Detroit, MI

Charlie Woods can’t measure up as U.S. Junior Amateur shifts to match play

Published

1 year ago

July 23, 2024

Charlie Woods can’t measure up as U.S. Junior Amateur shifts to match play

Bloomfield Township — Charlie Woods’ round was long, and his exit was fast.

Woods, the 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods, struggled again Tuesday at Oakland Hills Country Club and missed the cut by a wide margin in his biggest tournament to date, the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Woods made two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey on his opening nine holes on the historic South Course, and posted a second-round 80 to finish the stroke-play portion of the United States Golf Association championship at 22 over par. He beat just 17 players in the 264-player field. Playing in front of the largest galleries on the course over his two days, including his famous father, who walked every step of the way over 36 holes, Woods missed the cut by 14 strokes. Tuesday’s round lasted more than 6 hours, because of a lengthy thunderstorm delay.

Following his round, Charlie Woods signed his scorecard and took photos with his playing partners, before jumping on the back of a waiting security cart, with Tiger Woods seated in the front. The cart, surrounding by more than a half-dozen police officers, peeled away and whisked the duo to their waiting SUV, which departed the parking lot within moments. Neither signed autographs nor spoke to the media, though they brought a lot of buzz to the tournament.

The tournament now moves into the match-play portion, starting Wednesday — though there’s work to do first. There will be a playoff in the morning, with 13 players competing for the final nine spots in the 64-player bracket. One of those players at 4 over par is Ann Arbor Skyline golfer Ieaun Jones.

Jones, 18, shot consecutive 72s, including Tuesday’s on the North Course, where he struck the well, but struggled on the greens. Jones missed a short birdie putt on No. 7, his 16th hole, but made a long one on No. 8, his 17th hole, to get inside the cut line for the playoff. The birdie on No. 8 snapped a string of nine consecutive pars.

“It was pretty frustrating, to be honest,” Jones said. “I had a lot of looks. I was hitting the ball great today. There’s not much you can do on the greens other than make the best strokes.

“I can definitely compete with the best. I hit it so good. And I was able to putt really poorly and still have a chance to make it tomorrow.

“We’ll see what happens.”

Making match play is most players’ goals entering the U.S. Junior Amateur, because from there, anything can happen.

The bracket will be finalized at the conclusion of the playoff, with the first round of match play set for Wednesday, two rounds Thursday, the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday, and the 36-hole championship match Saturday. The South Course will be used exclusively from here on out.

Jones is one of three Michigan men in the field, and the only one who can make mach play.

Lake Orion’s Connor Fox, 17, who go in by winning the Michigan Junior Amateur, finished 18 over par after a second-round 83 on the North Course that included a quadruple-bogey 9 on his second nine. With a dozen or more family members and friends watching, Fox didn’t play nearly as well as he wanted, but the Michigan State commitment learned a lot about what it takes to compete on his stage.

He also gets the memory of hitting the tournament’s first tee shot, Monday morning.

“I’ll remember that forever. I’ll never forget,” Fox said. “I’ve got four different angles of the video saved on my phone.”

Coldwater’s Ryker Ferguson, 18, who got into this week’s tournament as an alternate out of the qualifier at the Country Club of Lansing when another participant had to pull out because of the global travel issues, finished 30 over after a second-round 81 on the North Course.

To start the week, there were seven players in the field who were ranked in the top 120 of the world golf amateur rankings, and six of them advanced to match play.

That includes medalist Blades Brown (No. 103), a 16-year-old from Tennessee who was 6 under in stroke play, shooting a 2-under 68 on the South Course on Tuesday. Runner-up was Tyler Watts (No. 119), a 15-year-old from Alabama, who was at 5 under after a par-70 on the South. Also making the cut was 15-year-old Florida phenom Miles Russell (No. 116), the little left-hander who competed in last month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, the PGA Tour stop in Detroit. Russell was 1 under after a 1-over 71 on the South Course, where he began his round with four birdies in his first five holes.

Not ranked is Mack Edwards, who tied for third in stroke play at 4 under, after a 70 on the North Course on Tuesday. The North Carolina 17-year-old, who opened Tuesday’s round with a bogey and double-bogey before righting the ship, might’ve surprised everyone but himself.

“Look, sure, I haven’t had the resume of Blades Brown and Tyler Watts, but hopefully this is the start of something good,” said Edwards, who walked off his final hole Tuesday afternoon with a big fist-pump after making a 5-footer for par. “I feel like I’ve played some pretty solid golf in the recent months, and it’s feeling good now. And if I can go out and play like this on these golf courses, it’s definitely a confidence boost.”

Edwards tied for third at 4 under with New Zealand’s Joshua Bai, 18, who was last year’s runner-up.

Also at 4 under was Lev Grinberg, a 16-year-old who was born in Ukraine, and Chase Kyes, an 18-year-old from Alabama who made the Sweet 16 in last year’s U.S. Amateur, before losing to eventual champion Bryan Kim.

The 2023 experience or Kyes certainly helped prepare him for the pressure cooker that is major-championship golf, but it probably still didn’t prepare him for what he’s experienced this week. He made match play while playing his stroke-play rounds with Charlie Woods, and in front of Tiger Woods and a big, old gallery.

