Kevin Gregoire capped a
dominate year end with one last win at
the Runny Nose Open. On a day that saw
snow on the back nine and required a lot
of anti-freeze along the way, Kevin
topped last year's champ Corey McCue by
1 shot with a 4 under par 66. Tim Markel
finished at 2 over par and Scott Wilsey
and Charlie Roy split the final money
spot at 4 over par 74.
Gregoire
Blitzes the UM Course
October 20, 2019 at
University of Michigan GC
Kevin Gregoire strung an
eagle and 4 straight birdies thru the
middle of his round Sunday to take
charge of the U of M Open. He finished 3
under par and took a four shot victory
over defending champ Thomas Mulhern, Tim
Markel and Charlie Roy who all tied for
2nd at 1 over par. Gregoire also took
the low gross prize for the day with a
79. Greg Kline carded the fewest putts.
Skins Game Filled with
Action
October 13, 2019 at Mt.
Brighton
Skins winners John
Raymond, Joe Robar, Willi Hesse and Greg
Kline
The four Skins Games
were filled with variety. In the West,
Willi Hesse only took 2 skins but they
were on the 17th after a 4 hole push and
the big money 18th. He posted $48 for an
easy win over Commissioner Jeff Klipa. In
the East, Joe Robar notched a near record
7 skins for a $48 to $30 win over Mike
Geisser. In the Central game, Commissioner
Greg Kline took the win $32 to $26 over
Steve Villerot. And in the All Star
contest, John Raymond also won the last
two holes to prevail $36 to $26 over David
Martin.
Prieskorn Champ of Champs
October 6, 2019 at
Washtenaw Golf Club
Players
Champion Mike Prieskorn made 6 birdies
thru the day and was able to hang
steadily near par to the finish at
Washtenaw Golf Club. His steady round
held off a late rally by 5 time winner
Kevin Gregoire who strung 4 birdies
over the final 4 holes to tie for
second. 2 time winner Helen
Puffenberger tied Gregoire for 2nd and
Eastern Division Champ Willi Hesse
came in 4th.
The Bell Tolls Twice
for West
October 5, 2019 at
Farmington Hills GC
Team West defended their
Division Bell title with only the 2nd
sub par score in the events history.
Last year's West team reunited again and
lowered their previous winning score by
19 shots. Charlie Roy led the West team
and took medalist honors at 4 under par.
Chris Cooley led the Central team at 3
under par. Mike Prieskorn and David
Martin also finished 1 under par for
Captain Klipa who finished even par.
President's Cup Goes to Labor
Great day for Labor as
Brian Lardin
,
Scott Wilsey
,
John Raymond
,
Gary Thomas
,
Gregg Nothdurft
,
Tom Moran
, and Joe Robar take down the management team of
Chuck Withey
,
Christopher Cooley
,
Rich Dunmore
,
David J. Martin
, Old Tom Litzler,
Kevin Gregoire
and Eric Birkle by a score of 10-2 in a 7 v 7 President's Cup matchup that featured 3 singles matches in addition to the traditional lineup.
West Cuts Short East Rally on Day 3
September 22, 2019 at
Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio
Team East needed a miracle rally on the
final day of Commissioner's Cup 2019. And
they made a valiant effort, taking 5 of
the first 6 matches on the board. But in
the end the numbers were against them.
Corey McCue and recent Tour Champion Kevin
Gregoire closed out matches early to put
team west at the door and then this year's
top rookie Greg Paddison clinched the cup
on the 17th hole. The win is Team West's
sixth all-time.
West Dominates Day 2 at CC
September 21, 2019 at
Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio
Team West sparkled on day 2 at Maumee bay.
Commissioner's Cup Day 1 a Draw
September 20, 2019 at
Maumee Bay State Park
Day 1 at the
Commissioner's Cup was fought to a
draw.
Tour Championship Goes to Gregoire
September
14, 2019 at Polo Fields Ann Arbor
Kevin Gregoire came to the
13th tee tied for the lead and in a
tight pack. Gregoire then ran off 4 in a
row of his 9 birdies on the day to
separate and take a 3 under par 5 shot
victory over Roger Smith, Jeff Klipa and
Rod 'Tuna' Theunissen. The win is
Gregoire's 6th on Tour in 98 starts.
More significantly, he captures his 3rd
Major of the year (and his career)
moving him to the top ten honor roll of
major winners. A quick scan of records
could not turn up anyone winning 3
majors in a season before in Tour
history. Greg Kline, Rick Persichetti,
Jeff Klipa, Chris Cooley, and David
Hansen have captured 2 in a season.
Prieskorn Captures 5th Career Major
August 25, 2019 at
Pheasant Run
Mike Prieskorn birdied
the final hole in regulation to catch
Chris Cooley and tie him for 1st place
at 3 under par 69. Mike then aced the
3rd playoff hole of the 4-hole
aggregate playoff to take his 5th
Major title and first Players
Championship. David Martin logged his
88th career top 4 finish in taking 3rd
at 2 over par. Chuck Withey took 4th
at 4 over par. Prieskorn now as 17
career wins in 183 Tour starts. After
two 2nd place finishes for the
weekend, Cooley took the season money
lead with one event left to play.
Hesse Comes from Behind to Collect Major
Win
August 24, 2019 at Glacier
Golf Club
Willi Hesse proved the
adage of Never, Never, Never give up
at the Eastern Division Championship.
