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Michigan Golf Journal

Pro Tournaments Flood Michigan This Season Five short years ago, no major professional golf tour was to be found in Michigan. Fans were at a loss. That all changed when Meijer brought golf’s national stage back to the state with the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. Support for the tournament has been huge, with large crowds each year raising more than $4.2 million for food pantries. (pages 8-12). Yet if nothing else, Meijer’s positive gamble proved to other business groups that Michigan golf fans would come watch their favorite players in

person and TV would positively promote our state to the world. ^ŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƟŵĞ͕ ƚŚĞ >W' dŽƵƌ added the Ann Arbor tournament (now on hiatus) and created the ĮƌƐƚ ŽĸĐŝĂů ůĂĚŝĞƐ ƚĞĂŵ ĞǀĞŶƚ ŽŶ the LPGA Tour with the upcoming Žǁ 'ƌĞĂƚ >ĂŬĞƐ ĂǇ /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů in Midland (pages 14-15). The PGA Tour Champions brought men’s tour golf back to Grand Blanc ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ůůǇ ŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ůĂƐƚ September; and now the muchĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ZŽĐŬĞƚ DŽƌƚŐĂŐĞ Classic is coming in June (see page ϭϴͿ͕ ƚŽ ŵĂƌŬ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƟŵĞ ŝŶ ŚŝƐƚŽƌǇ the PGA Tour is stepping foot inside the city limits of Detroit.

Thank you, golf fans. Thank you, Meijer. Pro golf in Michigan is set for a long and prosperous run.

Tom Lang Publisher/Editor

WHAT’S INSIDE: 08

Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give

Michigan News and Notes

Q&A with LPGA’s Brooke Henderson

Golf Tips from Kendall Academy

Guest column: Tiger Woods Unites U.S.

Michigan’s 5 Greatest Golfers

PGA Tour Players Announced for Detroit

Michigan Woman Leads Valspar Championship

Guest Column, MSU Golf Michigan Golf Journal

MSU Faced a Double-Bogey When Cancer Struck - TWICE Guest Column: by MSU Women’s Golf Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll When I think of what it means to be a Spartan, many words come to mind. Tough, disciplined, courageous, strong, brave & a warrior. In November of 2012, being a Spartan took on a completely new meaning for our team. Liz Nagel, one of our superstars, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll

Editor’s Note: It seems as if it would be easier ƚŽ ǁŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŽƩĞƌǇ ƚŚĂŶ to have to face the horrible challenge of two young, vibrant, ĂƚŚůĞƟĐ ƉůĂǇĞƌƐ Ăƚ ŽŶĞ college golf program ĐŽŶƚƌĂĐƟŶŐ ĐĂŶĐĞƌ ŝŶ the past decade – and both graciously coming out survivors. MSU coach Stacy SlobodnikStoll shares the MSU story in her own words.

It was an ordinary day in the weight room. Our team had gathered for our daily conditioning session, Liz came to me and said she wasn’t feeling great and that she had been coughing a lot. We sent her to see our team doctor, as he is located in the same building and is always accessible. Some red flags immediately went up and a few days later we had the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Pretty shocking for all of us; for the players on the team, for the Spartan community,

for Liz and her family and for me as her coach. When you haven’t gone through something of this nature, it sure hits you like a ton of bricks. But you soon ƌĞŐƌŽƵƉ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĮŐŚƚ ďĞŐŝŶƐ͘ Where will Liz get the best care, what is thyroid cancer, how will the team respond to this, when will Liz play again? There were so many ƋƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ǇŽƵ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ make all the right decisions as this was a very special young person with a very bright future. We had a tremendous amount of support and help, so Liz and her family could make the best choices for her care. Liz wanted to have the surgery to remove her thyroid as soon as possible so she could get on the road to recovery…the pleas to the doctors were sincere. Liz had a tournament to compete ŝŶ ƐŽŽŶ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ EĞǁ zĞĂƌ would begin!

May 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ

Liz Nagle

That December “Spartan Strong” was born. Liz had surgery late that month and she was on a

her dream (cancer free) … playing professional golf while knowing just how “Spartan Strong” she truly is.

plane with our team in February 2013, equipped with her golf gloves that bore the slogan “Spartan Strong” ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĚŽĐƵŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ the airport security that she ǁĂƐ ƐƟůů ͞ƌĂĚŝŽĂĐƟǀĞ͘͟ dŚĞ support that Liz received from the MSU Family was ĂǁĞƐŽŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ she had to get through the treatment and recovery was amazing. I was so proud of how she handled the whole ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ͘ >ŝǌ ŝƐ ŶŽǁ ƉƵƌƐƵŝŶŐ

Fast forward to August 2017… It is just before school starts and Jac Setas is up north enjoying one of her favorite places on earth, Bay Harbor. I get a call from her to tell me she woke up with a weird lump on her collarbone. We set Jac up to see our team doctor as soon as she got ďĂĐŬ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŽǁŶ ĂŶĚ ĂŌĞƌ ƐŽŵĞ ƚĞƐƟŶŐ͕ ǁĞ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Everyone deals with illness ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚůǇ͖ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ƐŽ ŵĂŶǇ ĨĞĞůŝŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ ĞŵŽƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŐŽ along with hearing the words “cancer.” I remember being upset and in disbelief because this was our second player that was going to go through hell and back, upset that we cannot find a cure to this ugly disease that affects so many lives and upset that this young, strong athlete had to deal with this at such a young age. However, the Spartan Family came through once ĂŐĂŝŶ͘ :ĂĐ͛Ɛ ĐůŽƐĞ ŐŽůĮŶŐ buddy had plenty of green ŽŶƟŶƵĞƐ ŽŶ ƉĂŐĞ ϲ хх

Guest Column, MSU Golf Michigan Golf Journal

bracelets with “Setas Strong” printed on them to ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ :ĂĐ ŝŶ ŚĞƌ ďĂƩůĞ͘ The bracelets showed up everywhere as well as the ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĨŽƌ :ĂĐ ŝŶ ŚĞƌ ĮŐŚƚ͘ Those bracelets were on golf bags across the country, on desks as a constant reminder, on backpacks and even on EĂƟŽŶĂů ds ĂƐ ŽĂĐŚ /ǌǌŽ wore one during the season in support of Jac. Jac was a trooper and I could not have been more proud of her and her teammates that rallied around her, making sure she knew that her Spartan Family would be there for her no ŵĂƩĞƌ ǁŚĂƚ͘ KƵƌ ƉůĂǇĞƌƐ visited as much as possible; ƚŽ ƐƉĞŶĚ ƟŵĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŚĞƌ͕ watch a TV show or a MSU basketball game or just talk about what was happening with the team or on campus. Watching her life as a Student-Athlete be taken away was heartbreaking and it didn’t seem fair. It changed our outlook on life. We were all made more aware of the necessity to be kind, to be thankful, to know that something so small can make Ă ĚŝīĞƌĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƐŽŵĞŽŶĞ else’s life, to remember everyone is going through

