ROYAL OAK – Jack Versau of Portage won his first GAM trophy three weeks ago when he partnered with Nick Carbary of Kalamazoo to claim the GAM Four-Ball Championship.
On Monday he won his second, this time on his own as the winner of the GAM Tournament of Champions presented by OmniKinetics at Red Run Golf Club.
The 29-year-old accountant and controller at Kalamazoo Country Club made a 25-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff (hole No. 17) to turn back Eric Busa of Rochester Hills.
The duo had matched 2-under 70s in regulation play, and both just missed birdie putts and played to par on the first playoff hole (No. 1). Versau hit a 4-iron into the wind on the second playoff hole to 25 feet.
“As soon as I got up there I liked what I was looking at,” he said. “I was just short of pin high and it was uphill and right to left, which is always more comfortable for a right hander. I knew I could give it some pace. I saw the line, liked it and rolled it in.”
Following the twosome at 70 was Lyle Wolberg of Farmington Hills and Brett McBride of Bad Axe, who each shot 71.
“With just one round you never know and I didn’t have high expectations,” Versau said. “I was just out here to have fun and I played well. I had nine pars on the front and kind of kept it together, and then got it going on the back nine. I missed a short putt on 18 for birdie that I thought might be a deciding factor, but I was fortunate and got in the playoff.”
Versau said the Four-Ball win and the Tournament of Champions will prompt him to try and play in more championships next year.
“It will depend on time, but I had a good fall and I think I will try some of the bigger tournaments, like the Michigan Amateur,” he said. “I enjoyed playing today. It’s a good golf course.”
The field of golfers playing in the season-ending tournament Monday were eligible by having won a GAM member club championship or a GAM title during the 2019 golf season.
