BIRMINGHAM – Birmingham
Country Club celebrated 100 years in 2016 and the centennial coincided with the
completion of an $8 million renovation of its classic golf course.
The original Tom
Bendelow design has been redesigned and renovated several times by the likes of
Wilfred Reid, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Bruce Matthews Sr., Arthur Hills and most
recently Bruce Hepner. It has also hosted major golf tournaments including the
1936 True Temper Open, the 1953 PGA Championship, the 1968 U.S. Women’s Amateur
and the 1984 U.S. Senior Amateur.
It will serve as an exceptional
host course for the best amateur golfers representing the Golf Association of
Michigan and top PGA professionals representing the Michigan Section of the PGA
when they square off in the 46th Fuller Cup Matches Wednesday.
The two teams will
compete in a Ryder Cup like format with six four-ball matches and 12 singles
matches to determine a winning team.
Fairway & Greene is the clothing sponsor
and will outfit both teams. The PGA Michigan Section’s staff directed by
Tournament Director Justin Phillips will administer the competition.
Representing the GAM
will be Brett Hudson of Bloomfield Hills, John Quigley of St. Clair Shores,
Mike Ignasiak of Saline, Nathan Clark of Charlotte, Connor Jones of Lake Orion,
Jake Kneen of White Lake, David Praet of Lake Orion, AJ Varekois of Rockford, Jack
Weller of Swartz Creek, Beau Breault of Howell, Jeff Champine of Rochester
Hills and Scott Strickland of Birmingham.
Representing the PGA
will be Joe Herbstreith of Birmingham CC, Steve Vecellio of Birmingham CC, Lee
Houtteman of Manitou Passage GC, Gary Lewandowski of Tullymore Golf Resort, Ron
Beurmann of CC of Jackson, Scott Hebert of Traverse City G&CC, Travis
Dodson of Meadowbrook CC, Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club, Cody Haughton of Red
Run GC, Jordan Young of Fox Hills Learning Center, Brian Cairns of Fox Hills
Learning Center and Josh Fryer of Franklin Hills CC.
Last year, the Michigan
PGA Professionals slipped past the GAM 10-8 in the 45th version of the Fuller
Cup Matches, which were played at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club. The GAM won
the previous two years in 2015 and 2016 and five of the last 10 competitions. Prior
to 2001 the PGA dominated the Ryder Cup-style competition and maintains a
35-9-1 advantage in the series.
The format has
changed over the years, but the matches have always been presented to promote
sportsmanship, friendship and great golf between the professionals and amateurs
in the state. The GAM team is selected through the use of the GAM Honor Roll
and the PGA selects its team via money list standing.
Birmingham Country
Club is managed by Joe Basso. Joe Herbstreith is the head PGA professional,
Scott Coleman is the golf services manager and Dan Dingman is the golf course
superintendent. The course plays to a maximum of 6,764 yards with a 73.3 course
rating and 138 slope rating.
Morning four-ball
matches will start at 8 a.m. and afternoon singles will start at 12:40 p.m.
Pairings are listed below.
Find more
information on the Golf Association of Michigan at gam.org. Find more
information on the Michigan PGA at michiganpgagolf.com. Learn more about
Birmingham CC at bhamcc.com.
46th Fuller Cup Matches
Wednesday, May 9th
Birmingham Country Club
Morning Pairings
8:00 a.m.: (GAM) Brett Hudson/John Quigley vs. (PGA) Joe Herbstreith/Steve
Vecellio
8:10 a.m.: (GAM) Mike Ignasiak/Nathan Clark vs. (PGA) Lee Houtteman/Gary
Lewandowski
8:20 a.m.: (GAM) Connor Jones/Jake Kneen vs. (PGA) Ron Beurmann/Scott Hebert
8:30 a.m.: (GAM) David Praet/AJ Varekois vs. (PGA) Travis Dodson/Kyle Martin
8:40 a.m.: (GAM) Jack Weller/Beau Breault vs. (PGA) Cody Haughton/Jordan
Young
8:50 a.m.: (GAM) Jeff Champine/Scott Strickland vs. (PGA) Brian Cairns/Josh
Fryer
Afternoon Pairings
12:40 p.m.: (GAM) Brett Hudson vs. (PGA) Joe Herbstreith
12:40 p.m.: (GAM) John Quigley vs. (PGA) Steve Vecellio
12:50 p.m.: (GAM) Mike Ignasiak vs. (PGA) Lee Houtteman
12:50 p.m.: (GAM) Nathan Clark vs. (PGA) Gary Lewandowski
1:00 p.m.: (GAM) Connor Jones vs. (PGA) Ron Beurmann
1:00 p.m.: (GAM) Jake Kneen vs. (PGA) Scott Hebert
1:10 p.m.: (GAM) David Praet vs. (PGA) Travis Dodson
1:10 p.m.: (GAM) AJ Varekois vs. (PGA) Kyle Martin
1:20 p.m.: (GAM) Jack Weller vs. (PGA) Cody Haughton
1:20 p.m.: (GAM) Beau Breault vs. (PGA) Jordan Young
1:30 p.m.: (GAM) Jeff Champine vs. (PGA) Brian Cairns
1:30 p.m.: (GAM) Scott Strickland vs. (PGA) Josh Fryer
– Greg Johnson [email protected]
