Katke Golf Course Hosting 46th Michigan Junior State Amateur

Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course Hosting 46th Michigan Junior State Amateur

  BIG RAPIDS – Katke Golf Course at Ferris State University for the first time will host the top junior boy golfers in the 46th Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship starting Monday.

  The field of 108 golfers, ages 18-and-under, has been determined by past performance and through sectional qualifiers. They will compete for the overall championship or in an age 15-and-under division through Thursday.

  Katke serves as home to Ferris State University’s landmark Professional Golf Management Program. It also serves the golfing students of FSU as well as serves as the home of the Ferris State men’s and women’s NCAA Division II golf teams.

  In addition, it is the home of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in its indoor/outdoor award-winning practice facility, the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center.

  It features 21 holes of golf, on the highest point in Mecosta County on a rolling landscape with a blend of links-style and tree-lined holes and was designed by Indiana-based Robert Beard. The course plays to 6,967 yards maximum with five tee position options.

  Katke has received multiple awards including being named a Top 100 Golf Practice Facility in America by Golf Range Magazine and being chosen as the Mecosta County People’s Choice Award for favorite golf range and favorite course.

  Brian Corwin, a 1996 Professional Golf Management graduate of FSU, is the head golf professional and Tony Geib is the superintendent.

  The golfers playing in the overall division will play 36 holes of stroke play Monday to determine a medalist and top seed to lead the low scoring 32 golfers into the match play bracket.

  A 15-and-under division is also being presented starting Tuesday with 18 holes of stroke play.

  In the overall division, first-round or round of 32 matches are Tuesday with second round and quarterfinals on Wednesday. Semifinal and championship match rounds for both age divisions will be held on Thursday.

  Last year at A-Ga-Ming Resort in Kewadin, Will Preston of Grand Rapids beat Connor Fox of Lake Orion 3 and 1 in the championship match on the Sundance Course, and Troy Nguyen of Macomb beat Cooper Reitsma of Ada 3 and 1 to win the 15-and-under championship.

  Preston, committed to Penn State University’s golf team, is returning to defend his title, and Max VanderMolen of Richland, who won the overall title in 2022 at age 14, is also in the field.

  Fox, Nguyen, Reitsma and Drew Miller of East Lansing, a recent semifinalist in the Michigan Amateur Championship who is headed to Michigan State University, are in the field as well.

 INFORMATION, SCORES: GAM.org