Michigan Golf Scene

Phil Gieseker Wins Medalist at the Dunham Hills
 U.S. Amateur Public Links Qualifier

     Players at the USGA Amateur Public Links Qualifier at Dunham Hills walked 36 competitive holes and the eventual winners could have sent everyone else home afterthe opening 18 and dueled out for medalist honors among themselves. Philip Gieseker, a college junior from Ann Arbor and Garrett Rank from Ontario beat out a hopeful amateur field that had a strong Michigan tilt to win the two highly coveted qualified invitations  to the U.S. Amateur Public Links championships being held at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah in July.

The USGA Will have complete Results: http://www.usga.org/news/qualifying/2012/APL-Sectional-Qualifying-Results/
Video Up on the Oakland Press and is archived on You Tube @ http://youtu.be/CWOQr6wB8h4

Timothy Fox Sizes up a Putt on 16

Gieseker, a junior on the Ohio Bobcats golf team, opened with a two under 69 on a course that was wet, windy and would be very comfortable with laying down a plastic mat from the game of Twister as players rarely have a lie that is not above or below your feet with the exception of the tee box. At that point he knew that if he played his game he would get one of the two qualifying spots.

Gieseker's two under score was posted for all to see but in a sport where you cannot earn a 36 hole tournament victory after the first round, but you can lose it. His second round was a 71 and his two round score of 140 was the only one of 54 golfers to finish under par. In the morning round, only 15 players turned in scores in the 70's after the first 18 and the second place finisher Garrett Camp carded a (70-74).

     The tournament included plenty of superb golfers from both the prep ranks and golfers hoping to live the dream of playing in a U.S.G.A event. One such prep player is Francesco Ruffino who had to wait for several minutes to play the 340 yard par four ninth. A pond guards the hole and the green runs in every direction hoping to take errant shots and turn birdie tries into bogey saves. Ruffino didn't need it. He drove the hole on the fly and put his tee shot four feet from  an ace. His eagle putt slid by but he made birdie. He put together a round of 75 but did not finish the second 18 as he withdrew.

U.S.G.A events are a game of attrition and of the 54 entered golfers, only 40 turned in scores for both rounds. Nick Dennis (Birmingham Brother Rice 2011 Grad.) put together solid rounds of 78-78. Kyle Aldrich of Lake Orion carded an opening round of 79. Marcus Myers of Pontiac was once a top high school player and showed some deft shot making at times. Timothy Fox of Oxford opened with a 70 before fading to a 77.

Video Coverage late Monday.