Jacqueline Setas

something, to enjoy each and every day and not to worry ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƐŵĂůů ƐƚƵī͘ Jac is such a fun person to be around, she is happy, funny, kind, caring and she makes others smile. Jac Setas is that same person, but now ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĞǁ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ ŽŶ life. We are happy to report that Jac also is cancer free; she came back to the team this past fall (2018) to reclaim the year she missed while going through treatments. She will graduate in May and will head to New York for a summer internship. Ɛ ^ƉĂƌƚĂŶƐ͕ ǁĞ ďĂƩůĞ ĞĂĐŚ day in our quest to be the best; on the golf course, in the classroom and as members

of our community. Most of ŽƵƌ ĚĂŝůǇ ďĂƩůĞƐ ĐĂŶ͛ƚ ŚŽůĚ a candle to what these two courageous young Spartan golfers went through during their college careers. These experiences have helped our players and coaches ƉƵƚ ƚŚŝŶŐƐ ŝŶƚŽ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ͖ reminding us to always be ͞^ƉĂƌƚĂŶ ^ƚƌŽŶŐ͕͟ ŶŽ ŵĂƩĞƌ what life throws at you. Editor’s note: To watch a video on Setas produced by MSU and featuring comments from Alabama coach Nick Saban, click here:

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Meijer LPGA Michigan GolfClassic Journal

Meijer LPGA Classic is Best Fan Experience on LPGA Tour

6th Annual Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, June 11-16 in Grand Rapids By Tom Lang If you ask Michiganders who attend professional golf tournaments, they’ll tell you the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give is set up perfectly for the fans and is a wonderful setting to enjoy the sport we love – with the ones you love. Carolyn Alt and her husband, Andrew, take their two daughters, now ages 13 and 11, to the tournament every year. “We love world class golf and we were thrilled when the tournament came to Grand Rapids,” she said. “We love taking our girls to see the best golfers in the world, up close. The pros were thrilled to see our girls out there and interacted with them. Why wouldn’t we go back, has been our experience.” Each year the event gets better and better. The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give won the 2018 LPGA Tour award for ‘Best Fan Experience’ for its numerous activities – plus the food options available at The Grand Taste. “Receiving this award for best fan experience is such a remarkable honor and we plan to top that in 2019 – just when you thought it couldn’t get any better,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. “Thanks to our volunteers and staff we’ve been able to create an experience that brings our community together to help feed our neighbors though Simply Give.”

The centerpiece of the four-day, 72-hole tournament is superb golf as the top female players in the world descend upon Grand Rapids for one of the largest purses on the Tour; $2 million. The best LPGA golfers want to come to west Michigan in part because only the majors offer higher payouts.

May 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

potatoes, ice cream and an endless supply of other treats and refreshments. Tournament officials will roll out a sustainability program at the Grand Taste and Grand Taste Garden this year that is expected to divert more than 95 percent of its waste to recycling or compos – and as always, all remaining food will be donated to local food pantries.

5K Run and Walk: The 2018 tournament also raised $1.1 million for local food pantries through Simply Give, the program that restocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. In total, the first five annual tournaments have generated more than $4.2 million for the Meijer Simply Give program.

The Grand Taste: A main draw to Blythefield Country Club, June 14-16, is the feast around the centerpiece – the fan hospitality program called Grand Taste – which expanded to two huge on-course venues last year because of its popularity with fans. Grand Taste doesn’t require a private invitation to a corporate hospitality tent. Anyone in the general public can purchase a daily ticket for $40 (or half that for students age 13-17). That ticket is good for any-oneday grounds access to the tournament, and all the food you can eat and craft brews or wines adults want to sample, from the dozens of participating local vendors. We’re talking prime rib, BBQ meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, stir-fries, fish and seafood,

The Meijer LPGA Classic 5k Run & Walk presented by Kellogg’s® will return for tournament week as an official 5K, giving runners the opportunity to use their times to qualify for other USA Track & Field (USATF) events. A kids’ fun run (ages 10 and under) of a half mile is also part of the event. “The great thing about our race is you don’t have to be a professional athlete to take part in it,” said Cathy Cooper, Executive Director of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. “It’s a great way to get the entire family involved in a healthy lifestyle all while helping feed those in need.” More information for all tournament options at: www.meijerlpgaclassic.com.

Meijer LPGA Michigan GolfClassic Journal

Feeding those in need through Simply Give: Brittany Lang, the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open champion and a regular competitor in the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, was nothing short of very impressed on a tour of North Kent Connect, a food and clothing pantry for people in financial need. It is one of the hundreds of food banks in the Midwest supported by the Meijer Simply Give program, the charity benefactor of the golf tournament. “We get fantastic community support here in Grand Rapids,” Lang said. “We don’t always get the big crowds everywhere we go (at other LPGA stops), so it’s nice that in this community we get them. It’s really great to be partnered with Meijer, to see their charity work, to see their impact but also just them supporting the LPGA. “It’s great being a golfer, traveling to other cities and helping the community, helping the charities,” Lang continued. “But the Meijer Simply Give, you can see right away the food going to families in need, people in need. And to see the impact is wonderful.” Simply Give, which has three seasonal campaigns each year, has collected nearly $48 million since its inception more than 10 years ago. The first five golf tournaments’ proceeds have produced $4.2 million, but much of Simply Give’s rapid growth is attributable to the public exposure the golf tournament has given to expand the cause as well. “Our pantry, our market, couldn’t have the fresh fruits and vegetables, or the dairy (products) without Meijer,” said Claire Guisfredi of North Kent Connect. “To actually be able to give out carrots and tomatoes and zucchini,

and yogurt and cottage cheese, meats, those rich protein sources that are so important for families, the nutrition they are getting, the healthier foods… this is so important to the families we serve.” Rick Keyes, President and CEO of Meijer added: “We have a very simple mission and it is feeding our neighbors through Simply Give. The Meijer LPGA Classic is not just a great golf event, this is an event that really makes a difference for our neighbors in the community.”

Meijer LPGA Michigan GolfClassic Journal

2 minutes with Brooke Henderson, a Q&A Canadian Brooke M. Henderson won the 2017 Meijer LPAG Classic for Simply Give – just one of her 8 LPGA Tour career wins. The fan-favorite took some time away from the recent Lotte Championship in Hawaii (which she won by 4 strokes) to answer a few questions for the Michigan Golf Journal:

Q The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give

is changing the routing of the golf course this year; how might that change your strategy for how to attack certain holes?

“I feel being a past winner there that I had a really good strategy, so I’m really interested to see the kind of changes they made. Hopefully I’ll get up there a little early for a couple practice rounds and check it out.”

Q The Meijer tournament quickly gained

attention its first 5 years for its great fan experience and large crowds -- how do energetic environments and large crowds effect pro players’ games?

