Last year was huge for golf lovers in Michigan – and a prime reason for that was six professional Tour events in one season, spanning the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Symetra Tour and PGA Tour Champions. That impressive list will go up to seven tournaments in 2020 when the Sr. PGA Championship returns to Benton Harbor on its round-robin schedule.
Here is a look back at what we feel are the top 10 moments in golf in 2019 in the Great Lakes State:
10: Drive Chip and Putt National Finals: 3 kids from Michigan competed at Augusta National in April, and two more earned the right to go in 2020 by winning their regional at Oakland Hills in October. PJ Maybank of Cheboygan, Sophie Stevens of Novi and Paige Radebach of Webberville made the trip in the spring, while Grand Blanc High freshman Kate Brody and Williamston youth Lucas Bernstein are heading there in a few months.
9: Scott Hebert Ties 2 PGA National Records: Club pros do not get the credit they deserve for maintaining their games while also serving us golfers in pro shops, giving lessons and managing golf courses. But Scott Hebert of Traverse City G&CC did Michigan proud by winning the Senior PGA Professional national title while matching a tournament record 16-under par. He became only the 3rd pro to win both PGA and Sr. PGA Professionals titles.
8: 100 years of GAM: The Golf Association of Michigan reached the 100-year mark of service to the game across the entire state, highlighted by a celebration at Oakland Hills in a day-long visit from Jack Nicklaus, capped by a ‘fireside chat’ with about 300 people.
7: New Michigan Golf Courses: The Arcadia Bluffs South Course had an incredible first full year of operation in 2019, adding a striking but casual dining clubhouse, that will make the resort that much more of a national destination when combined with its original Arcadia Bluffs course one mile away. Jack Nicklaus also designed, broke ground and seeded 9 holes of the new American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, for what should become yet another 18-hole national destination course in our state by 2021. It is the home of Folds of Honor and will include a veteran education center.
6 and 5: Three MSU Alums Earn Full-time Tour cards: DeWitt native Liz Nagel, and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Sarah Burnham (Minnesota native), each earned full-time status on the 2020 LPGA Tour via high finishes at Q-School in early November. Both have bits and pieces of LPGA Tour experience, but this sealed their full-time status for all of 2020… And Mt. Pleasant native and MSU grad Ryan Brehm regained his full-time PGA Tour card by winning a Korn Ferry tournament in 2019 and finishing in the season’s top 25. That put him in eight fall season PGA Tour events, where he ranked 2nd on Tour in driving distance at 339.5 yards, but his best result so far was T45 at the Houston Open.
4: First-Ever LPGA Tour Team Event in Midland: Not only was it incredible for the state of Michigan to host a second LPGA Tour event, and the first-ever team LPGA Tour event, the back story was just as interesting. Cydney Clanton won the event with partner Jasmine Suwannapura with a final round 59, the season after Clanton missed her full-time LPGA Tour card by a mere $8 on the 2018 money list. Now she has full-time status the next two years.
- Brooke Henderson Repeats at Meijer LPGA Classic: The beloved Canadian became the first 2-time winner of the Meijer LPGA Classic with her 9th overall LPGA Tour win on Father’s Day, which boosted her to the title of all-time winningest Canadian pro golfer in career victories.
- PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic: The first-ever PGA Tour event inside the city limits of Detroit was a smashing success due to its great competition, a wonderful set up at the beautiful Detroit Golf Club, fan-friendly activities like the award-winning 313 Celebrity Challenge, and the easy-to-walk layout. All that, and weekend round tickets selling out in advance was icing on the cake – something that rarely happens anywhere on the PGA Tour.
- Ally Charity Challenge: Jack Nicklaus, musician Kid Rock, former Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg and country singer Dierks Bentley gave the crowds in Grand Blanc one of the most special shows ever in Michigan golf when they paired up for a 9-hole team charity challenge. Nicklaus’ wonderful play in the very twilight of his career produced dozens of “Jack, Jack, Jack” chants from the estimated 10,000+ crowd following the group from hole-to-hole – before Nicklaus did what Jack does: draining a 55-foot chip-in from off the green to break the team tie at theatrically jam-packed 18th hole. The Golden Bear and friends put on a great show for one incredible Saturday afternoon in the Great Lakes State. MGJ
