Tom Rex Jr. Wins 2016 GAM Senior Championship At Belvedere Golf Club

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Local Favorite Tom Rex Jr. Wins 2016 GAM Senior Championship at Belvedere Golf Club

CHARLEVOIX – An emotional local favorite, Tom Rex Jr. of Charlevoix, emerged the champion of the 30th GAM Senior Championship presented by Omni Kinetics Tuesday at what he calls his home course, Belvedere Golf Club.

“Words can’t describe what this means to me,” the soon-to-be 64-year-old said after shooting a 1-under 35 and winning by three shots. The field of age 55-and-over golfers played a modified nine-hole set-up for the final round in the rain-shortened championship hampered by heavy rains in the morning that made part of the course unplayable.

“I’ve tried so hard to win another GAM championship,” Rex said. “My only one was a GAM junior tournament in 1970, so I’ve been trying to do this for a long, long time. This is very special to me.”

Rex was tied for the lead with a 2-over 74 through Monday’s wind-whipped round in sunshine, and emerged with a 1-over 109 total after a lengthy rain delay and the final round being shortened to play on the upland holes (holes 1, 7,8,9,10,11,12,17 and 18) of the storied course.

He beat Ken Chicka of Shelby Township, who carded a final 37 to go with his first-round 75 for 112.

Five golfers tied for third at 113, including Pete Walz and Steve Maddalena of Jackson, Ed Vomastek of Traverse City, Mark Ochsankehl of Grand Rapids and defending champion Mike Tungate of East Lansing.

Tom Strand of Traverse City emerged the Super Senior Division champion among the golfers over age 65 in the field. Strand shot a 70 in the first round and closed with a 41 for 111. Ben Benson of Pontiac was second with a 40 for 113.

Rex, known in the Charlevoix community for his work with youth in golf and other sports, said he played well with three birdies against two bogeys in the final nine, and said a little luck helped him win.

“So many people talked to me about winning this thing because it was at the home course, but you know, you have got get a little lucky. There are so many good players in Michigan. I probably played in 20 (Michigan Amateurs) over the years here. I grew up in Birmingham, was in the steel business in Detroit and then in Chicago and retired and moved up here.”

Rex said a little oil was leaking from his game he finished up on the No. 18.

“I rolled a little grounder with a 7-iron,” he said. “I thought that bogey might do me in because I had no idea what anybody else outside our group was doing.”

Strand, 65, thought he might be in trouble with his 41, but his 70 from the first round gave him enough cushion. The Detroit native who lives in Traverse City six months and Austin, Texas, for six months, was playing in his first GAM event ever, and played Belvedere for the first time in the first round.

“I played well this first round and enjoyed the course and tournament tremendously,” said the retired mechanical contractor. “I have to thank my friend Chuck Edwards. He got me to play in this. He plays in GAM tournaments all the time. I’m going to play more.”

Belvedere hosted the GAM Senior for the fourth time since 2004, and has also hosted the Michigan Amateur Championship 40 times, most recently 2014 and 2003. From 1963-88 it was the annual host.

