FINAL FOUR SET AT 114TH MICHIGAN AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Zach Koerner, Caleb Bond, PJ Maybank III and Adam Burghardt Remain at Belvedere
CHARLEVOIX – Former college roommates, a Northern Michigan favorite, two surprise players making a run and two who were pre-tournament favorites emerged on Friday.
Those are a few of the storylines of the final four golfers remaining in the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland at 100-year-old Belvedere Golf Club.
Recent Ferris State University graduate and golfer Zach Koerner of Laingsburg will meet Michigan State University golfer Caleb Bond of Williamston, and PJ Maybank of Cheboygan and the University of Oklahoma will meet recent Wayne State University graduate and golfer Adam Burghardt of Clinton Township in the semifinals at 8 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. The winners of those matches will play in the afternoon for the championship.
Koerner, who was the last player in the 64-golfer match play bracket and knocked off the record-setting No. 1 seed Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills, was roommates with Bond last year when both were playing golf for Ferris State.
Koerner has since finished school and is taking a week away from an internship to play in the state championship, and Bond is a transfer standout on the Michigan State University golf team.
“We play all the time, almost every day together,” said Koerner. “We’re both from the Lansing area and play at Eagle Eye (Golf Club) all the time, and we were roommates last year. It should be fun taking him on. He’s a great player. Believe me, I know that. I also know I compete with those guys all the time. I know I can play like this, and I’m going to try to keep it going.”
Koerner reached the semifinals by winning three matches and playing 44 holes of golf on Friday.
First, he finished nine holes of his round of 32 match, holding off Jared Lyons of Portage in 21 holes. Then he won his round of 16 match over Ronnie Aniel III of Shelby Township 3 and 2. And finally for the day, his chip shot from off the front of the green on No. 1 that hit the flagstick and bounced away to just inches, sealed a 19 holes quarterfinal match win over Evan Johnson of Grosse Ile.
Bond, meanwhile, played just 27 holes for the day, winning his round of 16 match 5 and 4 over Andrew Tindall of Chelsea, and then in the quarterfinal match topped Bryce Wheeler of Augusta 6 and 5.
When he left for the day, he didn’t know who his semifinal opponent would be, but he knew his game was in good working order.
“I made six birdies this morning, and four this afternoon,” said Bond, who was one of the pre-tournament favorites after a successful spring at Michigan State. “I kind of got in the groove this morning. I want to keep it going for two more matches.”
Maybank, a nationally ranked amateur and clearly the local favorite, has been sleeping in his own bed in Cheboygan and feels great about his golf game. He, too, won three matches. He had to finish a round of 32 match with Remy Stalcup of Lake Orion and Morehead State University, which he won 3 and 2. Then in the round of 16 his game warmed up and he beat Michale Maiden of Grand Rapids 6 and 4. To close out his day he topped Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph 3 and 2.
“I played really good today and felt like I kind of struggled some yesterday but got through the day,” he said. “This morning was tough. (Remy Stalcup) had a warm putter this morning, so I kind of just got through that match, and then I played great the next two matches.”
He closed out his win over Zerbel with some highlights and the local gallery looking on at the famed hole 16, a short par 4 where the tee was moved up to tempt players to try and hit tee shots to the green. Maybank hit a hybrid to 20 feet on the green and closed out the match when his putt rolled up to inches from the cup.
Maybank was not the only one knocking it on 16 from the tee, or the only one to close out a match there.
Burghardt closed out his 3 and 2 quarterfinal match win over Peter Stassinopoulos of Novi, who is a current Wayne State golfer, by knocking his tee shot on the green and earning a concession with a close first putt.
He reached the quarterfinals by topping Oakland University golfer Robert Burns of Flushing 3 and 2 in the round of 16.
“It’s been a great week out here,” Burghardt said. “This is always my favorite tournament of the year. It’s really the big one every year that I want to quality for and play well in. I made it to the final eight last year, and now I’m in the final four. We’re just going to keep it rolling tomorrow.”
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