The Legend and Lore of the
Southeast Michigan’s Premier Recreational Golf League
Vol. 1 No. 4
July 2024
The Magic of Match Play
Honoring Veterans in the Red, White & Blue
Bigger than the Game
Where are they now ?
Kelly Arnold
Hook & Slice
Published monthly during the golf season
Editor-in-chief
Erika Fitzpatrick
Staff
Writers
Sandy Savashot
Anita Newpudda
Willie Makaput
Eryn O’McFitzCallaghan
Wendy Wildwood
Publisher
ELF Publishing Inc
Mulligan Tour Historian Lenovo laptop
The Magic - and Malady - of the Match Play Championship
Erika Fitzpatrick, Editor in Chief
IfthetypicalMulliganTour 18-hole tournament is a sprint, then the Match Play Championship is a marathon.
wellearned$60firstplace check and 200 MT World Rankingpoints.
Andthesubtletiesofthe match play format lend themselves to a more stressful level of play. Sinceeachindividualhole is a win-or-lose situation, the consequences of one bad hole are immediately realized.
Additionally, whereas a player in a stroke-play
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It maytake as manyas 72 holes or more - played in just 2 days - for the 4 playersthat advancetothe semi-finals. Theoneplayer winning 4 matches is crowned the Match Play Champion and receives a Greg Kline at the 2013 Match Play Championship - the Woodlands of Van Buren
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tournament is playing more against the golf course with a cumulative result over 18-holes to compare against other player’s 18-hole scores, the match play format introducesa “oneonone” dynamic - one that can lead to some very interestingstrategies.
Among the differences in the format is the ability to concede a competitor’s putt , essentially granting a “gimme”. This is usually done to expedite play in the case of a very short putt or perhaps a longer putt that is inconsequential to the outcome of winning or losingthehole.
A common strategy in competition is to concede an opponent’s short putts early in the match. Not allowing the player to get
Final Four - 2007 Match Play Championship Links at Whitmore Lake Thom Bales, Bob Bruning, DeVonne Mowry and Jason Rectenwald
comfortable knocking in short putts can lead to added pressure when required to make those shorties later in the match.
Another unique feature of the match play format is the requirement of the order of play. While playing “ready-golf” is promoted and condoned
in the stroke-play events, waiting for the player furthest from the hole to play first can be critical to the strategic input of one’s next shot inmatchplay. Imagine2 opponents that must crossahazardwiththeir next shots. The player slightly closer to the hole waits patiently for the “away” player to go first. Iftheirshotenters the hazard, it may very well change the strategy of the 2nd player inducingalay-up.
Andcertainlytherecan be some sportsmanship in match play. The psychological influence of passive aggressive comments can have more impact when one’s opponent is in such proximity. Anopponent
Final Four - 2012 Match Play Championship Woodlands of Van Buren Kelly Arnold, Tom W Litzler, Jon Heikkinen and Charlie Roy
thatoverhears “Oh,Idon’t have a chance today. My game has been such a mess recently”, could be lulled into taking an opponenttolightly.
A format that does not lend itself to use every week on Tour, the match play format does add a new twist - and a major grind - onceeveryJuly.
Making the Turn
Wendy Wildwood, Staff Writer
TheRedWhite&Blue tournament debuted in 2018asaMulliganTour optionforthosestaying close to home during the July 4th holiday. Hosted by Shenandoah GC for the first 3 years, thetournamenthasnow found a home at Taylor MeadowsGC.
The event introduced a new format whereby all players in the field use the forward (red), middle (white) and back (blue) tees throughout therounddependingon theparofthehole.
The event also secured a new sponsor in 2022 as Tour veteran Greg Kline signed on to host the tournament
Greg Kline at the 2022 Red White & Blue
and benefit a charitable cause. The tournament raised over $1,000 for Fold of Honor in 2022 and raised another $750 forthe2023event.
“I like Folds of Honor because it helps families of military personnel get college education money.”, statedKline.
“A co-worker who
served in the Marines suggested Folds of Honor since more of the donation goes to the cause.”
