EAST LANSING – Forest Akers West, home to the successful Michigan State University golf teams, is hosting the top junior boy and girl golfers in the state for the 6th GAM Junior Invitational Championship presented by Pepsi Saturday and Sunday.
The field of 88 golfers, 48 boys and 40 girls, will play 36 holes of stroke play over the two days to determine a boy and girl overall champion as well as winners in the 15-and-under division. The players were invited by the GAM based on performances in a variety of state and national competitions in 2018.
Forest Akers has two golf courses, East and West, and both were redesigned by Michigan State alumnus and highly regarded golf course designer Arthur Hills in 1992. The West plays from 5,278 yards to 7,013 yards with five tee positions and hosts the Big Ten home competition for the Spartans.
The players in the field are familiar with the Forest Akers properties, which have hosted several GAM junior events as well as high school state championship tournaments over the years.
Learn more at golf.msu.edu.
Jasmine Ly of Windsor, Ontario, returns to defend her championship among the girls last year. She shot a final-round 69 a year ago for a two-day total of 143 and an eight-shot win over Danielle Staskowski of Clarkston and Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield. Staskowski is also in the field again this year.
The boys’ defending champion, Parker Jamieson of Lansing, is no longer eligible having moved from the junior ranks on to college golf on the Michigan State men’s team. He shot 69 for 141 last year and topped Nick Krueger of Spring Lake, who shot a closing 68 for 142. Krueger is back in the field this year.
Among the many notable players in the field this year are GAM Junior Stroke Play winners Tyler Hurtubise of Essex, Canada, and Lilia Henkel of Grand Rapids, and GAM 14-and-under Match Play winners Joe Murdock of Ada and Jolie Brochu of Goodrich.
-Greg Johnson, [email protected]