“The Meijer is amazing. The energy that comes from the crowds, and all the different events that are happening around the golf, just makes everything a little bit more exciting. And I know the fans really appreciate it too. For me, I love playing with big crowds, especially when I am playing well, and I can key off their energy.”

Q The charity element of this tournament

(Simply Give) is feeding the hungry, and just the past two years alone $2 million

has been raised, one of the highest figures on the LPGA Tour. What does that type of community support do to your appreciation for playing golf?

“That’s one thing about golf I think is so amazing. You can play a huge role in giving back to the local communities – and really the whole world. I’m really fortunate to be in a position where I can support charities like Simply Give – being a small part in that which can make such a big difference in people’s lives.”

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Žǁ 'ƌĞĂƚ >ĂŬĞƐ ĂǇ /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů Michigan Golf Journal

>W' ͛Ɛ ƌŝƐƟĞ <Ğƌƌ DĂŬĞƐ Golf and Wine a Powerful Duo Her private wine label will be part of Dow Great Lakes Bay /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů ͚ Ăƚ 'ƌĞĂƚ͛ ĨŽŽĚ ĨĞƐƟǀĂů ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŝů By Tom Lang The career path of professional golfers doesn’t ƵƐƵĂůůǇ ůĞŶĚ Ă ůŽƚ ŽĨ ĨƌĞĞ ƟŵĞ to have a second job, but >W' ƐƚĂƌ ƌŝƐƟĞ <Ğƌƌ ŵĂĚĞ it happen. For more than a decade now, Kerr has produced several wines under the name ƌŝƐƟĞ <Ğƌƌ tŝŶĞƐ ʹ ƚŚĞ ŽīͲ shoot of her exposure to vineyards in the 1990s playing golf tournaments in and near California’s Napa Valley. Kerr’s vision for a successful wine-making business led to ƚŚĞ ůĂƵŶĐŚ ŽĨ ŚĞƌ ĮƌƐƚ ůĂďĞů ŝŶ ϮϬϬϳ͕ ƵƌǀĂƚƵƌĞ ʹ ĨŽƌ ǁŚŝĐŚ Ăůů ƉƌŽĐĞĞĚƐ ŐŽ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ women with breast cancer, like her own mother, aunt and ŐŽĚŵŽƚŚĞƌ ĞĂĐŚ ĞŶĚƵƌĞĚ ʹ ĂŶĚ a second label called Kerr Cellars, in 2012. She looks at the business ŶŽƚ ƚŚĂƚ ŵƵĐŚ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚůǇ ƚŚĂŶ her approach to golf. “If anybody has seen me line ƵƉ Ă ƉƵƩ͕ /͛ŵ ƉƌĞƩǇ ĚĞƚĂŝůĞĚ͕ and I think that suits me well in the wine business,” Kerr said in an online interview.

“It’s all about detail, making sure that everything is perfect and being comfortable with the end product. “I kind of make a joke that when you play golf long enough you become a wine lover; you start a wine business just because it keeps you sane. Having that other job makes golf more rewarding and allows me to focus energy on something other than golf.”

‘Eat Great’ at Dow Kerr’s wines will be just one of the items golf fans can sample during the week of the Dow Great Lakes Bay /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů͕ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ŽĸĐŝĂů team event added to the LPGA Tour. The ‘Eat Great’ theme has three levels of ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ĂŶĚ Žī the golf course at Midland Country Club, the week of July 14-20. Yes, the tournament ĮŶŝƐŚĞƐ ŽŶ Ă ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂǇ͘

May 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ

<ŝĐŬŝŶŐ Žī ƚŚĞ ǁĞĞŬ ŝƐ the two-day Eat Great &ŽŽĚ &ĞƐƟǀĂů featuring live entertainment, taking place downtown Midland, Sunday and Monday. Then there is the 4-day Eat Great Hospitality Trail, taking place Wednesday-Saturday at the tournament. Tickets for ďŽƚŚ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ͗ ĚƵůƚ ƟĐŬĞƚƐ ĂƌĞ ΨϰϬ ĞĂĐŚ͖ ǇŽƵƚŚ ƟĐŬĞƚƐ (13-20 years of age) are $20 each and children 12 and under receive free admission. ,ŽƐƉŝƚĂůŝƚǇ ƚƌĂŝů ƟĐŬĞƚƐ include access to four

upgraded viewing decks spread throughout the golf course. Fans can move ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĚĞĐŬƐ͕ ƚĂƐƟŶŐ unlimited samples of the dishes and brews unique to each county in the Great >ĂŬĞƐ ĂǇ ZĞŐŝŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ĂůůͲ ǇŽƵͲĐĂŶͲĞĂƚ ĨŽŽĚ ƟĐŬĞƚ ĐŽƐƚƐ include admission to the tournament.

During the LPGA tournament and for a week following will be Eat Great Restaurant Week, Ă ƚǁŽͲǁĞĞŬ ƉƌŽŵŽƟŽŶ ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƟŶŐ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĞĂƚĞƌŝĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ 'ƌĞĂƚ >ĂŬĞƐ ĂǇ ZĞŐŝŽŶ͘ ZĞƐƚĂƵƌĂŶƚƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ will create a 3-course, prix ĮǆĞ ŵĞŶƵ Ăƚ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ƌĂƚĞ ƚŽ ĞŶƟĐĞ ďŽƚŚ ƚŽƵƌŝƐƚƐ ĂŶĚ community members to ĞǆƉůŽƌĞ ĐƵůŝŶĂƌǇ ŽƉƟŽŶƐ throughout the region. DŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĐĂŶ ďĞ found at: www.kerrcellars. com; and www.dowglbi.com/ eat-great

Guest Column, Carol Cain Michigan Golf Journal

I WITNESSED TIGER WOODS’ MASTERS VICTORY BRINGING AMERICANS TOGETHER By Carol Cain I began Masters’ Sunday morning in Starkville, Mississippi returning from watching some close friends’ son play in Mississippi State University’s annual spring football game. As I sat at the airport, deep in the middle of bright red

state Trump country, another shade of red was on display ĂŶĚ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŶŐ ƉĂůĂƚĂďůĞ excitement for African Americans, Caucasians, young people, old people, males and, females. It was Sunday at the Masters and, donned in his typical Sunday red, Tiger Woods was on the

range and, preparing for the hunt. When our short commuter ŇŝŐŚƚ ůĂŶĚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ƐůŝŐŚƚůǇ lighter shade of red state, Georgia (where new ĞŵŽĐƌĂƟĐ ƌŝƐŝŶŐ ƐƚĂƌ͕ Stacey Abrams almost won the race for Governor and,

May 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

is strongly being pushed to run for Senate) for an over 2 hour layover, the final round had started early due to the inclement weather driving across Georgia. Every bar, restaurant and coffee shop in Atlanta Hartsfield Airport was tuned in and packed with people watching the coverage. Didn’t matter what your politics were or, your social or economic status. Woods was on the prowl and, it was must see TV. On the plane home, literally every entertainment screen attached to the backs of seats was on the tournament and, as the holes played out, it felt like you weren’t on a plane but rather in the stands at Augusta. No movies for yours truly on this day. By the time we landed, Woods was up 2 strokes with 2 holes to play. The vibe in restaurants and bars at the McNamara Terminal was identical to what I experienced in Mississippi and Georgia, as everyone gathered to watch him close out major championship win number 15. Tiger Woods is the most compelling story in sports and, one of the more intriguing figures in recent

history. At times both a professional success and, a personal mess, Woods has been through it all; divorce, public scorn, 8 surgeries, as well as rehab (both physical and mental). Yet, I personally observed last Sunday, in 3 different states, all of which possess drastically different demographics, scores of Americans of all ages, ethnicities, and both genders rooting for his every shot.