After making the turn at 7 over par
and mired well back in the pack, Willi
strung 4 birdies on the back nine
including 3 in a row on holes 15 to
17. Then he sunk a clutch par putt to
gain a tie with Chris Cooley at 4 over
par. After both players held serve in
the 4 hole aggregate playoff format,
Willi lagged a big bending 40 foot
putt to take the playoff on the first
extra hole. Roger Smith and Ron
Hiestand tied for 3rd at 7 over par.
On the course, Hiestand took both
prizes, which included qualifying for
the East Skins Game. For Hesse
it was his 3rd career Tour win and 2nd
Major title in 135 starts.
Gregoire Captures 2nd Major of the Season
August 24, 2019 Lyon Oaks
Kevin
Gregoire outlasted John Raymond in a
playoff to take his 2nd Major win of the
year at the Western Division
Championship. His previous win coming at
the Match Play Championship.
Gregoire matched Raymond in regulation
play with a 6 birdie 3 over par 75 on a
tough Lyon Oaks course. Dan Gubachy took
3rd at 4 over par and 2017 West Champ
Jeff Pasz took 4th at 7 over par. Rich
Dunmore reached a milestone of 250
events played on Tour. For Gregoire it
was his 5th career Tour win in his 96th
event.
Gubachy Most Aware at Farmington
August 18, 2019 at
Farmington Hills GC
Dan Gubachy hit 10
fairways and 8 greens on his way to 10
birdies and a regulation 5 under par
tie with Rich Dunmore and Justin
Bennett. Gubachy aced the 2nd hole in
the 4 hole aggregate playoff to take
the top prize. Charlie Roy finished
4th at 1 under par. On course, Doug
Bell earned the All Star Skins Game
invitation while Dunmore and Greg
Paddison took CTP prizes. Bennett had
fewest putts. The win is
Gubachy's 2nd on Tour in 69 starts. This "Rally for the Cure"
event benefited the Susan G. Komen
breast cancer awareness foundation
by donating $5 from each player's
entry fee to Rally for the Cure.
T.W. Wins 2nd of the Year Eh.
August 17, 2019 at Fellows
Creek
Tom W. Litzler appeared
to avoid the Canadian Beer long enough
for a steady 1 under par round,
followed by a 3 way playoff win. His 3
birdie day was good enough to tie Jeff
Pasz and Ned Loving in regulation. And
he won the playoff to move his career
playoff record to 2-3. Greg Paddison,
John Raymond and John Nievierowski all
tied for 4th at even par. The scores
in this event seemed higher than usual
for recent tour standards. Perhaps the
beer did flow early? On course
prizes went to Litzler (low putts),
Gary Thomas (most putts), Paddison
(low gross and a CTP). The win
was Tom's 2nd this year, and 8th
career win in 226 starts.
Nievierowski Plays Big at Blue
August 11, 2019 at Lake
Forest
John Nievierowski strung 6
birdies in 7 holes thru the middle of his
round to take charge at the Go Blue
Classic. He added 3 more down the stretch
to post a 5 under par 67 and a 4 shot win
over a host of runner ups. Dave Oliver,
Joe Robar, Rich Dunmore and Eric Birkle
all tied for 2nd at 1 under par 71. On
course prizes went to Ned Loving and Bill
Gordon. Gordon also logged a milestone of
150 events played on Tour. Mike Nicholas
and Eric Mullen marked their 50th Tour
events. Nievierowski also posted 11
fairways hit on the way to his 2nd in 18
Tour starts. In an end of season reprise
of the famous Zoo Animal Putt Off, Mike
Geisser dropped an opening ace to top
Willi Hesse, Tom Moran and Chuck Withey.
Ward Western Winner!
August 10,
2019 at Huntmore
Don Ward birdied the
final hole at the Little Diablo Salsa
Western Swing to post a 5 under par 67
and hold off Eric Birkle by 1 shot for
the win. His 7 birdie round bested
Birkles 6 birdies and an eagle. Corey
McCue was 3rd at 3 under par 69 and
Helen Puffenberger posted her 32nd
career top 4 finish with a 2 under par
70. On course prizes went to Puff,
Roger Smith, Rich Dunmore and John
Lennane. Ward also garnered the lowest
putts and low gross round prizes. Tim
Markel had a milestone round playing
his 200th Tour event. The win was
Ward's 2nd of the year in 11 starts.
Commissioner Kline presents the
charity funds check to English
Springer Rescue of America.
Thanks Mom!
August 4,
2019 at Harbor Dunes
In what
had to be one if the most inspired
rounds ever on Tour, Helen "Puff"
Puffenberger posted a record setting
score to win the tournament she
sponsored in memory of her mother Toula.
On a day when 14 players broke par,
Helen posted a modern era record for the
event of 11 under par 61, edging out
Brian Pieszchala by 1 shot (who tied the
old course record). In addition, Helen's
gross score of 71 missed Craig MacBeth's
2003 Tour record by 1 shot, tying her
with Mike Thompson (2004) and Joe Robar
(2012) for second best round all-time.
World #1 David Hansen finished 3rd at 7
under par 65 and Jeff Pasz, Bill Gordon
and Christopher Hilliard all tied for
4th at 5 under par 67. Helen hit
11 greens in regulation and eagled the
final hole on her way to her 5th win in
101 starts on Tour. On course prizes
went to Puffenberger, Pieszchala and 2
to Chris Cooley. Joe Robar earned the
Skins Game Invitation. And Clint Bell
won the mystery prize.
CEO Chuck
Withey presents check for Animal Rescue
Coalition to event sponsor and winner
Helen Puffenberger.
Withey the Horse for the Course
August 3,
2019 at Carrington Golf Club
Chuck Withey took his
second career win at Carrington in
dominating fashion. In the last 4
years he has 2 wins and a second in
the event. This time the 'Closer' took
charge in the middle of the round
going 7 under in 8 holes topped off
with an eagle 2 on the 11th hole where
he drove the green and made the putt.
