GAM Player of the Year: Julie Massa

GAM Player of the Year: Julie Massa Top Senior Woman for Third Consecutive Year

FARMINGTON HILLS – Julie Massa of Holt added to her golf trophy collection in dramatic fashion in 2017 by winning the GAM Senior Women’s Championship, the Michigan Women’s Senior Championship and the Michigan Women’s Golf Association State Championship.

“To get them all in one year was really exciting,” she said. “It was a good summer. I played well and I was pleased.”

Massa, 54 and a Forest Akers Golf Course member, is the Michigan Senior Women’s Player of the Year for the third consecutive year, Ken Hartmann, senior director of rules and competitions for the GAM announced today.

Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce other age group players of the year for 2017. Tom Werkmeister of Grandville and Aya Johnson of North Muskegon were previously announced as the men’s and women’s players of the year, and Randy Lewis of Alma was named the top senior male. The winners will receive their awards in the spring at the GAM’s annual meeting for 2017. Honorees are determined based on the GAM Honor Roll, which awards points for tournament accomplishments.

Massa topped the Honor Roll with a career-high 945 points. Audrey Akins of LaSalle and Carl’s Golfland was second with 455, which was fitting. It was Akins who she beat by one shot in the GAM Senior Women’s Championship and Akins who she played against in the Michigan Women’s Senior Championship’s title match. Massa won 1-up with a dramatic chip-in on the final hole.

“There was great competition with Audrey and all the other great players, which made it a lot of fun,” Massa said. “I feel really fortunate that I came out on top in those tournaments. I go out and try to play my own game and the golf course, but it means more when you win against great, great players and competitors.”

Rounding out the top five were Barb Schmid of Grand Rapids and Egypt Valley Country Club, Terry Delcamp of Grand Blanc and Atlas Valley Country Club and Shelly Weiss of Southfield and the Michigan Women’s Golf Association. The complete Honor Roll listings can be found at gam.org.

Hartmann said Massa has become the top senior with a consistent golf game.

“I put her in that same caliber as Randy Lewis,” he said. “She is a great player, grinds it out, never throws in the towel and is friendly and positive when she plays. Her game is solid. I don’t see deterioration, and when she plays with the better players she is definitely going to play better.”

The mother of three daughters said a highlight of her season was qualifying for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship for the fifth time, and getting to play this time in her native state of Oregon at Waverley Country Club in Portland. She made it to match play and lost in her first match.

“I grew up in Oregon so my whole family was there to come out and watch,” she said. “I had played Waverley before when growing up and it is just a beautiful setting. Even though I lost my first match, it was the highlight of the summer I think for me.”

ABOUT THE GAM: Founded in 1919, the Golf Association of Michigan is the governing body for amateur golf in the state. As a not-for-profit organization, the GAM’s purpose is to promote, preserve and serve the game of golf. The GAM, served by over 250 dedicated volunteers provides membership to almost 60,000 golfers and more than 470 Michigan golf courses, conducts over 30 amateur championships, oversees 18 USGA qualifying events, administers the GAM/USGA Handicap System and measures and rates almost 70 courses a year for the USGA. Learn more at www.gam.org.

via Greg Johnson