MI Golf Journal April 21

APRIL 2021

ISLAND RESORT & CASINO The U.P.’s Golf & Gaming Destination

MASTERS MEMORIES:

Meet The U.P.’s Best Junior Golfer

DAN POHL BRIAN STUARD RANDY LEWIS

COLLEGE NEWS: CMU Women’s Golf Program Climbing Fast MSU’s Andrew Walker Earns Canadian Tour Card

Up and Comer: 11-year-old Prodigy of LPGA Sisters

Drive, Chip and Putt

Drive, Chip and Putt Qualifiers Return this Spring

By Tom Lang After a one-year Covid pause, the fun and inspirational Drive, Chip at Putt Competition is back in swing.

and putting. Top performers at the local level will advance through subregional and then regional qualifiers.

Not only did the National Finals return to Augusta National Golf Club this year – with the qualifiers from the fall of 2019 who have been anxiously awaiting their turn to compete at the world-famous venue – but the local and sectional qualifiers that were canceled in 2020 are returning to a local course near you.

Oakland Hills Country Club will again host a Regional site, on Oct. 16 to decide which Juniors go on to the National Finals. From the 10 Regional qualifying sites, a total of 80 finalists – 40 boys and 40 girls – will earn an invitation to compete in the National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 3, the eve of the 2022 Masters Tournament. MGJ

Registration for this year’s qualifiers, which will conclude at the 2022 Finals at Augusta National, is currently open at: www.DriveChipandPutt.com Michigan Schedule and Locations: Michigan will host local qualifiers at 16 different sites (see complete list below).

Drive, Chip and Putt is a free youth golf development initiative for junior golfers of all skill and ability levels, aimed at sparking a lifelong interest in the game. The initiative welcomes boys and girls, ages 7-15, to participate in local qualifying events in all 50 states throughout the months of May - July.

Entrants will play in girls’ and boys’ divisions in four age categories, with scoring centered around golf’s three fundamental skills – driving, chipping

Midland: Currie Golf Course Benton Harbor: Harbor Shores Oxford: Boulder Pointe Plymouth: Fox Hills Grand Blanc: Warwick Hills Coldwater: Foundation Golf Center Traverse City: Bay Meadows Washington Twp.: The Orchards Boyne City: Boyne Mountain Big Rapids: Katke Golf Course Kalamazoo: Milham Park GC Mason: Ironwood Links Gaylord: Treetops North Battle Creek: Binder Park GC Traverse City: T. City Country Club Canton: Pheasant Run

May 8 May 15 May 17 May 23 June 6 June 13 June 19 June 21 June 22 June 26 June 28 July 9 July 14 July 22 July 25 July 27

Editor’s Letter

Masters Memories: A Media Perspective

Hardly a month goes by that someone doesn’t ask if I have been to Augusta National to cover The Masters. I try never to simply say ‘yes’, but rather say, “yes, I have been very blessed to be able to have covered The Masters.” I never want to take for granted how fortunate I am that my golf reporting career has allowed me to have such wonderful experiences.

Of course, the opportunity pales in comparison to the great Michigan golfers who have competed in The Masters; three of which we will highlight throughout the pages of this April magazine starting on page 16.

Beginning in 2009, I covered then MSU golfer Jack Newman, a native of Iowa, for the Lansing State Journal and I used the

Iowa connection to also cover Zach Johnson for the Des Moines Register.

Newman had some incredible results despite just barely missing the cut, when he shot 72-76.

Newman led all amateurs the first day, after he finished the back 9 with 4 birdies on the last five holes (he scored 6 birdies overall that day). The day prior, he came within one adrenaline-pumped water ball to winning the Wednesday Par 3 Contest.

Then in April of 2012, I covered 2011 USGA MidAmateur Champion Randy Lewis, of Alma, for the Detroit Free Press. He became the oldest Masters “rookie” playing for the first time at age 54. He was hitting fairway hybrids into most greens compared to the pro’s short irons, but nonetheless represented Michigan proudly. I’ll never forget the tight crowds during the Par 3 Contest, or when Lewis dialed in his shot on the 6th hole, coming

to rest within 3 inches to win a crystal trophy for closet to the pin.

My last trip to Augusta National was in 2017, following Jackson native Brian Stuard. My best memories are walking along with all the families of each Michigan player, but in Stuard’s case I’ll never forget his second shot into the par five 15th hole, over water. He needed a birdie or better to keep a tight grip on making the cut. In the middle of his backswing a HUGE roar came from the 16th hole.

His family and I cringed as we thought it would spook Stuard, but he calmly nailed the shot he needed. I asked him later about the crowd noise on that shot, and he replied, “what crowd noise?”

We’ll share many more Masters Memories this month, plus a lot of Junior Golf topics and more.

Thank you for joining us.

Tom Lang Publisher/Editor

Michigan Golf Journal Michigan Golf Journal

What’s Inside:

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Cover story: Great U.P. Golf and Gaming

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Central Michigan Women’s Golf

16

Masters Memories: Dan Pohl, Brian Stuard and Randy Lewis

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GAM Season Starts Soon

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U.P.’s Best Junior Golfer

40

Did Heavy Winter Snow Hurt Grass?

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Nemo Tsai: 11 year old Phenom

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Michigan Golf Journal Cover Story

Great Golf in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Island Resort & Casino shines as a must-play Midwest golf destination

By Tom Lang

Sage Run Hole 10

There are many great golf destinations across the Midwest, with an abundance of them in Michigan – including locations in our naturalresources-rich Upper Peninsula.

From southern Michigan to northern lower Michigan, golfers have a plethora of places to get their game

on. While many of these destinations have received high accolades and plenty of attention, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula provides great, award-winning golf as well.

For this golfing adventure, you can road trip north on I-75 crossing the scenic and historic Mackinac Bridge and turning left on U.S.

2 for one of the prettiest 2.5-hour drives in America, along the U.P.’s southern shoreline on Lake Michigan, to Island Resort and Casino in Harris, MI. There are also very affordable, and one of my favorite, flights from Detroit Metro into Escanaba.

