GROSSE POINTE WOODS – (June 21) After two rounds of match play in the 107th Michigan Amateur on Thursday the field was trimmed to just 16 players remaining at the Country Club of Detroit – including club fitter Ryan Johnson who defeated his boss at Carl’s Golfland, Casey Baker in the first round; and MSU golfer Zach Rosendale, who defeated his team’s assistant coach, Dan Ellis, in the second.
It’s all friendly though; Baker turned right around and caddied for Johnson in the afternoon session, while Rosendale joked he might get a scholarship reduction. Rosendale (of St. Johns), high school’s Mr. Golf in 2017, came up short on every drive vs. Ellis’ power, but ruled the short game for a 2-and-1 victory. Rosendale nearly aced two of the par threes during the first two rounds.
Carl’s Golfland is the presenting sponsor of the tournament that’s taking place at the site of Arnold Palmer’s career-launching win of the U.S. Amateur in 1954.
Youth is well served at the Michigan Amateur as 12 of the 16 players remaining are under age 25, and three of those are teenagers: Rosendale; plus Drew Coble, 17, a Lake Orion High School golfer, and Ben Smith, 19, Novi, Georgia Institute of Technology golfer.
Josh Gibson of Grandville, a Hope College golfer who this season earned NCAA Division III’s Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year award and was national champion in 2017, beat former Michigan Am champion Henry Do (2014) of Canton and Michigan State golfer James Piot of Canton to advance.
Record-setting medalist and No. 1 seed Andrew Walker of Battle Creek (MSU golfer) was knocked out by the 64 seed and 2008 champion Jimmy Chestnut of Royal Oak, 1-up, in the morning round of 64. It marked the second consecutive year the top seed has gone out in the first round of match play.
Then Chestnut, 35, who won the Michigan Am in 2008, ran into Beau Breault of Hartland in the afternoon, and fell 4 and 3. Breault is an Eastern Michigan University golfer and last year’s runner-up to champion Tom Werkmeister.
The oldest golfer still battling is 47-year-old David Hall of Birmingham, who won the final match of the day. A native of Grosse Pointe, the owner of Hall Financial Group beat Connor Jones of Rochester Hills, the long-hitting recent graduate of Oakland University, 1-up, to earn the final spot in the Sweet 16.
THE SWEET 16
Beau Breault, 21, Highland, Eastern Michigan University golfer
John Quigley, 34, St. Clair Shores, strategist for Blue Cross Blue Shield
Max Rispler, 22, Grand Rapids, Bowling Green State University golfer
Drew Coble, 17, Lake Orion, Lake Orion High School golfer
Josh Gibson, 21, Grandville, Hope College golfer
Charlie Green, 23, Ann Arbor, Michigan State University golfer
Jake Kneen, 22, White Lake, Oakland University golfer
Ben VanScoyk, 22, Grand Rapids, Calvin College golfer
Zach Rosendale, 19, St. Johns, Michigan State University golfer
Anthony Sorentino, 40, Shelby Township, Attorney
Noah Schneider, 20, Jackson, Appalachian State University golfer
Kyle Rybicki, 23, White Lake, Wayne State University golfer
Ben Smith, 19, Novi, Georgia Institute of Technology golfer
Ryan Johnson, 33, New Boston, Carl’s Golfland club fitter
Alex Scott, 21, Traverse City, Grand Valley State University golfer
David Hall, 47, Birmingham, owner of Hall Financial Group
RESULTS: Match play bracket available at gam.org
