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Raymond Runs Away with the Nose
November 4, 2017 at Brae Burn GC


John Raymond finished the year on a hot streak at the Runny Nose Open on Saturday. They say it's hardest to follow up a great round with a good one, but Raymond did by shooting at 63, 7 under par, at Brae Burn a week after his 59 gem in Farmington. He won by 11 shots over 2nd place Kevin Gregoire who finished at 4 over par. Corey McCue and Jeff Pasz tied for 3rd at 5 over par.


Raymond Leads East to Bell Record
October 21, 2017 at Farmington Hills GC


John Raymond shot the score of the year with a 12 under par 59 and Helen "The Puffenator" backed him up with the second best round of the day at 7 under 64 at the Division Bell. The pair led the East team to a record low 268 16 under par team score, obliterating the previous record by a stunning 23 shots. Chris Dunmore and Willi Hesse rounded out the east team with even par and 3 over par scores. The West team of Mike Prieskorn, Tom W. Litzler, David Martin and Jeff Klipa finished second with a outstanding 283, 1 under par score. Team Central finished with 294. Raymond's 59 goes to the record book with an * since this is not an official season event.


Management Trains Labor
October 15, 2017 at Fox Hills Classic

Winners
Management signed on a trainee team and took a convincing 6 1/2 to 2 1/2 win over Labor on Sunday afternoon. Eric Birkle and Chris Cooley came on-board and took 1 1/2 points in the best ball and alternate shot stanzas to help Management take a commanding lead 4 1/2 to 1 1/2.  President Chuck Withey made sure he kept his new Cup in his first year, as he and Rich Dunmore took all three points they played for, including the Cup clinching scramble match. #1 Mike Prieskorn and Bill Gordon split their first two matches and took the final scramble.  For Labor, Gregg Nothdurft contributed 1 1/2 points. Dan Gubachy and Brian Pieschala were in on 1 point each.


Division Bell Rained Out, Will Play Next Week


Wilsey Best of the Winners

October 8, 2017 at Washtenaw Golf Club

Wilsey wins

Scott Wilsey (Crazy Brit, Commissioner's Cup) showed he has Fall Golf Game with a 3 under par, two shot win over Jeff Pasz (Western Championship) in the inaugural Tournament of Champions. David Hansen (Memorial, Carrington Classic) shot 1 over par for 3rd place.  Chuck Withey (Commissioner's Cup) and Ned Loving (Quad Tour Challenge) tied for 4th at 2 over par.  Wilsey shot under par on both nines of the tough Washtenaw Golf Club layout.


All Skins Games Go to Playoff
October 1, 2017 at Golf Club at Mt. Brighton

Barb defends title  Central and West winners

All three Skins Game contests went to extra holes to settle the event. In the East, Barb Hoelzle defended her title with a $56 haul from 5 skins won including $30 birdie on the 17th hole. The 18th was halved at par and Mike Prieskorn prevailed in extra holes to take runner up in the contest. Barb's total was the highest winner's total since Kevin Eshkanian in 2014 who set the all time record for winnings of $68. In the West Game Scott Wilsey captured his 2nd skin of the day in the playoff for a $44 pot and the win. John Raymond was runner up with $28 from 5 skins.  In the Central Division match, David Martin took 4 skins and $16 on the front nine, but after pushing 6 holes in a row, Bill Gordon captured his 2nd skin of the day with a birdie of the 15th hole worth $34, giving him a $38 winning total. Jeff Graunke capture his lone skin of the day in the 5 hole sudden death playoff for $26 and 2nd place.


Central Division Wins 7th CC Cup Title
September 24, 2017 at Island Hills GC

Central wins 7th
LtoR: Corey McCue, Jeff Graunke, Chuck Withey, Willi Hesse, The Puffenator, Tom (not that old) Litzler, Captain Kline and Scott Wilsey


Singles results
Day 3 Singles results

Greg Kline's Central Division Team blitzed the West squad on Sunday to take a comfortable win 14 -10.  Chris Cooley had the west hopes high early with the first point on the board, but then the red tide began with Corey McCue and Kline winning matches on the 18th, then a flurry of finishes with Old Tom Litzler winning big in his grizzled veteran match against David Martin, Scott Wilsey upsetting Tour #1 Mike Prieskorn on the 17th and Willi Hesse topping Rich Dunmore on the 18th. It was unclear, but Hesse may have been the Cup clinching point. Captain Klipa and Seth Erskine were able to salvage half points in there matches with The Puffenator and Jeff Graunke respectively.  Central's win denied West's attempt the tie the event series, which Central now leads with 7 wins to West's 5 and East's 1.


Commissioner's Cup Day 1 and 2
September 22-23, 2017 at Island Hills Golf Club

Day 2 
Day 2 results

Jeff Klipa's West Team took the early lead on Day 1 with 4 and half points to 3 and a half for Team Central. But Greg Kline's Central team came back on day 2 to even the event and 8 points a piece.

McCue takes Money Title
September 16, 2017

Corey McCue took the Tour Money Title with a 4th place finish at the Tour Championship, enabling him to nudge by Gregg Nothdurft. McCue amassed 9 top-four finishes this season including two wins.


Brandenburg Paints a Masterpiece at Tour Champ
September 16, 2017 at Paint Creek GC

Brandenburg Wins 2nd Major

Joe Brandenburg artfully captured his 2nd Major career win at Paint Creek on Saturday. An eagle on the 17th hole, his 3rd of the day,  was enough to keep him ahead of the field down the stretch. Joe was the only player of the contenders to shoot par on the back nine, finishing with a 3 over par 74. Tour top man Mike Prieskorn finished T-2 with a rejuvenated Old Tom Litzler at 6 over par. Scott Wilsey tied Corey McCue for 4th place. The finish was good enough for McCue to take home the Tour Money Title.