Withey finished with a 7 under par 65,
six shots ahead of runner up Jeff
Klipa. Helen Puffenberger, Jeff Pasz,
and Chris Dunmore tied for 3rd at Even
Par. The win is Chuck's 10th on
Tour in 159 starts.
Cooley Gets an Ugly 4th Win of the Year
July 28,
2019 at Brae Burn Golf Club
Chris Cooley notched his 4th
win of the year at the Ugly Pants Open
leaving him one away from the single
season Tour record with 10 events yet
to play. Cooley hit 10 greens in an
Even Par performance at the Tour's
first go round at Brae Burn Golf
Course. Tim Markel and Mike Geisser
tied for 2nd at 2 over par and Greg
Paddison tied David Martin for 4th.
This was Cooley's 14th win on Tour in
148 starts and ties him with Rich
Dunmore for 7th all-time in wins.
Tom Hoelzle Cashes In
July 27,
2019 Stony Creek Metropark
Winner's check
presented by co-sponsor Klaus Juska
Tom Hoelzle was under budget on both nines
and banked a rare 4 eagles along with 5
birdies on the way to a record tying 7
under par 65 and the Fifty Cent Classic
win. He edged out Chris Cooley who
finished at 6 under par 66. Corey McCue,
Helen Puffenberger, and Joe Brandenburg
all tied for third. Tom's score matched
the previous event record set by Tim
"TJake" Jakubowski in 2011. Helen
Puffenberger took both on course prizes.
The win is Hoelzle's 4th in 225 starts.
Crazy Playoff Gives the Brit to Litzler
July 21,
2019 Whispering Willows
In what was described by
at least one person as an epic
playoff, Tom W Litzler topped Brian
(Pin) Lardin in 5 holes. Lardin
broke from the gate with an ace on the
1st playoff hole, but was overtaken in
regulation and beaten on the 1st extra
hole off the playoff. Old Tom
and Brian scored 43 points in the
British Stableford format, a total
that matched the modern record set by
Steve Villerot in 2010 and matched by
Ray Nadell in 2015. They however were
well short of the amazing total of 49
points set in the original Crazy Brit
in 1999 by Mary Petree. Helen
Puffenberger and Brian Pieszchala tied
for third with 42 points. On course
prizes went to Kevin Gregiore and
Justin Bennett and the Skins Game
invitation was earned by Rich Dunmore.
The win is Tom's 7th in 223 Tour
starts.
Hansen Still the Big Dog
July 20,
2019 Pontiac Country Club
David
Hansen successfully defended his Big Dog
status at the Pontiac Country Club
Saturday. He bettered his pro
partner who spotted him a 4 under start,
with a 6 under round that included 10
greens in regulation. His 10 under par
133 total bested Roger Smith by 1. Roger
shot a sterling 7 under 65, but didn't
have the pro support he needed to take
the title. Tim Markel finished T-2 with
a 5 under round and 134 minus 9
aggregate while Scott Wilsey took 4th
with a 4 under round and 135, 8 under
total. Jeff Pasz and Markel took the on
course prizes. The Big Dog marked a
milestone for Ned Loving who has played
in 100 Tour events. The win is
Hansen's 6th on Tour and 3rd of the year
to go with 2 majors this year. He has 39
starts.
Gregoire Battles to First Major Win
July 14,
2019 Willow Metropark
The
Match play Championship was a long
difficult weekend of golf for the
final 4. Kevin Gregoire (Kenny
G) pulled out the victory on the
21st hole. Tim Markel took an
early lead up 3 at the turn and had
a chance to win the match on hole 18
but missed his putt. Tim tried
to extend the match on the 21st hole
- after taking a drop with an OB tee
shot Tim just missed chipping in as
the ball rolled over the edge.
But no golf love as the ball stopped
2” past. Kevin was 8’ out and
2 putted for the victory.
After the match Gregoire was quoted
as saying
“I am
exhausted and every muscle in my
body is very sore. What a grueling
weekend.Please
don't put me up against Tim in the
Commissioner’s Cup if he plays on
the other team. He had so many great
bunker and flop shots Sunday, it was
unbelievable.The
first 18 in the final
match were not camera worthy
for the most, in my opinion,
but the few of us that got to be a
part of the last 3
holes saw some pretty good golf
in my opinion.” In the
Consolation Match, World #1 David
Hansen succumbed to the Match Play
Queen Helen Puffenberger. The win is
Kevin's 1st Major, 4th Career and
3rd of the year in his 85th start.
He appears to be hitting his stride
in his 4th year on Tour.
Day 1
results at Match Play
Prieskorn 1 Better with 2
July 7,
2019 Thorne Hills
Mike
Prieskorn improved his finish from the
day before by one place to take the Two
Stick title. His 7 under par 65 set an
event record by 2 shots over last years
winner Scott Wilsey. Rod Theunissen
finished 2nd at 4 under par. Roger Smith
was 3rd at 1 under and Brian Pieszchala
took 4th at even par. On course prizes
went to John Nievierowski and Prieskorn.
The win is Mike's 16th on Tour in 176
Tour starts, moving him ahead of Rich
Dunmore to solo 6th All Time.
Mulhern Takes the Flag at Red White &
Blue
July 6,
2019 Shenandoah
Thomas Mulhern strung six
birdies and an eagle at Shenandoah for
a 7 under par 65 and a 3 shot win over
Mike Prieskorn and Scott Wilsey
the defending champ. Tim Markel
finished 4th at 1 under par 71.
