Richland’s Max VanderMolen Tops 15-and-under Points List

By Greg Johnson

Richland’s Max VanderMolen has already been making Michigan golf news for a handful of years, despite just turning age 14. He’s making more news now.

A two-time winner in GAM tournaments this summer, VanderMolen has been named the Golf Association of Michigan Junior Boys’ 15-and-under Player of the Year.

VanderMolen, a GAM member through Gull Lake Country Club, won the 15-and-under bracket of the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship and was the GAM Junior Stroke Play champion to key his 1,211 points.

Cooper Reitsma of Ada and Cascade Hills Country Club had several top finishes across the season in finishing second with 965 points, and Connor Fox of Lake Orion and Indianwood Golf & Country Club, the GAM Junior Invitational 15-and-under winner, was third with 740 points.

“I had one of my best summers with some of my best wins,” VanderMolen said. “It feels awesome to be Player of the Year.”

VanderMolen first made his presence known in GAM tournaments at age 10 as the youngest to ever qualify for the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship and at age 11 finished second in the national Drive, Chip and Putt Finals. He did the age-defying trick again this summer. He was 13 when he made the 36-hole cut at the Michigan Open Championship at The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort in the early summer. Despite incomplete records, he is believed to be the youngest to qualify for the starting field and the youngest to ever make the cut.

“I don’t feel any pressure being young and playing against older guys,” he said. “I just try to do my best in every tournament and what happens, happens.”

He said the best moment of the summer was winning the Michigan Junior Amateur 15-and-under title, followed by opening the GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship with a 5-under 66 at Forest Akers East. He went on to shoot 7-under and win the title the next day.