Ladies Open Cancelled for 2017
September 5, 2017
Due to scheduling conflicts for the competitors, the Ladies Open for 2017 has been cancelled. Charity donations for 'Rally for the Cure' are being accepted by check or Current. $10 suggested. The Ladies Open will return next year.


Jones Pulls Away at the Eastern Championship
August 27, 2017 at Boulder Pointe

East winner Jones
Don Jones shot a crisp 32 on the back nine at Boulder Pointe to pull away from the field and take a twilight, 5 under par, four shot victory over Charlie Roy who was the only other player under par. Gary Thomas finished 3rd at Even Par and Helen Puffenberger, Chuck Withey and Mike Harmon all tied for 4th at 2 over par. Jones had 7 birdies and an eagle to become the 2nd player of the weekend to make a Major his first win. He is the 18th in Tour history to do so. This event marked East Commissioner Tom Hoelzle's 200th start on Tour.


Graunke Wins First at Players
August 26, 2017 at Northville Hills

Graunke Wins Players
Jeff Graunke strung 4 straight birdies on the back nine to take the lead for good at the PLAYERS Championship and gain an eventual two shot victory. He was the only golfer under par at 1 under. John Lennane finished 2nd at 1 over par. Old Tom Litzler netted 3rd at 3 over par and Jeff Klipa tied with Brian Lardin at 4 over par for 4th. Graunke also secured a berth in the Skins Game in the special contest to replace the injured Klaus Juska. This is Graunke's first win in his 25th start. He is the 17th player in Tour history to make a Major his first win. This event marked Central Commissioner Greg Kline's 250th start on Tour.


Pasz Overtakes Defending Champ for West Title
August 26, 2017 at Stonebridge GC

Pasz Wins West
Jeff Pasz eagled the 16th to overtake the defending champ Mike Prieskorn and win his second major title. Pasz finished with a 2 over par 74, one shot ahead of Prieskorn. David Martin finished 3rd at 4 over par and Eric Birkle tied Seth Erskine at 6 over par. Pasz has made 79 starts on Tour and both wins have been Major titles, the other being the 2014 Tour Championship. The event also marked Eric Birkle's 50th start on Tour.


Prieskorn Back on Top at Go Blue
August 13, 2017 at Lake Forest GC

#1 Mike
Mike Prieskorn lost the #1 World Ranking for about 22 hours over the weekend but quickly grabbed it back with a 1 shot nail-biter victory at the Go Blue Classic. Mike posted 4 under par early and then endured a swirl of leaderboard activity in one of the more drawn out waits in memory. The final five groups of the day all had a contender for the title. First yesterday's winner John Lennane eagled the 17th but could only par 18 to fall one short and finish T-2 at 3 under par. Then rookie Reg Wyse eagled 16 and came to 18 with a chance but couldn't convert and finished T-2. Then Don Schofield went birdie - eagle on 16 and 17 but couldn't get one more birdie and finished T-4 at 2 under par. Next came Chris Cooley who had turned in 29 but literally limped home and played the final hole nearly as wide as it was long and settled for a final par and T-4. Last came rookie Brian Pieszchala who needed a final birdie to force a playoff but couldn't make it happen. Finally Prieskorn could smile and the assembled gallery could cheer the victor. Seth Erskine, Jeff Pasz, and defending champ Dan Gubachy all finished T-4 also. The win is Mike's 14th in 144 Tour starts.  Cooley, Lennane, David Martin, and Rich Dunmore collected the on course prizes.


Lennane En Fuego at Little Diablo
August 12, 2017 at Huntmore

Trophy presentation
Lenanne (r) receives his winners check and trophy from Doug, owner of Little Diablo Salsa.

John Lennane went bogey free with 8 of his 9 birdies from the 3rd to the 16th holes to take control of the Little Diablo Salsa Western Swing on Saturday. His final birdie on the 18th got him to 5 under par and was enough to hold off a host of hard chargers who all finished under par the last 3 holes including Corey McCue, Greg Kline, Jeff Graunke, and Barb Hoelzle who all finished T-2 at 3 under par. Lennane's win is his second career victory (46 starts) with the other coming at the 2016 Sparty Classic (There is no truth to the rumor that he is Sparty's twin brother). On course prizes went to Barb Hoelzle, Helen Puffenberger, and Willi Hesse.  Of note: Hoelzle, Puffenberger and Kelley McCue all finished in the top 10. This is the first time 3 ladies have finished in the top 10 of a regular season event since the 2013 Ugly Pants Open when Gail O'Brien, Jan Boyer and Hoelzle all finished in the top 5. These same 3 plus Sue Meland all finished top 10 at this year's Memorial Tournament. Also, Mike Nicholas has taken over the #1 World Ranking.  $400 was raised for English Springer Rescue.


Jeff Klipa Sets Win Record at Caddyshack
August 6, 2017 at Links of Lake Erie

Record Setter

Jeff Klipa set the all-time win mark with a statement win at the Caddyshack. Klipa took the lead early and finished strong with 3 birdies to out run 2nd place Gregg Nothdurft. Klipa shot a sterling 8 under par 64 to top Nothdurft's 5 under par 67. Chris Cooley shot a 3 under par 69 for 3rd place. Helen Puffenberger and Willi Hesse were T-4 with 2 under par 70's. On course prize winners were Klipa and Mark Mayes.
It seemed fitting for Klipa to break the win record at the Caddyshack, one of the original events on Tour, having been contested since 1999. The win is his 24th in 295 starts. His first win was a $20 purse at the 2003 Two-Stick Classic. 


