Brehm wins Michigan Women's Am, Pressel visits Carl's Golfland

ST. CLAIR -- It was an all green and white final at the 94th Michigan Women’s Amateur at St. Clair River Country Club. Michigan State University senior Natalie Brehm (Mount Pleasant) defeated incoming freshman Christine Meier, 4&3.

Brehm was the 2009 runner-up and was driven to win this year.

“I was really hoping I wouldn’t end up getting the second-place trophy again,” said Brehm. “It was fun to play against Christine. She played really well and I can tell you from what I saw today we are going to have a great team at MSU this year.”

The only thing that could have made the day more perfect for Brehm was if her brother Ryan could have been in attendance. He was runner-up in the Men’s Amateur in 2006 and won the championship in 2007. That makes the Brehms the first brother-sister tandem to win the state amateur.

“He’s playing in Alabama this week but I talked to him on the phone last night and he said he really wished he could be here,” Brehm said. “It is really cool that we both were amateur champions. I guess its kind of historic.”

Both Brehm and Meier, of Rochester Hills, struggled with putting through the first seven holes of the championship round. Brehm had back-to-back birdies on the par-5 8th hole and par-4 9th and kept pulling steadily ahead after making the turn. Her birdie putt on 15 clinched the match.

“It was great because I didn’t have to play that par 3 on 16 again,” said Brehm. “I really struggled with that hole this morning and it gave me some problems earlier this week. But I felt like I played a lot better overall this afternoon.”

Both semifinal matches went to 18 holes with Brehm defeating Lindsey Lammers (Milan/University of Detroit) and Meier defeating her sister Amy Meier (Ohio State University).

“It was just a battle this morning,” said Brehm. “I didn’t feel like either one of us was playing our best golf and it came down to the last hole.”

Meier said it was fun to play two familiar foes in one day; her sister and her teammate.

“It was just a lot of fun and Natalie is such a sweet girl,” said Meier. “It was a great tournament and it's exciting just to make it to the final. And my coach was on my bag yesterday so feel like I got a little taste of what it's going to be like playing for the Spartans.”

There were may Spartan supporters in the gallery which Meier and Brehm both appreciated.

“It was great to hear ‘Go green! Go white!’,” said Brehm. “So many people from the club and the community came out to watch us and support us. It really means a lot and the atmosphere at the tournament was just wonderful.”

SPECIAL VISIT: Female players around the state should take advantage of Michigan's own Morgan Pressel returning home to host a clinic 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, at Carl's Golfland in Bloomfield Hills. Pressel, from Grosse Pointe, is fresh off an eighth-place finish at the Ricoh Women's British Open.

Fall's the time to take stock of your equipment, game

Fall golf is upon us.

The kids are back in school and for some, the clubs might have moved from the trunk of the car to the garage for the season.

Not me. Fall is my favorite time of year to play. The weather is still beautiful. The courses are less crowded and they're still in great shape.

But whether you plan to play more golf or not, fall is a great time to take stock in your game and your equipment. It's a great time to head to your local golf superstore for great deals on equipment and clothing to stock up for next season.

Carl's Golfland, with locations in Bloomfield Township and Plymouth, has advertised some drivers as low as $70. I'm visiting Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti Township this week to get my clubs regripped and do some shopping myself.

Now's the time to stock up on new wedges, because with the new groove rule taking into effect in 2010, this is the last year that manufacturers can sell irons with the old grooves that help the ball spin easier on the greens and hop out of the rough better.

You should also consider getting a lesson plan ready for winter. If you're planning on improving in 2010, the work should be done this winter, whether it's a grip change (that's my plan) or a thorough swing makeover. You can't do it alone, so make room in your budget for at least a visit or two every month to the swing gurus at the Dave Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf or the crew at Carl's Golfland. Your game will thank you next spring.