The Island Resort and Casino is one of the

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

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Midwest’s largest golf, casino and entertainment resort destinations, spanning more 408,000 square feet. The resort has over 300 guest rooms, including spacious suites and many dining options like the signature 5 Bridges Steak and Seafood House, 5 Bridges Pub, Firekeepers Restaurant, and T. McC’s Sports Bar making it an allencompassing destination that you won’t want or need to leave. On the casino floor, guests can enjoy over 1,200 slots, a poker room, craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, three-card poker, let-itride, roulette and bingo.

New This Year and Coming Soon: We’ll get to the golf course experiences in a minute…

I think you’ll want to hear what’s new for this year: golfers can now add sportsbook entertainment to their golf vacation.

TwinSpires, the official online wagering site for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, announced its official partnership with the resort in January.

Sweetgrass

Through TwinSpires, golfers can now add to their gaming experience by betting on their favorite sports including the PGA Tour, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and many more at one of the convenient 14 kiosks located in and just outside of T. McC’s Sports Bar. TwinSpires Sportsbook offers all the

betting options – straight bets, parlay bets, teaser bets, live bets, futures, and proposition bets.

The resort has been immensely popular amongst golf groups and buddy trips looking for a combination golf and gaming escape. The growing popularity of golf, gaming and resort

Michigan Golf Journal Cover Story

getaways drove the need for a $30 million expansion that will be completed later this year. More than 100 new hotel rooms are coming, which are being connected to the south end of the current 11-story Palm Tower. Many rooms will have excellent elevated views of the award-winning Sweetgrass Golf Course and will allow for golfers to stay together in larger golf suites.

A high-end dining venue and convention space are also planned for the top floor, as well as a pool and water park.

Consider all of this, plus the current, luxurious Drift Spa, with its variety of high-end spa services and access to the resort’s saltwater pool, steam rooms and sauna, the destination will become a popular escape for buddies, couples and now families.

Golfing Splendor on Site: Now for the great golf – which has been described as “unforgettable” and maybe sometimes “underrated.” The resort’s original golf course is the exceptional Sweetgrass

Golf Club, built in 2007 and home to the Island Resort Championship, one of the premier stops on the LPGA Symetra Tour, which will return again this summer June 11-13.

Designed by Michigan resident Paul Albanese and ranked among the Continues on page 10 >>

Sage Run Hole 13

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Michigan Golf Journal Cover Story

top 20 public courses in Michigan (which is saying a lot since Michigan, overall, is one of the nation’s top states for golf), Sweetgrass features masterfully crafted rockwork with a prairie links style. The course boasts an island green on number 15 and a pair of spectacular waterfalls that greet golfers as they play up the twin par five 9th and 18th holes to an enormous, shared green.

Classic green complexes like a Biarritz and a Redan along with historic bridges rescued from other areas in the state are compelling design components and part of the story of the course – along with links to the Native American roots

Sweetgrass

of the Hannahville Indian Community.

To complement Sweetgrass, a few years ago the resort added another championship course, Sage Run, which was also designed by Albanese.

Opened in 2018, the course, which Albanese said was inspired by the “rough and rugged” appeal of Northern Ireland’s Royal County Down, is also beautiful, but a definite 180-degree site in comparison to Sweetgrass.

Built on a natural ridge formed by glaciers, golfers not only have to find the fairways, but the correct side of the fairways to set up ideal scoring opportunities and avoid the thick rough.

The course showcases exceptional variety, including holes like the par 3 fifth, which plays significantly uphill – and the short par 4 reachable 16th which dares you to take on an uphill shot to a blind landing area.

Sage Run is beautiful and challenging and built in a thrilling and breathtaking natural setting. Sage Run received a major honor being named to Golf Digest’s prestigious list of “Best New Courses, 2019.”

As previously mentioned, Island Resort and Casino is owned and operated by the proud people of the Hannahville Indian Community. It’s no surprise that utilizing

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

11

Sage Run Hole 8

and properly caring for the land is their top priority – making a good match for Albanese, who incorporated legends and tales about the Potawatomi Tribe into every hole.

“It’s my own philosophy and the Native American philosophy that we always try to make the design fit the land, and truly allowing it to reflect the principles of Native Americans’ respect for the land,” said Albanese, a Michigan transplant

from Harvard and now Plymouth resident. “This also worked as inspiration for stories to share throughout the course.

We put some wooden posts in the side of a hill (along the fairway) that are representative of (the remains of) a fort, from the 1650’s,” Albanese said about design elements at Sweetgrass. “And the green complex itself worked out very nicely to be a redan style green.

And a redan is the French word for ‘fortress’.”

Turns out, great golf in the northern part of Michigan doesn’t stop in Traverse City, Petoskey or Gaylord.

In the endlessly scenic Upper Peninsula, there is a bounty of outstanding golf and a bevy of captivating tourist attractions. Yet don’t take my word for it; try a stay and play for yourself. I’m confident you’ll keep going back.

For more information about Island Resort and Casino and its golf packages, visit www.islandresortgolf.com or call 877-475-4733. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Black Golfers Tournament

New John Shippen Tournament Coming to Detroit Invitees will be the top Black amateurs and pro golfers in the country, seeking PGA Tour and LPGA Tour exemptions

John Shippen Memorial Golf Foundation

The players – invited from a pool of the best Black male and female golfers from both the professional ranks and collegiate programs – will be competing to earn an exemption into the PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic for the men, and the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for the women (in team format).

professional golfer in U.S. history – John Shippen, Jr. – who first worked in golf as a caddie at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. After playing in his first of 6 U.S. Opens in 1896, was hired as the golf professional at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York later that year.

Shippen later worked as a golf professional at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia and spent most of his working life at Shady Rest Golf Course in Scotch Plains, New Jersey – the first African-American owned and operated golf club in the United States – where he served from 1924-1960.

Shippen was bestowed PGA of America membership posthumously in 2009.

sponsors of THE JOHN SHIPPEN, like Rocket Mortgage, Dow, and Trion Solutions, will cover all travel costs for participating players.

