Saturday, April 29, 2017

Michigan Open Winners

MI Golf Ball 5The Michigan Open was first played in 1916 and over the years has garnered an impressive list of Champions.

The inaugural Michigan Open was won by Leo Diegel at age 17. Diegel, who was born in Wayne County, Michigan, went on to win two PGA Championships. He also played in the inaugural Ryder Cup and Masters Tournaments.

The great Walter Hagen won the title in 1921. Hagen had served as the head professional at Oakland Hills from 1918 – 1919, but by 1921 was the sport’s only full-time, unaffiliated professional. Hagen won one of his five PGA Championships the same year. Eventually, Hagen retired to Traverse City, Michigan, where he died in 1969.

Noted amateur George Von Elm was the champion in 1928. Von Elm won the US Amateur in 1926 when it was considered a Major, famously battling Bobby Jones in a year when Jones had won both the US and British Opens.

Al Watrous, who had eight PGA Tour victories in the 1920s and 1930s was a six time winner of the Michigan Open. Watrous, too, had a connection to Bobby Jones. During the 1926 Open Championship, Watrous was tied with Jones in the final round until the 17th hole, eventually finishing second. Watrous won the PGA Senior Championship three times.

Horton Smith, winner of the 1954 Michigan Open won the first and third Masters. (Which along with Leo Diegel provides yet another Bobby Jones connection).

Chuck Kocsis, winner of three Michigan Opens, was voted by the Golf Association of Michigan as the state’s “Amateur Golfer of the Century.” Kocsis won six Michigan Amateurs, was a member of three Walker Cup Teams and two NCAA Championship teams at the University of Michigan. He also was low Amateur in two Masters and two US Opens.

Professional golfer Dave Hill, a native of Jackson, Michigan, won the Michigan Open in 1959. Hill would go on to win thirteen times on the PGA TOUR, and was a member of the 1969, 1973 and 1977 Ryder Cup Teams.

Mike Souchak won the Michigan Open in 1967.  He won eleven times on the PGA Tour.

In recent years, the Michigan Open has been dominated by Scott Hebert, professional at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club, who has six wins. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Michigan Open saw five wins by Randy Erskine, who played on the PGA TOUR from 1974 to 1979.

The complete list of Michigan Open winners follows:

Year Player
2016 Jeff Bronkema
2015 Jeff Cuzzort
2014 Ryan Brehm [3]
2013 Tom Werkmeister (amateur)
2012 Barrett Kelpin
2011 Randy Hutchison
2010 Ryan Brehm [2]
2009 Ryan Brehm [1]
2008 Tom Gillis
2007 Andrew Ruthkoski
2006 Scott Hebert [6]
2005 Michael Harris
2004 Jeff Roth
2003 Bob Ackerman [2]
2002 Scott Hebert [5]
2001 Scott Hebert [4]
2000 Scott Hebert [3]
1999 Scott Hebert [2]
1998 Jeff Roth
1997 Scott Hebert [1]
1996 Steve Brady
1995 Dave Smith
1994 Tom Gillis
1993 Brent Veenstra
1992 Steve Brady [2]
1991 Steve Brady [1]
1990 Robert Proben
1989 Barry Redmond
1988 Ed Humenik
1987 Jack Seltzer
1986 Tim Matthews
1985 Randy Erskine [5]
1984 Randy Erskine [4]
1983 Buddy Whitten [2]
1982 Buddy Whitten [1]
1981 Fred Muller
1980 Lynn Janson
1979 Randy Erskine [3]
1978 Randy Erskine [2]
1977 Tom Deaton
1976 Randy Erskine [1]
1975 Bob Ackerman(amateur) [1]
1974 Lynn Janson
1973 George Bayer
1972 Ron Fox
1971 Ted Kondratko
1970 Walter Burkemo [4]
1969 Charles Knowles
1968 John Molenda
1967 Mike Souchak
1966 Gene Bone [2]
1965 Gene Bone [1]
1964 Thom Rosely
1963 Phil Wiechman
1962 Pete Brown
1961 John Barnum [2]
1960 John Barnum [1]
1959 Dave Hill
1958 John Barnum
1957 Walter Burkemo [3]
1956 Pete Cooper
1955 Walter Burkemo [2]
1954 Horton Smith
1953 Chick Harbert
1952 Mike Dietz
1951 Walter Burkemo [1]
1950 John Barnum
1949 Al Watrous [6]
1948 Chick Harbert
1947 Buck White
1946 Chuck Kocsis (amateur) [3]
1945 Chuck Kocsis (amateur) [2]
1944 Sam Byrd
1943 Al Watrous [5]
1942 Chick Harbert
1941 Gib Sellers
1940 Emerick Kocsis
1939 Marvin Stahl [3]
1938 Marvin Stahl [2]
1937 Chick Harbert (amateur)
1936 Marvin Stahl [1]
1935 Jake Fassezke [2]
1934 Jake Fassezke [1]
1933 Mortie Dutra
1932 Clarence Gamber
1931 Chuck Kocsis (amateur) [1]
1930 Al Watrous [4]
1929 Al Watrous [3]
1928 George Von Elm (amateur)
1927 Al Watrous [2]
1926 Al Watrous [1]
1925 Davey Robertson
1924 No record
1923 Harry Hampton
1922 No record
1921 Walter Hagen
1920 Mike Brady
1919 Leo Diegel [2]
1917-18 No tournament
1916 Leo Diegel [1]

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