HARBOR SPRINGS – The Hills and Donald Ross Memorial courses at The Highlands at Harbor Springs will welcome a standout field of 222 golfers playing Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 27-28, in the 44th GAM Mid-Amateur Championship presented by Stifel Investment Services.
The resort, formerly known as Boyne Highlands, is hosting the championship for Michigan male amateur golfers ages 25 and over for the 23rd consecutive year and 29th time. The overall winner receives the coveted Glenn H. Johnson Trophy. The scoreboard at Country Club of Boyne is also named in honor of Johnson, a GAM legend and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member.
The Highlands features five courses that are part of 11 golf courses that can be played at three BOYNE Golf resorts in the northern section of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
The field is split in half to take on the Hills and Ross courses for two days of stroke play competition, and an overall Mid-Amateur winner (age 25-and-over) and winners in three other age categories will be determined (Mid-Seniors 45-and-over, Seniors 55-and-over and Super Seniors 65-and-over).
The Highlands has used four of its courses at various times to host the championship in the past.
The Hills course, designed by Arthur Hills, features a memorable three-hole ascent at No. 11 to one of the highest points in the region for a remarkable view from the 13th tee.
The Ross course, a collection of replica famous Donald Ross-designed holes from courses around the world, has had recent renovation work by Michigan-based architect Raymond Hearn.
Casey Powers is the director of golf for BOYNE Golf. John Myers is the head golf professional at the Ross Golf Center. Nick Shaw is the superintendent of both the Hills and Ross courses. Learn more at boynegolf.com.
Last year, David Praet of Lake Orion rolled in a 50-foot eagle putt on the par 5 final hole of the Moor course to win the 43rd GAM Mid-Amateur title.
The 39-year-old investment banker came to the 18th hole of the Moor course trailing Ryan Johnson of Bloomfield Hills and Anthony Sorentino of Rochester Hills by one shot. He hit a 193-yard 6-iron second shot deep into the large green and then made the long eagle-putt to cap a final-round 1-under 69, which catapulted him into the lead.
Kevin VandenBerg, a Michigan native, Pulaski N.Y., resident, summer GAM member and past overall champion (2000), won the Senior Division for the second time.
The Mid-Seniors trophy went to Sorentino, a three-time past overall champion. The Mid-Seniors are part of the overall competition, too.
Randy Lewis of Alma, a Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member who won the overall title in 1998, won the Super Senior Division for the second consecutive year.
