Mulligan Tour NEWS

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Jeff Klipa birdied the final 3 holes at Cherry Creek to break from a pack of contenders. After playing the front nine in even par, a bad bogey on 10 motivated Jeff to chop away at his score, getting two birdies over the next 3 holes. Still in the pack of contenders, Jeff set a goal to birdie the final 3 holes, and willed it to be! He finished at 3 under par 69. Ron Hiestand finished 2nd at Even par 72. Lance Evert 3rd at 2 over 74 and Jonathan Barnes, Greg Kline, Chuck Withey and Kurt Klinker all tied for 4th at 3 over par 75. On course prizes went to Elizabeth Jolliffe and Joseph Brandenburg.   Notable stats:  Evert and Withey led with 28 putts. Ron Hiestand had 6 birdies and Evert at 6 and 2 eagles.  Klipa led with 7 birdies, 12 greens hit, and 12 fairways, ahead of Helen Puffenberger's 11 and Chris Dunmore's 10.  Withey gets his 30th 4th place finish on Tour. Barnes and Klinker get their 1st Top-4 finishes.  Ron Hiestand moved to 3rd in all-time Cherry Creek winnings and Klipa moved to #1.  After 6 top 10 finishes at Cherry Creek, Klipa wins the event for his Tour leading 31st career win in his 451st start.  And, in a twist of Tour math, 

Fully half the Memorial Tournaments played have gone to a playoff for settlement, although it's been 4 years since the last. 2025 returned to the trend with Helen Puffenberger and Erika Fitzpatrick facing off with defending champs Jeff Cubel and Chris Stalo. Both teams finished the 4 hole aggregate playoff tied still at par. But on the first extra hole the defending champs finally blinked and the title went to Puffenberger/Fitzpatrick. Both teams finished regulation at 10 under par 62 under the new adjusted handicap calculation system for Memorial Tournament competitors. Joseph Gordon and Tommy O'Neill suffered one bogey to finish at 9 under 63. Vets Jeff Klipa and Mike Prieskorn took 4th at 8 under 64. On course prizes went to Chris Dunmore and Ken Westerman. Notables: The winners posted a clean card 6 birdies and 2 eagles. Cubel/Stalo posted 9 birdies. E. Kiekbusch/Hesse had 8. The winners hit 14 greens but were topped by J.Gordon/O'Neill with 15. Delory/Westerman and Floyd/Floyd hit 12 fairways. Klipa/Prieskorn led with 25 putts. Jeff Klipa completed his Tour leading 450th Tour start. Fitzpatrick returns to the #1 World Ranking, displacing Corey McCue who has held the spot for 38 weeks.  Fitzpatrick last held the top spot in April 2024.  Puffenberger gets her 2nd Major victory and 11th Tour win while Fitzpatrick goes 3 for 3 with 3 wins and 3 major victories on Tour.
 


Birkle Repeats With Thriller Finish

Eric Birkle had one of the great bounce-back rounds in Tour history to take the Chelsea Classic title. After a disappointing 27th finish the day before, he made a final hole birdie to become the season's first double winner as well as the first double winner in the 21 year history of the Chelsea Classic. Birkle's birdie was a dramatic flip within his group as playing partner Don Ward bogeyed to finish T-2 at 1 over par 72. At the moment it may not have seemed so climactic as Birkle still trailed or was tied with 5 players on the course. But the final 3 holes at Hudson Mills proved to be a vicious finish, raining bogeys and double bogeys on the contenders including Brian Lardin who also finished T-2. One bright spot was the birdie-par-eagle finish of T.R. Litzler, who's charge fell one shot short and joined the T-2 group. On course prizes went to Birkle and Pin Lardin.   Notables: Chuck Withey finished in the money in his 350th Tour start, 4th most on Tour behind Jeff Klipa, Greg Kline and Rich Dunmore. Ward hit 11 greens to Ryan Kiekbusch's 10. Helen Puffenberger led with 10 fairways to Birkle's 9. Willi Hesse led with 6 birdies to 5 for Lardin, Mike Fox, Puffenberger, Tyler Floyd and Mike Geisser. All probably felt it wasn't enough. Corey McCue, Noah Kline and Kevin Gregoire all had chip-ins. Birkle waited 10 years for his 2nd Chelsea triumph, getting the first in 2015 at Pierce Lake.  Birkle gets his 8th Tour win in his 212th start and becomes the all-time money winner for the Chelsea Classic.