To create an avenue for awareness and opportunities, THE JOHN SHIPPEN Sports Business Summit for high school and college students will be held virtually June 29-30, allowing athletes, influencers and business professionals to share their experiences and advice about how to pursue and secure a career within the business of sports. Summit attendees will be given the opportunity to apply for paid internships and scholarships from sponsors, organizations and foundations within and beyond the sports industry.

The tournament is named for the first black

To ensure that any financial barriers are removed,

More info, visit www.

TheJohnShippen.com MGJ

A new national competition designed to bring attention to, and opportunity for, the best Black golfers across America will be contested in Detroit, June 27-28 at the Detroit Golf Club.

Additionally, a one-hour TV special about THE JOHN SHIPPEN will air on CBS leading into final-round coverage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday, July 4.

Michigan GolfPro Journal Mackenzie Tour

MSU Senior Andrew Walker Qualifies for the Mackenzie Tour

By Jeff Barnes

While Andrew Walker isn’t quite done with his Spartan career, he’s got more golf to look forward to. Walker finished in the top-5 of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada Qualifying Tournament in late February.

The finish ensured he will be a part of the Mackenzie Tour for at least part of the 2021 season.

Walker took part in the Mackenzie Tour Q School East. He scored two of his first three rounds in the 60s, carding a 67, 71 and 66, respectively. He then fired an even-par 72 and was one of three players to finish tied for 5th at 12-under-par 276.

With the top-six players earning status for the first half of the season, officials held a three-players-for-twospots playoff with the trio, starting at No. 15.

“It was a pretty tough hole,” Walker said. “There was water up the left side and bunkers to the right. I felt very confident on how I played the hole in the other

rounds. I pulled out my driver and hit a good shot, then hit my wedge pretty much exactly where I was looking.”

Walker, the only amateur of the three playoff golfers, was then the first of the players in the playoff to advance when he sunk a 20foot birdie putt.

“I was putting well in the tournament – I just didn’t get many to drop that day, but I didn’t let that take away from my confidence in the moment,” Walker said. “I knew it was bound to fall eventually. I starred it down and focused on putting the ball in the center of the cup. I stayed calm, confident and it went in, dead center. It was pretty cool.”

Once Walker completes his senior season with the Spartans and graduates this

spring, his Mackenzie Tour status will activate. He’ll be exempt into the first half of the schedule before the reshuffle.

Walker, a graduate of Battle Creek Lakeview High, was Mr. Golf in Michigan 3 times, from 2014-16. He won back-to-back Division 1 state championships his junior and senior seasons, and finished just two strokes back as a sophomore. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Masters Memories

Masters Memories: Brian Stuard With Tom Lang

Brian Stuard is a PGA Tour pro from Jackson (Napoleon High), and a 2005 graduate of Oakland University. He has one PGA Tour win, the 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which earned his one Masters’ invitation in 2017, where he made the cut. Stuard has won more than $10 million on Tour, where he spent most of the 2010 decade. So far this season he’s finished T3rd at the Safeway Open and was T16 at Pebble Beach. He has 20 Top-10 career finishes, including two runners up.

What experience did you have at Augusta you’d love to experience all over again?

“The first tee on Thursday.

Was a little nervous, but also it was ‘wow, it’s pretty cool to be here.’ The crowd, the big scoreboard down the right side.”

Is there anything you’d like to forget?

the cut, so it was all good I guess.”

“I’d also say the first tee and my first shot. I hit it so far right I’m not even sure where it ended up.

I ended up making triple (bogey) and that was the start to my week.

But I ended up making

Did you try any of the famous sandwiches for patrons like Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad?

“I had an egg salad sandwich and I thought it was pretty good. It’s a cool quirk of what they do there for the

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Your favorite hole at Augusta and why.

patrons. It’s neat to see signs at the concessions and the low prices and you think, wow, that’s pretty cool.”

“Hole 13, the par 5. It’s just that there is no other hole like it.”

In your opinion, why does Augusta National have the golf paradise reputation it does?

“I would say just the beauty of the place. The way the people and the members treat it as a unique gem. It’s viewed that way from the outside, and when you get there you say to yourself, ‘wow, the hype is real.’

It’s pretty awesome; the beauty, the atmosphere.

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Your prediction for 2021 winner.

Everything lives up to it.

The golf course, the greens, the atmosphere. When you think of golf, that’s what you think of.”

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“You’ve got to say he’ll come from the top 5-10 guys. I think you always have to look at Rory as a strong possibility. Bryson now. Dustin Johnson won it in the fall, so I think he’s got a good feel there now. I’ll say one of those three.” MGJ

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Michigan Golf Journal Masters Memories

Masters Memories: Dan Pohl With Tom Lang

Dan Pohl was All-State in baseball, basketball and golf at Mt. Pleasant High School.

The two-time Michigan Amateur winner went to the University of Arizona to play college golf, passing on a pro career in baseball.

He tied for first in the 1982 Masters before a playoff defeat to Craig Stadler. Before serious back injuries shortened his PGA

Tour career, Pohl won two tournaments in 1986, he played for Jack Nicklaus’ 1987 Ryder Cup team, won the PGA Tour’s Varden Trophy the same year and led the PGA Tour in driving distance in back-to-back seasons. After living in Arizona for many years he’s back in the Mitten to help run the PohlCat Golf Course, his first ever course design.

What experience did you have at Augusta you’d love to experience all over again?

“Walking up 18 on Sunday.

Even at the time when you know you were close to the lead, the shot coming in on 18 fit my type. Without bleachers it’s probably the most surreal surrounding of a green that you can get to. I don’t think there’s any

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

question, that when you’re anywhere near the hunt on Sunday at Augusta, walking up that hillside, you definitely feel the whole setting and you understand what these great players went through coming up there with the

lead or close to the lead. It’s quite a feeling.”

“I always thought it was the practice rounds for most players, were the times you just soak it all in. Really, once the tournament starts, you’re pretty much in your own zone. But the practice rounds and the par 3 contest for most golfers, the experience is incredible.”