Hansen Birdies Final 2 to Win 2nd at Carrington

August 5, 2017 at Carrington GC

Hansen Wins
Host Jason Rectenwald presents check to David Hansen

Rookie David Hansen birdied his final two holes to fend off Eric Birkle and fellow rookie David Cross who also birdied their final holes. Hansen shot at 2 under par 70 for a 1 shot victory. Corey McCue, Mike Nicholas, and Dave Oliver finished T-4. The win is Hansen's 2nd of the year in his 10th start. Cross posted 7 birdies and 2 eagles in his 2nd place run. On course prizes went to Seth Erskine, Kelley McCue and John Raymond. Eric Birkle logged the lowest gross score (79) and Chuck Withey had the fewest putts (26).

Rich Dunmore Doubles at the Ugly Pants
July 30, 2017 at Downing Farms GC

Ugly Dunmore
Rich Dunmore became the first player since 2015 to sweep a weekend with a 1 shot, 2 under par win at the Ugly Pants Open over Scott Wilsey.  Dunmore's Eagle and 2 birdies on the back nine were enough to hold off Wilsey who birdied the final hole. Seth Erskine took 3rd at even par and David Martin and Mike Prieskorn tied for 4th at one over par. Dunmore's 12th win in his 200th start ties him with Barb Hoelzle for 7th all time, passing Thom Bales. Helen Puffenberger won the ugliest attire award in a run-away, as in everyone ran away when the saw it. Puff also won an on course prize along with Wilsey who also took the final spot in the West Skins Game as consolation.
So ugly
Ugly Attire winner Helen Puffenberger shown here with the less ugly David Martin.



Rich Dunmore Doubles Money at Fifty Cent
July 29, 2017 at Stony Creek Metropark

Dollar Dunmore
Rich Dunmore defended his title at the Fifty Cent Classic with a fine 5 under par score, two shots better than last year. The clincher came with a net eagle on the tough 17th, which gave him a two shot cushion over Don Jones who had 4 back nine birdies to get ina the mix and earn 2nd. Helen Puffenberger and event co-host Tom Hoelzle tied for 3rd place. Rich is the first to defend a title since Chris Cooley in the spring Sweet Sixteen. The win is Rich's 11th on Tour in his 199th start. Dunmore and John Raymond won  the on course prizes.


Wilsey Tops Mayes in Playoff for Crazy Brit Title
July 23, 2017 at Whispering Willows

Playoff winner
For the fourth time in the 19 year history of the Crazy Brit the event went to a playoff.  Scott Wilsey out-lasted Mark Mayes for the title on the Whispering Willows challenging 4 hole aggregate playoff layout. Both finished regulation with 40 points in the Stableford style format. Rookie David Hansen had another fine finish at 3rd with 39 points. Chris Dunmore's 38 points earned him 4th. On course prizes went to Tim Markel and Dunmore and Bill Gordon earned the final Central Skins Game spot. The win is Scott's 2nd at Tour in 36 starts.


Hiestand Best Pro or Am
July 22, 2017 at Rammler GC
Ron wins
Ron Hiestand shot the low round of anyone Pro or Am to take the Big Dog Classic. Ron's Pro partner Matt Kuchar positioned him just two shots back of the lead going into Saturday, however, Ron had to get past no less that 9 golfers who were tied for the lead after the Pro round. Ron played the front nine in 3 under par and then kept a clean card with 2 more birdies on the back to put distance on the field. Rookie Reg Wyse shot 31 on the front nine and finished at even par for the day and 1 under par for the event and 2nd place.  Tom Hoelzle finished 3rd at even par and Helen Puffenburger tied Joe Brandenburg for 4th at 1 over par.  The win is Ron's 3rd on Tour in 65 starts. Chuck Withey shot a notable albatross on the 10th hole.


Old Tom Takes the Right Sticks
July 16, 2017 at Warren Valley East
Old Tom Wins
Tom W. Litzler finished with birdies on 17 and 18 to pull out the Two Stick Classic with a 4 over par. Chuck Withey eagled the 16th, but Willi Hesse birdied the final hole to tie him for 2nd place at 5 over par. Literally half the field tied for 4th including Brian Lardin, Mike Geisser, Mark Mayes, Tom Craig, David Cross and Dan Gubachy. 


Nicholas 2nd in World After Match Play Win
July 16, 2017 at Warren Valley West
2nd Major
Mike Nicholas bore thru the bracket and strung 4 straight birdies in the final to take the Match Play Championship. He topped Greg Kline in the final who fell just short of his 11th major win for the second year in a row. John Raymond topped Rich Dunmore for third as both came close to winning their first Major. The event was contested at Warren Valley West for the first time. #8 seed Nicholas topped #9 seed Chris Cooley, #16 seed Mike Geisser, and #5 Dunmore before taking #2 seed Kline 7 & 6 in the final. Nicholas rose to #2 in the World Rankings as a result of his win. Mike Prieskorn continues to hold the #1 spot.


