2015 Michigan Senior Championship winner
Mike Tungate of East Lansing (GAM photo)
ORCHARD LAKE, Mich. — East Lansing’s Mike
Tungate tore two tendons in his left arm last
November and wasn’t sure he would ever play
golf again.
He is now playing championship golf as
evidenced by his eight-foot sliding birdie putt
from above
the hole on the first hole of a sudden-death
playoff Tuesday at Orchard Lake Country Club to
win
the 29th GAM Senior Championship presented by
presented by OmniKinetics.
The birdie came on No. 18, the first playoff hole,
and it made Orchard Lake member Rich Herpich
the runner-up.
Tungate, whose 70 set the pace Monday, shot a
second round 79 for 149 to tie with Herpich, who
closed with a 73 after a 76 Monday.
“I’m thrilled,” said the 59-year-old insurance
agent and past Lansing city champion who won a
Golf Association of Michigan state title for the
first time. “My son, Grant, won the GAM
Championship in 2004, so we have two of these
GAM state titles in the family now.”
Tom Dyl of Trenton won the Super Senior (age
65-and-over) tournament within the tournament
for the second consecutive year. A field of 160
golfers over age 55 played over the two days.
Tungate hit wedge to eight feet above the hole in
the sudden-death playoff while Herpich hit a
shot to about 12 feet below the hole. Herpich’s
birdie putt came up just part, but Tungate tapped
his and it hit center cup.
“The greens are really tough, really fast here,
and that’s actually good for me,” Tungate said. “I
tend to yip my putts, so fast greens where I
don’t have to stroke it and instead can tap it
really
help me. I like the fast greens.”
Tungate said Dr. Mike Shingles, who works with
the Michigan State University athletic teams, did
the surgery on him last fall. It took him four
months of therapy before he could start swinging
a
golf club.
“I started the summer shooting in the 90s, then
the mid-80s, then low 80s, finally 70s and here
we are now,” he said. “Dr. Shingles fixed me up
and I’m happy to be playing good golf again, and
again, I’m thrilled about this. I didn’t have a
great day today, but had a great day yesterday
and it
was just enough.”
Four golfers tied for second at 150, one shot out
of the playoff. They included well-decorated past
state champions Randy Lewis of Alma, who shot
74, and Greg Reynolds of Grand Blanc, who shot
77. Also at 150 were Mark Ochsankehl of Grand
Rapids and John Armstrong of Grosse Ile, who
each shot 73 to close.
Dyl, 68 and the owner of two construction
companies, overcame making a quadruple-bogey
8 on
the No. 1 hole to start the final round in the
Super Senior competition. He finished with a 76
for
151, including a birdie-birdie-par finish on the
tough Orchard Lake closing holes.
“I made a solid 8,” the Grosse Ile Golf & Country
Club member said and laughed. “I hit it in the
bunker on the tee shot, then hit it in the bunker
on my approach shot and then it took me a few
extra shots to get out of the bunker. It was not a
great start, but I played well after that and had
a good finish.”
Craig Camalo of Ann Arbor finished second by a
shot with a closing 75 for 152. Dave Kemper of
Ann Arbor, who shot 78, George Dillon of
Midland, who shot 79, and Claud Johnston of Ann
Arbor,
who shot 78, all tied at 153 to round out the
Super Senior top five.
Dyl said the Colt & Alison-designed classic golf
course that dates to 1927 played tough.
“It was extremely tough, fair, but very fast and
tough,” he said. “The course is in beautiful
shape.
The members should be proud.”
View results for GAM Senior Championship
ABOUT THE
GAM Senior Championship
Must be a GAM member. 36-hole stroke play event
for seniors (55 and older, 8.4 handicap max), and
super
seniors (65 and older, 10.4 handicap max).
View Complete Tournament Information