HIGHLAND – The historic 100th Michigan PGA Professional Championship is Monday through Wednesday at Prestwick Village Golf Club.
The championship for Michigan PGA Section golf professionals will determine who takes home the first-place check from an estimated $54,000 purse, has their name added as the 100th champion to the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy and be awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
The championship also serves as the starting point and qualifier on the road to major championship golf with the best players in the world at the PGA Championship of 2022, which will be played in May at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
Defending champion Ben Cook of Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland, who was the celebrated low club professional finisher in the 2021 PGA Championship earlier this summer at Kiawah Island, S.C., heads the field of 122 professionals, including 12 past champions
A cut will be made to the low 60 scorers and ties after Tuesday’s second round in the 54-hole tournament.
The low nine golfers at the end of the tournament besides Cook, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy, Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club and Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club who are already exempt, will play in the 2022 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas.
The low 20 finishers from that national club pro championship move on to play with the best players in the world at next year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Cook and five-time champion Roth (1998, ’99, 2001, ’03, ’19) are two of the 12 former winners in the field at Prestwick Village.
The others are three-time winner Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center (1996, 2000, 2013), two-time winner Steve Brady of Oakland Hills Country Club (1993, ’95), two-time winner Barry Redmond of Chelsea (1990, ‘92), John Seltzer of Seltzer Golf School in Grand Rapids (2017), Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club (2015), Ron Beurmann of Country Club of Jackson (2010), Joe Pollack of Grand Rapids (2004), Tom Harding of Carl’s Golfland (1997), PGA Life Member Jack Seltzer of Flint (1988) and PGA Life Member John Traub of Berkley (1984).
Eight-time Michigan PGA Professional champion Hebert (2006, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’16) is not playing this year. He has accepted a sponsor’s exemption into the Ally Championship on the PGA Tour Champions the following week (Aug. 23-29) in Grand Blanc and is also exempt for the national PGA Professional Championship as a previous champion (2008).Prestwick Village, meanwhile, is making Michigan golf history for the second time. The private club surrounded by a family-focused community hosted the 100th playing of the Michigan Open Championship in 2017 as well as the 97th, 98th and 99th Opens. This is the first time it will host the Michigan PGA Professional Championship.
“Prestwick Village and its PGA professionals, course superintendent, maintenance staff and the club management and staff have a proven track record for hosting championships,” Justin Phillips, tournament director for the Michigan Section PGA, said.
“We had a great run with four Michigan Opens there and we expect the same kind of great tournament week this year. Most of our playing professionals are very familiar with the club’s great golf course and we know it will be a worthy site for the championship.”
Last year, Cook set a tournament scoring record of 20-under in the 99th Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Flint Golf Club, and he did it five days after getting married. He won by eight shots over 2017 champion John Seltzer of Seltzer Golf School in Grand Rapids.
The Michigan PGA Professional Championship dates to 1922 and past champions include golf legends Walter Hagen, Al Watrous and Chick Harbert.
The Michigan PGA Professional Championship is presented by Cadillac, ROLEX and Club Car with supporting sponsors Nike, TaylorMade, Titleist/Footjoy, the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour.
See michiganpga.com for more information, live scoring during the tournament and tee times. Gallery is welcome. Parking and admission are free. More information on Prestwick Village GC is available at pvgcc.com.