The lesson of that special Sunday for me was the power and euphoria of sports. No matter what your views are on lots of things that currently divide our nation, one man, for a few hours, brought us all together with his incredible mastery of a game many of us don’t even play. It was one of those moments you will remember forever where you were when it happened.

From a business perspective, some companies couldn’t withstand the heat of Woods troubles. Gillette, Accenture, AT&T, and yes, our own General Motors Buick Division, either cancelled their sponsorship agreements or failed to renew them when their terms ended. But, companies like Nike never wavered and Japanese based Bridgestone doubled down, signing Woods in 2016 to an agreement where he now plays with their golf balls. Undoubtedly, both will now reap the financial reward of their loyalty – and, as expected, Nike had an ad on the air touting Woods’ achievement almost before he and his entourage left the Augusta National grounds.

Carol Cain is a long-time columnist at the Detroit Free Press (where the majority of this opinion piece first published) and she is also senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters, which airs at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday on CBS 62 in Detroit.

Michigan Golf Journal

PGA Tour: Players Announced for Detroit’s

Rocket Mortgage Classic The first round of player announcements came out, and as of April 25 the initial list of top-notch PGA Tour players coming to Detroit for the June 25-30 Rocket Mortgage Classic is very impressive. They are listed below. Tournament officials continue to indicate that tickets are selling fast and are almost gone. That’s not surprising for a formerly PGA Tour-starved golfing public in this great state of Michigan. More details on the tournament can be found at: www.pgatour. com/tournaments/rocketmortgage-classic Dustin Johnson, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and 20-time PGA Tour winner. Rickie Fowler, the No. 10-ranked player in the world, 5-time PGA Tour winner and recent champion at Phoenix. Bubba Watson, a 2-time Masters champion, 12-time PGA TOUR winner and the

and the 2016 NCAA Division I individual champion, who won the AT&T Byron Nelson. 17th ranked player in the world. Jimmy Walker, the 2016 PGA Championship winner, with 6 PGA Tour wins. Jason Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship winner and a 5-time winner on the PGA TOUR. Kevin Kisner, the world’s No. 25-ranked player, with his most recent victory coming at March’s World Golf Championship – Dell Technologies Match Play. Kisner is a 3-time PGA TOUR winner. Cameron Champ, a PGA TOUR rookie who has already had his first professional victory and leads all players in average driving distance this season. Aaron Wise, the reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year

Billy Horschel, the 2014 FedExCup Champion and a 5-time winner on the PGA TOUR. Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion who has risen to No. 28 in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup standings. Charles Howell III, currently ninth in the FedExCup standings with four top-10 finishes in 13 starts, including a victory at November’s RSM Classic. Michigan native Brian Stuard, winner of the 2016 Zurich Classic, has not yet officially committed but he told the MGJ he plans to participate. As of late April, neither Tiger nor Phil has committed, but always could in the weeks ahead – the same for many other Tour players not listed above.

Michigan News and Notes Golf Journal

PGA Tour in Detroit: Birdies for Charity Program The Rocket Mortgage Classic Birdies for Charity program is an interactive and unique way for non-profit organizations to raise funds using the excitement of a PGA Tour event. Through the program, all registered non-profit organizations in good standing who apply can collect donations from their charity’s supporters based on the total number of birdies shot by PGA Tour pros during tournament

play. Like a more-traditional “walk-a-thon” charities can secure pledges from donors per birdie (example: 10 cents a birdie times 500 birdies would equal a $50 donation). The lower the golf scores, the greater the impact for local non-profits. The program directs 100 percent of proceeds collected to the participating organizations. Additionally, each donor will be asked to submit their guess for the

total number of birdies made – with prizes being awarded to those who pick closest to the actual number. Interested participants can click here for additional details and registration. More information is available at: www. RocketMortgageClassic. com and on Facebook

Unique Stay-Learn-Play Instruction at Two Resorts PGA professional and award-winning teachers Jordan Young, Jeff Goble and Brian Cairns are offering three special 3-day clinics to provide close up instruction and bucket-list golf at Forest Dunes and sister course The Loop. The packages include: • 5 hours of instruction plus on-course observation with a PGA Teaching Professional

• 2 rounds of golf on The Loop and one on Forest Dunes • Two nights of lodging at Forest Dunes Young is promoting the clinics as a way to improve your golf game under incredible golfing conditions, at a remote, nationally-awarded resort that’s only focus is golf. Clinics are offered May 31June 2; July 7-9; and August

25-27. Cost is $1,195 and includes all of the above. Junior Camp at Treetops: Young, Goble and Cairns are also offering similar highlyfocused instruction plus oncourse observation, directed at the junior golfer, at Treetops during three-day camps in July and August, where activities abound for entire families. Base cost is $699 per golfer but will vary based on the accommodations families chose.

For more details visit www.jordanyounggolf.com or www.goblegolf.com

May 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

New Golf Apparel Co. in Michigan – Sideways 9 PGA professional Chad Maveus could not have had better timing when he launched his Sideways 9 casual apparel company’s signature “Tiger GOAT” design during Masters’ week. “I always knew Tiger Woods would win another major, but never imagined it would happen during the launch of my new company,” Maveus said. “I was overwhelmed by the positive response I received while wearing my ‘tiger goat’ shirt (at) the tournament.” Maveus conceived of Sideways 9 during his years at Pebble Beach Golf Links as first assistant golf professional, and later as general manager at Forest Dunes Golf Club in Roscommon, where he and his Michigannative and MSU-grad wife, Kerry, reside. The line is derived to sprinkle in a little sarcasm and wit, with the game we love. Sideways 9 will introduce new designs throughout the year and add a new hat collection later this spring. Gaylord-based SunFrog is producing the apparel, which will be available in various pro shops and online (www.sideways9.com) this golf season.

