Junior Tour off to best-ever start

Saturday, July 09, 2005
By Tom Kendra
CHRONICLE ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

If you don't see as many kids as usual in the neighborhood this summer, it might be because they're playing in a local golf tournament.

The Lake Michigan Junior Golf Tour is off to the best start in the tour's five-year history, with the last two events at Old Channel Trail in Montague on June 30 and Winding Creek in Holland on Thursday, boasting fields of more than 90 players.

"Every week is getting bigger and bigger," said Chase Hammond Golf Course professional Steve Scheuermann, who runs the tour along with J. Paul King.

"I've been having to call the courses and beg for more tee times."

In past years, all of the tour's players have teed off between 9 and 11 a.m., but this year players have been teeing off as late as noon, Scheuermann said. The biggest influx of kids is from the Holland area, where 41 of the tour's players live.

Nick Carlson, an 8-year-old from Hamilton, stole the show at Thursday's event at Winding Creek, the first event in which players younger than 10 were allowed to compete. Carlson not only played, but he won the 10-11 division with a 42.

Four of the tour's seven regular-season events have been played, with the next event at The Colonial in Hart on July 14, where 79 players have already registered. Other events are at Cedar Chase in Rockfort (July 21) and Oak Ridge (July 28).

The purpose of the tour is to allow area kids the chance to play competitive and affordable golf during the summer months. The cost of each event is $20.

The top 16 players after next week's event in the 16-18 and 14-15 divisions will qualify for the James Henderson Memorial Match Play Championship on July 22-24 at Chase Hammond. The three-round tour championship is at Stonegate (Aug. 4), Chase Hammond (Aug. 5) and Muskegon Country Club (Aug. 8).

For more information on the tour, go to www.lakemichiganjuniorgolftour.com

Gielow in U.S. Junior Amateur

Brendan Gielow of Norton Shores, who got everyone's attention last month with an opening-round 66 at the Michigan Amateur, qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur last week.

Gielow, a 17-year-old senior to be at Mona Shores, shot 71 and 69 to capture medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier on June 27 at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesteron, Ind.

He will play in the U.S. Junior Amateur on July 18-23 at Longmeadow Country Club in Longmeadow, Mass.

Breit going to Florida

Collin Breit placed second in his age group at the Optimist Tournament at The Highlands Golf Course in Grand Rapids, shooting a 40 for nine holes.

Breit, who will be a seventh grader next year at Muskegon Christian who plays on the Meijer Junior Players Tour, will now play in the Optimist national tournament on July 22-25 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Breit won the 10-11 age division last year on the local Lake Michigan Junior Golf Tour.

Henderson changes

The James Henderson Memorial Match Play Championship will not have a qualifier tournament this year, but will go back to its old format of seeding based on past finishes in the area's four majors -- the county, McNiff, Heimler and Henderson.

The Henderson will be July 22-24 at Chase Hammond, with a 32-player championship flight and a 16-player first flight. The two junior divisions will be set based on finishes in the Lake Michigan Junior Golf Tour and and the senior divisions will also be seeded based on past finishes in local tournaments.

For more information on the Henderson and other Greater Muskegon Golf Association events, go to www.gmga.org.

Allard memorial coming up

The Memorial Cancer Scramble in memory of Ray Allard will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.

The fundraiser for the Hackley Hospital Cancer Unit is at Oak Ridge Golf Course on Aug. 7 with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The cost of the four-person scramble is $55.

For information or to register, call Oak Ridge at 798-3660.