Mulhern captures the 2nd coolest
trophy on Tour. Fewest putts went to
Prieskorn, Markel and Joe Robar with
33. Mulhern hit 14 greens in his
round. This is Thom's 1st Tour win in
22 starts. The event also marked the
milestone of 150 Tour events for Chuck
Withey.
Geisser Record Setting Senior
July 4,
2019 Lake Erie Metropark
Mike Geisser exploded from
the gate with 2 eagles and added 4 more
birdies to make the turn at Lake Erie
Metropark in 28. He cooled off only
slightly, making 4 more birdies on the
back nine to finish with a sparkling 9
under par 63 and a 3 shot win over Steve
Villerot and defending champ Scott
Wilsey. David Martin took 4th at 5 under
par 67. Martin also swept the on course
prizes including the All Star team
invite to the Skins Game. The win is
Geisser's 3rd in 128 Tour starts. His 9
under par 63 is a new Senior Open
record.
Cooley Sweeps the Weekend
June 30,
2019 Brighton
For the
second day in a row Chris Cooley won a
Playoff to get the win, this time at his
own sponsored event! The host
again held par in the playoff to outlast
Chuck Withey and John Lennane who
suffered one bogey each to tie for 2nd.
Brian Lardin took 4th at even par 1 shot
out of the playoff. Chris gets win #13
on Tour to move to 8th on the all-time
list. The plethora of on course prizes
were dispersed to Helen Puffenberger,
Withey (2), Corey McCue (long drive) and
Eric Birkle (2). Lardin had a milestone
round with his 50th Tour event played.
Cooley Holds Lead for Playoff Win
June 29,
2019 Livonia
Chris
Cooley's Pro picks at the Quad Tour
Challenge spotted him a 3 shot lead and
he held onto it to get into a playoff
with Jeff Klipa who came from 6 shots
back to tie in regulation at 19 under
par. Cooley held serve in the playoff
with all pars to top Klipa by one in the
4 hole aggregate format. Kevin
Gregoire took 3rd at 18 under par,
gaining 3 strokes in his round,
and Greg Kline was 4th at 16 under par
making up 4 shots in his round. Kline
now has 100 Top 4 finishes in his
career. Helen Puffenberger and
David Hansen took the on course prizes
and Charlie Roy earned the coveted Skins
Game invitation. The win is Chris' 12th
in 138 events.
Quad Tour Standings Going into Final Round
June 28, 2019
PGA
SR PGA
LPGA
TOTAL
1
Chris
Cooley
65
64
64
193
2
David
Hansen
67
64
65
196
3
Jeff Cubel
68
64
65
197
4
Jeff
Graunke
68
64
65
197
5
Kevin
Gregoire
68
64
65
197
6
Mike
Geisser
68
65
65
198
7
Helen
Puffenberger
68
64
66
198
8
Rod
Theunissen
72
64
62
198
9
Jeff Klipa
67
67
65
199
10
Tom Moran
70
64
65
199
11
Jeff Pasz
68
65
66
199
12
Brian
Pieszchala
67
67
65
199
13
Charlie
Roy
68
64
67
199
14
Steve
Villerot
70
64
65
199
15
Greg Kline
68
64
68
200
16
Greg
Nothdurft
68
64
68
200
17
Chuck
Withey
71
64
65
200
18
Doug Bell
71
64
66
201
19
John
Raymond
68
69
64
201
20
Ned Loving
69
69
68
206
Withey Pops Off an Ace at the Red Oaks
Shootout
June 28,
2019 Madison Heights
Chuck 'The Closer'
Withey birdied two of his last 3 holes
to get into the shootout at Red Oaks,
then dropped an ace on the first putt
of the shootout to ride off with the
Tour's coolest trophy. Chuck held his
nerve thru the remaining 4 shootout
holes at par to hold off Tyler Floyd
and Helen Puffenburger with a record
tying 17 points. Floyd played par thru
the shootout for a conventional 15
points. Puffenberger tied him with a
roller-coaster shootout that included
an ace of her own among 2 pars and 2
bogeys. 2015 champ Rich Dunmore made
the shootout and finished 4th.
Puffenberger led the preliminary round
at 5 under par to get into the
shootout. The win is Chuck's 9th and
146 Tour starts.
Hansen Bridges the Creek
for Victory
June 23,
2019
The 2019 Harbour Pointe
Open came down to the final hole with
3 players tied for the lead at Paint
Creek Country Club. All playing in the
final group, Rich Dunmore, Chuck
Withey and David Hansen teed up on the
36th hole of the HPO (the course's 9th
hole) tied at 9 over par. Hansen finds
the right rough but can see the hole.
Both Withey and Dunmore find the trees
and are forced to layup short of the
creek running across the hole about 50
yards short of the green. Hansen
decides to go for it, but the ball is
cut by the wind and is falling short
in the creek. Whack! It hits the
wooden bridge crossing the creek on
the right and bounces to the edge of
the green! Hansen pars to win! Withey
and Dunmore tie for 2nd at 10 over par
and Scott Wilsey took 4th at 12 over
par. Hansen has the size of Reavie
with the record of Koepka having now
won 3 majors in 5 wins on Tour in 34
starts. The win also moves him to #1
in the World Rankings with only a
couple weeks to go until the Match
Play Championship.
Day 1 at HPO
June 22, 2019
Rich Dunmore shot a tidy
3 over par on a tough day at
Paint Creek. Tough wind and a tough
course kept this major's scores in US
Open territory with cut made at 17
over par. Dunmore enters day two 1
shot up on David Hansen and two up on
Chuck Withey and Ned Loving. The day 1
on course prizes went to Helen
Puffenberger (2), Ned Loving and
Corey McCue.
