
par finish on his final 5 holes after
twisting an ankle on the 13th
green. The $16 3rd place
check lands him at #7 on the East Money
List. Erik Meland (39-40 -
79) came up short in his Cherry Creek
title defense but added another top-4
finish that has him 5th on the money
list.
Barb
Hoelzle - 2012 Cherry Creek Classic
champ
THE MULLIGAN TOUR CHRONICLES
JUNE 2012
Jeff and
Samantha Kellstrom scramble for a
Memorial victory
May 21, 2012
The
father / daughter team of Jeff and
Samantha Kellstrom completed the
Memorial Tournament's 4th ever
bogey-free round shooting a 5-under 67
to match the 2008 champs Rick
Persichetti and Kelly
Arnold. The ensuing 4-hole
playoff settled nothing as the 2 teams
traded par-2's, each side making
delicate par saves along the
way. It took a 5th sudden
death hole to decide the tournament -
with Jeff Kellstrom draining a curling
40 footer that Persichetti and Arnold
could not answer.
Samantha
Kellstrom moves to the top of the 2012
money standings ($76.00) and Jeff is 2nd
($68.67) after both earned their 2nd
wins this year. The Memorial
victory is the first major title for
both players. Jeff now has 9
wins in 66 career starts while Samantha
has won for the 3rd time in just 13
starts since joining the Tour last year.
Persichetti
and Arnold, bogey-free in 2008 en route
to the Green Towels, played their first
17 holes bogey-free, but their final
hole - the par-3 14th - was
costly. A double-bogey
created the tie and ultimately kept
Persichetti from a record 3rd Green
Towel.
Charlie
Roy and Phil Abele started on hole #18
and recorded 5 birdies and an eagle
(hole #4) in their first 8 holes to
establish a commanding lead.
But 3 bogies in their final 6 holes
dropped them out of the playoff picture
with a 4-under 68. Greg Kline and
Jason Rectenwald started slow but made 4
birdies in a 6-hole stretch to get into
contention. Playing the four
par-5's in 1-over par ultimately cost
them a chance at the title.
Kline has 6 top-4's at the Memorial
including 1 win in 2006.
Tournament
hosts Erik and Susan Meland had their
best showing in years. They
tied for 3rd after posting 6 birdies and
2 bogies. They would have
joined the playoff if not for an eagle
putt that lipped out on their final hole
- the par-5 18th. Barb &
Tom Hoelzle also tied for 3rd at 4-under
68 with a wild round that included an
eagle at the par-5 6th right after a
double-bogey on the par-3 5th.
Samantha and Jeff Kellstrom
2012
Memorial Tournament champs
Jeff Klipa
makes Sparty Classic his 8th career win
May 14, 2012
Jeff
Klipa carded an eagle and 7 birdies
to shoot 33-35 - 68 and win the 2012
Sparty Classic by 1-stroke over Erik
Meland. The win, worth $32
and an exemption into the EASTERN
Championship in August, was Klipa's 8th
career title but first since
2008. Now in his 10th year
on Tour, he has 33 top-4's in 142 career
starts earning $597.34, ranking 7th
all-time.
Meland
(37-32 - 69) also recorded an eagle and
7 birdies, but costly double-bogies at
Pine Trace GC's 8th and 17th kept him
from collecting career win
#20. Klaus Juska (40-32 -
72) and Eric Morris (35-37 - 72) shared
4th place. Morris also
earned an invitation to the East Skins
Game in September.
Jeff
Klipa - 2012 Sparty Classic champ
Jeff
Kellstrom captures 8th title at Chelsea
Classic
May 14, 2012
Trying
to keep up with daughter Samantha, Jeff
Kellstrom won the 2012 Chelsea
Classic with an impressive 6-stroke win
at Reddeman Farms GC. Six
days after Samantha won the UPS Store
Golf Classic, dad Jeff fired an eagle
and 6 birdies with only 2 bogies to set
a new scoring record of 6-under 66 at
the Chelsea Classic. The win
is Kellstrom's 2nd in 2 years and the
8th of his career that goes back to the
2001 season.
Tim
Jakubowski (33-37 - 70) won the battle
for 2nd place, finishing 1-stroke ahead
of Steve Prew (35-36 - 71) and Mike
Prieskorn (35-36 - 71).
Jeff
Kellstrom - 2012 Chelsea Classic champ
Samantha
Kellstrom delivers the UPS Store Golf
Classic title
May 7, 2012
Samantha
Kellstrom scorched the Northville Hills
GC for 10 birdies and an eagle to win
the 2012 UPS Store Golf Classic by 4
strokes over Rich Dunmore.
In her 2nd year on Tour, the 13-year old
with a swing beyond her years, has added
a 2nd victory to her resume.
The reigning Ladies Open champ hit
8 of 14 fairways and 8 of 18 greens in
regulation using 32 strokes with the
putter to finish 31-37 - 68, 4-strokes
under par.
Dunmore
(37-35 - 72) was attempting to become
the 4th player to get 2 wins in one
weekend. Winner of the Sweet
Sixteen a day earlier, Dunmore notched
his 10th top-4 in 45 career starts and
jumped to the top of the 2012 Money List
with $55.00 in earnings.
