Michigan Open Winners

The Michigan Open was first played in 1916 and over the years has garnered an impressive list of Champions.

The inaugural Michigan Open was won by Leo Diegel at age 17. Diegel, who was born in Wayne County, Michigan, went on to win two PGA Championships. He also played in the inaugural Ryder Cup and Masters Tournaments.

The great Walter Hagen won the title in 1921. Hagen had served as the head professional at Oakland Hills from 1918 – 1919, but by 1921 was the sport’s only full-time, unaffiliated professional. Hagen won one of his five PGA Championships the same year. Eventually, Hagen retired to Traverse City, Michigan, where he died in 1969.

Noted amateur George Von Elm was the champion in 1928. Von Elm won the US Amateur in 1926 when it was considered a Major, famously battling Bobby Jones in a year when Jones had won both the US and British Opens.

Al Watrous, who had eight PGA Tour victories in the 1920s and 1930s was a six time winner of the Michigan Open. Watrous, too, had a connection to Bobby Jones. During the 1926 Open Championship, Watrous was tied with Jones in the final round until the 17th hole, eventually finishing second. Watrous won the PGA Senior Championship three times.

Horton Smith, winner of the 1954 Michigan Open won the first and third Masters. (Which along with Leo Diegel provides yet another Bobby Jones connection).

Chuck Kocsis, winner of three Michigan Opens, was voted by the Golf Association of Michigan as the state’s “Amateur Golfer of the Century.” Kocsis won six Michigan Amateurs, was a member of three Walker Cup Teams and two NCAA Championship teams at the University of Michigan. He also was low Amateur in two Masters and two US Opens.

Professional golfer Dave Hill, a native of Jackson, Michigan, won the Michigan Open in 1959. Hill would go on to win thirteen times on the PGA TOUR, and was a member of the 1969, 1973 and 1977 Ryder Cup Teams.

Mike Souchak won the Michigan Open in 1967. He won eleven times on the PGA Tour.

In recent years, the Michigan Open has been dominated by Scott Hebert, professional at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club, who has six wins. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Michigan Open saw five wins by Randy Erskine, who played on the PGA TOUR from 1974 to 1979.

The complete list of Michigan Open winners follows: