EAST LANSING – The 105th edition of the Michigan Open Championship will feature a new title sponsor, the Michigan Section PGA announced today.
The Hall Financial Michigan Open Championship presented by Turtle Creek Casino and Caesars Sportsbook will be played June 13-16 on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
“We are proud to be a growing Michigan company and this is a great event in our state that I felt we could and should support,” said David Hall, president and CEO of Michigan-based Hall Financial and an accomplished amateur golfer who has competed in multiple Michigan Opens.
“It’s great to have the golf community learn more about us, but that’s really second to the fact that supporting golf means a lot to me personally. This is really a combination of giving back to golf and with it continuing to build our brand at Hall Financial.”
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, which has three golf courses, will be hosting the Michigan Open for the 33rd time, and this will be the 30th time the state championship has been contested on The Bear, a celebrated Jack Nicklaus design.
Hall has played in Michigan Open championships on The Bear and other venues, played for the University of Michigan, competed in multiple U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur championships as well as several Michigan Amateur Championships where he reached the quarterfinals in 2018. He is a past champion of the Michigan Medal Play Championship and in 1995 was the Golf Association of Michigan’s Player of the Year.
“I had a couple of top-10s (finishes) in the Michigan Open when I was younger,” Hall said. “It just means a lot to me as a golfer and to the other golfers in Michigan, and the Bear is an awesome venue. I’ve been a huge fan of that golf course for 30 years.”
Kevin Helm, executive director of the Michigan Section PGA, said they are thrilled to have Hall Financial come aboard as a title sponsor.
“We want to welcome Hall Financial to the Michigan PGA family and with their help we can continue to present a premier championship event,” he said. “We know David as a golfer but also as a sharp business guy and it’s great he has an appreciation and knowledge of what the Hall Financial Michigan Open Championship can be going forward. Hall Financial is a great brand and it being tied to our event can only take the tournament to even greater heights.”
Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel, title sponsor the last two years, is a presenting sponsor this year along with Caesars Sportsbook. The purse for the 2022 championship is yet to be determined.
Last June on The Bear, Bradley Smithson of Grand Rapids, a Michigan State University golfer, used playoff dramatics and three consecutive birdies to win the 104th Open. He was just the sixth amateur in history to win the state championship, and Ann Arbor teaching pro Patrick Wilkes-Krier, the runner-up, received the first-place money of $12,000 from the $80,000 purse for professionals.
First played in 1916, the Michigan Open annually attracts the top professional and amateur golfers in the state and its list of winners includes golf legends Walter Hagen, Al Watrous, Chuck Kocsis, Horton Smith and Dave Hill, and more recent Michigan Golf Hall of Fame inductees Randy Erskine, Buddy Whitten, Lynn Janson, Jeff Roth, Tom Gillis and Scott Hebert. Recent PGA Tour winner Ryan Brehm is also a three-time winner of the historic James D. Standish Jr. trophy.
ABOUT HALL FINANCIAL: David Hall started in the mortgage business in 1996 and his passion for the business and his clients has never been stronger. After working for others for over 20 years, David started Hall Financial in 2016 with the core mission to be the most client-focused mortgage company in the industry. Media contact for Hall Financial: Mark Gildersleeve, Vice-President-Marketing & Strategy, 248-590-0131, mgildersleeve@hallfg.com. Website:callhallfirst.com
ABOUT GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT & CASINOS: Owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos offers world-class gaming, golf, dining, and spa amenities in the northwest corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The premier properties include Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, and Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge. Media contact for Grand Traverse Resort: Caroline Rizzo, public relations manager, 231-534-6352, crizzo@gtresort.com. Website: grandtraverseresort.com