Is there anything you’d like to forget?

“I’d actually like to forget about the second shot on 10 (first hole of the playoff with Craig Stadler). People keep talking about the 3-putt

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on 10 but it really was the iron shot in that put me in a very difficult situation. Both Craig and I had 6-rons to the green. He hit his kind of heavy but he kept it below the hole with a straight uphill putt. I hit a better shot than he did but left it out to the right on a little plateau that I found out later nobody two-putted from.”

“On the playoff hole, standing out there having just shot 67-67 on the weekend, with a 6-iron in your hand to a pin that fits your eye shape and your shot shape and to not pull it off, that’s what you want to try and forget.”

Continues on next page >>

Michigan Golf Journal Masters Memories

Did you try any of the famous sandwiches for patrons like Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad?

“I had everything. As a player there is not anything that you don’t experience when you’re at Augusta…you embraced that. You embraced going to the small driving range (in that era). But as a player and a golf fan I never took a backseat to eating. But I got the most kick out of my older brother, Larry, he was a big eater, especially with the low prices they have there. He was in La La Land.”

Your favorite hole at Augusta and why.

“That’s a tough one, but I think the 13th hole kind of changes things coming in. Your get through 10-12 and I always thought it was where you’d start your round as far as scoring. There’s some great holes on the front nine, don’t get me wrong.

But on Saturday is where I went eagle, eagle, birdie, birdie, starting at 13. I had a 37 on the front nine, but I eagle 13 and all of a sudden hole out a wedge on 14.

In those four holes I went six-under, still a tournament record. But you go back and you ask where can a light switch be turned on in a round, and I think the way 13 sets up…and to that green with all the undulation and the creek comes into play, to me that’s where it sets out.”

Prediction for 2021 winner: “Dustin Johnson has to be a favorite. I don’t know if someone can win there in the fall and turn around and do it again, there may be too much pressure. But I’d still give him the nod. His driving is superior and has so much better control with his wedges and spin control.” MGJ

Welcome to Pohl’s Position Are Tour players spoiled?

When we watch elite players, even the best amateurs, doesn’t every swing look alike? Why is that?

How about the newer rules of golf, and the most recent ones under consideration? Are they good for the game? Bad? And why the changes now?

Is there anything wrong with the golf ball going farther?

Hey everyone, I’m Dan Pohl and I’d like to welcome you to Pohl’s Position. I’ve been asked to share my point of view from past experiences as a Michigan native winning on the PGA Tour – to give some perspective on questions that affect the modern game.

Beginning with the May edition of Michigan Golf Journal, every couple of months you can review my take on what’s happening in golf, and in some cases compare it to my point-of-view of how the game used to be played.

I will be straightforward and to the point.

If you have an interesting topic – or something of concern to suggest – send an email to michigangolfjournal@gmail.com or use the contact page on the website.

I’ll try my best to get to it and share some thoughts. I hope you’ll enjoy it all.

Michigan Golf Journal Masters Memories

Masters Memories: Randy Lewis With Tom Lang

Randy Lewis is a life-long amateur in Michigan and a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. The Alma resident has won two Michigan Amateur titles, but his career

highlight was winning the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship in 2011.

He was age 54 at the time, making him the oldest Mid-Am champ on record, and he is believed

to be the oldest “rookie” competitor ever at The Masters. He won a piece of crystal from Augusta National for being closest to the pin (3 inches on Hole 6) during the par 3 contest.

What experience did you have at Augusta you’d love to experience all over again?

“Playing a practice round with Tom Watson. That was really special. All my family was there to see it.

And my mom had not seen me play golf since 1978.

So many people came from the Alma area too. It was a relaxed environment even though I’m playing with Tom Watson and Andy North. Most of the special people in my life were seeing Augusta for the very first time, especially my boys were out of their minds. I have

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

so much admiration for Tom – that’s the most special.”

Is there anything you’d like to forget?

“Yes, my mis-club on Hole 12 when I made a double the first day…My caddy and I had a distance mis-communication, and I caught too much club.”

Did you try any of the famous sandwiches for patrons like Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad?

“I did as a fan in 1984, but when I played (in 2012), they had a hamburger in the Men’s Grill that was ground up ribeye steak. I’m telling you what, that and the peach cobbler, I probably gained some weight. I could order anything I wanted but those hamburgers were so off the charts good. I stuck with that kind of stuff.”

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feeling all the way around the back 9.

Something comes over you, at least it did for me. I’ve never felt that way anywhere, except Augusta.”

Your favorite hole at Augusta and why.

“13…in part because once you cross the bridge to the 12th green, and go to the 13th tee, it’s the only quiet place on the course. Oh, what a view. The pine trees framing it, the crowds in the background. I had to take it all in, it’s so spectacular.”

Prediction for 2021 winner.

“Dustin Johnson, but it depends on the putter. It would be tough to win back-to-back there, but he’s the guy I would go with.” MGJ

In your opinion, why does Augusta National have the golf paradise reputation it does?

“Probably because it’s so exclusive and so hard to get on... My only chance was winning the USGA Mid-Am. There is a real mystique about it; the history is such a huge part of it. And the golf course … the perfection of it … it was designed for drama. Year in and year out it produces some of the greatest golf you’ll see in your life.”

It can almost be a spiritual experience. It’s pretty moving. When I played the back 9 the first time, when I stepped on the 10th tee I got a different feeling, and had that

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Michigan Golf Journal Masters Memories

Double Down on Bucket-List Golf

Masters Memories: Other Michiganders With Tom Lang

Jackson’s Dave Hill (who died in 2011) won 13 times on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 70s, then six more times on the then Senior Tour in the 1980s. He was also a Ryder Cup player three times. His Masters’ history includes playing 12 consecutive years at Augusta National, making the cut 10 times and finishing T5 in 1970 and 7th five years later.

