2017 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Savannah Haque of Rochester Hills is Top 15-and-under Girl
FARMINGTON HILLS – Savannah Haque worked hard with her wedges in 2017 and good results followed.
Haque, a Rochester Hills resident and sophomore at Rochester High School, is the 2017 Golf Association of Michigan 15-and-under Girls Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
“I’m kind of amazed I won because I didn’t think I was in the running,” she said. “I didn’t play in that many GAM tournaments, but I was very happy with my golf season. I was able to get some wins and top threes. It was my goal for the summer to play my best, and I did that.”
Haque is the final age group Player of the Year for 2017 to be announced by the GAM. Previously announced were Tom Werkmeister of Grandville and Aya Johnson of North Muskegon as the men’s and women’s players of the year, Randy Lewis of Alma and Julie Massa of Holt as the top seniors, Rick Hagenbach of South Lyon as the top super senior (age 65-plus), Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe and Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield as the top juniors and Brockton English of Shelby Township as the top 15-and-under boy.
The winners will receive their awards in the spring at the GAM’s annual meeting. Honorees are determined based on the GAM Honor Roll, which awards points for tournament accomplishments.
Haque, who won the GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship and is a GAM member through the Oakland University Golf & Learning Center, collected 560 Honor Roll points. She finished just ahead of Anci Dy of Traverse City and Traverse City West High School, who collected 553 points. Anci’s sister Anika, Allison Cui of Okemos High School and Nicole Whatley of Northville and Fox Hills Learning Center rounded out the top five. Complete honor roll lists can be found at gam.org under the championships tab.
Haque is the youngest of three daughters of Zahir and Yasmina Haque. Her sister Veronica, who is also a regular GAM player, is a freshman golfer at Oakland University. She said having sisters who play golf (Jazmin, Veronica) has helped her become a better golfer.
“Having older sisters definitely pushed me to work at golf, and my parents have been so supportive of me playing in tournaments and practicing,” she said.
Savannah, who travels with Veronica to DeWitt Golf Center periodically to work with PGA teaching professional Jamie Wiest, said the highlights of her year included winning the 14-and-under Match Play and finishing second in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division 1 state championship tournament to Anika Dy.
“The work on my short game and my wedges really helped me improve through the year,” she said.
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
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