Written By: Greg Johnson
BIG RAPIDS – Konner Kubica of Northville, a home-schooled 16-year-old, made two eagle 3s on par 5 holes to power a second-round 5-under 67 and win stroke play medalist honors Monday in the 46th Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship at Katke Golf Course at Ferris State University.
Kubica, a Meadowbrook Country Club member with his family, shot 72 in the morning round and then fired his 67 in the afternoon round of the 36-hole single-day stroke play competition. In addition to winning the Forrest B. Wright Trophy as stroke play medalist, he will be the top seed in the 32-golfer match play bracket starting Tuesday morning.
Kubica, who said he has never played match play in competition, was medalist by two shots over Cooper Reitsma of Ada, who shot 70 and 71 for 141.
Michael Houtteman of Glen Arbor was next at 142 after rounds of 70 and 72.
Troy Nguyen of Macomb, the 15-and-under division champion last year, has moved up to battle for the overall title and shot 70 and 74 for 144. He was tied with 2022 overall champion Max VanderMolen of Richland, who also shot 70 and 74, and Connor Fox of Lake Orion, who shot 73 and 71. Fox was the runner-up in the overall championship a year ago.
Last year’s overall champion, Will Preston of Grand Rapids, opened with rounds of 73 and 72 for 145, where he was tied with Vibhav Alokam of Ypsilanti, who shot 72 and 73.
A 90-minute weather delay and a five-golfer playoff for four spots that went four holes ended as darkness descended.
Kubica will play Carson Everett of Midland in a 7:30 a.m. match Tuesday. The round of 32 tee times will continue through 10 a.m. The round of 16 and quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Wednesday, and semifinal and final matches for Thursday.
The 15-and-under division golfers will start action Tuesday with 18 holes of stroke play to determine an eight-golfer bracket for match play. They will play matches through Thursday to determine a champion as well.
Kubica said the wind had him scrambling in the trees some.
“But I managed to kind of keep the momentum going and made a few nice putts and some birdies when it mattered,” he said. “I’m happy with how I played. I hit two par fives (holes 7 and 9 in two shots) within 10-feet, so it was really nice to see those eagles fall.”
Kubica, whose family lives half the year in Florida, said he has played plenty of matches with friends and is looking forward to the format in competition for the first time. He said his game-plan will be similar to his plan for stroke play.
“I want to put the tee shots in the fairway and that would give me opportunities to make birdies like I did today,” he said. “I’ve always been a pretty good driver of the ball and this is kind of a tight course. I didn’t drive it great today, but I think it would give me my biggest advantage if I can hit more fairways.”