Maximize Your Play Time

The best golf destinations cover a lot of ground beyond the 18th green. French Lick Resort is the golf getaway with more to love. We have 45 holes of golf, including championship courses by legendary designers Pete Dye and Donald Ross. Add in hundreds of ways to win at the casino, casual and fine dining plus other amenities, and the numbers are on your side for an epic golf trip. French Lick Resort brings it all together with golf, food, fun and gaming at one unforgettable destination. For groups of 8 or more, give our golf group sales manager Alex Whiteman a call at 812-936-9300 (ext. 7227) to get the ball rolling.

Must be 21 years or older to enter the casino. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT!

GAM News Michigan Golf Journal

GAM Honors Dozens for Support of Amateur Golf Betty Woods describes herself as old school. “If somebody gives me the responsibility to do something, I follow through and complete it,” she said. “I’m never looking for accolades or to get patted on the back. I go do my job to the best of my ability.” Woods, 81 and a Grosse Ile resident and member at

Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club, was honored in late April with the Golf Association of Michigan’s Distinguished Service Award during the Annual Meeting of GAM Delegates at Detroit Golf Club. Woods has been involved at every level of volunteer status in the GAM in the last 23 years, including competitor in tournaments, course

rating, club representative, Governor and rules official, and she remains active as a rules official and Governor. The Distinguished Service Award topped the list of several the GAM presented during the Awards Luncheon. The GAM Superintendent Award of Merit was presented to Paul Galligan of Grand Traverse Resort.

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Jim and Cindy Westerhof of the Polo Fields in Ann Arbor were named Club Representatives of the Year. Mike and Connie Brady were named Course Raters of the Year. Sean Cantrell of Wequetonsing Golf Club received the James D. Standish Jr. Award as the top student from the University of Michigan’s Evans Scholars House. Taylor Skelton of Pine

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Lake Country Club was the winner from Michigan State’s House. New GAM Governors were introduced. They included Laura Bavaird of TPC of Michigan (a two-time winner of the Michigan Women’s Amateur), Herb Black of Barton Hills, Barry Babbitt of Plum Hollow, John Beecroft of Port Huron, Jeff Drury of Meadowbrook, Jim Wlosinski of Fox Creek, ZĂŶĚǇ ^ĞďĞƌ ŽĨ <ĂůĂŵĂǌŽŽ͕

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A Course Superintendent’s Michigan Golf Journal Perspective

Why Doesn’t My Course Look Like the One On TV? By: Adam Ikamas, CGCS Executive Director, Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association

As we come off the ‘tradition unlike any other’ – the annual starting gun for professional golf majors and the golf season here in Michigan – many golfers flock to their home course ready for tournament speed and the dream of green jackets. However, often they are disappointed in what they find: the greens are slow, there can be some leftover winter damage from snowmold or ice issues, plus soft, wet conditions. Of course, most golfers understand the springtime conditions around Michigan are not the same as Augusta, Georgia. Beyond this comparison comes the ones from every weekend all summer on the various pro Tours, many of which will soon swing into our great golf state. The one thing all these tournaments have in

common with each other but not with daily courses is the extra efforts that are simply not sustainable for many public daily fee and even most private facilities. For every PGA, LPGA & Champions Tour event this year in Michigan there will be an army of volunteers – some you see and some you don’t like the hundreds of local Superintendents, Assistants and Industry Experts who are supplementing in great quantity the normal local maintenance crew, both morning and night. Along with that, often they are doing so with an entire fleet of brandnew equipment brought in just for the tournament. But even before the first grandstand is put up and any professional shots are hit is the detailed planning of the

Golf Course Superintendent. There’s planning for these volunteers, fertilizer and plant protectant inputs, timing for construction and weather issues along with so much more. To compare what you see on TV to your round the next day is like comparing NASA to American Airlines. They both fly but that is where the comparison ends in budgets, allotted manpower and other factors. Golf Course Superintendents are scientists, agronomist, electricians, plumbers, landscape designers, managers; leaders who can do so many amazing things. So, the next time you see your Superintendent checking your favorite course one last time during your sunset round wave them down and thank them for what is sometimes a thankless job.

Golf Tips from Kendall Academy Michigan Golf Journal

GOLF TIP: EXPAND YOUR AREAS OF STRENGTH WƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ƉƌŽƐ Ăƚ <ĞŶĚĂůů ĐĂĚĞŵǇ͕ zƉƐŝůĂŶƟ

Becoming a good player happens as a result of developing more and more ways to be successful. A great driver of the ball does ŶŽƚ ŐĞƚ ďĞƩĞƌ ĂƐ ĂŶ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ƉůĂǇĞƌ ďǇ ƉƌĂĐƟĐŝŶŐ ŚŝƐ ͬŚĞƌ driving all day. It will happen ďǇ ŝĚĞŶƟĨǇŝŶŐ ĂƌĞĂƐ ŽĨ ǇŽƵƌ game that are weaker, but improvable. /Ĩ / Ăŵ Ă ƐŚŽƌƚ ŚŝƩĞƌ͕ / Ăŵ going to work on my wedge ŐĂŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƵƫŶŐ͘ ƐŚŽƌƚ ŚŝƩĞƌ ǁŝůů ŐĞƚ ŵĂŶǇ ĐŚĂŶĐĞƐ to save pars with his/her

ǁĞĚŐĞƐ͘ WƌĂĐƟĐĞ ďŽƚŚ͕ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ůŽŌ ĂŶĚ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ƌƵŶ͕ with your middle wedges. /ŵƉƌŽǀĞ ǇŽƵƌ ƉƵƫŶŐ ďǇ ƉƌĂĐƟĐŝŶŐ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ũƵƐƚ ƐƚƌŽŬĞ͘ WƌĂĐƟĐŝŶŐ Ăŝŵ͕ ƐƚƌŽŬĞ͕ speed, and read will pay big dividends. Even if I were Ă ůŽŶŐ ŚŝƩĞƌ͕ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŽŶ ďĞĐŽŵŝŶŐ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ǁĞĚŐĞ ƉůĂǇĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƉƵƩĞƌ ǁŝůů ŚĞůƉ you to take advantage of your ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘ Take a look at your equipment. If you carry a low ůŽŌĞĚ ϯ ǁŽŽĚ͕ ϭϯ Ͳ ϭϱ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ͕

that you do not use because you are not very good with it, or you use it, but not very reliably, consider taking it out of the bag and replace it with ĂŶ ϭϲͲϭϴ Žƌ ĞǀĞŶ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ĨĂŝƌǁĂǇ ǁŽŽĚ͘ /Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ͕ consider carrying a 22-24 degree 7 wood or a 20-22 degree hybrid. Then replace ǇŽƵƌ ϯ ĂŶĚ ϰ ŝƌŽŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ϮϯͲϮϲ degree hybrid. A 27-29 degree hybrid can be an excellent replacement for your 5 iron. Even though we may be Ă ƐŚŽƌƚ ŚŝƩĞƌ͕ ĐŽŵƉĂƌĞĚ ƚŽ some, if we have a driver that we can hit fairways with, long clubs that are reliable and we believe in, a wedge game that always gives us Ă ĐŚĂŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƵƫŶŐ skill that allows us to take ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͕ we will be able to surprise ourselves and those we play with. Don’t dwell on what you are not. Improve the less glamorous aspects with good concepts, proper equipment, and a reasonable amount of ƚŚŽƵŐŚƞƵů ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ͘

Michigan’s 5 Greatest Michigan Golf Journal Golfers

MICHIGAN’S 5 GREATEST PLAYERS By Tom Lang

Michigan has been wellƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ŶĂƟŽŶĂůůǇ ĨŽƌ numerous decades by some of the greatest professionals and amateurs to ever play ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ͘ ZĂŶŐŝŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ Walter Hagen’s second U.S. KƉĞŶ ǁŝŶ ŝŶ ϭϵϭϵ ʹ ƚŽ ƐĞůĨͲ made PGA Tour pro Calvin Peete, to Meg Mallon’s ƌĞĐŽƌĚͲƐĞƫŶŐ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ on the LPGA Tour, such Michiganders have proudly served as models for golfers everywhere.