Graunke a Steady Sparty

Jeff Graunke held together on the front nine at Fieldstone and played under par on the back with an eagle and 3 birdies to hold off the field at 2 over par 74. Almost all the contenders suffered the 'one bad hole' curse including 2nd place Chuck Withey at 4 over par 76, 3rd Joe Brandenburg at 5 over par 77 and everyone who tied for 4th at 6 over par 78 including Don Ward, Brian Lardin, Tom W. Litzler, Rod Theunissen and Jeff Feikens. On course prize went to Kelly Scheff and Brandenburg earned the 1st East Division Skins Game invitation of the year. On a tough scoring day, Feikens led the field with 6 birdies. Terri Wilder hit 13 fairways to Elizabeth Jolliffe's 12 and 3 hit 11 including Kelly Scheff, Young Tom Litzler and old Eric Kiekbusch.  Ken Westerman led with 26 putts and a chip in. Interestingly, all 5 winners so far this season have been in their first start of the year. Jeff gets his 5th career win in his 118th start.


Lee Raises the Tin Cup

For the second day in a row our winner broke from the gate quickly and survived the day for the win. On Sunday Mike Lee took advantage of his winning donation to post an opening birdie on the tough par 3 17th. He went on to post 3 under par for his front 9 and rode the tough back 9 roller coaster to even par and a take a 6 shot win at 3 under par 69. Chris Stalo tied Jeff Klipa for 2nd and Don Ward tied Phil Parent for 4th at 4 over par 76.  On course prize went to Chris Dunmore and Tim Markel earned the first Central Skins Game invitation.  Lee led with an impressive 26 putts to 29 for Chuck Withey.  Helen Puffenberger hit 13 fairways to 12 by Lee and 11 for Rich Dunmore.  Lee had 7 birdies and Eric Birkle and Rich Dunmore had 5.  7 players succeeded in chipping in for the day.  Mike Lee scored his first Tour win in his 21st start.


CEO Chuck Withey displays funds raised for Gleaner's Community Food Bank. This year's $715 donation topped last year.


Duncan Dunks the Animals

Connor Duncan birdied 3 of the first 4 holes to get the lead early, then navigated the Salem Hills course in 1 under par the rest of the way to take his first Tour win. Chris Stalo finished 3 back at 1 under par 71. Michael Thacker logged the best finish of his young career at 1 over par 73. Corey McCue took 4th at 2 over 74.  McCue also secured both on course prizes with a pair of great iron shots.  Stalo and Jeff Cubel led with 30 putts. Terri Wilder led with 11 fairways to 10 for Helen Puffenberger and Tom W Litzler.  Stewart Levine hit greens. Mike Thacker led with 8 birdies to 7 for Duncan and 6 for Stalo. Jeff Pasz got the lone chip-in for the day.  Duncan gets his first Tour win in only his 5th start. 



Lance Evert sank a long birdie putt on the 2nd playoff hole to take the Zoo Animal putt off. Rick Floyd, Evert, Tom Carroll and Corey McCue all tied after the regulation 4 hole playoff. Evert and Floyd survived the first playoff hole before Evert ended it on the 2nd.




