Michigan freshman golfer Joey Garber wins state GAM title
Incoming University of Michigan freshman and Michigan’s Mr. Golf Joey Garber added to his resume Thursday by winning the 32nd Golf Association of Michigan Junior State Amateur title at the Dearborn Country Club.
Ann Arbor Greenhills sophomore Henry Do bowed out in the quarterfinals of the match-play round.
Garber, seeded No. 1 after three rounds of stroke play, had little trouble making it through the first three rounds of match play, winning 6 and 5, 4 and 3, and 3 and 1 to set up a final round match with No. 10 seed Tyler Pope-Ferguson of Amherstburg.
Ferguson, who was 12 shots off the pace Garber established in stroke play, had his work cut out for him en route to the finals. In the first round he topped No. 7 seed Chris Cunningham of Milford, 2 and 1. That set up a matchup with Do in the quarterfinals. Do advanced with a 3-and-2 win over 15-seed Bobby Thomas of Tecumseh in the first round.
The pair battled back through 17 holes before Pope-Ferguson triumphed, 1-up. Pope-Ferguson then had to beat Evan Bowser of Dearborn, the No. 2 seed, in 19 holes to get to the finale. There, he and Garber battled again before Garber won on the 19th hole, his fifth GAM title in as many years.