Birkle Shows Skills at First C Cool Open
July 9, 2017 at Beacon Hill GC

Winner and Host

Winner Eric Birkle and Tournament Host C Cool

Eric Birkle shot a fine 4 under par 67 on a tough Beacon Hill track that required his best game. Corey McCue was the only other golfer to break par at 2 under par for 2nd place. Birkle had 3 eagles and 4 birdies to McCue's 1 eagle and 7 birdies.  Top rookie David Hansen finished 3rd at even par while a host of players jammed into T-4 at 1 over par including Chuck Withey, Charlie Roy, Chris Dunmore, Mike Geisser, and Dan Gubachy. Gubachy captured the rare bird, shooting an Albatross on the double dogleg 16th hole.  The win is Birkle's 4th in 65 starts on Tour.  Host Chris Cooley supplied a plethora of on-course prizes including Long Drive for Men (Corey McCue) and Women (Sue Meland). Other winners were Kevin Gregoire, Birkle, Rich Dunmore, Jeff Klipa, and McCue again.


Loving Outclasses the Pros at Quad Tour
July 8, 2017 at Fox Creek GC

2nd time winner
Ned Loving shot one of the lowest rounds of the year on Tour (64), to rally from the T-12 position his pros finished, to take the Quad Tour Challenge by 2 shots at 16 under par 269. Gregg Nothdurft's hot weekend continued with a 66 and 2nd place, also coming from a T-12 start. Rookie Brian Pieszchala also came from T-12 to 3rd with a fine 68 final round. Helen Puffenburger and Brian Lardin came from a T-5 start to tie Willi Hesse for 4th. Hesse was the pro-pick leader at the start of the day. The win is Loving's 2nd on Tour (2015 HPO) in 76 starts.  Chuck Withey took both on-course prizes and Kevin Gregoire earned a spot in the Central Division Skins Game this fall.


Nothdurft Clutch Putt Closes Out Red Oaks
July 7, 2017 at Red Oaks GC
Shoot out winner

Gregg Nothdurft sank a 5 point birdie putt in the final round of the Shootout to take the Red Oaks win with 16 points. Chuck Withey, who ground out 5 straight pars in the Shootout and led going into the last round, finished 2nd with 15 points. Barb Hoelzle, playing in her 3rd consecutive Shootout and 4th of the 5 since the tournament inception, finished 3rd. Scott Wilsey, in his 2nd Shootout in a row, finished 4th. Don Jones led the stroke play qualifying round with a strong 3 under par but as happens often in this event the putter deserted the stroke play winner in the Shootout. The win is Nothdurft's 2nd of the year (Train with Tami Tin Cup) and 5th in his career of 80 starts. The on-course prize went to Scott Wilsey. 


Moran Steady at the Helm in Record Tying HPO Win
June 25, 2017

Major winner
Tom Moran played masterfully again on Day 2 of the Commercial Underwriters Harbour Pointe Open with 7 birdies and an eagle for a 5 under par 67 to couple with his first round 68. He opened with the eagle on the 1st and finished with birdies and 17 and 18 to put a record tying exclamation point on a great weekend. Gary Thomas posted a respectable 1 under par for the day and the tournament for 2nd place. Don Jones and John Raymond were also under par on day 2 and made nice runs up the leader-board to finish T-3.  The win is Moran's 6th on Tour in 194 starts and the first Major victory of his career. The 12 year veteran moves up 15 spots in the MT World Rankings to #22. His 9 under par total ties the 2-day HPO record held by Thom Bales and Brian Lardin. Tournament sponsor Dan Schwartz (thank you Dan!) still holds the overall event record of 11 under par!

Moran Class of Field in HPO 1st Round
June 24, 2017

2017 Harbour Pointe Open

#

Name

Score

Thru

Putts

1

Tom MORAN

68 (-4)

F

32 / 18

2

Charles WITHEY

71 (-1)

F

36 / 18

3

Gary THOMAS

72 (E)

F

30 / 18

4

Christopher COOLEY

74 (2)

F

33 / 18

5

Kevin GREGOIRE

75 (3)

F

30 / 18

5

John RAYMOND

75 (3)

F

31 / 18

7

Gregg NOTHDURFT

77 (5)

F

32 / 18

7

Donald JONES

77 (5)

F

33 / 18

7

Tim MARKEL

77 (5)

F

32 / 18

10

Scott WILSEY

78 (6)

F

33 / 18

11

Jeff KLIPA

80 (8)

F

38 / 18

12

Helen PUFFENBERGER

81 (9)

F

32 / 17

13

Bill GORDON

82 (10)

F

34 / 18

14

Brian LARDIN

83 (11)

F

33 / 18

14

Jeff PASZ

83 (11)

F

38 / 18

14

Chris DUNMORE

83 (11)

F

32 / 17

17

Joe ROBAR

84 (12)

F

36 / 18

17

Ned LOVING

84 (12)

F

38 / 18

17

Mike GEISSER

84 (12)

F

30 / 16

20

Eric BIRKLE

86 (14)

F

38 / 18

21

Greg KLINE

87 (15)

F

31 / 17

21

Rich DUNMORE

87 (15)

F

35 / 18

23

Corey MCCUE

88 (16)

F

37 / 18

24

Eric FRISBEE

91 (19)

F

36 / 18

25

Steve VILLEROT

96 (24)

F

27 / 14

 Names in Bold made the cut

Veteran Tom Moran took the 1st Round lead at the Harbour Pointe Open by going under par on both nines.  Chuck Withey, Gary Thomas and Chris Cooley are giving chase and will join Moran in the final group on Sunday. Kevin Gregoire and John Raymond headline the next to last group and are 7 shots back. They will be joined by 2 of the 3 golfers at 5 over par.


