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Novi’s John Morgan repeats as GAM Super Senior champion – The Morning Sun

VaselineJuly 17, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Novi’s John Morgan repeats as GAM Super Senior champion – The Morning Sun

Novi’s John Morgan poses with the championship trophy after winning the 10th GAM Super Senior Championship at Apple Mountain Golf Club on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Golf Association of Michigan)

FREELAND – Competition brings out the best in Novi’s John Morgan, who proved to be the best again by winning the 10th GAM Super Senior Championship presented by Saint John’s Resort at Apple Mountain Golf Club on Tuesday.

Morgan, a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, won the 65-and-older category for the second straight year after shooting a final-round 73 (even-par 144).

He defeated the 2018 and 2019 champion, Ian Harris of Bloomfield, by one stroke. Harris also closed with a 73.

Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake, the 2020 champion, who led in the first round, shot a 78 and finished third with a 147. Mitch Wilson of Portage, who shot a 77, was next with a 149.

“I wasn’t playing great coming in, so I’m really happy that I played well in the tournament,” Morgan said. “I’ve always been fortunate that I can get my focus back for tournaments, and I play better in tournaments than I do in practice rounds. So it worked out well.”

The day also turned out well for Caledonia’s Mark Ochsankehl, who won The Legends Division (70+) by shooting a closing 73 for 145.

Michael Parker of Lapeer, who posted a 70, was second at 147. Dan Hughes of Saginaw, who posted a 78, and Terry Moore of Grand Rapids, the 2015 Super Senior winner, who posted a 77, tied at 152.

“It’s still fun to compete and I know I can compete with my peers,” said Ochsankehl, who was the Super Senior Division winner at the 2019 GAM Senior Championship. “I had some nerves at the end, but I overcame them and that was good. It was fun.”

Morgan, a Michigan amateur champion, two-time GAM champion and GAM Player of the Decade in the 1980s, said he did some research on his golf resume last year when he won.

“I went back and looked at tournaments that I had played in and won, and I had won nine times,” he said. “So I think, I want to win 10 times. And this was the attempt and it’s a great honor to win.”

Morgan said he didn’t know how he was doing during the round, but he figured someone must have played well.

“I don’t look at the scores because I’m not going to change the way I play,” he said. “I just add them up and finish, and I was lucky. I probably hit my irons as good as I’ve hit them all year. My irons were right on the flag or in the position where I wanted to hit them. I didn’t make any putts, but I hit them well and today was enough. I can’t complain about that.”

According to Ochsankehl, the course, wet weather and wind posed a major challenge in the second round.

“Overall it was just fun,” he said. “When I got to the end of the stretch I was getting a little nervous and I made a nice chip from the green on 16. That was a big birdie. That put me in the lead and I was able to finish from there.”

Both champions were full of praise for the Apple Mountain course.

“I loved everything about it,” Morgan said.

A Grand Legends trophy for golfers aged 75 and over was awarded to Birmingham’s Roger Cummings, who hit two 79s for a round of 158.

VaselineJuly 17, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Vaseline

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