Joe Juszczyk to Defend at Boyne’s Tournament of Champions

Joe Juszczyk to Defend at Boyne’s Tournament of Champions

  BOYNE FALLS – Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights wishes he had won a major Michigan title sooner in his career.

  “I definitely feel like I was missing out on a really fun event,” said the 38-year-old PGA Tour Americas player.

  Juszczyk, 38, returns as the defending champion for the 33rd Tournament of Champions starting Monday and continuing through Wednesday on the Alpine Course at Boyne Mountain Resort.

  A year ago, he made a six-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a three-way sudden-death playoff to win the 32nd Tournament of Champions.

  The 2023 Hall Financial Michigan Open champion shot a final 4-under 68 on the Alpine for 11-under 205 and was tied at the end of regulation play with Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Werkmeister of Hudsonville, who closed with a 69, and the 2022 and ’23 Michigan PGA Professional champion Kyle Martin of Grosse Pointe Woods and the Lochmoor Club, who shot a final 67.

  He earned $11,000 from the $75,000 purse, had his name added to the historic Walter Burkemo Trophy, and was awarded a traditional green dinner jacket as a new lifetime member of the Country Club of Boyne, all in his first visit to the unique championship that brings together men, women, professionals, amateurs, seniors and juniors – all who have won significant Michigan championships – playing for the same title from different tee positions.

  “I remember my wife (Lynnsey) being there to see it and that was cool, but I’m also upset I’ve been missing out on it for the last 15 years or so,” Juszczyk said. “I should have won one of those championships earlier in my career because it was fun getting to play with most of Michigan’s best players. Michigan has a lot of great players, it has been represented on various tours, and the mix of the ladies, seniors, amateurs and professionals makes it a great experience. Winning it is definitely one the fondest memories of my golf career.”

    This year he leads a field of 107 champions, including 13 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame members and seven former winners of the Tournament of Champions. The professionals will play for a purse of $75,000 and everybody plays for the trophy and green jacket.

   Juszczyk, this spring, took advantage of the membership at Boyne. He headed north to Boyne country and played several rounds of golf to help prep for the summer season.

  “A membership is such a great thing to win, and those rounds were great, and I think that’s one of the reasons my game is in pretty good shape,” he said. “I’m definitely looking forward to getting up there to play again.”

  He joins six-time winner of the Tournament of Champions and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Jeff Roth, who teaches at the BOYNE Golf Academy at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, as one of the former winners in the field. The roster of past champions looks like this: Roth (winner in 2019, ’12, ’08, 1999, ’96 and ’95), Juszczyk (2024), Otto Black (2021), Korey Mahoney (2016), Andy Ruthkoski (2013 and ‘14), Scott Hebert (2009) and Tom Harding (1997).

 The Michigan Golf Hall of Famers playing, in addition to Roth, are Ron Beurmann, Steve Brady, Brian Cairns, Greg Davies, Randy Erskine, Harding, Hebert, Dave Kendall, Randy Lewis, Jack Seltzer, John Traub and Werkmeister.

  The field also includes a host of recent champions from the Michigan Open, the Michigan Amateur, the Michigan PGA Professional Championship and the GAM Championship. A notable returning player this year is Joey Garber of Petoskey, a PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour player in recent years.

  LPGA Epson Tour player Sarah White, a BOYNE Golf ambassador, headlines the women playing.

   The unique field also includes relatives competing against each other. The brother-sister combination of Evan and Elayna Bowser are joined by father-son Jack and John Seltzer, father-son Jim and Austin Dieters, father-son Frank and Frank McAuliffe IV and father-son Gary and Bradley Smithson.

  “It’s another amazing field with great champions, professional and amateur, college players, mini-tour professionals and several of our top Michigan PGA Section players and Hall of Fame members,” said Justin Phillips, the tournament director for the Michigan Section PGA, which sanctions and administers the unique championship. “It is the 33rd year and it remains the most unique tournament in the country at one of the top resorts in the country.”

  The field will play each round of the 54-hole stroke play championship on the Alpine. A 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties will be made after the second round.

   Juszczyk called the Alpine a great golf course.

  “It has a great rhythm to it and the cool thing is if you are hitting the ball well, outside of the 17th hole which is so tough, you are going to have a chance to make birdie,” he said. “If your game is off it is challenging and you always must be patient around the greens and on the greens. It’s a pure test of golf. I was fortunate last year, especially in that last round. I always seemed to be on the right side of the hole to have a chance at birdie.”

ABOUT BOYNE MOUNTAIN RESORT: Boyne Mountain has been a favorite Midwest destination since 1948. The family-owned, four-season resort has earned Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor and has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler readers as being among the top 50 Best Places to Ski and Stay in North America. The water park is listed among Budget Travel’s Top 10 Indoor facilities, and the resort is a readers’ choice favorite of Spa Magazine. Boyne Mountain recently added Skybridge Michigan to their list of attractions, the world’s longest timber suspension bridge spanning over 1100 feet sitting 120 feet over the valley floor. Boyne Mountain is home to The Alpine and The Monument golf courses, as well as 60 runs on 415 skiable acres. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, Solace Spa, Michigan’s largest indoor waterpark, Zipline Adventures, disc golf facilities, lift-serviced mountain biking, beach activities, kids’ programs, lodging, meeting, and wedding facilities as well as real estate are offered at the resort.

BOYNE Golf includes a collection of 10 courses at Michigan three resorts, The Highlands, Boyne Mountain Resort and the Inn at Bay Harbor, located within 15 miles of Petoskey. Beyond the world-class golf, BOYNE Golf is centered amid one of America’s most beautiful vacation spots. The scenic Lake Michigan beach towns of Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and Petoskey are minutes away, and a side trip to Mackinac Island is easily managed. Guests can enjoy award-winning spas, waterfront dining, sandy beaches, watersports, gaming, microbreweries, wineries, hiking, biking, tennis, zip-lining, shopping and more capped by the spectacular northern Michigan sunsets. For more information on BOYNE Golf, visit www.BOYNEgolf.com.

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