Written By: Greg Johnson
PINCKNEY – Brothers Bill and Chuck Christie of Beverly Hills and the father-son combination of Brighton’s Don and Ypsilanti’s Anthony Provenzola were crowned champions in gross and net scoring competitions at the 3rd GAM Scramble Thursday and Friday at Timber Trace Golf Club.
One of the GAM’s most unique tournaments featured a gross scoring competition Thursday, which was won by the Christie brothers, and a net scoring competition Friday, which was won by the Provenzola duo.
Chuck Christie said Bill reminded him on the way home that the last time they played in a two-man scramble was 41 years ago.
“And we won that one, too,” said Chuck who is 56 while his brother Bill is 60. “It was at the old Arrowhead which is where Fieldstone (Golf Club in Auburn Hills) is now.”
Anthony Provenzola, 35, said he and his 68-year-old father thought they might have spoiled their chance at a first victory together when they each hit tee shots out-of-bounds at the par 4 14th.
“I had to make a 20-foot putt for bogey,” Anthony said. “It was a good bogey after we had a brain-dead moment. Looking back, it was the key shot in the round for us. We were lucky to get out of there without making a double, and then we came right back and made birdie at 15. We really played well the rest of the day.”
The Christie brothers, who play together often and usually play together each year in the invitational at Red Run Golf Club, shot a 9-under 63 in winning Thursday.
Lou Heiple of Wayndotte and Jayson Bogota of Canton, who shot 64, finished second, and a trio of teams tied at 65.
Those teams were James Rowe of Bloomfield Hills and Charles Worrilow of South Lyon, Blake Mackenzie of Lake Orion and Mackenzie Blomberg of Auburn Hills and Peter Farner of Commerce Township and Adam Sanders of Berkley.
Team Provenzola shot a net 9-under 63 off a gross 65 to win Friday, and four teams tied at net 8-under.
A scorecard playoff determined the runner-up team as Jay Phillion of Howell and Greg Housner of Ann Arbor.
The other three teams at 64 were Brian Cross of Livonia and David Weems of Dearborn Heights, Scott Glasson of Troy and Stephen Cleary of Farmington Hills and Bruce Henderson of Ferndale and Jordan Pustover of Wixom.
Chuck Christie said they made very few mistakes in winning the gross title.
“We never missed a green in regulation and we made a lot of good putts,” he said. “We birdied the last three holes, that was critical. We made good putts on all of them, too, like 10 to 20 feet. They were the kind of putts you need to make to win, but they are easy to miss, too.”
Don Provenzola said he had a great day putting and Anthony kept giving them birdie chances with good shots.
“I made a lot of putts, and when I didn’t make them I just barely missed them and gave (Anthony) a really good read on it,” he said.
The father-son duo plays golf a few times each month during the golf season.
“We love playing together,” Anthony said. “This was a great opportunity for us to play and it’s really great we won. It was really fun out there.”
Pictured: Anthony Provenzola
