Hailey Hrynewich: GAM Women’s Player of the Year

Hailey Hrynewich of Muskegon has been named Golf Association of Michigan Women’s Player of the Year for 2015.

Hailey, who plays collegiate golf at Ohio University, earned low amateur honors in the Michigan Women’s Open and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She was one of  three medalists in the Michigan Women’s Amateur and finished runner-up in the championship.

Her runner-up finish in the Michigan Women’s Amateur was the key part of her 555 points that topped the GAM Honor Roll and earned her the Player of the Year award. The Muskegon Country Club golfer will receive the award in the spring at the GAM’s annual meeting.

Allyson Geer of Brighton and Oak Pointe Country Club, who topped Hailey in a 19-hole dramatic final at the Michigan Women’s Amateur at Spring Lake Country Club last summer, was second with 475 points.

Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett and Forest Akers Golf Course was third with 283. She is he head women’s golf coach at Michigan State University and won a record eighth GAM Mid-Amateur title.

Julie Guckian of Linden and Spring Meadows Country Club, a Grand Valley State University golfer, was third with 275. She won the GAM Championship.

Avery Rochester, a Northern Michigan University golfer from Marquette, rounded out the top five with 235 points.

Ryan Johnson of New Boston was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year last week, finishing just ahead of Hailey’s brother Reed. The Players of the Year for men and women seniors and boys and girls juniors will be announced in the next few weeks.

Hailey was the GAM Girls Junior Player of the Year just a year ago, and said winning the women’s honor this year reflects what she called her best summer of golf.

“I seemed to play well in all the big events, and so did Reed,” she said. “It feels great to be recognized because I really worked hard on my game and had great focus on being the best player I could be.”

She thanked her brother Reed for helping her with swing changes. The siblings are left-handed golfers.

“He is even more of a perfectionist than I am and he has worked really hard on his swing and helped me with mine,” she said.

“It helped me hit much better approach shots, and get a lot more opportunities for birdie. He made me be more disciplined working on my game because he was so disciplined in doing it.”

Hailey, 21 and a junior at Ohio University, is studying sports broadcasting and would love to one day be a golf commentator. She said the great summer of play has her also considering the possibility of professional golf.

“It will depend on how much I keep improving, and how well I do in tournaments,” she said. “But I’m thinking more about it.”

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 as well as nine full-time staff, provides membership to more than 55,000 golfers and more than 470 Michigan golf courses, conducts over 30 amateur championships, oversees 15 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/GAM