Don
Morris (38-36 - 74) netted 3rd place,
2-strokes ahead of a trio of players at
76 - Jason Rectenwald, Jeff Klipa and
Joe Robar.
Samantha
Kellstrom - 2012 UPS Store Golf
Classic champ
Blackheath is
Rich and Sweet for Dunmore
May 7, 2012
Rich
Dunmore threw out a couple of bogies and
won the 2012 Sweet Sixteen with an
8-under par performance at Bleackheath
GC. He finished 3 strokes
better than Mike Pearcy in the best 16
of 18 holes format. The win
is Dunmore's 4th in the last 12 months
and secures a spot in the 2012 Eastern
Championship in August.
Pearcy
finished as a runner-up for the 4th time
in 25 career starts and is still in
search of his first win. Ray
Collins (-4) took 3rd while Joe
Brandenburg, Eric Morris and Tom Hoelzle
shared 4th at 2-under par.
Rich
Dunmore - 2012 Sweet Sixteen champ
Home Field
Advantage
April 30,
2012
Mike
Harmon used his local knowledge of Pine
View GC to win the 2012 Pine View
Classic by 8 shots. Harmon
(35-34 - 69) led the field with 7
birdies made and the 3-under par effort
was the best at Pine View in the Tour's
modern era (2001-present) matching Sue
Cwikla's score in 2000 and 1 stroke from
the record 68 scored by Ron Stuart in
the inaugural event in 1999.
The 8-stroke margin of victory smashed
the previous record at Pine View (4 -
2004).
Lou
Acosta (39-38 - 77) and Klaus Juska
(37-40 - 77) shared 2nd place with Rick
Persichetti (37-41 - 78) securing his
70th top-4 in 153 career starts.
Mike
Harmon - 2012 Pine View Classic champ
Phil
Johnson's 72 takes the Cup
April 30,
2012
Phil
Johnson survived the cold and
unforgiving Hickory Creek golf course,
shooting an even par 72 to win the 2012
Train with Tami Tin Cup by 1 over Greg
Kline and Dan Schwartz.
Johnson posted 6 birdies while needing
only 30 strokes with the flat
stick. It was Johnson's 2nd
win in 25 career starts. He
also won the 2010 Holy Grail.
Kline
(38-35 - 73) led the field with 28 putts
and recorded 2 eagles and 4
birdies. Schwartz (34-39 -
73) had an eagle and 7
birdies. Jeff Klipa (36-41 -
77) finished in the top-4 for the 31st
time in 139 career starts.
The
players contributed $350 to the Canton
Plymouth Community Schools for a Student
Citizenship Award Scholarship as host
Tami Bealert helped out the players with
an optional mulligan on hole #12.
Phil
Johnson - 2012 Train with Tami Tin Cup
champ
Erik Meland presents check to Tami
Bealert
Hickory Creek
opens 2012 season
April 25,
2012
The
Train with Tami Tin Cup at Hickory Creek
is ready for an 8:00 shotgun start on
Saturday morning. A field of
36 Touring members and 5 amateurs will
take a lap around the Hickory Creek
layout looking for birdies and
eagles. Tournament host Tami
Bealert will help the players at the
12th hole with an optional $5 mulligan
(proceeds going to the Student
Citizenship Award Scholarship for
Plymouth - Canton Community
Schools). This Central
division season opener has traditionally
been a tough start for the
players. No one has scored
south of 70 since 2004 when David Martin
won the Tin Cup with a 6 under 66.
The
2012 Pine View Classic opens the west
division schedule on Sunday.
The field of 32 players includes 10
players that are also playing the day
before at Hickory Creek.
New season
revving up
April 10,
2012
The
rookies are headed to Q-School and the
Tour veterans are tuning up for the
opening weekend of the 2012
season. Fourteen new members
are enrolled at the first Q-School,
April 14 at Whispering
Willows. Q-School 2 will
follow one week later at Fox
Creek. The registration
deadline for the 2nd Q-School is April
12.
The
Train with Tami Tin Cup and the Pine
View Classic open the 2012 tournament
schedule on April 28 and 29
respectively. Tami Bealert
is hosting the Tin Cup at Hickory Creek
and invites everyone to a pre-tournament
party on Friday, April 27th.
The Mulligan
Tour
declares:
World will not end in 2012
January, 2012
Fourteen
years and counting. The
Mayan calendar be damned, the Mulligan
Tour plans on bringing a full schedule,
in 3 regional divisions, back to the
world of recreational golf in southeast
Michigan.
The
Tour will conduct more than 40 events in
2012 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
2012 tournament schedule.
Annual
membership fees remain steady for the
5th year in a row. Full
membership is $120 and a limited
membership is offered for
$80. Memberships paid
before April 1 are discounted - only
$100 for a full membership.
The
Mulligan Tour will have representation
at the 2012 Michigan Golf Show,
scheduled for March 2-4 at the Suburban
Collection Showplace in Novi.
Visit http://michigangolfshow.com/
for details about show.
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