Swint Wins GAM Net Match Play Championship

Wyandotte’s Jon Swint Wins GAM Net Match Play Championship

  TAYLOR – Wyandotte’s Jon Swint (pictured above) made a putter change on Labor Day and then rolled in putt after putt in winning the 13th GAM Net Match Play Championship presented by Preferred Data Systems at Lakes of Taylor Golf Club.

  Swint made natural birdies on three of the first four holes and never trailed in turning back Jerry Tranzow of Macomb, 5 and 4, in Wednesday’s championship match.

  “I got it, a TaylorMade Spider, from a buddy (Kory O’Brien), put it in the bag and he might not get it back,” Swint said. “I was feeling pretty good with it right away, and it really paid off this week.”

  It was the first GAM Net tournament for Swint, who normally plays in gross scoring GAM tournaments. It wasn’t his first trophies though. He has previously finished second in the GAM Tournament of Champions as a member club champion entrant.

  He played in the Net Match Play this week as a plus-1 handicap, giving away at least a handful of shots to most of his opponents.

  “The main reason I played in it was that it was here, Lakes of Taylor, my home course and where I play a lot,” said the 36-year-old shipping and receiving manager for Hascall Steel.

  It showed as he birdied his way around Lakes of Taylor with his TaylorMade putter. He gave up five shots of handicap to Tranzow in the final but had birdie putts inside of 10-feet on holes 1, 2 and 4 and made each of them.

  Tranzow did take advantage of a few of his strokes, pulling back to 2-down in the match twice, but Swint then won holes 11, 13 and 14 with pars to close out the match.

  “His putting was unbelievable,” said Tranzow, 54 and a model maker for GM Design. “I thought he was going to keep making 3s and shoot 27 on the front nine. Even when he did miss a green, his putting was so good, and he would make par.”

  Swint, who was the first-day stroke play medalist with a 5-under 67 to make him top seed in the bracket, said he is not certain he will play in additional net tournaments but plans to defend his title next year.

  “I mean you have to defend,” he said. “This means a lot and it was fun. My putter and my wedges were great, and the short game was good, too. This gives me confidence to keep trying the (Michigan) Amateurs, and I look forward to playing in the Tournament of Champions again.”

  Swint survived a 2 and 1 match in the first round, but then marched through the field with a 5 and 4 win in the second round, a 6 and 5 win in the quarterfinals and a 6 and 4 win in Wednesday morning’s semifinal match against Steven Galasso of Northville.

  Tranzow came into the final playing well, too. He topped Luke Paneccasio of Warren 5 and 4 in the other morning semifinal.

  “I played better each day,” Swint said. “Playing it at a shorter distance (6,100 yards) than I usually play this course helped me, too. I hit more wedges, and I was hitting my wedges great.”

RESULTS, BRACKET: GAM.org or on Golf Genius