Tuna Sweet for the 2nd Time

Rod Theunissen spread 9 birdies thru his round at the Sweet Sixteen and was able to toss two bogey from his round in the best 16 hole format to card a 7 under par and top Chuck Withey's 6 birdie performance by 3 shots. Thomas Mulhern, Rick Floyd and Mike Geisser all tied for 3rd at 1 under par.  On course prizes went to Puffy and Rick Floyd.  Helen Puffenberger hit 10 fairways. Don Ward led with 28 putts.  Withey got 6 birdies and Mulhern sank 7. Mulhern edges back into the top 50 of the World Rankings. Tuna got his 4th win in a milestone 100th start. He moved up 10 spots in the World Rankings and moved to 4th in all-time Sweet Sixteen winnings. Chuck Withey's 2nd place winnings ties him for first in Sweet Sixteen all-time $ with Chris Cooley.


Birkle Pines for a Win

Eric Birkle battled Willi Hesse throughout at cool and sometimes rainy morning at the Pine View season opener. Eric edged Hesse by 1 shot with a 1 under par 71.  Ryan Kiekbusch reached the 18th in 2 and eagled the hole to edge out his father Eric by 1 for 3rd place at 3 over par.  On course prizes went to Birkle, Ryan K and Brian Lardin.  Greg Kline led with 30 putts, Helen Puffenberger led with 14 fairways hit and Birkle hit 10 greens to tie Stewart Levine with 5 birdies. Willi Hesse had 6 birdies.  For Eric this is his 7th Tour victory in 208 starts.



Tour rallies support for Bike MS.


QS-2 Beats the Weather

We are officially 2 weeks from the start of the 2025 Season.  I hope all had a good winter and are ready for spring and golf season.  Easter Sunday is April 20, so we will start the season 1 week earlier than 2024.  Q School events are on Saturday March 29 and Sunday March 31.  Q School events are a good way to start knocking the rust off your swing/game.  For returning members with more than 10 events played the Q School events do not count towards your handicap.  For new members or those with less than 10 events played Q School events will count towards your handicap. 

The registration Deadline for Q School is this Thursday, March 20.  Please send in your registration entry emails to Entry@themulligantour.com

I will get the GolfSoftware registration up and working this week but not sure it will be set up by Thursday.   

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP –

Several of you have sent in your annual membership applications but most of you still need to send them over.  The deadline for the discounted annual fee is March 25. 

SENIOR TEES –

Another start of the season item.  As most of you know we have a Sr Tee Box for those members who are 57 or older or will turn 57 by June 1, 2024.  Any member that qualifies for the Sr Tee needs to notify me that they will be playing the Sr Tees in 2025.  This is an annual registration since a member could opt out of playing the Sr Tees even though they qualify by age to play them.

Please remember this is an annual selection and you will be playing the Sr Tees the entire year. 

For those members that have not played Sr Tees but qualify based on age not every tournament has a quote “Sr Tee Box”  At some tournaments the Sr Men will play a box in front of the box that the rest of Men Members play.  That will typically be the White Tees at most courses.  Some tournaments there will not be a Sr Tee box so they will play the same tees as the Non-SR Men. Finally at some courses there will actually be a Sr Tee box that that Sr Men will play.   We have several new woman members and the reason there are not Sr Women Tee box is that women are playing from the forward tee box and courses do not offer a more forward tee box for woman to play.

If you qualify for the Sr Tee box and want to play them in 2025 please send me an email to select the Sr Tee Box. 

Charity Events – Mulligans –

Last year the Mulligan Tour donated $8902 to charities from 10 Tournaments.  Mulligans are charged at $5 per with 2 per event.  The charge is added to the Greens Fees and charged to your account if you play in those 10 events. I know some members have asked about the ability to opt out of purchase/pay for the Mulligans.  The Board did discuss this request, but we believe supporting Charities is one of the Key Values in the MT Mission.  Any member playing a Tournament that supports a Charity will be charged automatically for the mulligans.  

I hope to see all of you on the course very soon.

Thanks

Chuck

734-564-5826

The start of the season is at the end of the month.   Q School events will be Saturday March 29 and Sunday March 30.  We are already booked for Fox Creek and Whispering Willows.   Easter is Sunday April 20 so we moved all the early tournaments moved up a week.

 

Later this month I will send out an survey email to ask members some questions about possible changes to tournaments and courses.

 

2025 Annual Membership Form

 

Thanks

Chuck