Last player in still standing among “Sweet 16” at Michigan Amateur

BATH – Regardless of a rain delay morning two rounds of matches are full and the “Candy 16” moved on to 2 extra rounds of matches Thursday within the 111th Michigan Novice Championship offered by Carl’s Golfland at Hawk Hole Golf Membership.

Victory was candy twice for Mike Anderson of Northville, the 52-year-old 2020 GAM Mid-Novice champion who survived a seven-player playoff on Tuesday evening for the final spot within the match play bracket of 64 Wednesday. His reward: A morning match with No. 1 seed and co-medalist Charles DeLong of DeWitt, the Grand Valley College standout who has repeatedly performed Hawk Hole for years.

Anderson, an funding director and highschool golf coach at Novi Detroit Catholic Central, is within the spherical of 16 for a second consecutive yr. He turned again DeLong, 4 and three, after which needed to combat off 15-year-old Connor Fox of Lake Orion for a 2 and 1 win.

“, I performed two actually good gamers as we speak and I simply performed so properly,” mentioned Anderson who received three holes with birdies on the entrance 9 after which birdied No. 10 and received No. 11 with a par for a 4-up lead in opposition to DeLong.

“I haven’t been taking part in nice coming into this occasion however all the things form of began final evening within the playoff. Within the playoff I hit all good pictures and I simply saved the momentum into as we speak and performed actually strong all day.

“Having a possibility to play in opposition to Charlie – he’s such a proficient younger man – is enjoyable for me being my age. Taking part in in opposition to the younger actually good gamers to see how my recreation stacks up sometimes is enjoyable, and he simply caught me on a very good day. I’m nonetheless just a little stunned how properly I performed just about all day lengthy.”

Mike Wenglikowski of Saginaw is within the Candy 16 for the second time, and 20 years after the primary time. Actually, that is the primary time the 41-year-old supervisor of Garber Chevrolet has performed within the Novice in 20 years.

He toppled veteran gamers Andrew Smith of Oakland Township and Mike Coriasso of Royal Oak by similar 4 and three scores Wednesday.

“I hit some good pictures and made some birdies and acquired a few breaks after they hit some, you already know, not-so-good pictures on the proper time for me,” he mentioned. “I performed one ball all day and by no means misplaced it.”

Wenglikowski mentioned he hasn’t performed a lot within the final 20 years due to profession, marriage and a daughter, however he’s again taking part in and practising.

“My daughter’s 10 (Brynn) so we are able to go hit balls collectively and my spouse (Rachelle) even performed just a little bit final yr, which she didn’t for a very long time,” he mentioned.

Wenglikowski mentioned he doesn’t actually have a recreation plan for the event going ahead.

“I by no means acquired previous this,” he mentioned. “I simply thought it might be actually cool to get one other (Candy 16) 20 years after the primary one. It’s simply form of gravy at this level.”

John Quigley of Sterling Heights, 38, is in one other Candy 16, but it surely took 19 holes to show again one of many event favorites, Coalter Smith of Grosse Pointe Farms and the College of Wisconsin, within the spherical of 32.

“Everyone knows how good he’s and I wished to play good and try to dangle round,” mentioned an emotional Quigley who topped Nick Pumford of Troy 1-up within the morning spherical of 64. “(Coalter) performed properly. I performed properly. I’m struggling (emotionally) with this one specifically. I actually requested myself to name on one thing and all of it got here.”

Along with the skilled trio making the Candy 16, one of many co-medalists and school gamers, Bradley Smithson of Grand Rapids and Michigan State College, the No. 2 seed, continues to be taking part in.

He topped Mitchell Strickland of Ann Arbor 3 and a couple of within the first spherical, after which needed to play his MSU teammate and roommate Pierce Morrissey of Canadian Lakes within the spherical of 32. He received that received 3 and 1.

“He’s in all probability my greatest good friend at college so it was powerful with all of us right here,” he mentioned of the 4 Spartans within the beginning subject. “I form of thought sooner or later we’re going to need to play, however I so want it was just a little later within the event.”

Final summer time’s Michigan Open champion, Smithson, who continues to be recovering from a current bout with meals poisoning, mentioned he’s feeling higher.

“The extra sleep I get the higher I really feel,” he mentioned.

Spherical of 16 matches was set to begin at 8 a.m. with the quarterfinals slated for the afternoon. The semifinals and remaining match are Friday.

UPPER BRACKET

Mike Anderson, Northville, 52, funding director Stifel Co.

Patrick Deardorff, Clarkston, 21, Jap Michigan College golfer

Mike Wenglikowski, Saginaw, 41, normal supervisor at Garber Chevrolet

Matthew Zerbel, St. Joseph, 27, dispatcher at logistics firm

Colin Sikkenga, Kalamazoo, 22, Oakland College golfer

Bryan Haase, Interlochen, 38, works in insurance coverage

David Szymanski, Grosse Pointe Park, 25, current legislation pupil graduate

Evan McDermott, Spring Lake, 18, incoming College of Nebraska golfer

LOWER BRACKET

Bradley Smithson, Grand Rapids, 21, Michigan State College golfer

Justin Sui, Lake Orion, 17, College of Florida pupil

John Quigley, Sterling Heights, 38, director at Emergent Holdings

August Meekhof, Eastmanville, 20, Michigan State College golfer

Erik Fahlen, Rockford, 21, Taylor College golfer

Tyler Eedy, West Department, 21, planning to switch to College of Nebraska-Omaha

Owen Tucci, Macomb, 22, current graduate from Oakland College

Nick Krueger, Spring Lake, 21, Grand Valley State College golfer

Match play bracket, outcomes: Go to GAM.or