HIGHLAND – The Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Team trailed the Michigan Section PGA Team 4-2 after morning four-ball matches but rallied in singles matches to win the 49th Fuller Cup Matches Tuesday at Prestwick Village Golf Club.
Seven singles wins and a tie out of the 12 afternoon matches proved to be just enough for the GAM to win 9.5 to 8.5. It was the fourth consecutive win for GAM and eighth in the last 12 years. The PGA leads the all-time series 34-13-2.
The matches featuring top amateur golfers representing the GAM and top PGA professionals representing the Michigan Section have squared off since 1971. The current format is six four-ball matches and 12 singles matches.
The GAM’s Anthony Sorentino of Rochester Hills, playing in the last singles match still on the course, pulled out a 1-up win over Josh Fryer of Franklin Hills Country Club to provide the clinching one-point margin of victory.
The GAM’s August Meekhof of Eastmanville proved to be the only two-point scorer for the GAM on the day. The Michigan State University golfer and Eastern Michigan University golfer Tyler Rayman won the only full point for the GAM in the morning four-ball play when they beat Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy and Scott Cook of Thornapple Pointe 5 and 4. The GAM got their other morning point out of two tied matches worth one-half point each.
The three PGA points in the morning came from the duos of Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club and Scott Brotebeck of Flint Golf Club, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club and Gary Lewandowski of Tullymore Golf Resort, and Fryer and Matt Zavadil of Oakland University Golf & Learning Center. Pearce ended up being the only two-point scorer for the PGA when he beat Ryan Johnson of the GAM 4 and 3 in singles.
The format has changed over the years, but the matches are presented to promote sportsmanship, friendship and quality golf among professionals and amateurs. The matches are named for the late Ernest Fuller, a Michigan golf course developer. The GAM team is selected through the use of the GAM Honor Roll and availability and the PGA selects its team via money list standing and availability.
FootJoy was the clothing sponsor for the matches.
Dan Ellis of East Lansing, the associate head men’s golf coach at Michigan State, was a last-minute substitute for U.S. Amateur winner James Piot of Canton and MSU on the GAM team. Piot had to take a test in one of his classes and withdrew. He did show up later in the day with his U.S. Amateur trophy to take part in post-match festivities.
49th Fuller Cup Matches
Tuesday, Oct. 12
Prestwick Village Golf Club
Morning Four-Ball
GAM players on left, PGA on right
TIED James Piot, Bradley Smithson vs. Chad Kurmel, John Seltzer
PGA Wins 4 and 3 Ryan Johnson, John Quigley vs. Tim Pearce, Scott Brotebeck
PGA Wins 3 and 2 Tyler Copp, Charlie DeLong vs. Scott Hebert, Gary Lewandowski
PGA Wins 2 and 1 Anthony Sorentino, Brad Bastion vs. Josh Fryer, Matt Zavadil
TIED Mike Anderson, Jimmy Chestnut vs. Brian Cairns, Josh Proben
GAM Wins 5 and 4 Tyler Rayman, August Meekhof vs. Jeff Roth, Scott Cook
PGA 4, GAM 2
Afternoon Singles
TIED Dan Ellis vs. Chad Kurmel
PGA Wins 1-up Bradley Smithson vs. John Seltzer
PGA Wins 4 and 3 Ryan Johnson vs. Tim Pearce
GAM Wins 3 and 1 John Quigley vs. Scott Brotebeck
GAM Wins 2 and 1 Tyler Copp vs. Scott Hebert
GAM Wins 1-up Charlie DeLong vs. Gary Lewandowski
GAM Wins 1-up Anthony Sorentino vs. Josh Fryer
GAM Wins 3 and 1 Brad Bastion vs. Matt Zavadil
PGA Wins 3 and 2 Mike Anderson vs. Brian Cairns
GAM Wins 6 and 5 Jimmy Chestnut vs. Josh Proben
PGA Wins 2-up Tyler Rayman vs. Jeff Roth
GAM Wins 4 and 3 August Meekhof vs. Scott Cook
Singles GAM 7.5, PGA 4.5
FINAL SCORE: GAM 9.5, PGA 8.5