Puffenberger gets 2nd Win in a Week at Senior Open
June 18, 2017

Puff with her bankers  Puff with her bankers

After getting carded to prove her eligibility, Helen Puffenberger posted a pair of 33's and 6 under par to best Steve Villerot who made a back nine charge with a 29 to finish 2nd at 5 under par.  David Martin was 3rd at 4 under par and Joe Robar and Scott Wilsey tied for 4th at 2 under par.  On course prizes went to Dan Gubachy and Jeff Graunke and Joe Robar had the fewest putts.


Young Tom Grabs Grail, Rides on to Next Conquest
June 17, 2017


T.R. Litzler grabbed his 6th Tour win and 1st in 4 years at the Holy Grail Saturday, then rode off before the Knights who say Nee could catch him. Young Tom's 8 under par total topped David Hansen by 2 shots. Brian Larding and Bill Gordon tied for 3rd at 4 under par. T.R. set the event record for both low score (63) and score against par. On course prizes went to David Hansen and Don Jones and John Raymond earned the 3rd spot in the West Skins Game this fall.


Klipster on History Making Run
June 16, 2017
4 weeks in a row!

Jeff Klipa shot an even par .... 54.... to win the Par 54 Classic and set a host of records. The Klipster won for the 4th weekend in a row, a record as far as your humble reporter is aware of.  It is his 3rd Par 54 win in the last 5 years, tying Barb Hoelzle for most wins in the event. AND the win is Jeff's 23rd, which ties him with Rick Persichetti for the all-time lead on The Mulligan Tour.  In addition, he takes over the Central Money List lead from Mike Geisser and the overall Tour Money List lead from Corey McCue. Wow.  Helen Puffenberger all most repeated at The Strategic Fox with a T-2 3 over par, tying with 'Sparty' John Lennane. Brian Lardin, Jason Rectenwald, and Steve Villerot all tied for 4th place.  In other highlights, Bill Gordon had a hole-in-one. Unfortunately it was in the foot-golf cup on the 14th hole... which counts for pretty much nothing.


Klipa Takes Casino in Lucky Shirt
June 11, 2017

Klipa gets 3rd win of season
After Terry Owens and Thomas Mulhern battled for the lead most of the afternoon, Jeff Klipa finished with 3 birdies in his last four holes to post a 5 under par number and that held up for a tie. For the second day in a row the Tour event was decided in a 3 way playoff. Klipa played a four-of-a-kind in the playoff with all 2's to capture the top prize.  His win ties him with Tour Founder Erik Meland for 2nd on the Tour all-time win list with 22 in 288 starts. Chuck Withey was 4th at 3 under par and also captured the final East Division spot in the Skins Game. Team Hoelzle split the other two on course prizes, one each to Tom and Barb.  The win is Klipa's 3rd in as many weeks and virtually guarantees that the Tour will be subjected to that shirt for the rest of the year. 


Records Set at Inaugural Reatha Jackson Memorial
June 10, 2017
Geisser wins

The only thing that topped the thrilling 3 way playoff in the first Reatha Jackson Memorial Open was the record $1400 raised for the Alzheimer's Association in Reatha's memory.  Tour member Michael Lum and his family hosted and put on a great event to honor Mike's grandmother.  On the course, Mike Geisser started slow and then rattled off 8 birdies and 2 eagles in 15 holes to get to 9 under par, only to be matched by Greg Kline who had 4 birdies and 3 eagles including 2 in a row to finish his round, and by Tim Markel, who had 6 birdies in a row on the front and a bogey free back nine to earn the playoff.  In the playoff, Geisser 2 putted the 3rd hole on possibly the Tour's toughest playoff venue to gain the lead, then held his breath as Kline and Markel both missed birdie putts by inches on the final hole.  Old Tom Litzler, and last year's winner on this course, Mike Nicholas, tied for 4th at 7 under par.  On course prizes went to Eric Birkle, 2 to Rich Dunmore, and the last to host Mike Lum.  The win is Geisser's 2nd on Tour in 86 starts.

Record fund raiser Winning putt

Thanks to our sponsor family!                             Mike Geisser sends the winner to the flag.


Puffenburger Dominates the Hunt
June 9, 2017
Puff gets 2nd win.
Helen "Puff" Puffenberger bagged 13 of 18 greens on her way to a record score of 63 points at the Fox Hunt, topping the record of 60 set by Old Tom Litzler in 2006 and tied by Brian Lardin last year.  Puffenberger lapped 2nd place Jeff Klipa who finished with a respectable 53 points but was denied a third win in 3 starts. However, Jeff's 2nd place winnings moved him ahead of David Martin for 4th place on the Tour all-time money list. Rich Dunmore finished 3rd at 52 points and Jeff Graunke and Eric Birkle tied for 4th with 51. The win is Puff's 2nd in 25 starts on Tour. On course prizes went to the Klipster, who was happy, David Martin, Jason Rectenwald, and the Klipster again who was "sunshine happy".  I'm just the reporter.


Brandenburg notches 4th Career Win at East Side
June 4, 2107
4th win
Joe Brandenburg shot 9 birdies on the day including 4 over the last 7 holes to emerge from the pack in an exciting back and forth day. Joe B's 5 under par was good for his 4th career win and was one clear of the hot Jeff Graunke who closed with 2 birdies and Tom Craig who finished with 3 birdies and an eagle on the back nine in only his 2nd start of the year.  Eric Birkle closed with birdie to tie Chris Cooley, who led early and closed with a final eagle, for 4th. On course prizes went to Brandenburg, Graunke, and Helen Puffenburger.


