JP Levan of Grand Rapids Wins GAM Boys’ Championship in Playoff

   JP Levan of Grand Rapids made a 15-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff with Harris Hoekwater, also of Grand Rapids, to win the GAM Boys’ Championship at Washtenaw Golf Club.

   It was the second win of the season for Levan, an East Grand Rapids High School golfer who also won the Michigan Junior Amateur earlier this summer, and just narrowly missed the cut in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

   Levan shot a 72 to go with his 3-under 69 from the first round for a 141 total, and Hoekwater, a South Christian High School golfer who won the 15-and-under title a year ago at this tournament, rallied with birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to shoot 69 and force the playoff.

   “I hit a drive, pretty far left there, but ended up hitting a good hybrid up there and got up and down for the birdie with a good putt,” Levan said about the third playoff hole. 

GAM 14 & UNDER MATCH PLAY: Watson Mercier of Novi, Belen Berishaj of Birmingham Win

  LANSING – Watson Mercier of Novi and Belen Berishaj of Birmingham emerged as champions of the 9th GAM 14 & Under Match Play Championship at Woodside Golf Course.

  Mercier, 13, topped the field of boys after beating Leland DeKorver of Jenison 1-up in the nine-hole championship match, and Berishaj, 12, topped the field of girls with a 2 and 1 nine-hole championship match win over Eleanor O’Grady of Grand Rapids.

   It was Mercier’s second GAM title. He won the GAM 12-and-Under Championship last summer.

   In the girls’ competition, Berishaj became a first-time GAM winner, though she did reach match play in the Michigan Junior Girls’ Amateur earlier this summer.

  “It’s really special to win,” she said, noting she lost to the eventual 15-and-under Michigan Girls’ Junior Amateur champion Cameron Baker in her previous match play experience. “This time I was able to beat a really good player.”