Praet wins Gam Mid-Amateur

David Praet makes Eagle on 18th Hole, wins Gam Mid-Amateur Championship

Harbor Springs-David Praet from Lake Orion rolled in a 50-foot eagle putt on the PAR 5 Final Hole to win the 43rd GAM Mid-Amateur Championship presented by Stifel Investment Services in the Highlands at Harbor Springs Thursday.

The 39-year-old investment banker came to the 18th hole of the Moor race with Ryan Johnson from Bloomfield Hills and Anthony Sorentino by Rochester Hills with one shot. He hit a 193-yard 6-iron second shot deep in the large green and then made the long eagle peat to close a final round 1-under 69, which catapulted him in the pipe.

Johnson, who had led most of the round, made par at the last hole and ended with a 70 to 139. Also at 139, Sorentino, who had also acted 18 in a group Vooruit to shoot a closing 68.

“This means everything,” said Praet, a member of Indianwood Golf & Country Club. “I have been playing Golf in Michigan for a long time, because I was a junior, needed a lot of amateur golf to concentrate on my career, then I have chosen it again. I just feel that this works a lot of hard work and determination. I feel that I am now one of the club.

More than 200 golfers played on the Moor and Hills jobs for two days, and in addition to the mid-amateur (golfers of 25 years and over), champions were determined in three other age categories (mid-seniors 45-over, seniors 55-over and super seniors 65-over).

The Mid-Senists trophy went to Sorentino, a triple past general champion. John Drewery of Ontario, who shot 69 before 146, was second-Seniors second. Middle seniors are also part of the overall competition.

Kevin Vandenberg, a resident of Michigan, Pulaski NY, resident, summer member and past General Champion (2000), won the Senior Division for the second time. He shot a last 1-over 73 on the Hillsbaan for 145 and won through two shots.

Steve Nichols van East Lansing came in second after a 76 to 147, and Glen McCoy from Port Huron finished third after a 76 to 148.

Randy Lewis van Alma, a member of the Golf Hall of Fame in Michigan who won the general title in 1998, won the Super Senior Division for the second consecutive year.

He shot a 72 for 144 and finished just before Matt Wiley van Allen Park, who shot 74 for 145.

Praet, who previously won a GAM tournament of champions, called the victory his biggest. He missed a large part of the past year with a back injury, and on Wednesday he hurt his wrist after he had hit a tree root during a shot on Hole Seven.

“I was four shots back (the 11th hole) and my wrist that I had adjusted had worked out itself,” he said. “I thought some birdies will come in and who knows what will happen.”

He made two Birdies and the eagle, shot 4 under in the last six holes, and said it was great to be in hunting.

“It was nice to be in the mix and compete, and I just had a really good line on the Eagle Putt,” he said. “To be honest, you just try to go there in two, but it found the gap.”

Vandenberg, who came to the center of the amateur after what he called a disappointing appearance in the American senior amateur in San Antonio, said he played much better in the Highlands.

“I did very well today, started really well,” he said. “I had a few bogeys on the back, but I had a pillow and could come in.”

A resident of Kalamazoo, he likes to come home in Michigan for the center of AM.

“It’s great to see my friends, all Gam people and this weekend I play in the Kircher Cup (Boyne Golf event),” he said. “I would like to get this to this. Winning contributes.”

Lewis said he was not coming to the Highlands and thought he could win the super senior title again this year. He has worked on swing changes for the past nine months and hoped to break 80 in his rounds.

“But for whatever reason, it was really good,” he said. “It was really good yesterday, and pretty good today with the windy circumstances. It feels great. It is a kind of confirmation that my swing changes are starting to come together, and I think it’s great here. I always want to win at Boyne. It’s an iconic place.”

Results: gam.org or golf genius app.