Garber Wins Michigan Amateur Championship
6/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
June 27, 2010
CLARKSTON, Mich. -- Incoming freshman Joey Garber (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) of the University of Michigan men's golf team posted a pair of victories Saturday (June 26) in the semifinal and championship match to win the 99th Michigan Amateur Championships at the Oakhurst Golf and Country Club hosted by the Golf Association of Michigan.
Garber, who earned the 34th seed in the 64-player match play field after shooting a 152 stroke play qualifying, defeated Eric Lilleboe, 2-and-1 in the final to claim the title. Lilleboe won three holes in a row to go 1 up after nine holes and maintained his lead until hole 12, when Garber won the hole to bring the match back to all square. Garber proceeded to win the 13th hole with a par while Lilleboe bogeyed it to take the lead.
In a back and forth final five holes, Garber went 2-up after winning the 16th hole and was able to maintain the lead and take the title after winning the 17th hole, securing a 2-and-1 victory. Earlier in the day he defeated Nick Carbary 2-and-1 to advance to the championship match.
Garber becomes the 24th Wolverine to win the Michigan Amateur title and is the first Wolverine to win the Michigan Amateur since Christian Vozza claimed the 2005 title at the Muskegon Country Club in Muskegon, Mich.
Three other Michigan players were among the more than 154 players in the field. Current Wolverine Matt Thompson (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview), who was the runner-up in 2009 at the Michigan Am, advanced to the third round of match play before being eliminated by Jeff Champine, 1-up. Recent graduate Billy McKay qualified for match play and was eliminated in the first round by Mike Nagy in 19 holes. Incoming freshman Matt Felsenfeld (West Bloomfield, Mich./David Leadbetter Golf Academy) also competed at the Michigan Am, but did not qualify for match play, tying for 141st in stroke play with a 171 (82-89)
Garber, who has won four GAM Championships in the last four years, is the third youngest player ever to win the Michigan Am. By winning, he receives an automatic five-year exemption into the Michigan Amateur Championship, as well as The Western Amateur, Susquehana Amateur in Pennsylvania, the Michigan Open and the GAM Championship.
99th Michigan Amateur Championships
Oakhurst Golf & Country Club (Clarkston, Mich.)
June 22 -26, 2010
Joey Garber
Stroke Play, 75-77/152 (t-30th)
Match Play, 34th seed
First Round, defeated Chaz Meek, 5-and-3
Second Round, defeated Jonathan Pauli, 5-and-4
Third Round, defeated Drew Preston, 1-up
Quarterfinal, defeated Jeff Champine, 4-and-2
Semifinal, defeated Nick Carbary, 2-and-1
Championship, defeated Eric Lilleboe, 2-and-1
Matt Thompson
Stroke Play, 70-74/144 (t-4th)
Match Play, 7th seed
First Round, defeated Jared Dalga, 4-and-3
Second Round, defeated Joe Brown, 3-and-2
Third Round, lost to Jeff Champine, 1-up
Billy McKay
Stroke Play, 78-76/154 (t-40th)
Match Play, 45th seed
First Round, lost to Mike Nagy, 19 holes
Matt Felsenfeld
Stroke Play, 82-89/171 (t-141st), did not advance
U-M Michigan Amateur Champions (24)
David Ward (1926, '36)
Chuck Kocsis (1930, '33, '34, '37, '48, '51)
William Barclay (1939)
Ben Smith (1950)
Melvin Stevens (1959, '63, '65)
William Newcomb (1967)
Randy Erskine (1972)
Rod Sumpter (1974)
John Morse (1978)
Steve Maddelena (1980, '90, '95)
John Morgan (1985)
Andy Matthews (2001)
Christian Vozza (2005)
Joey Garber (2010)
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