“I’ve never played in front of a crowd like that before,” said Kyes, whose dad, Ryan, was Mr. Baseball in Michigan in 1997, posing a .551 career batting average at Detroit Country Day. “But it was a great experience. Good for my future.”

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984

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Detroit, MI

Oilers turn in smart, defensive game and Hyman hat trick for 4-1 win over Detroit: Cult of Hockey Player Grades

Published

53 minutes ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Oilers turn in smart, defensive game and Hyman hat trick for 4-1 win over Detroit: Cult of Hockey Player Grades

CONNOR McDAVID. 9. In a quiet first minutes of this one McDavid had the most dangerous shot for, glancing off Talbot’s shoulder and out. Terrific patience on the doorstep before dishing to Hyman for the 1-0. Nearly outwaited Talbot again later in the frame. Dished the disk back to Ekholm on the 2-0. Pranced in and rifled a backhand off Talbot. Hi-lite reel assist on the 3-1, where he knocks down a puck then puts a backhand through his own legs to a waiting Hyman alone in the slot. An assist on the 4-1, for his forty-third four-point game. 63% on faceoffs. Second Star.

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Detroit, MI

SAY Detroit unveils plans for new play center on city’s west side

Published

13 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

SAY Detroit unveils plans for new play center on city’s west side

SAY Detroit had a surprise in store during its 14th annual fundraiser.

The charity founded by Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom announced plans for a new SAY Detroit Play Center on the city’s west side during its annual radiothon, taking place on Thursday, Dec. 11. The after-school educational center will be built on the campus of St. Cecilia’s church, which includes the historic St. Cecilia gym, also known as the Mecca of Detroit basketball.

The new facility will be called the SAY Detroit Play Center at St. Cecilia.

This will be the organization’s second play center, with the first opening in 2015 along Van Dyke Avenue on the city’s east side. The center provides educational and recreational opportunities for kids from 8-18 at Lipke Park.

The announcement was made during the foundation’s 15-hour radiothon, which raises money for SAY Detroit and other affiliated charities. Last year’s radiothon raised a record $2.23 million, with the fundraiser bringing in over $16.5 million in total since it was launched in 2012.

SAY Detroit was founded in 2006 by Albom and operates the play center and free family health clinic, along with providing a housing program for Detroit families and other direct efforts with the community.

Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!

You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield discusses plan for the city ahead of taking office

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield discusses plan for the city ahead of taking office

It’s a new era for the city of Detroit and for Mary Sheffield, the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council and the city’s youngest city council president.

Now, Sheffield is the first woman elected mayor of Detroit.

“I was told by the current mayor that it may take some time to fully sink in, but, very excited, very honored, and just tons of support from the community,” Sheffield said.

The mayor-elect also has people in her corner from outside of the community, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I was very humbled that she took the time to call me,” Sheffield said. “She encouraged me to make sure I take it all in and to prioritize the things that matter to everyday Detroiters, and just gave me a lot of advice and encouragement as a woman, going into office.”

Being Detroit’s first woman mayor comes with added pressure.

“You just don’t want to let people down,” Sheffield said. “Being the first, you want to set the tone, and you want to set a high standard that, while I may be the first, I’m not the last.”

Sheffield says politics wasn’t always the plan, but public service is in her blood.

“As a young girl, I used to march with Dick Gregory and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. I was 10 years old, and, my entire life, I was molded by both my mother and my father to serve the community,” she said.

Sheffield says Detroit hired her to do one thing above all: keep the momentum going and make sure every neighborhood feels it. It’s why Sheffield named her transition team “Rise Higher Detroit,” and set up shop at the Marygrove Conservancy in the Fitzgerald Neighborhood.

“We have 18 committees focused on infrastructure and housing and public safety, transit, all of the topics that we heard directly from Detroiters throughout the campaign,” she said.

Those 18 committees are building an action plan for Sheffield’s first 100 days in office.

“We’re really big on this administration being able to deliver day one for our residents,” Sheffield said.

Challenges are ahead for Detroit. By the end of 2026, millions of dollars in pandemic-era federal funding will stop flowing to the city. Several programs like Community Violence Intervention and down payment assistance depend on that money.

“We’re having those discussions now to figure out what programs have been the most impactful and looking at ways that we can supplement that funding with the private sector, philanthropic support, and other means as well,” Sheffield said.

Sheffield will enter office under a microscope, as ethics questions have surfaced from her time on the city council. Sheffield says she’s taking steps to address those questions.

“We actually have an ethics committee, which is chaired by Elliott Hall, our former inspector general. And so they’ll be making recommendations on ways that we can improve ethics not only within our administration, but within the entire city,” she said.

The job will be demanding, and the days long, but Sheffield says she relies on family and quiet moments to recharge.

“Quietness, you know, no television, no TV, reading a book, chilling out with my family. I mean, that is always a relaxing time for myself. I don’t have much of that these days, but it’s definitely something that I enjoy,” she said.

Down the road, if there’s one thing Sheffield hopes Detroiters say about their mayor in the Sheffield era, it’s this:

“She was always for the people. She improves the quality of life for our city, and she put our neighborhoods first. Most importantly is that she left the city better when she was here than when it was before,” Sheffield said.

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