Klipa Finds Best Friend at Dudlee's Golden Fox
June 3, 2017
Jeff times 2

On a day celebrating Man's Best Friend, Jeff Klipa and Rich Dunmore came out of the gate like Greyhounds. Playing together in the 3rd group out, they traded the lead early before Klipa got the edge on the back nine. The pair combined for 18 birdies and 2 eagles on the day. Klipa's 11 birdies led to an event record tying 9 under par finish, 3 shots ahead of Dunmore. Jeff Graunke finished strong with 3 birdies on the back nine to take 3rd at 4 under par.  Greg Kline recorded the 1st Albatross of the Tour season, holing out on the par 5 5th hole, on his way to a 3 under par T-4 finish with Willi Hesse who fought back from the proverbial 'one bad hole' early to record 7 birdies and an eagle.  The win is Klipa's 21st, tying him for 3rd all-time with Greg Kline. With his 2nd place finish, Rich Dunmore tops $1000 in career winnings and takes the all-time lead in money winnings for the Plymouth Open. On course prizes went to Klipa, Tom Moran, Gary Thomas and Brian Lardin. The event raised $500 for the Michigan Humane Society. 


Klipa Pulls String in Playoff
May 27, 2017
Klipa wins SOAR
Jeff Klipa gets his 20th Tour win in a Playoff over Seth Erskine to capture his first SOAR title. Klipa birdied 2 of his last 4 holes to post the clubhouse lead. Erskine pulled ahead on 17 but fell back to a tie at 1 under par on the 18th. In the playoff both tied at 1 over par thru regulation, then Klipa prevailed on the 2nd sudden death playoff hole. Tour money leader Corey McCue took 3rd while former champs Greg Kline and David Martin both made back nine runs before finishing tied for 4th.  John Raymond and Jeff Pasz won on course prizes and Rich Dunmore won the first invite to the West Skins Game.


Hesse and Hansen Win Memorable Memorial
May 20, 2017
Hesse Hansen win first

Willi Hesse and Rookie David Hansen came from behind to tie Greg Kline and Jason Rectenwald in regulation, then won an exciting playoff in overtime. Hesse/ Hansen birdied their final hole, the 7th to get to 5 under par while at the same time the leaders Kline/ Rectenwald found the sand on their final hole, the tough 8th, forcing a playoff. The four hole aggregate playoff featured all pars with birdie putts left on the edge and a great par save by Hesse, prompting "Ohs!" and cheers from a large crowd. In sudden death, Hansen showed no nerves and knocked down a 25 footer for a birdie, the win and the coveted Green Towel. Bill Gordon and Dan Gubachy tied with Kelley and Corey McCue for 3rd, one shot off the pace. The win is the first for both Hesse and Hansen with Hesse making his 70th start and Hansen in only his 4th. They become the 15th and 16th players to make a Major title their first win on Tour.


Thomas Gets 1st Win at Cherry Creek
May 13, 2017

Thomas wins 1st

Gary Thomas came from behind with a 31 on the back nine and an eagle birdie finish to take the Cherry Creek Classic in a record 8 under par 64. Mike Harmon posted a 33-33-66 and finished eagle-birdie-eagle to take 2nd place. Klaus Juska and defending champ Scott Wilsey tied for 3rd at 5 under par. The win is Thomas' first in 14 events.  He held the lead after the 14th hole, relinquished it on 15 and 16 only to charge back on the final two holes to grab the Pace Setter trophy. Tim Burger won the 2nd invite to the East Division Skins Game. Rich Dunmore collected 2 on course prizes.

Gordon Grinds Out Win at Animal House
May 7, 2017
Gordon wins 6th
Bill Gordon felt like a thorn among roses when he found himself in a playoff with Chris Cooley and Gregg Nothdurft, two of the three players who have dominated the Tour's early season with 3 wins between them already. But Gordon ground out pars all day and continued to shoot par thru the playoff to capture a 1 shot playoff win. All three finished at 1 under par in regulation, with Gordon and Nothdurft trading pars on the 18th hole while playing in the same group, then waiting to see how Cooley finished. Chris also parred 18 to gain the playoff. John Raymond made a nice putt from the fringe on 18 to tie Rich Dunmore for 4th, which gave Rich his 50th top 4 finish on Tour in 184 starts. Chuck Withey took both on course prizes. The win is Gordon's 6th in 110 starts and moves him to 3rd in the West Division money list behind Nothdurft and the other dominate player of the spring, Corey McCue. McCue leads the Tour overall money standings ($88) by less than $2 over Nothdurft and $4 over Cooley. All three have more than doubled the 4th place earner, Rich Dunmore.  In the Zoo Animal Putt Off, Rich Dunmore came from behind to top Gordon, Cooley and Mike Geisser by 1 shot.


Cooley Wins 2nd in East at Sparty
May 6, 2017

Cooley 2
Chris Cooley is dominating the East Division and got his 2nd consecutive win at the Sparty Classic. This time Chris finished eagle-birdie-birdie to come from behind and edge out Chris Dunmore by 1 shot, one under par to even. Steve Bisson and Willi Hesse tied for third at 1 over par. Barb Hoelzle won the first invite to the East Skins Game and other on course prizes were won by Steve Villerot and Casey Harris. The win is Cooley's 8th on Tour in 3 years and 65 starts, and gives him a commanding lead on the East Division money list.


Nothdurft Masters the Weather at the Tin Cup
April 30, 2017

Train with Tami
Gregg Nothdurft doesn't let cool weather slow him down. For the 2nd year in a row Nothdurft wins on a cold day after posting a 2 under par 70 to top the red hot Corey McCue by 1 shot. Gregg's round included 6 birdies and an eagle.  Mike Geisser posted his 2nd top 4 finish of the weekend to finish 3rd at Even par. Rich Dunmore, Helen Puffenberger, and Scott Wilsey all tied for 4th at 1 over par. Klaus Juska won the first birth in the Central Skins Game, Mark Mayes won an on course prize and Brian Lardin had the fewest putts.


