Written By: Greg Johnson
EAST LANSING – McCoy Biagioli of White Lake was exactly where he wanted to be Friday, which was hoisting the historic Staghorn Trophy as the winner of the 115th Michigan Amateur Championship for the second time.
The current Michigan State University golfer, who was a Ferris State University golfer the last time he won in 2024, beat Logan Price of Grand Blanc 7 and 5 in the final match of the championship presented by Carl’s Golfland at Eagle Eye Golf & Banquet Center.
“I’ve been working on my swing and in stroke play I hit it really well, but I couldn’t make any putts,” he said. “Then the putts started to fall.”
And fall and fall again.
He beat last year’s Michigan Amateur runner-up PJ Maybank III of Cheboygan and the University of Oklahoma in Friday morning’s semifinals 3 and 1, and that was the closest match of the six he played for the week.
Meanwhile, defending champion Caleb Bond of Williamston and Biagioli’s teammate and roommate at MSU, lost to Price, 3 and 2, in the other morning semifinal.
The local Lansing area crowd missed out on the all-MSU final they hoped for, but with a nod to Ferris State before Biagioli transferred, Spartan golfers have won the last four Amateurs (August Meekhof in 2023, Biagioli in 2024, Bond in 2025 and Biagioli again).
The latest Spartan winner started the week with great confidence on a course the team plays often for practice and team qualifying.
“I knew going into match play if I could get some putts to drop it would be really tough to beat me,” he said. “Once match play started I had it going, and it was fun. I wouldn’t say easy because there are a lot of good players out here. Maybe it looked easy, but it was still difficult to do and especially playing and walking in this heat.”
As Mother Nature turned up the heat, so did Biagioli, who played just 85 out of a possible 108 holes in match play and made some history. He became the 15th golfer in Michigan Amateur history to win multiple titles, and the first to become a two-time winner since Tom Werkmeister of Grand Rapids in 2017.
To top things off, Biagioli as champion will receive an exemption into the field at the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania, Aug. 10-16.
The title match looked a lot like his earlier matches. He hit an 8-iron to within one foot for birdie on the par 3 second hole to grab the lead, then won the fourth and fifth holes with pars as Price made bogeys.
Logan conceded him a short birdie putt on No. 7 for a 4-up lead and then he hit his wow shot of the day, a 5-iron second shot from 257 yards to 20 feet at No. 9, which was played as a 598-yard par 5 for the final match. He made the putt for an eagle-3 and led 5-up heading to the back nine.
Logan bogeyed 12 from the fringe on the long par 3 while McCoy two-putted for par and a 6-up lead. On 13, Logan’s approach shot drifted right into the pond and eventually led to another concession and the match was concluded.
“I’ve got a couple of years on these young guys and I was exhausted,” said the 28-year-old salesman for Ebock Flint. “I played a lot of golf, and it was hot. I got some bad breaks, but some good ones too, and I’m happy to have made it this far. Congrats to McCoy. He played great. I’m happy for him. He’s playing such great golf, and I don’t mind losing to great golf.”
Price made the final four for the second time (first in 2020), and after a stint as a professional, came back as a reinstated amateur to make his first final.
“That’s a new record for me,” he said. “It’s a ton of fun to be back playing in (Golf Association of Michigan) events and playing in the Michigan Am. It means a lot to get back and get this far. Hopefully, I can do better next time and win it all. I learned I’m going to have to focus on fitness better to keep up with these young guys like McCoy.”
McCoy wanted to thank his longtime friend Marcus Kainhofer, who served as his caddie in match play and was also his caddie when he won in 2024. They coined the mantra “all gas and no brakes” in that championship and used it as a push this week, too.
“We’ve also had a little joke this week,” Biagioli said moments after his win. “Marcus says he is undefeated in the Amateur. I didn’t have him last year and lost in the round of 32. I guess I have to keep him on the bag.”