Hagen reportedly played in more than 200 open tournaments and up to 1,500 exhibition matches on five continents, all to promote the game. But he loved baseball just as much, heading downtown to Nevin Field as often as possible to watch Ty Cobb and the Tigers. Hagen loved northern DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƟƌĞĚ ƚŽ East Long Lake just west of Traverse City in the 1950’s to live out his later years of life.

,ĞƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ůŽŽŬ Ăƚ ĮǀĞ ŽĨ Michigan’s greatest in the order they played in history: Walter Hagen: ‘Sir Walter’s’ legacy is matched by very few, with 11 majors, 34 PGA Tour wins, Ɛŝǆ ZǇĚĞƌ ƵƉ ƚĞĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ϭϮ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ǁŝŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ included the 1921 Michigan Open and the 1930-31 Michigan PGAs. Hagen

Chuck Kocsis: ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ever hired at Oakland Hills Country Club and was one ŽĨ ŽďďǇ :ŽŶĞƐ͛ ĮĞƌĐĞƐƚ ďƵƚ Đŝǀŝů ĐŽŵƉĞƟƚŽƌƐ͘ ,ĂŐĞŶ ůĞĚ ŵĂŶǇ ĞīŽƌƚƐ ƚŽ ďƌĞĂŬ ĚŽǁŶ what seemed like barriers between professionals and amateurs.

The most decorated amateur in Michigan history, Kocsis has an eerilysimilar comeback story as professional Ben Hogan. Both were in extremely serious car crashes and ƐƵīĞƌĞĚ ƚĞƌƌŝďůĞ ŝŶũƵƌŝĞƐ͕ ǇĞƚ returned very quickly to play championship-level golf.

May 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com

Ward at the 1956 U.S. Amateur (Kocsis qualified 15 times). Calvin Peete: Peete was one of the greatest African-American ambassadors of the game – and the most successful before Tiger Woods entered the scene. Peete is a Detroit native, the eighth born of nine children in his family.

Kocsis first led the University of Michigan to three Big Ten Championships, winning twice individually – then two NCAA team titles, in 1934 and ’35, plus the individual title in ‘36. Maintaining amateur status, Kocsis became a six-time Michigan Amateur champion, threetime Michigan Open winner and six-time Michigan Medal Play champ. Nationally Kocsis played on three Walker Cup teams, received 11 invitations to the Masters (earning low amateur and T-14 overall in 1952), was low amateur twice in the U.S. Open – and was runner-up to E. Harvie

Very remarkably, Peete didn’t pick up golf until age 23 but went on to formulate a career of 12 PGA Tour wins, including

wins each year from 198286. Most impressively was Peete capturing the 1985 Players Championship, which is arguably the best professional field in the world of golf each year. Peete was well-known for driving accuracy as he won that statistical title for 10 consecutive years on Tour (1981-90), despite a lessthan-normal swing due to breaking his elbow falling from a tree as a child and it not healing correctly. Dan Pohl: Pohl was a Mt. Pleasant High School standout in basketball, golf and baseball, forgoing a professional baseball career when he committed to Arizona to play college golf. Pohl turned pro in 1978, a year after he won his second Michigan Amateur Championship (1975 and ’77). Pohl led the PGA Tour in driving in 1980 and tied for first in the ’82 Masters when he shot 67-67 the final two rounds. Yet he was nudged out of lifetime qualifying at Augusta National by Continues on page 30 >>

Michigan’s 5 Greatest Michigan Golf Journal Golfers

Meg Mallon: The 1983 Michigan Women’s Amateur Championship helped ůĂƵŶĐŚ ĂŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĚŝďůĞ ŐŽůĮŶŐ career no one really saw coming, not even the winner ŚĞƌƐĞůĨ ʹ DĞŐ DĂůůŽŶ͘ Ƶƚ the following fall Mallon jumped into the Ohio State hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚǇ ƐƚĂƌƟŶŐ ůŝŶĞƵƉ͕ ƐŽŽŶ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƚǁŽͲƟŵĞ All-Big Ten honors, before ǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ϭϴ ƟŵĞƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ LPGA Tour. In 2017, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame based on a career that include four major Craig Stadler, who won in Ă ƉůĂǇŽī͘ /Ŷ ϭϵϴϲ WŽŚů ǁŽŶ two PGA Tour events. In ’87 he earned the Vardon Trophy for lowest stroke average on Tour and he played on :ĂĐŬ EŝĐŬůĂƵƐ͛ ZǇĚĞƌ ƵƉ ƚĞĂŵ ʹ ƐŽŵĞ ĞǆƚƌĞŵĞůǇ ůŽŌǇ accomplishments before ŵƵůƟƉůĞ ďĂĐŬ ƐƵƌŐĞƌŝĞƐ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞůǇ ĞŶĚĞĚ ŚŝƐ ƉůĂǇŝŶŐ career early. Pohl is now the Director ŽĨ 'ŽůĨ KƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ PohlCat in Mt. Pleasant, the course he designed.

championships, two of which were U.S. Women’s Opens ;ϭϵϵϭ ĂŶĚ ϮϬϬϰͿ͕ ĂŌĞƌ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ the ‘91 LPGA Championship. /Ŷ ϮϬϬϯ ƐŚĞ ďĞĐĂŵĞ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ LPGA player to score 60. ŌĞƌ ŚĞƌ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ Women’s Amateur win in ͚ϴϯ͕ DĂůůŽŶ ǁĂƐ ŽīĞƌĞĚ Ă ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌ͛Ɛ ĞǆĞŵƉƟŽŶ ŝŶƚŽ the Jamie Farr LPGA event ŝŶ dŽůĞĚŽ͕ ĨŽƌ ŚĞƌ ĮƌƐƚ experience playing against pros. Toledo eventually became her last professional victory (2004) and the site ƚŽ ĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞ ŚĞƌ ƌĞƟƌĞŵĞŶƚ (2010). She now lives in northern Michigan most of the year.

