Orchard Lake, Mich. ? Ryan Brehm never trailed on his way to his first Michigan Open win. ?The 92nd Michigan Open, presented by Lincoln Mercury, was played at Orchard Lake Country Club for the first time and the long-driving Brehm took full advantage of the 6,800 yard layout scoring a four-round total of 20-under par 264. He shot a 2-under 69 in Thursday?s final round surviving a mild rain and challenges by co-runner-ups Matthew Thompson of Battle Creek and J.R. Roth who finished 8-shots behind at 212.?
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Brehm?s final round wasn?t typical of how he played the first three. With an average drive of 340- yards he played a bit more conservatively in the wet conditions, keeping driver in the bag and using a 2-iron off the tee. ?I think because it was so damp I couldn?t hit driver so I relied on my 2-iron. I didn?t hit many fairways today,? he said.
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Thompson was a fixture in second place after he shot an 8-under 63 in the second round. But Brehm was too far ahead to catch. ?The number I needed to shoot today was another 63,? he said. Brehm shot a 1-over par 72. ?I couldn?t get a putt to drop all day. It was a good week and a lot of fun,? said the 19-year old University of Michigan sophomore plans to relax for a couple of weeks and then try to qualify for the Western and U.S. Amateur championships.
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Roth, the two-time Michigan Open Champion, put together a 3-under 68 to catch Thompson. He is currently playing on the Champions Tour and was especially impressed with Brehm?s game. ? He played tremendous. To shoot 19 or 20 under par is phenomenal. I don?t care if it?s a 5,800-yard golf course for him. That?s a great score.?
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Brehm was five-years-old when his family built the Pohlcat Golf Course in Mt. Pleasant. ?I can?t remember a time when I didn?t play golf,? he said. His accomplishments so far would lead you to believe there is a lot of golf ahead for the former Mr. Michigan Golf.? Brehm played for Mt. Pleasant High School and was a three-time All-State Super Team member and won the MHSAA Division 2 state title three times. He started strong at Michigan State University winning Big 10 Freshman of the Year. In 2005, he became the first amateur since 1966 to make the cut at the Buick Open. He won the Michigan Amateur in 2007.
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Brehm says his first year as a professional has been frustrating. ?It means a lot to come back to Michigan and get a victory. Persistence really pays off and this week is evidence of that.? ?I had a real calm sense about me today and if I stuck to my game plan I had a good chance of winning.? The win was worth $10,000 ?which will pay for a lot of entry fee?s on the Hooters and Nationwide Tours? he said.
