 |
Dr. Kevin Frank
|
 |
Eli VandenBrand & Grant Kieft
|
Founding MiGCSA Board Member Jay Eccleton, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent Troy Looney, and Equipment Manager Justin Thelen hosted the 18th Annual State Championship at The Emerald in St. Johns on October 16th.
This event isn't just for those chasing the top trophy; it also features a 2 of 4 net team event and multiple proximity prizes to get everyone in the game. The Emerald is long known for its incredible greens, and this year was no exception, a firm and fast golf course provided an excellent test.
A special thanks goes to Director of Golf Operations & Event Planning, Katie Eccleton, and the entire staff for their fantastic hospitality, organization, and the food!
Tournament Highlights
A slightly frosty morning gave way to a perfect "bluebird" fall day in Mid-Michigan. Mike Gianopoulos, CGCS (Kent C.C.), our two-time State Champion and GCSAA National Champion, was in the field, seeking a record-tying third consecutive title.
However, the main competition came from three-time winner Dr. Kevin Frank (2020, 2011, 2017) and Chester VandenBurg, a Sales Rep from Bronze Partner Corteva.After starting on #15, Dr. Frank was 2-under par through 12 holes, with his cart mate Chester VandenBurg close behind at 1-under. VandenBurg's double-bogey on the 13th hole of the day (hole #9) temporarily set him back to +1, though he quickly bounced back to Even Par with a birdie on the next hole. Dr. Frank held his two-shot lead until bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes of their round (holes #11 & #13) dropped him back.
Both players made par on their final hole (#14) to finish tied at 72, forcing a sudden-death playoff. After tying holes #1 and #2, Dr. Frank secured his historic 4th MiGCSA State Championship on the third playoff hole over Chester VandenBurg. With this victory, Dr. Frank qualifies for the 2026 Michigan Open thanks to the exemption offered by our friends at the Michigan PGA.
The low net champion was Matt Suzio, Superintendent at Whitefish Lake G.C. and Sales Rep for our Gold Partner SynaTek with a net 69.
This was the second year for a separate flight for the Assistant Superintendents State Championship. Defending Champion Eli VandenBrand, Assistant Superintendent at Cascade Hills C.C. shot 81 to tie Grant Kieft, Assistant Superintendent at Meadowbrook C.C. to an agreed upon shared title of Assistant Superintendent State Champion. Felicia Childs, Assistant Superintendent at Buck’s Run G.C. took low net with a score of 72.
Team Results
The Best 2 of 4 Net Team Game was a tight race:
-
Matthew Suzio, Mike Gianopoulos, Drew Peddie & Kyle Slocum: -12 (132)
-
Scott Wilkinson, Eric Cowan, Paul Trierweiler & Kyle Trierweiler: -12 (132) —Tie broken by lowest handicap hole.
-
Shaun Maher, Craig Kooienga, Chester VandenBerg & Kevin Frank: -10 (134) —Tie broken by lowest handicap hole.
Individual Prize Winners
| Skins Game Winners |
Hole(s) Won |
Score |
| Matthew Suzio, Mike Gianopoulos, Drew Peddie & Kyle Slocum |
8, 18 |
Net 4, Net 6 |
| Eli VandenBrand, RJ Karsnick, Felicia Childs & Lauren Crownover |
1, 6 |
Net 5, Net 5 |
| Scott Wilkinson, Eric Cowan, Paul Trierweiler, Kyle Trierweiler |
2, 3 |
Net 6, Net 7 |
| Shaun Maher, Craig Kooienga, Chester VandenBerg & Kevin Frank |
5 |
Net 6 |
| Jack Selon, James Higgs, Joshua Higgs & Grant Kieft |
9 |
Net 6 |
| Brett Roberts, Tyler Cooper, Kris Kalil & Scott Mincher |
14 |
Net 7 |