Michigander Working the PGA Tour Michigan Golf Journal

Photo Credit: Michael McCoy

No Longer a Novelty &ĞŵĂůĞ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌƐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶĚĞƌ dƌĂĐǇ tĞƐƚ͕ ĂƌĞ ĮŶĚŝŶŐ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ Ăůů ƉĂƌƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ W' dKhZ

Editor’s Note: This ƐƚŽƌǇ ĮƌƐƚ ĂƉƉĞĂƌĞĚ on PGATOUR.com on March 19. Our thanks go to Helen Ross for ŐƌĂŶƟŶŐ ƉĞƌŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ to reprint. This is an ĞĚŝƚĞĚ ƉŽƌƟŽŶ ŽĨ what she wrote; the ĞŶƟƌĞ ƉŝĞĐĞ ĐŽǀĞƌĞĚ ŵƵůƟƉůĞ ǁŽŵĞŶ͘

DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ ŶĂƟǀĞ dƌĂĐǇ West was in her late 20’s and working at a company called Pro Links Sports, which managed a half-dozen golf events, mostly on PGA dKhZ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐ͘ WĂƌƚ ŽĨ her job was to recruit players to appear at special events. ƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚŝƐ ƟŵĞ͕ ƐŚĞ ĂůƐŽ went through a couple of ƉƌĞŐŶĂŶĐŝĞƐ ʹ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƐĞŶŝŽƌ golfers came to view her as

something of a daughter ĮŐƵƌĞ͘ “In a way, it was easier for me to try and cajole them into playing in pro-ams and things like that,” West said. “They had to at least ƚŚŝŶŬ ĂďŽƵƚ ŝƚ Ă ůŝƩůĞ ŵŽƌĞ͕ probably, to say ‘no’ to me than maybe one of the male tournament directors right away.”

May 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ

Now she’s the tournament director at the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship, and part of her job is ĂŐĂŝŶ ĞŶƟĐŝŶŐ ƉůĂǇĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ŝŶ ŚĞƌ ĞǀĞŶƚ͘ dŚĞ requests, though, are not always as easy.

ŝƐ Ă W' dKhZ ĞǀĞŶƚ ƌƵŶ ďǇ Ă woman.

͞ ĞĮŶŝƚĞůǇ ŶŽƚ͕ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ now I can be their mothers, right?” the soon-to-be 54-year-old said, laughing.

West, who joined the Valspar Championship in 2014, is not ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ĨĞŵĂůĞ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ŽŶ dKhZ͖ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁĞƌĞ three before her. But she is the longest-serving of the seven ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůǇ ŝŶ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ůŝƐƚ ŝƐ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ŽŶ W' dKhZ Champions and the Web.com Tour, too.

Even so, West has found the dKhZ ƉůĂǇĞƌƐ ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐ ʹ ĂůďĞŝƚ ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ƐƵƌƉƌŝƐĞĚ early on when she approached them on the range to encourage them to play in Tampa or to show her ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŽŶĐĞ ƚŚĞǇ ǁĞƌĞ there. One such encounter in 2015 stands out.

/Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ͕ ůĞǆĂŶĚƌŝĂ ; ůĞǆͿ Baldwin was named in January ƚŽ ŽǀĞƌƐĞĞ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ tĞď͘ ĐŽŵ dŽƵƌ ʹ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ǁŽŵĂŶ ƚŽ ůĞĂĚ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ W' dKhZ͛Ɛ six global Tours as president. And of the 27 events on that schedule, a third now have women as tournament directors.

“I was going up … to thank this prominent player for playing that week,” West recalled. “It was late on a dƵĞƐĚĂǇ ĂŌĞƌŶŽŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ǁŝĨĞ ǁĂƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƵƫŶŐ ŐƌĞĞŶ ǁŝƚŚ him. She looked at me and was like, ‘Oh my God. A female tournament director. This is ĨĂŶƚĂƐƟĐ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ĂǁĞƐŽŵĞ͛͘ “So, yeah it was probably a bit of a novelty -- which isn’t that long ago.” In reality, what’s less of a novelty in each passing year

Of the 1,100 or so ĞŵƉůŽǇĞĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ dKhZ͕ ŶĞĂƌůǇ ŚĂůĨ ʹ ϰϮ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚ͕ ƚŽ ďĞ ĞǆĂĐƚ ʹ ĂƌĞ ĨĞŵĂůĞ͘ ŶĚ ƚŚŽƐĞ ǁŽŵĞŶ Įůů Ă ǀĂƌŝĞƚǇ ŽĨ ƌŽůĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƐĂůĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƟŶŐ ƚŽ ŵĞĚŝĂ ŽĸĐŝĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ^ŚŽƚ>ŝŶŬ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚŽƌƐ ƚŽ ĮŶĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƟŶŐ ƚŽ ĚŝŐŝƚĂů producers and on-air talent to hospitality and child care. “I’ve never really been ƉƌŝǀǇ ƚŽ ĂŶ ŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĂƟŽŶ that has had such a focus ŽŶ ĞůĞǀĂƟŶŐ ǁŽŵĞŶ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ the workplace,” said Allison Fillmore, in her second year as tournament director of ƚŚĞ dKhZ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ͕ ƚŚĞ &ĞĚ ǆ ƵƉ ĮŶĂůĞ͙͞dŚĞ more we can hear from more people and more viewpoints, ƚŚĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ͘͟ Photo Credit: Michael McCoy

Michigander Working the PGA Tour Michigan Golf Journal

tĞƐƚ ŝƐ Ă ĨŽƵƌƚŚͲŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ^ĂƵůƚ ^ƚĞ͘ DĂƌŝĞ ŶĂƟǀĞ ǁŚŽ ĚŝĚŶ͛ƚ ƉůĂŶ ŽŶ ŐĞƫŶŐ into event management. ŌĞƌ ƐŚĞ ŐŽƚ ŚĞƌ D from Michigan State, she was handling economic ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ management for a company ŝŶ 'ƌĂŶĚ ZĂƉŝĚƐ͘ ŌĞƌ ũŽŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ :ƵŶŝŽƌ Chamber of Commerce in 1989, she volunteered at what was then-known as the Farmers American Classic, ŽŶ ǁŚĂƚ ŝƐ ŶŽǁ W' dKhZ Champions. West worked in corporate hospitality and media and served on the ĞǆĞĐƵƟǀĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĞ͘ The behind-the-scenes ǁŽƌŬ ŽĨ ƉƵƫŶŐ ŽŶ Ă ŐŽůĨ tournament was intriguing. And the end result of money