Old Men & Women No Match for Old Man
Weather
June 16, 2019
The MT Senior Open was
rained out today after 9 holes. The
field mutinied after the final 3
greens on the front 9 became
inundated and unputtable. The make
up date is set for Thursday July 4th
with an 8am shotgun start.
Ward Breaks Thru to Take the Grail
June 15,
2019 Plymouth
True to this reporter's
prediction, it was just a matter of
time until Don Ward made it to the
winner's circle. Rookie Don had
quickly amassed 4 top 4 finishes
coming into Saturday at St. Johns. He
logged #5 in style with a sterling 7
under par 65 for a 3 shot victory over
fellow rookie and playing partner Greg
Paddison. Ward made impressive use of
his Holy Hand Grenades to dunk
consecutive 1's on the par 5 sixth and
the par 3 7th and post a gross 71 with
only 22 putts. Eric Birkle, Jeff Pasz,
John Lennane and Willi Hesse all tied
for 3rd at 3 under par. On course
prizes went to Ward and Birkle and
Hesse earned the coveted West Skins
Game invitation.
Gregoire Stands Tall on the Short Course
June 14,
2019 Plymouth
Kevin Gregoire hit 13
greens on his way to a solid 1 over
par 55 to take this year's Par 54 by 2
shots over perennial contender and
defending champ David Martin. Brian
Lardin, Barb Hoelzle and Rod
Theunissen all tied for 3rd. Barb's
Top 4 finish marked a milestone 50
times she has accomplished the feat on
Tour. For Gregoire it is his 3rd Tour
win in 77 starts. On course prizes
went to Steve Villerot and Helen
Puffenburger.
Raymond Leans into Wind for 2nd Win
June 9,
2019 Troy
John Raymond stood up to
the elements for a solid win at the
East Side Charity Classic. Even the
creepy cormorants of the dead tree in
the lake didn't like the spitting rain
and 2 club wind. But John posted a 5
under par 66 to hold off Bill Gordon
(3 under 68), Willi Hesse (2 under 69)
and Ron Hiestand (1 under 70). It is
John's 4th Tour win in 105 starts. On
course prizes went to Gordon, Al
Stroup and Seth Erskine. Milestone of
100 events played achieved by Eric
Birkle.
Greg Kline Posts 23rd Career Win
June 8,
2019 Farmington Hills
Mike Lum
and family hosted another great event to
honor his grandmother Reatha on
Saturday. And Greg Kline found his
winning form to notch his 23rd career
victory in his 266th start. Kline walked
away from the field with a back nine 31
which included 5 of his 9 birdies on the
day. Kline's 7 under par 64 gave
him a 3 shot win over 3 players who tied
with 4 under 67 including Eric Birkle,
#1 Gregg Nothdurft and impressive rookie
Don Ward who keeps getting closer and
closer to a win. On course prizes went
to Ward, Birkle, Roger Smith and Chuck
Withey. Milestones to Kevin Gregoire (75
events) and John Hawkinson (25). Kline
is now tied for 2nd in all time wins
with Rick Persichetti.
Big check for charity! Thanks Lum
family!
McCue Wins Fox Hunt Debut
June 7,
2019 Plymouth
Corey McCue took home his
4th career win in his first Fox Hunt. In
an event where accuracy counts more than
score, McCue hit 11 greens on the day
including the key valuable 18th to lock up
59 points and the win. He topped Mike
Prieskorn who also hit 11 greens and
finished strong with 4 in a row to post 54
points. David Martin garnered 53 points
for 3rd place and Kevin Gregoire tied Jeff
Graunke with 52 points for 4th. This
was McCue's 54th Tour start, but first
time to play in the Fox Hunt. He also took
an on course prize along with Barb
Hoelzle, Rich Dunmore and Gregoire. The
event also marked milestone starts for
Scott Wilsey (75) and Steve Villerot
(100).
Cooley Draws 2 Straight at Casino
June 2,
2019 Oakland Twp
Chris Cooley dealt 6
birdies and an eagle to take the Casino
Classic at Twin Lakes for the 2nd year in
a row. Chris was a tidy 3 under par on
both nines for a 6 under 65 total and 3
shot win over Don Ward and Rich Dunmore.
Eric Birkle took 4th with a 2 under par
69. Chris now has 11 wins on Tour in
132 starts and is now tied with Thom Bales
for 9th All Time in wins on Tour. The
Casino is the 3rd Tour event that Chris
has won twice, previously doubling in the
Sweet Sixteen and Memorial.
Pasz Wins Jeff-off
June 1,
2019 Plymouth
In an epic battle of Jeff's, Jeff Pasz
outlasted Jeff Graunke in a 9 hole playoff
for the Dudlee's Plymouth Open title. Both
tied in regulation with excellent 8 under
par 62's. Pasz finished regulation
birdie-birdie-eagle to run down Graunke
who also finished with a birdie and
recorded the season's first Albatross on
the 2nd hole. Steve Villerot finished 3rd
at 5 under 65 and Rookie Don Ward tied
last weeks winner John Raymond for 4th at
3 under par. On course prizes went
to Villerot, Raymond, David Martin and Ned
Loving. In world ranking news, all three
players with a shot at the #1 spot tied
for 16th! As a result Gregg Nothdurft
holds on to top spot for another week. The
win is Jeff Pasz's 3rd on Tour, his
previous 2 being Majors. It was the first
career playoff for both Jeff's.
