Medalist Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills is cautious top seed at Michigan Am – The Oakland Press
Scott Strickland shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, for a two-round total of 7 under 135 to defend his lead in the Michigan Amateur on the Heather course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs and enter match play as the top seed. (Photo courtesy of the Golf Association of Michigan)
HARBOR SPRINGS – Scott Strickland said he always wants to score as low as possible and was honored to win the stroke play medal at the 113th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland on the Heather Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs.
“Winning a medal is great, but sometimes the number one ranking in match play that comes with it can be a curse,” the Bloomfield Hills resident said after shooting an even-par 71 on Tuesday to finish 7 under 135 after two rounds. “I just remember in the past sometimes a medalist would draw a great golfer who was just having a bad day in stroke play, so I’m cautious about that. There are so many good players in the field.”
Strickland, a 41-year-old senior vice president at Stanley Morgan, laid the foundation for the top seed award with a 7-under-par first-round score on Monday. As the top seed, his name will be engraved on the historic Chuck Kocsis Medalist Trophy and he will face the 64th seed in the first match of the round of 64 on Wednesday.
Matt Otsby of Kingsley, who shot 79 in the second round, secured 64th place by surviving a two-hole playoff of 10 golfers at 152 for the final five spots. The group played hole 18 twice, with Otsby making a bogey to secure last place. Ironically, his brother Paul Otsby of Westland was the last golfer to be eliminated.
Strickland, a two-time GAM Mid-Amateur champion and 2013 GAM champion, finished three strokes ahead of the field.
Evan McDermott, a University of Nebraska golfer from Spring Lake, shot 70 out of 138, tying Joe Montpas of Flushing, who shot 68.
Montpas was the top amateur at the Michigan Open Championship at Oakland University last week, finishing tied for third, five strokes behind champion Eric Lilleboe of Okemos, a PGA Tour Americas player.
Charles DeLong of DeWitt and Texas Tech, co-medalist in 2022, shot 70 of 139, tied with Ian Masih, a golfer from Okemos High School who shot 69.
Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph, a semifinalist a year ago, and Evan Johnson of Grosse Ile, a Northwood University golfer, followed with 141 strokes. Zerbel shot 70 in the second round and Johnson shot 71.
Strickland said the wind was strong throughout and the course was a little more difficult to play than it was on Monday. He was over par for most of the round but made birdies on two of his final three holes.
“There were some really good pin positions out there,” he said. “And I think for me it’s always a challenge to keep going after a really good round, so I probably made a couple defensive shots where I was just trying to kind of direct the ball rather than just letting it go. Luckily, I played well the second nine holes and was able to get back to even. I made some good shots, the drives that you really have to have out there. I’m not disappointed to ever hit even par on The Heather, and I would have done it earlier in the day.”
Strickland has reason to be concerned about his position as the top seed. Three times in the last six Michigan Amateurs, the top seed has been beaten by the 64th seed. DeLong was co-medalist and top seed in 2022 but lost in the first round. Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor, the 2020 champion, won a medal in 2021, losing to the 64th seed. And in 2018, Andrew Walker of Battle Creek set the championship stroke play record of 131 with rounds of 65 and 66 at the Country Club of Detroit but lost in the first round to No. 64.
“The goal is always to get into match play and then play consistently, stay solid, stay consistent and be there every shot, every hole and the match,” Strickland said. “I feel good about my game and it’s not a bad thing to see your name on a cool trophy.”
The winners of the morning round on Wednesday will advance to the afternoon round of the last 32 to determine the celebrated “Sweet 16”. The round of 16 and quarterfinals will take place on Thursday and the semifinals and final are scheduled for Friday.
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