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
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
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
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
LtoR: Corey McCue, Jeff
Graunke, Chuck Withey, Willi Hesse, The
Puffenator, Tom (not that old) Litzler,
Captain Kline and Scott Wilsey
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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 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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Thanks to our sponsor
family!
Mike Geisser sends the winner to the flag.
Puffenburger Dominates the Hunt
June 9, 2017
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.