GAM Men’s and Women’s SR Championships
Rick Crandall Wins Second Consecutive GAM Sr. Championship
By Greg Johnson
Rick Crandall of Fenton said winning a second consecutive GAM Senior Championship was a bit of a shocker.
“Golf has been a struggle most of this summer and really just started coming around,” he said. “So, I guess, perfect timing. I had four or five putts of about five feet for par, all really critical at the time, and I made them.”
Crandall shot a final-round 4-under 68 and won the 39th edition of the championship at Country Club of Jackson. Chris Bailey of Rochester and Steve Nichols of East Lansing each shot 72 for 142 to share second place, and three golfers, Mike Raymond of Jackson, who shot 71, Mike Ignasiak of Saline, who shot 71, and David LeVan of Ann Arbor, who shot 72, were next at 145.
It was Raymond, a Country Club of Jackson member, who was awarded the Super Senior Championship Trophy for players in the field age 65-and-over.
All 150 golfers played from the same set of tees and were eligible to win the overall title.
Lori Schlicher Wins Third Consecutive Michigan Women’s Sr. Amateur
Lori Schlicher of Lewiston won her third consecutive Michigan Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, but she said it isn’t getting any easier.
“It felt like some of the girls really stepped it up and came after me this year,” Schlicher said after topping Donna Tepper of Grosse Pointe Park 4 and 3 in the championship match of the 21st edition of the championship played at Sugar Springs Golf Club. “I like it here. It’s not far from home and I keep taking the (Jean Murray Trophy) home with me.”
Schlicher, who recently turned 64, had to fend off Shelly Weiss of Southfield in the morning semifinals, and it took 19 holes to do it. She won the extra hole to close out the match with a par.
In the other semifinal, Tepper, 55, turned back the Sugar Springs member, Kelly Freeman of Chesaning 7 and 6.
Immediately afterwards, Schlicher went to Virginia for the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at The Omni Homestead Resort.