Klinewouldliketosee the tournament expand in the future and include non-Tour members in an effort to increase the charitablecontribution.
The Back Nine Bigger than the Game
Brian Lardin shares some perspective on life and golf and Mulligan Tour friendships
AstheMulliganTourreturnstoHuronMeadowsMetropark fortheMTMatchPlayChampionshipinmid-July,werecall lastyear’sfantasticfinishwhenBrianLardincapturedhis 3rdcareergrandslamtitle. Itwasawarm,sunnyweekend forthecompetition - butitwasovercastanduncertainfor thedeterminedchampion-to-be.
ByBrianLardin
When the potential match-extending putt was missed and I was made the winner of Match Play last year, I collapsed in exhaustion, joy, and relief that the grind of Match Play was over - along with an overwhelming emotional reaction to the realization that the hardest part of my weekendwasjustbeginning.
It was less than 24 hours before I’d be setting foot on the first tee to begin the Match Play tournament when the phone call came. I have come to believe that it is both the best and most terrifying call a parent can receive from their child. It wasn’t wedding plans and I wasn’t going to be a grandparentanytime soon, either. There was no accidenttoreport.Thenews I got that morning was that my 20-year old daughter was checking into a mental hospital out of fear that she would take her own life over the weekend. She was relativelynewtorecognizing and dealing with mental health challenges that had
Brian Lardin 2023 Match Play Champion
“Many players on our roster are now people that I am proud to call my good friends. That friendship and camaraderie was exactly what I needed that weekend.”
begun just a couple of months earlier. I offered to drive 400 miles and pick her up. She adamantly refused stating that this was a problem that no parent can rescue a child from and she needed to deal with it proactively and immediately.
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12
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Upon checking in, there would be no contact for the first5-7days.
Between the time of the onset of troubles a few weeks earlier and that phone call, I spent a lot of time in discussions with Ryan Kiekbusch. He has been a very open advocate for mental health awareness and I knew he could be a valuable resource for me. Since joining the Mulligan Tour in2021,bothRyanand Eric Kiekbusch have become close friends as well as several other MT players since I joined in 2016. To me, it has become more than just golf. It is a second family. Ryan assuredmethateverythingI could do as a parent was exactly what I was doing –be supportive, not dismissive; be patient, not intolerant; expect some
days to be better than others. The next issue for me was what do I do? Powerlesstodoanythingfor the next few days, it didn’t take long to understand that spending as much time as I could around friends was going to be the best thing I could do for my own sanity. Some players choose to show up, golf, and go home – and I don’t begrudge anyone that does so. However, I strongly believe that those players are missing out on a lot of what The Mulligan Tour offers. Many players on our roster are now people that I am proud to call my good friends. That didn’t happen on the golf course. It happened in the clubhouse, at pre-round breakfast gatherings, and on buddy trips where the golf is just a few hours of the day. That
friendship and camaraderie was exactly what I needed that weekend before I went back to the stark reality of myfamilysituation.
At the conclusion of the tournament, my mind naturally went right back to the situation at hand and tears were held back as best I could. I was able to avoid being consumed by it for two days thanks to The Mulligan Tour. My daughter was mature enough to seek
Grayson Murray PGA Tour Champion
help. Nearly a year later, I am happy to report that she isdoinggreat. Thereisalotmoreto this thing called The Mulligan Tour than the golf. Get to know people. Remember that this is a fun tour with a competitive element, not the other wayaround.
The 19th Hole Where are they now?
Kelly Arnold’s Mulligan Tour career cut short by life’s work necessities
TheArnold File
10 seasons (2006-2015)
9 wins in 86 starts
6 major victories
2006 PLAYERS
2008 Memorial 2009, 2012 Match Play
2011 EASTERN
2011 TOUR
Top-4’s: 34 (39.5%)
Career earnings $892.75
Erika Fitzpatrick, Editor-in-Chief
Kelly Arnold loved the big stage on the Mulligan Tour. Six of his 9 career wins came in grand slam events, including a PLAYERS Championship at the end of his 2006 rookieseason.
