Michigan Amateur

The Michigan Amateur tournament is a true Michigan event. The first championship was held in Grand Rapids in 1906 and the tourney moved from there to Saginaw, Detroit, Flint, Jackson and up north for the first time at Charlevoix's Belvedere in 1930-31, joining Saginaw Country Club, Country Club of Detroit and Gull Lake Country Club as favored sites.

When the Detroit District Golf Association began conducting the Amateur after World War II, the tourney became centralized and rotated almost exclusively between Belvedere, Black River Country Club in Port Huron and the Country Club of Jackson.
Shortly after the GAM took over the Amateur, the move was made, permanently shifting the Amateur to Belvedere in 1963, Belvedere hosted the Amateur for 26 consecutive years. This was great, particularly for some of the participants, many of the governors, the press and some hangers-on in this venue. The surroundings are unmatched, the old course is testing and made to order for match play. In 1988 the return to moving the Amateur around the state widened the focus and the competition became more intense than ever.

In 2025, the Michigan Amateur will return in celebration of its 100th anniversary. There was always something always special about the tournament coming back to Belvedere on 40 occasions where it seemed to allow the older players a chance. For a variety of reasons it's great to get back to Belvedere in Charlevoix the Beautiful.

1930 – Chuck Kocsis (Detroit) def. James D. Standish, Jr. (Detroit) 9-7

1931 – Rex Bigelow (Jackson) def. Lawrence Wood (Detroit) 1 up

1935 – Bob Babbish (Detroit) def. Ed Novak (Traverse City) 36 holes

1940 – Zygmund Zawadzki (Detroit) def. Fred Kammer, Jr. (Detroit) 2 & 1

1941 – Sam Kocsis (Detroit) def. Ronnie Williams (Detroit) 3 & 2

1946 – Louis Wendrow (Lansing) def. Harold Brink (Grand Rapids) 1 up

1948 – Chuck Kocsis (Royal Oak) def. Ben Smith (Detroit) 1 up

1951 – Chuck Kocsis (Royal Oak) def. Ted Kuzma (Jackson) 4 & 3

1952 – Fred Turner (Flint) def. Dick Whiting (Royal Oak) 1 up, 36 holes

1953 – Reggie Myles, Jr. (East Lansing) def. Ed Ervasti (Royal Oak) 5 & 4, 36 holes

1957 – Lloyd Syron (Pontiac) def. John Kurach (Detroit) 3 & 2

1958 – Glenn Johnson (Grosse Ile) def. Tom Draper, Jr. (Berkley) 1 up

1963 – Melvin “Bud” Stevens (Detroit) def. Glenn Johnson (Grosse Ile) 1 up

1964 – Doug Hankey (St. Johns) def. Steve Uzelac (Detroit) 5 & 4

1965 – Melvin “Bud” Stevens (Detroit) def. Chris Mile (Stanton) 5 & 4

1966 – Robert Meyer (Niles) def. Cliff Taylor (Spring Lake) 5 & 4

1967 – William Newcomb (Ann Arbor) def. John Grace (Detroit) 3 & 2

1968 – Lynn Janson (East Lansing ) def. Don Stevens (Detroit) 5 & 4

1969 – Peter Green (Franklin) def. Mike Fedewa (Portland) 2 & 1

1970 – Dennis Vass (Jackson) def. Rod Sumpter (Grand Blanc) 1 up

1971 – John Grace (Detroit) def. Randy Erskine (Battle Creek) 4 & 2

1972 – Randy Erskine (Battle Creek) def. Mark Henrickson (Grand Blanc) 21 holes

1973 – Robert Chapman (Farmington) def. Dr. Wayne Kramer (Grand Blanc) 5 & 3

1974 – Rod Sumpter (Grand Blanc) def. Keith Mohan (Grand Blanc) 3 & 2

1975 – Dan Pohl (Mt. Pleasant) def. Melvin “Bud” Stevens (Detroit) 20 holes

1976 – Mike Hurley (Albion) def. Rick Vershure (Pontiac) 1 up

1977 – Dan Pohl (Mt. Pleasant) def. Mark Spiekerman (Saginaw) 4 & 2

1978 – John Morse (Marshall) def. Dr. Mark Engleman (Grand Blanc) 20 holes

1979 – Peter Green (Franklin) def. Steve Braun (Flint) 2 & 1

1980 – Steve Maddalena (Jackson) def. John Morse (Battle Creek) 5 & 4

1981 – Bill McDonald (Royal Oak) def. Jim Gittleman (West Bloomfield) 4 & 3

1982 – Dave Graulau (Alma) def. Mike Kerr (Livonia) 21 holes

1983 – John R. Johnson (Rochester) def. Mark Chapleski (Flushing) 3 & 2

1984 – Roy Schultheiss (Bay City) def. Mark Timyan (Grand Blanc) 19 holes

1985 – John Morgan (Birmingham) def. Peter Green (Franklin) 1 up

1986 – Peter Green (Franklin) def. Greg Reynolds (Grand Blanc) 3 & 2

1987 – Pat Chisholm (Birmingham) def. Pete Walz (Jackson) 19 holes

1988 – Dave VanLoozen (Union Lake) def. Darren Veitch (Livonia) 3 & 2

2003 – Colby Beckstrom (North Muskegon) def. A. J. Balulis (Baldwin) 5 & 3

2014 – Henry Do (Canton) def. Steve Anderson (Troy) 19 holes