via Greg Johnson

Final Results

GAM Senior Championship Results 2016

Championship Results
Senior
Place	Player	RD 1	RD 2	Total
1	Rex Jr, Tom	74	35	109	Champion
2	Chicka, Ken	75	37	112	Runner Up
3	Ochsankehl, Mark	76	37	113
	Walz, Pete	74	39	113
	Tungate, Mike	77	36	113
	Maddalena, Steve	75	38	113
	Vomastek, Edward	75	38	113
8	Hughes, Dan	76	38	114
	Zeller, Greg	79	35	114
	Evoy, Richard	77	37	114
	Stauffer, Tom	77	37	114
12	Miller, Brian	76	39	115
	Didato, Joe	76	39	115
	Anderson, Doug	74	41	115
15	Carson, Bob	76	40	116
	Fugenschuh, David	76	40	116
	Kohlmeier, Guy	79	37	116
18	Barbour, Jim	77	40	117
19	Bach, Jon	81	37	118
	Vaughan, Larry	81	37	118
21	Barbour, John	78	41	119
	Hundhammer, Paul	79	40	119
	Slater, Mark	79	40	119
	Kelmigian, Mike	77	42	119
	Gottlieb, Jeff	78	41	119
	Simmons, Donald	83	36	119
	Reifert, Fritz	79	40	119
28	Reinholdt, Gordon	79	41	120
29	Fedewa, Mike	79	43	122
30	Schultheiss, Roy	80	43	123
	Thaxton, Gary	83	40	123
32	Parker, Michael	84	40	124
33	Goldstein, Steve	84	41	125
34	Piunti, Nick	83	43	126
	Armstrong, John	80	46	126
	Craft, Steve	83	43	126
37	Boyea, Shawn	84	43	127
	Parks, Steven	79	48	127
	DeHaan, Tom	87	40	127
40	Markel, Butch	86	44	130
41	Donohue, Daniel	89	46	135
42	Mullett, Don	92	45	137
43	KING, WILLIAM	87			WD
	Jahn, David	89			WD
	Smoker, Dennis	77			WD
	Guyselman, Tim	82			WD
	Martin, Stephen	78			WD
	Van Assen, Craig	87			WD
	Borio, Ed	83			WD
	Kohn, Mike	82			WD
	Sheak, Jeffrey P	85			WD
	Potter, Keith	80			WD
	Jakubowski, Jim	86			WD
	Martindale, Brian	81			WD
	Montgomery, Louis	88			WD
	Zylstra, Bill	78			WD
	Thomasma, Dave	88			WD
	Klein, Jeff				WD
	Atkins, Michael	96			WD
	Benham, Dave	89			WD
	Rye, Jonathan				WD
	Roberts, Tim				WD
	Smith, David	86			WD
	Djurdjev, Fred	85			WD
	Beer, Joseph	82			WD
	McIlraith, Glenn	87			WD
	Sophiea, Doug	85			WD
	Seehase, Dave	91			WD
	Banks, Steve				WD
	savoie, don	88			WD
	Provot, Phil	80			WD
	Mann, Mark	86			WD
	O'Neill, Mike	83			WD
	Koepke, James				WD
	Perrine, Ron	77			WD
	Peck, Martin	81			WD
	Kragt, Bob	90			WD
	Sowles, Michael	87			WD
	Price, Richard	89			WD
	Erickson, Scotty				WD
	Stefanek, Gregg	81			WD
	Knudson, Jeff	79			WD
	Rymiszewski, Gary	78			WD
	Bartnick, David	82			WD
	Emsley, Ray	80			WD
	Harris, Ian				WD
	Davies, J.B.				WD
	Jones, Steve	94			WD
	Roehrig, Robert	86			WD
	Petrovich, Scott				WD
	Kohlmeier, Jace	86			WD
	Kalo, John	85			WD
	Mason, Michael	83			WD
	Emmers, Jim	82			WD
	Longeway, Dan	86			WD
	Cohn, Tom	84			WD
	Herpich, Rick	79			WD
	Jeske, Stephen				WD
	Davis, Stephen	79			WD
	Cleary, Tom				WD
	Hegarty, Jim	89			WD
	Furlong, Kevin				WD
Super Senior
Place	Player	RD 1	RD 2	Total
1	Strand, Tom	70	41	111	Champion
2	Benson, Ben	73	40	113	Runner Up
3	Gallagher, Thomas	73	44	117
4	Engelman, Mark	75	44	119
	Quitiquit, Gary	78	41	119
6	Gordon, David	77	43	120
7	Rietema, Dan	82	39	121
	Kempner, Dave	76	45	121
	Wirtz, Jim	81	40	121
10	Dyl, Tom	80	43	123
	Gregg, Daniel	81	42	123
12	Tabor, Dennis	82	42	124
	Abernathy, Terry	83	41	124
	Fiedorek, Paul	80	44	124
	Johnston, Claud	81	43	124
	King, John	83	41	124
	Bachtel, Dick	81	43	124
18	Meyer, Rick	83	42	125
	Camalo, Craig	84	41	125
20	Kukes, Mike	82	44	126
21	McQuarrie, Neil	84	45	129
	Blank, Dick	86	43	129
23	Sippell, Bob	89	42	131
24	Knight, Tom	90	43	133
25	McTear, David	91	45	136
26	Savage, Ken	90	49	139
27	Kuhl, Roger	75			WD
	Olah, Vic	80			WD
	Pratt, John	85			WD
	French, John	82			WD
	Vandermass, Bill	80			WD
	Jackson, Mike	83			WD
	Saputo, Pete	80			WD
	Guyselman, Charles	88			WD
	Flanigan, Peter	83			WD
	Kostrzewa, mike	80			WD
	Moore, Tim	85			WD
	Riegel, Al	82			WD
	Edwards, Charles	80			WD
	Behymer, Fred	85			WD
	Stapleton, James	87			WD
	Paski, Robert	87			WD
	Doerr, Pete	81			WD
	Rector, Brent	99			WD
	Cunningham, Kerry	90			WD
	Downs, Thomas	84			WD
	Avildsen, Howard	86			WD
	O'Donovan, John	95			WD
	Dillon, George	79			WD
	Glotzhober, Robert	83			WD
	Richart, John	78			WD
	Krupa, Gary	82			WD
	Welsh, Rod	85			WD

GAM Senior Championship Results 2016