Jeff Graunke did get a consolation in
accepting the charity check for Leader
Dogs for the Blind of $540.
Raymond Strings Along Martin
May 25,
2019 Howell
John Raymond managed his string just a
little bit better than the field at the
Strokes on a Rope and overtook David
Martin on the last hole for a regulation
tie. Raymond then held his nerve for pars
in the playoff and a 1 shot final hole
victory. Martin was on track for only the
second Blue Ribbon in the event's history,
awarded to 3 time winners. But Raymond
played the last 3 holes under par (the
only player in the field to manage
it) with a birdie on the par 3 17th
to overtake Martin. The win is Raymond's
3rd in his 100th start on Tour. It was
also Raymond's first playoff for a 1-0
record, while Martin falls to 4-4 in
playoff appearances. Two time
defending champ Jeff Klipa and Jeff Pasz
tied for 3rd. Klipa missed retaining the
#1 World Ranking by 1 shot as Gregg
Nothdurft's 6th place was good enough to
edge decimal points ahead of Klipa, and
return to where he started the season in
the World Rankings. Jeff Cubel and Kevin
Gregoire took the on course prizes and Rod
'Tuna' Theunissen earned the Skins Game
invitation.
Hansen & Paddison Class
of Field
May 18,
2019 Romulus
David
Hansen took his 2nd Memorial title in 3
years, this time with this year's top
rookie Gregg Paddison, who becomes the
Tour's 20th player to make a Major his
first win. The pair started on the 10th
hole and played their 'front' nine with
4 birdies and added 5 on the course's
front 9 including 4 in a row to pull
away from the pack. Their 8 under 64
tied the event record set in 2015 by the
defending champs Chuck Withey and Chris
Cooley, and matched the following year
by current World #1 Jeff Klipa and
former #1 Mike Prieskorn. John Raymond
and Helen Puffenberger finished 2nd with
a 6 under 66. Eric Birkle and Joe Robar
teamed for 3rd at 67 -5, and Ned Loving
and Jeff Pasz were 4th at 4 under par
68. Paddison's effort vaults him into
the Top 50 of the Tour World Rankings
after only 8 events, moving to 44th. For
Hansen it is his 3 Tour win and 2nd
Major in 31 starts. Paddison moves to #2
on the Money List. And in the fight for
World #1 Jeff Kipa and Gregg Nothdurft
fought to a draw on the course and Klipa
remains #1 by decimals.
Puff Reaps a Harvest at Cherry Creek
May 11,
2019 Shelby Twp
Helen Puffenberger took
a convincing win at Cherry Creek Golf
Club Saturday. She went out in 30 and
birdied the turn with 5 in a row from
8 to 12 to pull out to an
insurmountable lead. She hit 11
fairways and 9 greens in a 9 birdie -
1 eagle round. Her 8 under par 64
matched Gary Thomas' course and
tournament records from 2017.
Jeff Graunke birdied the 18th hole to
secure 2nd place at 5 under par. Gregg
Nothdurft, Bill Gordon and Eric Birkle
all tied for 3rd at 4 under par. On
course prizes went to Corey McCue and
Graunke. Barb Hoelzle earned the 2nd
invitation to the East Skins
Game. Helen's win is her 4th on
Tour in 79 starts.
Nothdurft Dominates the Animals Again
May 5,
2019 Salem Twp
For the third time in four years Gregg
Nothdurft finished regulation play in 1st
place, taking his 2nd Title in that
stretch. Sunday Gregg tamed a wet track
for a convincing 6 under par 66 and a four
shot victory. Corey McCue and the ever
competitive Rich Dunmore tied for 2nd at 2
under par. Chuck Withey, Joe Robar and top
rookie Gregg Paddison all tied for 4th
place. On course prizes went to Nothdurft
and Tom Moran. Notably McCue and Gary
Thomas notched their 50th starts on Tour.
Nothdurft finished with a birdie and 2
eagles over the last 5 holes to break from
the pack. The win is Gregg's 7th in
104 Tour starts. After the weekend's
events Rich Dunmore takes over the Money
lead and Jeff Klipa holds on to the #1
World Ranking but has Gregg Nothdurft
nipping at his heals.
In the Animal House featured event, the
Zoo Animal Putt Off, Corey McCue took home
the prize on the 1st overtime hole after
giving way to a regulation tie with Joe
Robar. Dan Gubachy and Willi Hesse took
home participation awards.
Zoo Animal Corey McCue wins putt off.
Ron Hiestand Comes From Behind to Win
Sparty
May 4,
2019 Auburn Hills
Ron Hiestand strung together 3 finishing
birdies to overtake and tie Rich Dunmore
at the Sparty Classic. Ron then
ground out a tough win in the first
playoff of this Tour season to take his
4th Tour title in 78 starts. Both ended
regulation with 6 under par 66 scores, 3
shots ahead of 3rd place Joe Brandenburg.
Kevin Gregoire continued his hot play and
tied Ned Loving for 4th at 1 under par. On
course prizes went to Gregg Nothdurft and
Gregoire while the Skins Game invite was
earned by Jeff Graunke.
Ron Hiestand sinks the winner!
Rich Dunmore Pours it on to
take the Cup
April 28,
2019 Ypsilanti
Rich Dunmore closed with
birdie birdie eagle finish to come
from behind and take the new Tin Cup.
