Written By: Greg Johnson
WEST BLOOMFIELD – Jack Helle of Canton won in a playoff and Emily Ngo of Commerce Township won pulling away in the third GAM 12 & Under Championship Tuesday at Twin Beach Country Club.
Helle, 12 and soon to be a seventh-grader at Discovery Middle School, made a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Sam Rounds of Brighton. He shot a second consecutive 36 for a 72 total in regulation play over the two days of competition, and Rounds shot a final 37 for 72 to set up the playoff.
Caleb Arney of South Lyon, who shot 36 for 73, and defending champion Noah Olver of Brights Grove, Ontario, who shot a 38 for 73, rounded out the top four.
Ngo, the girls’ champion is also 12 and headed for seventh grade at White Lake Middle School. She shot a closing 38 for 79 and won by four shots.
Eimi Mori of Saline, who shot 42 for 83, was second, and Corinne Strickland of Bloomfield Hills, who shot 45 for 88, and Audrey Slocum of Traverse City, who shot 45 for 92, rounded out the top four.
Helle hit a 95-yard approach shot to No. 9 in regulation play that ended up just a few inches from the hole. The tap-in put him in the playoff with Rounds where he made the par to win.
“It was fun and I had moments that were not good, but it was pretty decent overall,” Helle said.
He said he didn’t know the final tap-in on No. 9 put him in the playoff, but once he learned of it, he told himself to stay focused.
“I just wanted to have a good mindset,” he said. “It means a lot to win.
He credited his teacher, Patrick Wilkes-Krier (of Kendall Academy in Ypsilanti) for helping him with his swing.
“I had a good experience,” he said. “The course was really nice.”
Ngo was elated with her play and victory.
“So, this round was interesting because I was like yay, and then like no, and then like yay again, and it was all up-and-down. And in the middle, I three putted, and then I went like crazy and I kept like pounding myself, but then I was like, oh wait, I can still do it. I finally like manifested or something to like par the rest of the holes.”
She said the win was the biggest she has had in her young golf career, and she happily reported the trophy was heavy.
“I’m happy I won, but I’m also upset that I can’t play next year because I’ll be too old for this,” she said.
