Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll: GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year
By Greg Johnson
Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, one of the state’s most accomplished golfers and a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, finds a way to fit her competitive golf into a busy life.
“As time goes on I’m still trying to be competitive in whatever age division I can,” said the 52-year-old Michigan State University women’s golf coach who is also the winningest Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) golfer in history with 18 individual titles. “I still love competing so much.”
The 2023 GAM Women’s Senior Champion, who also reached the round of 16 in the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, has been named the GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year.
“I’m thankful the GAM provides opportunities for every age group across the board,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “We are lucky to have a state organization that runs so many great tournaments. I’m honored to be a player of the year.”
Slobodnik-Stoll, a member of Country Club of Lansing, was a local USGA qualifying medalist to set up her run to the round of 16 in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Those performances in the national championship were the key to earning 550 points for the season.
Julie Massa of Pentwater, last year’s GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year for the unprecedented seventh time and a member of Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Ludington, finished second with 395 points. Shelly Weiss of Southfield and the Michigan Women’s Golf Association was third with 285 points.
Slobodnik-Stoll said reaching the round of 16 in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur was the highlight of her summer competition.
“It is so interesting that whatever level I play at I’m always learning and I’m learning more about the senior amateur circuit of tournaments,” she said. “I still don’t have the time to dedicate to my game because of other priorities... Competing in any USGA tournament is an honor.”
Finding time to practice and compete is a challenge for Slobodnik-Stoll, who is busy coaching her successful golf team at MSU and trying to follow the tournament schedule of daughter Olivia, who is a junior standout golfer for Grand Valley State University and GAM tournament regular in the summer.