His brother, Mike Hill, won three times on the PGA Tour in the 1970s, followed by an incredible 18 times on the Senior Tour in less than seven seasons during the 1990s. Mike topped that Tour’s money list in 1991, when he won five tournaments. Mike was invited to two Masters and had a T37 finish.

Jon Morse of Marshall played golf at U-M and has one PGA Tour victory to his credit after earning a PGA Tour card at age 35. He played in two Masters and missed both cuts, but did take 4th in the 1996 U.S. Open.

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Michigan amateur extraordinaire Chuck Kocsis played The Masters 11 times between 1937 and 1961. U-M player Lion Kim of Korea earned a trip in 2011. Iowa native and MSU player Jack Newman went in 2009. MGJ

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Michigan GolfJunior JournalGolfer U.P.’s Best

That Other State Champion: Bryson Mercier

By Tom Lang

Bryson Mercier has been flying under the radar – literally and figuratively – most of his life.

That’s what happens when you hail from Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula and the closest AJGA event, where college recruiters tend to congregate, is 7-to-10 hours away. So, with travel and other costs putting those events often

out of reach, you play elsewhere.

It’s also what happens when you stand 5-foot-3 and 135 pounds, and you wonder if anyone takes you seriously.

If anyone didn’t, they better now.

Mercier first received a little notice at age 14 when he won a Drive, Chip and Putt

local qualifier in Green Bay. Then a little more in the spring of 2019 when as a freshman at Powers North Central High, he won the U.P. Div. 3 state title with a 74. His next two closest competitors tied with 82s.

Then he won the Junior Tour championship of the Upper Peninsula Golf Association (UPGA) – then he won it again in 2020 with a 1-under par 71.

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Junior Player of the Year: Yet what really lifted Mercier’s golfing profile was earning Junior Player of the Year honors in Wisconsin this past summer.

Wisconsin?

That’s the best place for Mercier to compete in multiple junior events within reasonable driving distance. Powers is due south of Marquette and west of Escanaba.

He played in only one Michigan event ‘below the bridge’ – the GAM Junior Invitational.

Becoming Wisconsin Junior Player of the Year was not a specific goal – but it’s put him on the radar of college coaches, as it should. Earning any state’s top spot in summer-long accumulated points is no easy feat.

“That’s not what I was looking to do,” Mercier said about WI Player of the Year, yet he would like to repeat it soon, after his junior year in high school concludes. “I set short-term goals for each tournament. I’m not a person that likes to look too much into the future, because if you focus too

much on the future, you’re going to miss something that’s happening right now.

“But that was the highlight of my summer.”

Mercier played about a dozen 2020 WI events and placed in the top 10 every time – a very consistent accomplishment he said he is most proud of. He won the WPGA Players Tour event at Blackwolf Run in a playoff, then consecutive victories on the Irish Course at Whistling Straights – the College Showcase with a 74 and then another WPGA Junior Tour event. The very next day he grabbed a 4th win with a personal-best 67 in a WPGA Junior Tour event in Green Bay. He added three runner-up finishes on the WI tour.

In Wisconsin he averaged 72.5 in 14 tournament

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rounds. His second consecutive UPGA win gave him 5 tournament victories in the summer of 2020.

Mercier grew up a Tiger Woods fan just like his dad, who introduced him to the game with toy clubs as a toddler.

“He never forced golf on me, I just picked up on it myself.”

Mercier has been self-taught ever since. He doesn’t see the need for a swing coach, and who can argue? He said he can feel when something is wrong and typically corrects it fairly quickly. He’s driving the ball further with more regimented workouts, currently averaging 28085 yards off the tee and climbing (the PGA Tour average at The PLAYERS was 296 yards).

Continues on next page >>

Michigan GolfJunior JournalGolfer U.P.’s Best

Powers North Central High has never been a golf school. Basketball is the main attraction to the youth in that region, where Mercier’s father, Adam, coached North Central to three Class D state titles in 2015, ’16 and ’17, amassing Michigan’s state record for 83 consecutive victories.

In more recent years, Mercier relates to different player on the PGA Tour.

“Rory McIlroy is my favorite pro right now. His body is a lot more like mine, a shorter, smaller individual.”

College Plans: Mercier already has college offers from Detroit Mercy and Wisconsin-Green Bay. With his high school junior season just now starting up he has more opportunities to impress scouts.

He wants to study business.

Math is his favorite subject.

He said that college golf won’t necessarily lead to a pro stint on Tour, but that it will help in expanding personal and business connections for a successful career.

“Bryson is relentless as a player…he has taken his natural talent to the next

level through hard work and a tremendous desire to excel,” said his high school team coach Gerald Whitens.

“He displays a great attitude in the classroom (3.89 GPA, president of National Honor Society) and along with fellow students and teaching staff. The same work ethic that has made him such a good golfer has made him a strong student.

“His accuracy both off the tee and with mid-irons allow him to play precision golf, while his length has improved with fitness training and confidence. He takes pride in his short game and rarely 3 putts or fails to get up and down after a missed green.”

Mercier said his goals are: “Just keep getting better, learn from high school, learn from college. Just take in everything.”

Bryson was in late elementary and middle school at the time, as a starting point guard, but has dedicated his high school career to golf.

“I feel like I can help make a difference to maybe get younger people my age to try golf,” he said. “It’s such a good sport for young people to get into because it’s such a life-skills sport. You can learn so much more outside of golf by playing golf, all the life lessons. You can develop great personality traits.

“I think every young person should play golf. You don’t have to be good at golf to play golf and have fun. If you choose basketball, you’re going to have to be really good at it. You don’t have to be amazing at golf to still have fun at the same time.”

That said, Mercier is one amazing golfer – who is also having fun. MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Kid Dynamite

Up and Comer: Nemo Tsai

By Tom Lang

Nemo Tsai sure is getting the most out of life.

And he is only 11 years old.

Since the summer of 2019, Nemo Tsai of Ann Arbor has been competing and winning his age group nationwide on the USKids Golf circuit and occasional other tournaments – at courses such as Pinehurst No. 1, Mission Hills in Palm Springs and Torrey Pines near San Diego.

