BACK NINE BLITZ: Tim Pearce Wins Michigan PGA Professional Championship

By Greg Johnson

    MUSKEGON – Tim Pearce, the head golf professional at Birmingham Country Club, has knocked on the door in major tournaments a handful of times in the last few years.

    This time he birdied his way through the door, shooting a closing 4-under 68 with a flawless back nine performance and won the 105th Michigan PGA Professional Championship by two shots at Muskegon Country Club.

    “I’ve tried so hard to win this so many times that today I kind of accepted that whatever the result, I just wanted to enjoy it,” he said. “I’m very happy. In a tournament like this someone has to just kind of break away, and it felt like all day we were kind of bunched up and no one was going to take it.”

    Then he took it, first by making back-to-back birdies via approach shots to within seven feet on the back-to-back par 5s, No. 13 and 14.

    “I took advantage of the par 5s, made good shots, and then with four holes to go I told myself to suck it up and hit some more good golf shots coming in,” he said, “because what else are you going to do?”

    Pearce’s final 68, which included a 33 on the back nine via birdies on holes 13, 14, 15 and 18, put him at 8-under 208.

   Matt Thompson, the teaching pro from Jonesville who led or shared the lead after the first two rounds, shot a closing 71 for 210, and tied for second with Nick Joy of High Pointe Golf Club near Traverse City, who shot 70. Ryan Lenahan of Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon shot 70 for 211 to finish fourth, on the same day the PGA of America announced he’s made the U.S. PGA Cup Team, which will represent the United States against golf professionals from Great Britain/Ireland in the 32nd PGA Cup in early October.