Dunmore finished 3 under par and slid
past Gregg Nothdurft and Rick Floyd
who finished at 2 under. Rookie Don
Ward showed he is going to be a force
this season by taking 4th. Dunmore
took his 14th Tour win in 226 starts
and extended his Tour leading
consecutive annual win streak to 9
years. On course prize went to Jeff
Pasz. Seth Erskine took fewest putts
prize while Bob Delorey had the high
gross score. And Steve Villerot earned
the first invitation to the Skins
Game. 2019 marks the first year
the Tin Cup is sponsored by Kathy
Kowalczyk of Kowality Golf. We thank
Kathy for her support!
New sponsor Kathy Kowalczyk shows off
the funds raised for the Tin Cup
charity, Common Ground Mobile Medical.
Gregoire Blitzes the Back Nine
April 27,
2019 Dexter
Kevin Gregoire tore thru
his back nine at Hudson Mills with 7
birdies and a 30 to take the Chelsea
Classic at Hudson Mills Metropark
Course. 10 birdies overall gave him a
3 under par 68 and a 2 shot margin
over Corey McCue and Dan Gubachy.
McCue had 5 birdies and Gubachy 6 on
his home course. John Raymond, Helen
Puffenberger and Barb Hoelzle all tied
for 4th. On course prizes went to
McCue and Barb Hoelzle. The win is
Kevin's 2nd on Tour. After starting on
18, his back nine began with a birdie
on the 9th and finished with 5 in a
row to fly into first.
Withey Finds the Green at Pine View
April 20,
2019 Ypsilanti Twp
Winner's check presented by Co-Sponsor
Mike Fox
Chuck Withey hit 11 greens on his way to a
3 shot, 4 under par, win at the Pine View
Classic on a blustery and, at the end,
very wet day. Rookie Gregg Paddison made 5
birdies in his first official event to
take 2nd at 1 under par. Kevin Gregoire
took 3rd at 2 over par and 2017 winner
Corey McCue, Greg Kline and Rick Floyd all
tied for 4th at 3 over par. It was Kline's
98th top 4 finish and Floyd's 1st. The win
is Chuck's 8th in 131 starts and his 41st
top 4 finish. For the second week in a
row, the player not playing ascends to
World #1 as Jeff Klipa claims the spot for
the first time.
Special thanks to our new sponsor and
charity, Rollin' with the Homies. The bike
riding fundraising team collected $450 to
fight MS.
Winner
Chuck Withey presents charity check to 2
Homies, Corey McCue and Mike Fox.
Sweet Round for Tyler Floyd
April 13,
2019 Oakland Twp
Tyler
Floyd picked up right where he left off
last season with a stellar round at the
Sweet Sixteen. Floyd made 6 birdies and
1 eagle and tossed his only two bogeys
to post an 8 under par, 5 shot victory.
Tim Markel tied Mike Geisser for 2nd at
3 under par. And Nic Duff tied Mike
Prieskorn for 4th at 2 under par.
Markel tied Floyd with 31 putts total on
the day. The win is Tyler's 2nd in only
13 starts, his other coming at last
fall's Western Championship. Gregg
Nothdurft notched his 100th Tour start,
but relinquished the number one ranking
back to Corey McCue after enjoying it
for the winter.
Q-School 2 an even better day!
April 7,
2019 Livonia
With temps approaching
70 degrees, Q-School 2 gave 6 rookies
another score for their book. In
addition, Mark Winn returns to the
Tour for the first time since 2015.
Don Ward was again the rookie
medalist, topping his Saturday score
by 1 with an 80 at Whispering
Willows. For the Vets, John
Raymond turned in a second straight
strong round, topping Tyler Floyd by 2
with a 2 over par 72. The 'winter
soldiers' Chuck Withey and Chris
Cooley finished T-3.
Q-School 1 a Great Day
April 6,
2019 Livonia
The
weather cooperated for a great Qualifier
on Saturday at Fox Creek. The rookie
class of 2019 qualified 8 players on day
one. Welcome to Don Ward, Greg Paddison,
Melek Kayser, Glenn Stockdale, Doug
Bell, Mike Fox, Rod Theunissen and Jeff
Cubel. Medalist for the day went to Ward
with a fine 81 for the round. For the
Veterans, Corey McCue's winter workouts
paid off with a medalist winning 1 under
par 70. He outlasted one of the 'winter
warriors' Chris Cooley who shot 1 over
72.
Another Season About to Start!
April 1,
2019
No Fooling! The
registration is open for our season
opener, the Sweet Sixteen at
Blackheath. This year the late
Easter Holiday messed with the schedule
a bit. So we decided to take it easy on
you and only count 16 of your holes in
the first event of the year! We have
several rookies auditioning at Q-School
this weekend and a few returning
grizzled vets who are looking to hobble
up to those Senior Tees this year. The
deadline for declaring that choice for
the 57 and plus year-olds is today. And
a little love to the flat bellies out
there. Bring your game boys. The old
guys will be hitting wedges into the
greens this year! Let's rock this!
Schedule Coming Together
March 19, 2019
The bulk
of the 2019 schedule has been confirmed
and is available for viewing at the link
at the bottom of this page. Begin your
planning now.
Message from the CEO
I cannot believe it is already
March 5thand
at the same time Spring cannot get here
soon enough. I have played a bunch
of winter golf here in Michigan and my
streak continues. I’ve gotten to
48 months with at least 1 round per
month in Michigan. Yes, a couple
of days were a little Chilly but a small
price to pay.
This week the Golf Show will be at
Suburban Show Place in Novi. The
Mulligan Tour will have a booth at the
show (Booth 415). If you are at
the show stop by and say hi.
Regarding the 2019 Season.
We have made some changes to the
schedule and rules.
This year we have addedSenior
Teesfor any
player 57 as of June 1stcan
play the Senior Tees. Please
realize that for most tournaments we are
playing from the White Tees and there is
no forward Men’s tee box, so in those
cases everyone plays the same tees.