Golf is his No. 1 passion.

He is an excellent putter and is gaining accuracy off the tee. In February, he set a new all-time Boys 11-12 age-group scoring record on the Florida Junior Tour with a 7-under 65.

A 13-year-old competitor in Michigan said: “he’s the real deal.”

But Nemo has also been learning to bake and cook, well enough to the point that his Instagram posts caught the eye of

television Food Network producers who invited him to compete in the most recent Season 9 National Kids Baking Championships, which taped in August and aired this winter.

Nemo finished in the top 5 and hopes to try more

competitions in the future.

His signature is a candied bacon cake.

He caught the ‘baking bug’ from his father’s family, which has been in the restaurant and food sales industry for decades. One of their family’s enterprises

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

in Ann Arbor, Godaiko Japanese Restaurant, was contracted to serve Sushi to the LPGA players at the former Volvik LPGA Championship.

But the idea of baking became more personal during Covid-19 when Nemo wanted to say thanks to health care workers with some baked treats throughout the spring and summer.

The made-for-TV baking competition just added a new sideline to his life.

Nemo caught the ‘golf bug’ from his maternal grandfather – an interest that became more serious after watching the LPGA tournament for three years at Travis Pointe when he and the family

31

much. I just love the sport.

It’s just so much fun.

served – and where one of his Godparents won the inaugural 2016 tournament. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

“My mom’s side of the family are the athletic ones (tennis players), my dad’s side is into cooking,” the 6th-grader said, with both his articulate and fun side coming out. “Watching the LPGA at Travis Pointe inspired me to try golf and the rest is history pretty

“I took a lot of what I learned on the golf course when I went on the (Baking) Show. For example, in golf, you’re not always going to get your way. You’re going to have bad shots. You’re going to have bad days, and you’re going to be under pressure to perform well and you have to learn to overcome that. Being on the show was the same way except that you have to put your dish on the plate. I definitely think they link together.

“All the shots are different in golf,” Nemo continued with his adult-style analysis.

“You’re going to have good lies and bad lies. You’ll be in a bunker or next to the water. I see that in cooking and baking as well. You’re going to have to find a way to make something outside of the box.”

LPGA Tour Influence: He has kept the ‘golf bug’ alive and striving for great heights by his Godparents, the LPGA Tour’s Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya of Thailand – the home Continues on page 33 >>

Kid Dynamite country of his mother, Prapaiphan, who was quite the tennis player in her day.

“We’ve traveled to see them play (recently at the LPGA Gainbridge in Orlando) and they stay at our house in Ann Arbor,” said Nemo’s father, Paul. “They tease us that we’re the Halfway House for the LPGA Tour.”

Nemo said his Godparents provide tips, and actually push him fairly hard to succeed.

“I’m very grateful to them,” Nemo said. “It’s cool, and it works out because I play golf too.”

He said the Jutanugarn sisters have not asked him for any golfing tips yet; but he added with a laugh: “I’ll try to convince them of that.”

Notable wins in Nemo’s short career to date include: • August 2019: Canadian Invitational Legends of Niagara, Boys 9 (4-under par, won by 9 shots) • June 2020: Ohio State Invitational Avalon Lakes, Boys 10 • June 2020: Red White Blue Invitational Pinehurst #1, Boys 10 • December 2020: Holiday Classic 2020 Regional PGA Village, Boys 11 • February 2021: Florida Junior Tour Ocala Open Boys 11-12. Shot final round 65, for a new Florida Junior Tour record for Boys 11-12 • He also had runner up finishes at the Palm Springs Open at Mission Hills, the PGA Golf Club Invitational (twice, at ages 10 and 11) and the World

Championship Pinehurst Legacy • Nemo also gets invites to the IMG Junior Worlds at Torrey Pines North, where he finished 6th in boys 9-10 in 2019 (no event in 2020).

• He also won the Driving category of the Drive, Chip and Putt Regionals in the fall of 2019 at Oakland Hills, but took 2nd overall, coming oh-so close to an Augusta National trip this month.

“I do realize how spoiled I am to play these great courses,” Nemo said. “It’s a main reason I love traveling, because I get to go to these iconic golf courses to compete. It’s a lot of fun; and with my dad on the bag, it’s great spending that time with him.”

So far, all his interests keep everything in the family. MGJ

Michigan Michigan Golf JournalUniv.

Central

Central Michigan Golf on Meteor Rise

By Andrew Sneddon

In many circles, they say it takes a village.

In the case of Central Michigan women’s golf, that village reaches far and wide.

When the Mount Pleasant university resurrected the program in 2014-15 after a 31-year hiatus, growth and success were expected, eventually. But the strides the Chippewas have made over the past three years are remarkable, and the uptick in performance coincides with the arrival of coach Jim Earle – and some international flights – in August 2018.

Earle’s Chippewas posted 2 third-place team finishes, a 4th and a 5th in five fall events during his first season. Prior to that, the Chippewas finished dead last, or close to it, in most every event in which they had played.

Come the fall of 2019, barely a year after Earle’s arrival, the Chippewas broke through with their first win, at the Oakland Golden Grizzlies Invitational. And they did it with three freshmen in the lineup.

Those freshmen not only helped deliver the Chippewas’ first championship trophy, but their collective arrival in Mount Pleasant just before the season signaled the direction that Earle was taking the program.

That trio comprised of Padgett Chitty of Valdosta, Ga. and internationals Zoe Vartyan of Austria and Claudia Salvador of Spain. To that point, just one player in the five-year history of the resurrected program had grown up outside the state of Michigan. In October of 2019, Salvador won the Purdue-Fort Wayne Mastodon Invitational. It was the first win for a Chippewa since the program’s re-birth.

Coach Jim Earle

CMU opened this spring season with a fifth-place finish in the 11-team Mid-American Conference Challenge

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

in Florida, and then won back-to-back match-play events, the first hosted

by North Carolina A&T, the second by Northern Kentucky. They then finished third in the 11team Cleveland State Nevel Meade Collegiate.

