GAM Junior Boys Player of the Year (15 and Under): Ada’s Cooper Reitsma

Cooper Reitsma of Ada finished second in the 15-and-under division of three significant junior golf tournaments over the summer – the GAM 14-and-under Match Play Championship, the GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship and the GAM Junior Invitational – but he said he was only marginally frustrated.

“I wasn’t fully frustrated because being second made me realize I was capable of winning,” he said. “It means I have to wait another year for that, but it’s coming.”

Reitsma, who was the 15-and-under Michigan Junior State Amateur Stroke Play winner, has been named the GAM 15-and-under Junior Boys’ Player of the Year. He earned 1,325 points, which made him a runaway leader in the points standings for 15-and-under boys.

“It means a lot to win this,” Reitsma said. “It shows my hard work. I put a lot into it and even though I didn’t pull off (wins), I have all those top finishes and I played well in all those events.”