MARSHALL – Ray Emsley of Davisburg said it is always fun to win something nice.
“I’ve won a few things, but I’ve never really won a stroke-play tournament before,” he said after shooting a final-round 1-under 71 Thursday at the Medalist Golf Club to win the 7th GAM Super Senior Championship by three strokes over defending champion Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and Dan Hughes of Saginaw.
“This is nice. I was playing with Rick (Herpich) and he has won a couple of times the last few years. I had no idea what anybody else was doing so I was just keeping my eye on Rick. We were neck-and-neck the whole day until 17.”
At 17 Herpich, who shot a closing 74, made a double-bogey 5, while Emsley made a par and then birdied No. 18. Hughes, meanwhile, had four birdies on the back nine in a 70 to tie for second at 145.
Emsley, who shot 70 on Wednesday to go with his 71 for 141, was the only golfer in the field of 76 golfers ages 65-and-over who was under par for the two days.
Ron Perrine of Holt, who shot 71, and Michael Parker of Lapeer, who also shot 71, rounded out the top five at 146.
A Legends Division for golfers over age 70 was also presented, and George Dillon of Midland prevailed with a final 77 for 155.
Orman Trumblee of Battle Creek, who rallied with a 71, and Roger Kuhl of Jackson, who shot 77, tied for second at 156.
John French of Bloomfield Hills (2016 Super Senior champion) shot 79 for 157, and Terry Moore of Grand Rapids (2015 Super Senior champion), who shot 81 for 158, and Bill VanderMass of Novi, who shot 79 for 158, rounded out the top five among the Legends.
Emsley, 66, said his victory happened because he hit the ball straight.
“I was putting it close to the pin a lot and missed a ton of birdie putts, but because I was putting it close I was making a ton of pars,” he said. “So, I kept it out of trouble and there’s all kinds of trouble out there.”
Dillon, a past Super Senior division winner in the GAM Senior Match Play Championship, said winning the Legends Division was a surprise.
“I haven’t been playing a whole lot of tournament golf the last few years, so this is a real surprise,” he said. “I would like to get back and play more, but with the (coronavirus) everything was sort of turned upside down.”