Competition in Michigan is fierce for top-notch homegrown talent what with the state being home to seven Division I programs and several highly competitive Division II schools. Earle utilized the blueprint he had developed during highly successful stints as the head coach at Division II programs Missouri-St. Louis and Cal State Monterey Bay. “When I was looking into the position and after my visit to Central Michigan and seeing what the commitment was from the athletic department, I felt like the resources were there for me to go out and recruit the type of player who could come in and have some immediate success,” Earle says.

Earle’s 2020 signing class brought more international flavor with Malaysian Ashley Goh and Canadian Mackenzie Baustad

35

along with Rachel Kauflin of Wisconsin.

There remain veteran players on the roster who make regular contributions – Meghan Deardorff of Clarkston and Jami Laude of Ann Arbor chief among them.

“Where else could they be part of a team with people from all over the world?”

Earle added. “After their four years of college golf, they might remain friends forever and go visit each other in their respective countries across the world.

It’s a pretty neat thing.”

The Chippewas have greatly benefitted from the support of a caring and vested group of alums – part of the village, if you will – including PXG founder Bob Parsons and his wife Renee, a CMU graduate and Mount Pleasant native. Then there’s alumni Rocky Ricelli and Michael O’Donnell, who have also played major roles in the program’s growth.

Ricelli gifted the program

Meghan Deardorff

a customized Mercedes traveling van and O’Donnell hosts the team annually in Arizona.

“We are ecstatic about our relationship with PXG. It sets us apart,” Earle said.

“There’s no other midmajor in the country that has that relationship with a manufacturer, never mind the top manufacturer in the country.” MGJ

Michigan GolfTournaments Journal AMATEUR

GAM Tournament Season Kicks Off in April

110th Michigan Amateur also tries new venue

By Tom Lang Amateur golf is alive and well in Michigan.

No other evidence is needed than the massively-full tee sheets at players’ favorite local courses across the state during 2020 – as well as the early registrations for the 2021 tournament season.

The current GAM schedule contains its traditional championships, including the 110th Michigan Amateur Championship and the 105th Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship. Then there is the 100th GAM Championship and the 30th GAM Women’s Championship – and others with special age group divisions for junior boys and girls, senior men and women, and multiple net scoring

championships for the non-elite competitive golfer as well.

The GAM calendar starts with the third annual GAM Junior Kickoff, a 36-hole event slated for April 24-25 at Washtenaw Golf Club in Ypsilanti Twp. More than seven weeks before the registration deadline the tournament was already filled. The event was added in 2019 to accommodate the demand of more Juniors golfers getting into the game.

The following week, qualifying tournaments for the 110th Michigan Amateur begin, the first taking place at Edgewood Country Club in Commerce Twp., May 3. There are a total of 12 Michigan Am qualifiers, at venues stretched out

from downriver metro Detroit to the state’s west side and all the way up to Greywalls in Marquette, June 5.

All qualifying golfers will return to Grand Rapids and play at Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids June 22-26, a week after the 105th Michigan Women’s Amateur takes place at Saginaw Country Club, June 14-18. The historic 100th GAM Championship is slated for Aug. 2-3 at storied

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Franklin Hills Country Club, and the 30th GAM Women’s Championship is July 26-27 at first-time GAM host Klinger Lake Country Club, the Sturgis area club celebrating 100 years in 2021.

The long and productive season will be capped off in late September with the GAM Golf Days Championship, sponsored

by Michigan Golf Journal, at Indianwood Country Club – and in early October with the GAM Tournament of Champions in Ann Arbor.

Some new sites are involved on this year’s schedule, including Atlas Valley Golf Club in Grand Blanc (a 100th GAM Championship qualifier and the Michigan Senior Net Amateur), and Klinger Lake Country Club. Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM, said there is always an effort to add new host sites to the schedule.

“We are always looking for new places,” he said. “We don’t want to wear out our

37

welcome at the places we go to often, and we want to reach people who might play if a tournament is closer to their home. We also want our members to see what the state has to offer in golf, bring some business to member clubs and give them a chance to showcase what they provide.”

More information and tournament registrations can be found at: https://www.GAM. org/?Championships MGJ

Michigan Golf Journal Youth Opportunities

Great Junior Golf Design Challenge for 2021 The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) has brought back a program to showcase creativity in golf course architecture among young people.

The Great Junior Golf Design Challenge of 2021 encourages children to design their own golf hole and gives families and educators an opportunity to involve children in the art of golf course design.

Young people ages 17 and younger may submit design ideas for golf holes of any par, style or strategy, and from whimsical to serious. A submission may be created in any medium (pencil, markers, crayon or digital)

as long as it fits within the provided border from ASGCA. Scans or photos of designs may be sent via email to juniordesign@ asgca.org or uploaded via Twitter to @ASGCA to be shared on social media and ASGCA.org. Complete information may be found at https://asgca.org/thegreat-junior-golf-designchallenge-of-2021.

A new aspect this year is that a “top design” will be selected, and the winning designer will receive $250 from ASGCA Foundation. A matching donation will also be made to the designer’s local First Tee chapter. All submissions will also be entered into a drawing, and

two names will be selected to receive merchandise from U.S. Kids Golf.

“Last year, the ‘Great Junior Design Challenge’ came together quickly and was a perfect anecdote for children and families when COVID-19 hit,” ASGCA President Forrest Richardson said.

“This year, ASGCA is thrilled to have the involvement of our friends at U.S. Kids Golf.

There is boundless energy and creativity shown in these designs, and we look forward to seeing what this year’s Challenge produces.”

LPGA Leadership Academy Coming to Mt. Pleasant The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will partner with the LPGA Foundation to bring their LPGA Leadership Academy to Michigan this summer to help develop the

next generation of female leaders through a blend of golf and business skills.

The two-day LPGA Leadership Academy engages teenage

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

girls in golf and provides them with the framework to develop their confidence, communication, and leadership skills. With activities on and off the course, attendees discover their unique strengths through group exercises, expert-led discussions, journaling, and interactions with female executives.

