Written By: Greg Johnson
REDFORD TOWNSHIP – The father-son team of Patrick and Arthur McCarthy of Bloomfield Hills made a net par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the 36th GAM Net Team Championship presented by Michigan Golf Live at Western Golf & Country Club Wednesday.
With each of them playing with 12 strokes of handicap, the McArthur duo shot a net 6-under 66 best-ball (foursomes) in regulation play, including each of them making key pars for net birdies coming down the stretch.
The Livonia duo of Brendan South and Frank Davis also shot 66, highlighted by South making an actual birdie for an eagle net ace on the 18th hole to force the playoff.
Eight teams competed in the finals of a championship. They earned their spots during a qualifying tournament day at Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club earlier this summer. McCarthy and McCarthy also survived a three-hole playoff at Grosse Ile to earn the final spot in Wednesday’s finals.
Patrick said his son Arthur, a student at Michigan State University, was driving in from Lansing for the tournament and was slowed significantly by a car accident. He was not involved, but he ended up arriving about five minutes before the scheduled tee times.
“We did a prayer, a blessing that he was safe and that kind of put what we were doing in perspective,” Patrick said. “We got off to a bogey start but the settled in later in the round. The finish down the stretch was pretty good. We had a setback on 13. I four-putted, but we came back.”
Patrick said his father-in-law and Arthur’s grandfather was a caddie at Western in the 1960s, and he offered the timeless advice of hit it straight and no three-putts.
“That works everywhere, and we played well,” he said. “I was our second GAM team event, and it was a thrilling and incredible day.”
