By Greg Johnson
The GAM Scramble is one of those newer events, now at 10 years old in the GAM rotation of championships, that is aimed at people who love to play golf but are not on the upper tier of the state’s best. In other words, the common golfer who gets the opportunity to play in an official state championship but do so with their friends or family in a scramble format.
The format rekindled interest 10 years ago based on the past events sponsored by Oldsmobile where the state winners would all meet in Orlando Florida to play a national version of the same. GAM brought it back 10 years ago as a low stress high fun opportunity for Michiganders.
The 2021 version was a two-day event played at Tullymore Golf Resort and St. Ives in late September. Teams of four could not have a handicap index totaled of less than 30, and no two members with a handicap lower than 10 each. In other words, the common player.
This fall, Gerald Dekker of Shelby Township made a five-foot par-saving putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to secure the win for his team in the 10th GAM Scramble State Championship. Dekker, Ted Gabriel of Ortonville, Jim Osebold of Auburn Hills and Michael Peltz of Grosse Pointe won the gross scoring title with the par on No. 18 on the Tullymore course.
“It was a nerve-wracking putt and I’m glad I didn’t have to hit it,” said Osebold, the team spokesperson. “Gerry hit it and it was beautiful.”
The winners shot a round of 9-under 63 on the St. Ives course in round two to go with a 14-under 58 on the Tullymore course from the day prior, which included a hole-in-one by Osebold, for their 23-under 121 total. Osebold hit a 9-iron shot 127 yards for the ace on No. 7. It was the second of the 72-year-old golfer’s life, and 52 years after the first.
“The hole-in-one helped and it was fun, but I just love our team,” Osebold said. “We came in second in this last year and this year we said we’re coming back and we’re going to change it. And we did. We won it.”
Falling in the playoff after missing a similar par putt of about six-feet and earning runner-up trophies in gross scoring was the team of Michael Fierk of New Hudson, Gary Fierk of Stanwood, David Ratz of South Lyon and Michael Sylvester of Canadian Lakes. They shot a closing 59 in the final round on Tullymore after a 63 the day before on St. Ives for 121.
The net scoring title went to the team of Charles Chalker of Ray, Brent Pifer of Lake Orion, Patrick Chalker of Troy and Derek Harper of Howell. They shot a net 59 on the Tullymore course to go with a net 57 at St. Ives for a 28-under 116 total.
They won by four strokes over Ryan Hansen of Berkley, Robert Meshew of Allen Park, Joseph Strauel of Troy and Michael Chodzko of Livonia, who shot a final net 57 at Tullymore for a 24-under 120 total.
A total of 24 teams competed in the championship that was played in a special step-aside format. Teams were made up of four GAM members – men, women, senior men, and or senior women.
