WHITEHALL – The summer of 2024 is shaping up to be a very busy one for White Lake Golf Club and the White Lake Junior Golf Foundation.
The Drive, Chip and Putt local qualifier on Saturday, June 15, at White Lake Golf Club was a prominent event in that schedule.
Nearly 50 young golfers, girls and boys between the ages of 7 and 15, took part in the local qualifier with 15 of those qualifying for the sub-regional qualifier Aug. 17 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Belmont.
“The event was really well run,” White Lake Golf Club head PGA professional Bill Borgman said. “With individual tee times, it made the event very fair and went off like clockwork.
“We had a small increase in participation with 48 total juniors this year.”
Thirty-three boys and 15 girls participated in the local qualifier on June 15.
In Drive, Chip and Putt, each participant competes in all three skills: Drive, chip and putt. Participants get three shots per skill for a total of nine shots.
Participants accumulate points in each skill with a maximum of 75 points per skill. The participant with the highest number of points in an individual skill will be declared the winner of the skill in his or her age category. The participant with the highest point total in all three skills combined – a maximum of 225 points – is declared the overall champion of his or her age group.
Grand Haven’s Porter Livingston, who finished first in the Boys 12-13 category, had the highest point total of any competitor Saturday at White Lake Golf Club with 138 points.
Whitehall’s Riley Shafer, who won the Girls 14-15 group, had the highest point total for females with 108 points.
“It feels good. (Now) I can compete in the next one,” said Shafer, whose favorite part of the event was putting.
Grand Haven’s Colbie Livingston, who took second in the Girls 14-15 category, also qualified for the next round of the Drive, Chip and Putt even though she felt it wasn’t her best effort.
“I did kind of bad, but that’s OK,” said a smiling Colbie Livingston, whose favorite part of competition was chipping.
For Norton Shores’ Alex Annema, who took first place in the Boys 14-15 group with 116 points, he was happy that he was able to play golf somewhere else Saturday. Like Tiger Woods, who is his favorite golfer to watch, Annema just loves to compete.
Borgman is content to see the game of golf growing through the next generation.
“We are all about growing the game of golf for anyone that is willing to give golf a try,” he said. “I enjoy very much seeing the juniors compete and watch the young talent that is coming into the game.”
Other ongoing and upcoming events hosted by White Lake Golf Club or White Lake Junior Golf Foundation include:
- Greater Muskegon Junior Tour
- Divisions include 5th grade and under, 6th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade, for both boys and girls
- Eight tournaments scheduled on Mondays through the summer
- Operation36 Junior Golf Academy
- New class starting in July
“The future of junior golf is bright,” Borgman said. “We are seeing more young families joining White Lake Golf Club and we can’t wait to see what these juniors will do for the game.
“Everyone at WLGC and the White Lake Junior Golf Foundation (a 501c3) is so very proud of all the juniors that gave DC&Putt a try this year. We want to wish those that are moving on to the next qualifying site the best of luck.”
Here are images from the Drive, Chip and Putt local qualifier hosted by White Lake Golf Club on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Owen Raeth | CatchMark)
Below are the girls and boys results in each category from the Drive, Chip and Putt local qualifier June 15, 2024, at White Lake Golf Club.
DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT LOCAL QUALIFIER JUNE 15 AT WHITE LAKE GOLF CLUB
GIRLS 7-9
Margaret Dobry (North Muskegon), 64 (qualifier)
Ellie Jados (Muskegon), 41 (qualifier)
Hannah Steenwyk (Holland), 39 (alternate)
Ava Jados (Muskegon), 33 (alternate)
Lucille Korndorfer (Norton Shores, 28
Talia Josephson (Chicago), 20
GIRLS 10-11
Zoey Wood (Spring Lake), 66 (qualifier)
Emma Huss (Muskegon), 46 (qualifier)
Taylor Wood (Spring Lake), 43 (alternate)
Ellie Stark (Sparta), 37 (alternate)
Adalynn Andry (Muskegon), 14
GIRLS 12-13
Reagan Kelly (Haslett), 82 (qualifier)
GIRLS 14-15
Riley Shafer (Whitehall), 108 (qualifier)
Colbie Livingston (Grand Haven), 86 (qualifier)
Isabelle Duflo (Grand Rapids), 59 (alternate)
BOYS 7-9
Coleman Tarzwell (Spring Lake), 85 (qualifier)
William Steenwyk (Holland), 61 (qualifier)
Griffin Phillips (Grand Haven), 50 (alternate)
Eddie Janson (North Muskegon), 42 (alternate)
Briggs Tarzwell (Spring Lake), 38
Logan Wood (Spring Lake), 25
Connor Wade (Spring Lake), 18
BOYS 10-11
Carsen Fegan (Fishers, Ind.), 130 (qualifier)
Callahan Wade (Spring Lake), 79 (qualifier)
Phil Kerr (Whitehall), 77 (alternate)
Hudson Lubbers (Allendale), 74 (alternate)
Caden Pranger (Shelby), 60
Silas Proctor (Grand Haven), 53
Asher Geren (Spring Lake), 47
Theo Maczka (Grand Rapids), 36
Isaac Carefelle (North Muskegon), 33
Andrew Riker (Norton Shores), 31
BOYS 12-13
Porter Livingston (Grand Haven), 138 (qualifier)
Sam Howell (Holland), 105 (qualifier)
Miles Phillips (Grand Haven), 96 (alternate)
Case Beckstrom (Muskegon), 93 (alternate)
Peter Riker (Norton Shores), 93
Will Maczka (Grand Rapids), 80
Brady Searles (Muskegon), 53
Ian Pranger (Shelby), 39
BOYS 14-15
Alex Annema (Norton Shores), 116 (qualifier)
Rhodes Verplank (Spring Lake), 96 (qualifier)
Austin Taylor (Hudsonville), 83 (alternate)
Bradley VanAelst (Spring Lake), 79 (alternate)
Ben Maczka (Grand Rapids), 57
Alexander Hagedorn (Spring Lake), 52
Silas Frazier (Muskegon), 37
James Riker (Norton Shores), 23
