Michigan Golf Journal January 2021

27 January 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com 15-and-under Boys’ Player of the Year: Lauren Timpf Lauren Timpf of Macomb won four consecutive GAM tournaments in 2020. Yet she said her best golf was in a tournament she didn’t win. Timpf, before enrolling as a freshman at Macomb Lutheran North High, reached the quarterfinals of the Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship at Forest Akers West Golf Course, at then age 13. She was paired up against the top seed and eventual winner of the championship, Anna Kramer of Spring Lake. Timpf pushed Kramer to the 18th hole before falling 1-up. Timpf was the only golfer to force the University of Indianapolis standout to play 18 holes in the championship. Timpf, who won the 2019 season-closing GAM Invitational, started 2020 by winning her age group in the GAM Junior Kickoff and then won theMichigan Junior Girls State Amateur, the GAM14-and-under Match Play and the GAM Junior Stroke Play for five consecutive wins in five tournaments entered. “It’s a huge honor to be Player of the Year,” Timpf said. “I feel like I worked really hard this past season and feel like it has really paid off.” MGJ 15-and-under Boys’ Player of the Year: Will Preston As soon as he was able to practice his golf game during the pandemic Will Preston, a Grand Rapids Catholic Central golfer, hit the practice center at Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids. “It was valuable for me to be able to practice through the spring and all season more than I have before,” he said. “It helped me have a really good season.” Preston, who won the GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship, won the GAM Junior Invitational 15-and-under division, and was a stroke play medalist for the 15-and-under bracket at the Michigan Junior Amateur, totaled 1,250 Player of the Year points. Preston’s best performance was shooting a 6-under 66 in the first round of the GAM Invitational at Forest Akers West, where he won the 15-and-under division by three shots. “My grandpa is a really good golfer, and he has been a big influence on me,” Preston said. “I feel honored to be the Player of the Year. Winning was fun. It makes me want to keep working like I did this year.” MGJ