BOYNE FALLS, Mich. - Andy Matthews, of Ada, erased a four shot deficit over the final three holes to win the Boyne Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort.
Matthews, 30, is a seasoned Canadian Tour professional and was trailing 15-year old Henry Do of Ypsilanti when the storybook ending for a sophomore in high school competing with Michigan’s best golfers turned into a putting nightmare. Do shook the Michigan golfing community by shooting a 10-under par 62 in Tuesday’s second round. He started the final round with a two-stroke advantage over LPGA Tour player Allison Fouch and a three stroke lead over Matthews. That lead was expanded to four shots as the final group headed to the fateful last three holes.
“I was kind of nervous, “ Do said. “I told myself to be confident and just make pars until a birdie situation became available.”
The five-foot four-inch Do did just that and was 11-under sailing into the 16th hole. He proceeded to three put 16 while Matthews birdied. That two stroke swing left him with a two-stroke lead heading to the par 3 17th. Do three putted again on 17 to take a one shot lead into the final hole. On the par 5 18th, Do and Matthews both laid up and hit wedges for their third shots landing well below the hole. Do nearly missed his putt while showing Matthews the line. Matthews made the 35-footer for birdie to get to 9-under. Do missed his two footer for par and a chance for a playoff. Matthew's won $10,000 of the $55,000 purse.
“I was stunned when Henry missed,” Matthews said. “I got a great look from his putt. I feel for Henry. We’ve all been there and he will grow from the experience."
The Tournament of Champions is a unique event pitting men, women, juniors and seniors together on Boyne Mountain’s Alpine course. The men play from the back tees at 6,938 yards, the senior men and high schoolers play from 6,562 yards and the women play from 5,898 yards. Matthews was the low man, Fouch the low woman at 6 under, Dave Kendall was the low senior at 5 under and Do was the low amateur at 7 under.
Showing posts with label Allison Fouch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Allison Fouch. Show all posts
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, August 7, 2009
Fouch wins Michigan Women's Open; Buick Open gone for good
This week's "news" isn't really news at all.
But it's still worth blogging about.
Two things that were sure gimmees happened -- Allison Fouch won the Michigan Women's Open and the Buick Open announced it was leaving Michigan for good.
Fouch, an LPGA Tour player from Grand Rapids who is ranked among the top 80 players in the world, birdied the last hole, the par-5 18th on Mountain Ridge, to win the $5,700 first prize at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. She finished at 8-under-par, one shot better than Whitehall's Laura Kueny, who led the tournament the whole way.
“That’s the way I prefer to win. I did what I had to do. The adrenaline was flowing pretty good but I tried to stay calm and handle my emotions. Whew! What a nice way to win,” said Fouch, who lost the championship in a playoff in 2003. “Competition like this helps. I haven’t been in game face mode in a while. I never lost my confidence. I stayed patient.”
Even though Fouch was clearly the favorite, she still performed when she had to and is to be commended for her first Michigan Open win in her eighth try. Fouch has earned just over $79,000 on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T-12 finish at the Jamie Farr Classic in Toledo in July. She's arguably the most successful pro golfer from Michigan on any Tour. Former PGA Tour golfers like Tom Gillis, a Lake Orion native who won his first Nationwide Tour event in July, and Doug LaBelle, a Mount Pleasant native with just two top 25s on the Nationwide this year, have never been able to achieve Fouch's lofty world ranking.
As for the Buick Open, its impact on Michigan is profound, financially and psycologically. It is just another blow to Michigan's image. Now we're lumped with golf's ugly stepchildren -- states like Indiana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc. -- that don't host the Tour.
Its also a another blow to the Flint area economy, from the non-profits to the local hotels and restaurants that counted on the tournament for cash flow. The Tour has indicated it hasn't given up on Michigan yet, and would like to return, but without the deep pockets of the Big Three, it's highly unlikely. Maybe somebody can convince Compuware or Little Caesars want to switch their corporate dollars from hockey to golf.
The Little Caesars Open has a nice ring to it.
But it's still worth blogging about.
Two things that were sure gimmees happened -- Allison Fouch won the Michigan Women's Open and the Buick Open announced it was leaving Michigan for good.
Fouch, an LPGA Tour player from Grand Rapids who is ranked among the top 80 players in the world, birdied the last hole, the par-5 18th on Mountain Ridge, to win the $5,700 first prize at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. She finished at 8-under-par, one shot better than Whitehall's Laura Kueny, who led the tournament the whole way.
“That’s the way I prefer to win. I did what I had to do. The adrenaline was flowing pretty good but I tried to stay calm and handle my emotions. Whew! What a nice way to win,” said Fouch, who lost the championship in a playoff in 2003. “Competition like this helps. I haven’t been in game face mode in a while. I never lost my confidence. I stayed patient.”
Even though Fouch was clearly the favorite, she still performed when she had to and is to be commended for her first Michigan Open win in her eighth try. Fouch has earned just over $79,000 on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T-12 finish at the Jamie Farr Classic in Toledo in July. She's arguably the most successful pro golfer from Michigan on any Tour. Former PGA Tour golfers like Tom Gillis, a Lake Orion native who won his first Nationwide Tour event in July, and Doug LaBelle, a Mount Pleasant native with just two top 25s on the Nationwide this year, have never been able to achieve Fouch's lofty world ranking.
As for the Buick Open, its impact on Michigan is profound, financially and psycologically. It is just another blow to Michigan's image. Now we're lumped with golf's ugly stepchildren -- states like Indiana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc. -- that don't host the Tour.
Its also a another blow to the Flint area economy, from the non-profits to the local hotels and restaurants that counted on the tournament for cash flow. The Tour has indicated it hasn't given up on Michigan yet, and would like to return, but without the deep pockets of the Big Three, it's highly unlikely. Maybe somebody can convince Compuware or Little Caesars want to switch their corporate dollars from hockey to golf.
The Little Caesars Open has a nice ring to it.
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