He teamed with Rick Persichetti to win the a Green Towel in 2008 but made 2011 his best season. That year, Arnold won the TOUR Championship 3 weeks
after winning the EASTERN Championship and earned a spot playing for the East Commissioner’s Cup squad.
In 10 seasons on Tour, Arnold compiled one of the best top-4 percentages in Tour history. Hefinishedinthe money a remarkable 34 times in 86 starts. The 39.5%rate is2nd bestall time for players with at least80starts.
Arnold also won the Match Play Championship twice, beating the junior Tom Litzler in the 2009 final and the senior Tom Litzlerinthe2012final.
“One of my favorite memories is winning match play and the newsletter was me with the headline ‘King of the Mountain’”, saidArnold.
Arnold retired from (Continued on page 16
KellyArnold chilling at home
Mulligan Tour Chronicles August 2009
(Continued from page 15)
Mulligan Tour competition whenthenightshiftatGM (plus 2 weekends a month) becamethenorm.
Divorced after 22 years, he has 2 daughters, Savannah,24,andPricilla, 16, that both play golf. He is currently with his high school sweetheart and has introduced her to thegameaswell.
Kelly Arnold, Greg Kline and Jason Rectenwald at Augusta National Golf Club for the 2009 Masters Tournament
Kelly Arnold TOUR Champion 2011
2024 Alzheimer’s Awareness Open
June 1st, 2024
Ryan Doak
CHAMPION
65 (-6)
Thanks to all the AAO competitors
$550 was donated to the Alzheimer’s Association
2024 Mulligan Tour Results / Schedule
DATE TOURNAMENT
Apr 13 Pine View Classic
Apr 14 Sweet Sixteen
Apr 20 Animal House Classic
Apr 21 Tin Cup
Apr 27
Sparty Classic
Apr 28 Chelsea Classic
Justin McCue 72 (E) J.Cubel
Willi Hesse (-7) R.Hiestand
Tom W Litzler 74 (+2) G.Kline / J.Cubel
Greg Kline 74 (+2) D.Martin
Corey McCue 71 (-1) T.R.Litzler
Stewart Levine 72 (E) Pa.Parent, S.Wilsey H. Puffenberger
May 4 The Memorial Tournament C.Stalo / J.Cubel 64 (-8) Pa.Parent/Ph.Parent
May 11 Cherry Creek Classic
May 18 Dudlee’s Plymouth Open
May 19 Irish Open
May 24 Par-54 Classic
May 25 Strokes on a Rope
Thomas Mulhern 71 (-1) M.Lindeman
Kevin Gregoire 66 (-4) C.Stalo
Mark Lindeman 66 (-5) G.Goodspeed, R. Hiestand, H. Puffenberger
Helen Puffenberger 49 (-5) K. Gregoire
Jeff Pasz 75 (+3) R.Dunmore
June 1 Alzheimer’s Awareness Open Ryan Doak 65 (-6) M.Geisser
June 2 East Side Charity Classic
June 7 Fox Hunt
June 8-9 Harbour Pointe Open
June 15 MT Senior Open
June 21 Red Oaks Shootout
June 22 Quad-Tour Challenge
June 23 The Holy Grail
June 29 Fifty Cent Classic
Ned Loving 69 (-2) H.Puffenberger
Helen Puffenberger 61 pts D.Martin
Brian Lardin 142 (-2) S.Levine
Ken Westerman 69 (-2) G.Kline, K.Gregoire, B.Gordon
Eric Kiekbusch 14 pts H.Puffenberger
Mike Attard 274 (-11) S.Wilsey
Tommy O’Neill 63 (-9) Ph.Parent
Rick Floyd 72 (E) C.Withey
June 30 C Cool Classic Tommy O’Neill 64 (-8) T.Markel
July 7
July 13-14
Aug
Aug
Aug
Aug
Sep
Sep
Sep
Oct
Oct
Oct 13
Nov 2