Michigan Golf Journal September 2021

Michigan Golf Journal Golf at the Movies U.S. Amat ur Champion of 18 holes. But after a lunch break and change of shirts from a dark color to a white one with a green Sparty golfer logo (which has been a team exclusive all along but might get public sales in the future), there was a 4-hole swing where Piot found himself down three after 27 holes. “I told myself on that tee box (on 10), I said, ‘I’m going to play this (last) nine 4-under.’ That’s what I put in my head. Just self-belief.” The tables turned hard at that point when Piot won four consecutive holes (10-13), and five of six, to go 2-up with three holes remaining, eventually grabbing the win 2-and-1. Standing at that 10 th tee, Piot was down three holes and TV commentator Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay said it would be very difficult for Piot to get back into the match. “I gave him the nickname when he was 9-years-old of ‘Spunkdog,’ because he’s got so much fight,” said Brian Cairns, his long-time teacher at Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth. “He’s in a corner by himself, he’ll come out every time by himself. He’s got spunk. You saw how he walked; you saw how mellow he was. You saw his shoulders go up on the back nine. He made the swings when he needed to make them.” MSU coach Casey Lubahn was at Oakmont over the final weekend, while MSU associate head coach Dan Ellis was on Piot’s bag all week – in part because he missed qualifying for the U.S. Amateur himself by just a couple shots. “Dan is a perfect blend for James,” Lubahn said. “James is a green light guy; he wants to aim at every flag. He wants to go, go, go make birdies. And I’m the same way, go, go, go. Yet Dan is the most brilliant, strategic thinker I’ve ever seen on a golf course. So, he was able to balance James’ aggressiveness, give him enough caution and enough savvy. And they are so fun together. They are both kind of goof balls so they can relax between shots. They’re perfect for each other. I’ll say Dan is a brilliant player, the best associate head coach you’re ever going to have, but caddying is his real skill.” As mentioned, the people who know Piot well said Photo credit: Greg Johnson