McCue Gets 2nd win of year at Chelsea
April 29, 2017

2 time winner

Corey McCue notched his 2nd West Division win of the year at the Chelsea Classic on Saturday. His 3 under par score topped John Raymond, Tim Markel and Mike Geisser who all tied for 2nd at Even par. McCue birdied 6 of his first 8 holes to take a firm hold on the event and held his nerve down the stretch with 3 pars on the last 3 holes including a booming drive on #13 which he called his best shot of the day. With his 2nd career win in his last 3 starts and both in the West Division, Corey already has a virtual lock on a spot in the Commissioner's Cup and the Tour Championship. 


Cooley Defends Sweet Sixteen Title
April 23, 2017

Sweet winner
Chris Cooley proved again that the Blackheath links layout and the Sweet Sixteen format are perfectly suited for his game. He topped Charlie Roy in a 5 hole sudden-death playoff to defend his 2016 record setting title. But for losing a playoff to Mike Lum in 2015, he would have 3 wins in 3 starts at Blackheath. He and Charlie tied at 7-under par after dropping their 2 worst holes. They topped Seth Erskine and Gregg Nothdurft by 1 shot. In the playoff on Blackheath's tough bending greens, Chris dropped his very 1st putt to take a two shot lead, only to 4 putt it away on the next playoff hole. Deadlocked after the regulation 4 hole playoff, Chris was able to lag a big bender in close to take the win on the first sudden-death hole.  With finishes of 2nd, 1st and 1st Chris becomes the all-time money winner for the Sweet Sixteen event, topping Kelly Arnold. Charlie Roy's 2nd place puts him 3rd all-time on the event money list.


McCue is McEpic at Pine View
April 22, 2017

McCue shoots score
Corey McCue shot the first sub-par round in 5 years at the Pine View Classic to open the 2017 season in style. His 1-under par 71 topped the field by 6 shots. The win is McCue's first on Tour in 13 starts after two 2nd place finishes in his rookie year. Corey and wife Kelley, who won the Ladies Open last year, become the 7th married couple to both have wins on The Mulligan Tour. Joe Robar, Rich Dunmore, and Gregg Nothdurft all tied for 2nd at 5 over par. 


Q-School 2 Finishes Bright
April 15, 2017
On a day when the temp went from 55 to 80 and sunshine, Commissioner Withey was heard to tell the rookie class, "Every day is like this on The Mulligan Tour".  David Hansen was medalist for the rookie class with a 92, 5 ahead of Reg Wyse. Brian Pieszchala was 3rd and David Cross 4th for the rookies. New 'vet' Thomas Mulhern served notice that he is ready for the season, completing his handicap setting events with a 5 over par 75 and taking 1st overall by 2 over Rich Dunmore and Greg Kline. Kline and Dunmore posted early and waited hopefully, but Mulhern's nerves held down the stretch as he posted 3 straight pars to finish. "Puff" took 4th. 
The Pineview Classic is up next. The gross score course record there is 66. Our tournament record is 4 under par set by Ron Stuart in the very first event in 1999. For Sunday's Sweet Sixteen, the tournament record is 14 under par set by T.R. Litzler in 2005 at Salem Hills which is also the record low round in Tour history for 18 holes (59). The course record for Blackheath is 9 under par set by Chris Cooley last year.


Q-School 1 Opens Season on Beautiful Day
April 8, 2017
A fine morning at Fox Creek in Livonia greeted 7 rookie qualifiers and 8 veterans at Q1. For the Rookie class, Robert Gurche took medalist accolades with a 94, topping David Hansen by 2 shots. Reg Wyse finished 3 back and David Cross was 5 back.  For the Vets, #9 Chris Cooley proved again he plays awesome when it doesn't count. After taking low vet in Q-1 last year, Chris again led the Vets with a 4 over par 75, topping #11 Scott Wilsey by 3. Tim Markel finished 3rd and Dan Gubachy was 4th.  One more Q-School next weekend and this week is the deadline for entering the season opening weekend events!


Register for Q-School 1 this week
March 27, 2017
Time to stretch out those digits and get in practice for registering for The Mulligan Tour events! Our first Qualifying School is April 8th. Weather says sprinkles, so you can count on it being sunny and warm that day. Q-School is time for new players to set their Mulligan Tour Handicap Index (MTHI), our web.com returnees to complete their qualification for the tour and our vets to loosen up for the season. See you on the tee!


Bring Your Friends to Q-School (or any event)
March 17, 2017

Happy St Patty's Day.  The 2017 season is fast approaching and soon we will be teeing off at Q-School 1 on April 8th. This is the first of several updates I'll be sharing regarding the 2017 season.  Today I'm excited to share with all of you our new referral program and some changes to our Mulligan Tour Facebook account.

The best ambassadors for The Mulligan Tour are our members so we'd like to encourage you to promote the MT to your circle of friends which is why we've created the Referral Program. The MT member will receive a $25 referral bonus for any new members that join the Tour.  New members fall into two timelines defined as


  *   New Members before June 1st - they paid a full year dues and are still active
  *   New Members after June 1st - paid full year dues.