raised for charity made it seem that “life was more meaningful,” she says. ŵĞĞƟŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ,ŽůůŝƐ Cavner during the 1992 tournament eventually changed the course of her life. Cavner had been working for the USGA as ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ the 1990 and ’91 U.S. Opens. But he had just been hired to launch the inaugural Burnet Senior Classic in Minneapolis and needed an assistant tournament director. “We spent several hours together here and there during tournament week,” West says. “He called me ƚŚĞ DŽŶĚĂǇ ĂŌĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƐĂŝĚ͕ ‘Do you want to make this a career?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely’ and my husband Photo Credit: Charlie Anderson

and I picked up and moved to Minnesota.” Pro Links Sports was born. The company soon was ŵĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ events, and West helped ŚŝƌĞ ĂŶĚ ŽǀĞƌƐĞĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂīƐ͘ tŚĞŶ WĞƚĞƌ DĞůĞ ůĞŌ ƚŚĞ BankBoston Classic to join ƚŚĞ W' dKhZ͕ tĞƐƚ ƚŽŽŬ ŚŝƐ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ĂƐ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ director and remained in that role for the next 10 years. The event eventually lost its corporate sponsor, and West faced a decision: Move her family to stay in the golf business or take another job. She opted to ũŽŝŶ ƚŚĞ ZĞĚ ^Žǆ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ DĂƐƐĂĐŚƵƐĞƩƐ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů Hospital as signature director of development for its Home Base program focused on healing the invisible wounds of post-9/11 veterans and their families. Six years later, Pro Links took over the management of the Valspar Championship. Once again Cavner came calling. “Listen, there’s going to be a change in management here,” he said. “You need to come back into golf.” ^Ž͕ ƐŚĞ ĚŝĚ ʹ ďƵƚ ƐƟůů ĮŶĚƐ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŚŽŵĞ ƚŽ Michigan once or twice a year.

More Pro Tournaments in Michigan

Island Resort Championship LPGA Symetra Tour June 21-23 /ƐůĂŶĚ ZĞƐŽƌƚ Θ ĂƐŝŶŽ͕ ^ǁĞĞƚŐƌĂƐƐ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ h͘W͘ Past champions: Stephanie Kim (2011), Leah Wigger (2012), Kim Kaufman (2013), Molly Aronsson (2014), Dani Holmqvist (2015), Sherman ^ĂŶƟǁŝǁĂƩŚĂŶĂƉŚŽŶŐ ;ϮϬϭϲͿ͕ ŵŵĂ dĂůůĞǇ ;ϮϬϭϳͿ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĨĞŶĚŝŶŐ ĐŚĂŵƉ ZƵŝǆŝŶ >ŝƵ͘ dŚĞ ǁŝŶŶĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /ƐůĂŶĚ ZĞƐŽƌƚ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ŚĂƐ ŐŽŶĞ ŽŶƚŽ ĞĂƌŶ Ă dŽƵƌ ĐĂƌĚ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ǇĞĂƌ͕ ĮǀĞ ƟŵĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ Ɛŝǆ ǇĞĂƌƐ͗ >ŝƵ͕ dĂůůĞǇ͕ ^ĂŶƟǁŝǁĂƩŚĂŶĂƉŚŽŶŐ͕ Holmqvist and Kaufman. The Buzz͗ dŚĞ /ƐůĂŶĚ ZĞƐŽƌƚ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ŚĂƐ ŚĂĚ the longest run of any Symetra event in the state; this year for the 9th ĐŽŶƐĞĐƵƟǀĞ ƟŵĞ͘ dŚĞ ǁŝŶŶĞƌ ǁŝůů ĂƵƚŽŵĂƟĐĂůůǇ ƋƵĂůŝĨǇ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ >W' dŽƵƌ͛Ɛ ǀŝĂŶ Championship in France. Purse: $200,000 DŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ: www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/ events/island-resort-championship

FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship LPGA Symetra Tour ƵŐƵƐƚ ϭϲͲϭϴ ĂƩůĞ ƌĞĞŬ ŽƵŶƚƌǇ ůƵď Past Champions: Min Seo Kwak (2014); Madeleine ^ŚĞŝůƐ ;ϮϬϭϱͿ͖ >ĂƵƌĂ 'ŽŶǌĂůĞƐ ƐĐĂůůŽŶ ;ϮϬϭϲͿ͖ Erynne Lee (2017) and defending champ Marta Sanz Barrio of Spain. The Buzz͗ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ϲƚŚ ĂŶŶƵĂů ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚ Ăƚ the historic Battle Creek Country Club, providing a great test for golfers and a wonderful venue for fans. Community outreach programs include KƵƚƐŝĚĞ ƚŚĞ ZŽƉĞƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐĞŶĚƐ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů golfers out to give back to the community. The 2019 Kids Clinic will bring area children to the Battle Creek CC for a day of fun and learning with the professional golfers and The First Tee of Battle Creek. Purse: $125,000 DŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͗ ŚƩƉ͗ͬͬǁǁǁ͘ƐǇŵĞƚƌĂƚŽƵƌ͘ ĐŽŵͬƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚƐͬĮƌĞŬĞĞƉĞƌƐͲĐĂƐŝŶŽͲŚŽƚĞůͲ championship/overview

Michigan Open

Michigan Women’s Open

June 10-13 'ƌĂŶĚ dƌĂǀĞƌƐĞ ZĞƐŽƌƚ͕ dŚĞ ĞĂƌ Defending Champ: Jake Kneen

:ƵŶĞ ϮϰͲϮϲ ƌǇƐƚĂů DŽƵŶƚĂŝŶ ZĞƐŽƌƚ͕ DŽƵŶƚĂŝŶ ZŝĚŐĞ Defending champ: Liz Nagle

The Buzz: The 4-round stroke play event each ǇĞĂƌ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĞƐ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŵĂůĞ ƉůĂǇĞƌ ŝŶ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌŝƚǇ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĮĞůĚ ŝƐ ŵĂĚĞ ƵƉ of club/teaching pros, some amateurs do play. Kneen was an amateur when he won last year but then turned pro in August, and in 2013 it was won by amateur Tom Werkmeister of Grandville, ǁŚŽ ŶŽǁ ŚĂƐ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶĂů ƐƚĂƚƵƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ W' dŽƵƌ Champions circuit.

The Buzz͗ dŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ tŽŵĞŶ͛Ɛ KƉĞŶ ĮĞůĚ ŝƐ professionals and amateurs from across the country, ŽŌĞŶ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƟŶŐ ŽǀĞƌ ϮϬ ƐƚĂƚĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚƌĞĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌŝĞƐ͘ It is heavily populated by the top college amateurs around, and Symetra Tour pros heading down from the tournament in the U.P. Several past winners are ŶŽǁ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ >W' dŽƵƌ Žƌ ĂƌĞ ĂůƵŵŶŝ͘ ĞtŝƩ͛Ɛ >ŝǌ EĂŐůĞ ƉůĂǇƐ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂůůǇ ĂŌĞƌ ŐƌĂĚƵĂƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ D^h͕ where she was also a cancer survivor.