The dates are June 21 - 22, 2021 at Bucks Run Golf Club in Mt. Pleasant. A unique aspect of the program is an interactive female leadership panel discussion.

The LPGA Leadership Academy uses the game of golf as a platform and learning tool to: • Teach girls how to become better decision makers • Overcome and let go of setbacks • Take calculated risks and embrace opportunities • Develop skills to accomplish specific goals • Play their own game and find their own voice

Several Dow women executives will share their college and career journeys and openly engage in answering questions from the participants.

The Academy will host 40 selected girls ages 13 - 18 at no cost to applicants who have been accepted. Sign up at: https://info. bucksrun.com/blog/bucks-run-hosts-lpgaleadership-academy-2021 MGJ

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MichiganConditions Golf Journal Course

Did All the Extra Snow Hurt Turf Conditions?

By Dr. Kevin W. Frank Michigan State University

Winter conditions often cause worry for golf course superintendents as snow, ice, and cold temperatures have the potential to wreak havoc on turfgrass. This last winter was particularly snowy during the months of January and February and an icing event in early January in parts of the state caused concern.

Heavy snowfall is generally considered a positive for turf conditions as it provides a nice layer of insulation to protect the turf from extreme cold temperatures.

The one negative with heavy snowfall is that sometimes we’ll see an increase in snow mold activity and that appears to be the case on some golf courses this year.

Damage is especially evident in roughs that were not treated with protective fungicides.

The good news is that as spring temperatures warm and turf growth resumes it quickly recovers and grows out of the damage.

The ice layer that formed in parts of the state in early January does not appear to have caused any significant damage. Ice layers during winter can kill the turf by essentially suffocating it as the ice can form an impermeable layer that prevents gas exchange between the turf, soil, and atmosphere.

For the most part the

ice that formed this last winter was very thin unlike the 2-3 inch ice sheets that developed in the winter of 2014 that caused widespread death of putting greens especially in the greater Detroit area.

As part of our turfgrass research efforts at MSU, working in cooperation with researchers at the University of Minnesota and with funding provided by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, we installed a winterkill sensor package

April 2021 www.michigangolfjournal.com

on six golf courses in Michigan this last winter.

The sensors monitored soil temperature, gases, and moisture throughout the winter.

Our goal is to identify specific temperature, gas, or moisture levels that result in winterkill in real time so that golf course superintendents could attempt actions to mitigate injury if possible.

This was the first year of our research, so we are still in the learning and development phase.

Doug Ware

New Leadership at Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Doug Ware, the Class A Golf Course Superintendent for the city of Livonia has been elected as the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA) Chapter President for 2021.

Other officers elected to the MiGCSA board include Vice President Ryan Moore of Forest Lake Country Club and Secretary/ Treasurer Doug Hoeh from Treetops Resort. New Board members include Craig McKinley from Bucks Run Golf Club and Ross Miller from Country Club of Detroit. MGJ

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Youth on Course

Youth on Course Still Gaining Steam in Michigan

By Tom Lang

The Youth on Course program that runs nationally and is a significant partner in golfrich Michigan, continues to grow and attract youth to the game of golf. The Covid-19 pandemic helped fuel that expansion last year as sports opportunities dried up.

Youth on Course, in its shortest form, is a financial subsidy organization that costs only $15 per golfer to register, who then play golf for the cost of just $5 per round (or less) at any participating course – locally or nationwide. The overall principle is to break down the financial barriers for kids to access the game.

participated in for the last 2 years. This event aims to secure money pledges per hole the person plays in one day, carrying and playing with just a few clubs to keep the weight of the marathon light.

The Michigan Golf Journal is a financial supporter, and Donors and sponsors are you can help too. The GAM also sought out to support Foundation administers the organization, which reimburses golf courses for the the program in Michigan, and in 2020 retuned over cost difference per round for $220,000 to 108 golf courses kids who play their property. in the state. This subsidized There are annual fundraisers almost 30,000 rounds played that occur like the 100 Hole by more than 7,000 youth Hike that GAM Executive members. This compares to Director Chris Whitten has

the program’s 2017 start year of 2,628 members, and 3,201 rounds played.

Working with organizations like The First Tee, the Youth on Course program allows those kids and more the chance at the next step – easy access to golf courses. Kids were surveyed, which found that 88 percent said they exercised more, 82 percent said they spent more time with their families, and 80 percent said it’s helped their confidence and built better social skills, all through Youth on Course. MGJ

To donate go to: www.GAM.org/Foundation

Club Review

Club Review: PING G425 Metals

By Joe Dier, Miles of Golf Club Fitter

G425 Drivers What can I say about the new PING G425 drivers other than the fact that they are some of the best drivers PING has ever produced.

I know that may be a bold statement, but after testing all three models and seeing how they perform compared to last year’s G410 lineup, it is clear that these drivers will be top performers in 2021.

The G425 lineup offers three different heads for 2021: MAX, LST and SFT. MAX: PING expanded on the moveable weight track that they first featured in last year’s G410 line by making the track shorter and putting a heavier weight, from 17g to 26g.

This makes the club more stable effectively making it a straighter driver. The position of the heavier

weight does really affect the ball flight, it will promote a draw when in the heel and be more fade biased when in the toe. This will be offered in 9*, 10.5* and 12*.

LST: The LST stands for “Low Spin Technology”. It spins less due to the fact that the head is 445 CC which should flatten the trajectory and lower the launch. In the LST, they kept the 17g weight, but that weight in the shorter track does make this driver more forgiving, by keeping the center of

gravity (CG) further back in the head. In testing, we saw that this head spun almost 400 RPMs less than the MAX and SFT models. This will be offered in 9* and 10.5*.

SFT: The SFT stands for “Straight Flight Technology”.

This head is for someone who primarily misses the ball to the right. This head will help combat that by having a fixed 23g weight in the heel, which is heavier than the original 12g weight offered in the G410. They will only be offered in 10.5* Read More. MGJ

MICHIGAN GOLF JOURNAL

Course Photo: STOATIN BRAE at Gull Lake View Resort

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