Those Tournaments we play at a tee box
farther back a senior will play the next
forward tee box. In simple terms
when we are playing the Blue Tees the
Seniors will play the White tees.
All those who are 57 or qualify for the
Senior Tees have to elect to be a senior
and play the senior tees. The
selection has to be made by April 1stand
you will be playing the Senior Tees for
the entire year. If you elect to play
the Senior Tees you will automatically
be placed at the forward tees for all
events. The only exception to this
rule is the Senior Open where all
players are playing the most forward tee
box.
Schedule Changes–
This year the
first competitive tournament of the
year will be Sweet Sixteen. With
Easter on Sunday, April 21. We have
moved the Sweet Sixteen up 1 week to
give us the open date for Easter
The 2 Q School
tournaments will be on the weekend of
April 6thand
7th.
We have a new
sponsor for the Pineview
Classic. Kelley McCue and her
biking group raise money for the
Multiple Sclerosis. They are
sponsoring the Pineview classic so we
can raise funds for their charity
group – biking with the homies.
We have replaced
the Ladies Open with the Breast Cancer
Awareness Tournament. This
tournament will raise funds to fight
Breast Cancer. We will be
providing all woman players with 3
extra strokes to their handicap and
the low net woman will get automatic
entry into the Tour
Championship. The tournament is
an open stroke event with all players
eligible to win the tournament purse.
Last year we added
the Red White and Blue, Canadian Open
and U of M Open. All 3 will
continue in 2019.
This year the 2
Stick and Red, White and Blue will be
included in handicapping. Do you hear
that Scotty Wilsey!?
Commissioner Cup
With the increase in popularity of
the Commissioners Cup we have decided to
expand the teams to 10 players each. As
before the Commissioner is 1 of the
players and then the next 7 players will
be same as before and come from the top
15 of players in the division money
list. The last 2 players will now
be Commissioners pick but the player
they choose must meet one of the
following requirements.
Top 30 of the Tour
Overall Money list
Top 20 of the
Division Money list (any of the 3
divisions)
If you haven’t played in the
Commissioners Cup, it is a Ryder Cup
style event held over 3 days
(Friday-Sunday). I’ve been
fortunate enough to play in 4 so
far. It is a fun event played on a
challenging course and an opportunity to
socialize with other members.
New Rules and
Pace of Play
In case you haven’t heard the USGA
and R&A have made changes to the
Rules of Golf. The most common ones that
effect the Mulligan Tour will be the
looking for lost balls and the flag
stick. The rules have changed to
giving players only 3 minutes to look
for a lost ball. The key to the
3-minute rule for the MT is that we want
to limit the search to just 2 players in
a foursome and the other 2 players head
over to hit their shots. Once they
have hit their shots the person looking
for ball must stop looking and take
their drop. Trust me 3 minutes
will go by quickly.
Regarding the Flag Stick, the
rules now allow a player to leave the
flag stick in while putting. Each
player will be given the opportunity to
leave the flag stick in the hole during
their putts. What we would
recommend is that when you are on the
green let the other players know if you
are planning on leaving the flag stick
in so as a foursome can make sure to
keep the flag close by to keep pace of
play from slowing down on the green.
Pace of Play - is a problem that
effects all levels of golf from the Pros
to Amateurs. We continue to look
for ways to improve our pace of play so
that each group will complete their
round at 4.5 hours per round. To
keep this in the fore front of
everyone’s mind each week after that
weekends tournament we will post the
time each group took to play their
round. The key is to get the round
complete in 4.5 hours or less. The
second rule is to not to fall out of
position with the group ahead of
you. Out of position would be a
full hole behind (Obviously on a Par 3
you have to wait for the green to
clear). On Par 4 and Par 5 your
group shouldn’t fall a full hole behind
and if you are, you need to pick up your
pace to catch up.
Payment Options
Over the last year Current has
been making changes to their app and
platform. For many the changes
have made it difficult if not impossible
to use. I would like for us as a
tour to move away from the Current
platform but we will continue to let
members utilize Current if they so
choose. However, with the noted
problems I’ve set Mulligan Tour up with
two other payment options besides
sending checks. The two new
options are Zelle and PayPal. Below is
how you can find me and the Mulligan
Tour on each one.
Zelle – this is a
bank to bank payment process where you
can transfer money from your bank
account to the Mulligan Tour bank
account. To locate me on Zelle you
need to set Zelle up on your account
and then look for me.
PayPal – This just
a payment system that is independent
of your bank. PayPal will let
you use your bank account or let you
pay us with a CC. PayPal will
charge you a fee if you use your CC
but depending on your CC rewards
program you may find this appealing.
If you pay with a CC and PayPal
charges us a fee for that payment we
will pass those costs on to the
member. Below is how you can
find me on PayPal
PayPal.me/MulliganTour
Finally, during the year we are
looking into changing the handicap
system so that it will be 5 of 8 instead
of the current 3 of 6. We believe
this will smooth out the peaks and
valleys for all members and help improve
the competitive balance. As we
review the process we will keep the
members informed.
2019 Application
and membership dues.
Here is a link to the 2019
Application. If you pay your
annual membership dues by March 18 the
dues are $100. After March 18,
the membership dues are $120.
You can email me the application or
mail them to our PO Box
The Mulligan Tour
PO Box 530097
Livonia, MI 48153
I’m looking forward to another
great year and hope to see you all real
soon.
Thanks
Chuck Withey
734-564-5826
The Mulligan Tour will return to the Novi
Golf Show in March