Schlicher is a 2025 GAM Player of the Year

GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lewiston’s Lori Schlicher tops the 2025 senior women’s points list

FARMINGTON HILLS – Lori Schlicher of Lewiston gets her winter training not on an indoor golf course, but by chopping wood.

She has a wood stove to heat her home, in addition to an oven when needed, but in winter she prefers to chop and burn for warmth.

“I keep the fire burning in the house,” she said, laughing.

The 64-year-old Garland Lodge & Golf Resort member burned up the competition in 2025 by winning the Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur, the GAM Women’s Senior Championship and the GAM Senior Tournament of Champions for the third year in a row.

These performances propelled her to the top of the Golf Association of Michigan points list, and she has been named the 2025 GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Ted Newton, director of tournament administration, announced today.

Player of the Year point totals can be found in a drop-down menu on the PLAY tab on GAM.org. Carl’s Golfland is the presenting sponsor of the points lists.

Last week, the GAM announced Elayna Bowser of Dearborn as Women’s Player of the Year and Caleb Bond of Williamston as Men’s Player of the Year, and in the coming weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year across gender and age categories.

Schlicher is the Senior Women’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row and is excited to try to do it three times in a row.

“I learned this year that you get points in qualifying (US Senior Women’s Amateur), so now I feel like I have to try everything,” she said. “I’m not getting any younger, so I’m trying to get it while I still have it.”

Schlicher was a medalist early in the golf season in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier at Spring Meadows. She said her 1-over 73 was the highlight performance of the season.

“It was tough and I only had one bad hole, but I played really well the rest of the round and that put me in the (national) tournament for the first time,” she said. “I’ve had other good rounds, but this one stands out.”

The mother of four and grandmother of seven cited her golf season as one of her few cringe-worthy moments.

“I was pretty consistent this year,” she said. “I still have things to work on. I could have played better coming into the (U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Virginia), and I know I’m feeling things in my muscles that I didn’t feel before. I’m working on that to be ready for next season. And I’m going to chop wood and maybe go to Florida for a few weeks like last year.”

Newton said Schlicher has been the most consistent player among the senior women in GAM tournaments in recent years, and she has improved her game in 2025.

“She played very well, qualified for the US Senior Women’s Amateur, which is a significant achievement, and on top of that she is a great person who enjoys our tournaments and the other players enjoy competing with her,” he said. “She certainly wins battles on the field with her distance and ball striking. It is no surprise that she is player of the year.”

Schlicher’s three wins this season helped her earn 817.5 points and top the GAM points list.

Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, who won the GAM Women’s Mid-Amateur Senior Division title and made match play at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, was second with 395 points.

Julie Massa of Pentwater with 315 points, Shelly Weiss of Southfield with 241.5 points and Donna Tepper of Grosse Pointe Park with 240 points rounded out the top five.

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