PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brockton English of Shelby Township is Top 15-and-under Boy
FARMINGTON HILLS – Brockton English said he was ranked No. 7,200 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings at the start of the 2017 golf season, but No. 3,800 by the end.
“I improved,” he said.
English, a Shelby Township resident and freshman at Notre Dame Preparatory in Pontiac, is the 2017 Golf Association of Michigan 15-and-under Boys Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, senior director of rules and competitions, announced today.
“I’m surprised I’m player of the year because of the great players I’m competing against like Davis Codd and Cameron Cowland, who are at the top of the national rankings and stuff,” he said. “I did have a lot of top finishes though. I had a good stretch of tournaments in the summer.”
Also today, the 15-and-under Girls Player of the Year will be announced, which will wrap of the GAM Player of the Year honors for 2017. 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), and Patrick Sullivan of Grosse Pointe and Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield as the top juniors.
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.
English, who is a GAM member through his high school team, collected 456 Honor Roll points. He finished just ahead of Davis Codd of Brighton and Oak Pointe Country Club, who had 413. Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Twin Lakes Golf Club, Vimal Alokam of Ypsilanti and Leslie Park Golf Course and Cameron Cowland of Dexter and the Polo Fields rounded out the top five. Complete honor roll lists can be found at gam.org under the championships tab.
English, the son of James and Gina English, highlighted his season with a runner-up finish to Codd in the GAM 15-and-Under Match Play Championship, a tie for third in the GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship and a runner-up in the Meijer Tour Championship.
“In the spring I wasn’t playing well,” he said. “I didn’t have a round better than 81 for a while. Then I took some time off. Then in late June to early August, I never shot over 81. I kept placing in the top five in tournaments, which was really a good for me.”
English said breaking into the win column will be next summer’s goal. He learned the game from his father, a single-digit handicap golfer, and they plan to select a teacher to work with to help him get to the next level. College golf is a goal and professional golf the dream.
“I’ve tagged along to the range with my dad since I was 5 or so, but really didn’t think about being a good player until a few years ago,” he said. “I started practicing. I know I’m best when I have time to prepare; when I have time to hit balls and work on the putting green for a few days before tournaments. When I do that, I have good finishes.”
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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