The MT member will receive a referral bonus of $25 that will be credited to your account on July 1st and every 2 weeks after that.  This bonus is unlimited which means that if you refer 4 new members you will receive a $100 credit to your account.  In addition, the MT member will receive a 10% off coupon code to use in the new apparel web-store. Yes, we have an apparel web-store (link on the MT webpage)

Mulligan Tour Facebook Page - yes, we have a Facebook page. To promote Mulligan Tour and increase our social media presence we've opened up MT Facebook page to the public. In case you didn't know we had a Facebook group you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/313709674519/

We would encourage you to like the page or join it so you will be notified of new postings and announcements. Additionally, to increase our social media presence we would also appreciate your 'likes' or 'shares' of posts on that page. This will add those posts on your timeline and your network of friends will become exposed to The Mulligan Tour. Remember there's a referral program.

The new 9-member board (owners) have been meeting monthly and we are excited with the roll out of the new year.  I will follow up in the next two weeks with another update on some of the few changes we are making for the upcoming season.

Also Don't forget to get your application and registration fees in by March 31st.

I'm looking forward to April 8th and getting the season in-swing.

Chuck Withey

Payment Process Changing for 2017
February 5, 2017

Happy 2017.  While it’s still cold outside we are not far from the start of the 2017 Season.  While we start a new year and new ownership it is time to start looking forward.  Annual Dues are still the same as last year $120 but you will receive a discount to $100 if paid by March 10th.  There will be an email sent out by “Current” and Chuck Withey giving you a link to pay by Current (Dwolla is no longer a viable option).  We are encouraging all Members to register with Current and utilize this as a payment vehicle.  Otherwise you can mail a check for the annual dues to

 

The Mulligan Tour

C/O Chuck Withey

123 E Walled Lake Dr

Walled Lake, MI 48390

 

Soon enough we will be teeing up a little white ball and stressing over why it won’t just go home – get in the hole.




A tribute to the founder Erik Meland

After 18 years as the driving force of The Mulligan Tour, our Founder and Inspirational leader Erik, El Presidente’, Meland has turned the keys of the Tour over to a group of 9 members who formed a new LLC to take the Tour forward into its next era.  Erik organized and ran the league based on the principal of fun, love of the game and a place that amateur bogey golfers could compete in a friendly tournament, similar to a PGA type setting.  The new ownership team is committed to continue the core principals established by Erik.  The new owners would like to thank Erik for his amazing commitment and vision that has made the Mulligan Tour what it is.  Below is an excerpt from the Tour History to give everyone a perspective of where it all began and the journey from then to now. 

 “The Mulligan Tour formed in 1999 when founder Erik Meland, tired of the same old 9-hole golf leagues, scheduled a series of tournaments at different local courses and offered a "new kind" of golf league that would promise a "PGA Tour" feel for the weekend, recreational golfer.  He invited friends and neighbors (and friends of neighbors) to participate in the inaugural Tour season.  That first campaign included 16 members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of Harbour Pointe - named after the subdivision in Belleville, Michigan that was home to Meland and half the original membership.

An engineer for an automotive supplier, Meland used his program management skills to organize the tournaments, each with its own name and trophy, and track the playing statistics like the pro tour.  Using typical "league" playing rules, the Mulligan Tour would stress the fun, recreational aspect of the game but introduce a level of competition not readily available to the avid bogey golfer.

Using previous scores as a basis for player's handicaps, 12 players traveled to Ypsilanti's Pine View GC on May 29, 1999 and launched the new Tour by contesting the first Pine View Classic.  Dearborn school teacher Ron Stuart won the tournament by 2-strokes posting a net 4-under par 68.

Membership steadily grew during the early years from 24 players in 2000 to 34 in 2002.  In 2004, membership reached 55 players and Meland created a Board of Directors from some of the veteran players to help guide the Tour's growth.  More tournaments were added and the "Grand Slam" was formed as the Memorial tournament and the Match Play Championship joined the HPO and PLAYERS Championship as the Tour's majors.  The Memorial tournament was actually Meland's first foray into tournament golf, first played in 1995 and now considered the "granddaddy" of the Mulligan Tour.  (Also affectionately known as the “Erik Meland Memorial ‘Hey! He’s not dead yet!’ Tournament”)

The Tour created its first 2 divisions before the 2005 season.  The Central and Western divisions followed their own schedules but members were able to play in either tournaments much the way a pro golfer might play PGA Tour events and European PGA Tour events.  The Tour added an Eastern division in 2010 to cater to the Oakland and Macomb county population.”

The Tour has matured over the years and now hosts about 35 events each year. Over 120 players have been involved in the last two years.

The Tour is a great recreational outlet for the competitive juices of bogey golfers. A motivation for some to work out a little more and stay a little healthier. For some it has become something deeper. Our oldest member has been quoted as saying “If it wasn’t for The Mulligan Tour I’d be dead now.”  We understand Godfather. When we look across that snow covered yard, our minds wander to that first tee off at Pineview. A reuniting with our brothers and sisters. We see in our minds one more great shot. One more great round. We feel the anticipation of victory, one more time. 

Thank you Erik.



For Those Who Can't Get Enough Golf
January 9, 2017

The temperatures outside were in single digits this past week for the start of our annual Fantasy League. We use the Golf Channel platform to conduct weekly contests that test our skill at predicting the hot golfers of the coming week, the golfers that play this week's pro course the best, and who will surprise the field from nowhere. On The Mulligan Tour home page in the lower right corner you will find a link to the Golf Channel page. From there you can create an account and join our league. Each contest this year is an independent event, much as how we play The Mulligan Tour in the real world. This year we will be offering a fabulous prize to the lucky contestants who make the best picks in the 4 major PGA tournaments. 



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