Top 8th, 9th, and 10th Stories of 2021
All Top 10 Stories By: Tom Lang
No. 10
Michigan’s Bentley Coon Headed to Augusta National for Drive, Chip and Putt Finals
Bentley Coon’s first time on a golf course actually came when he was only three days old, when mom and dad placed his car seat in the basket on the back of the power golf cart and headed out for a round.
From that day until now at 11 years old, Bentley Coon of Horton, has essentially been obsessed with the game. In October he won the 10-11 age division of the Drive, Chip and Putt Regional held at Oakland Hills Country Club – which sends Bentley to the national finals at Augusta National Golf Club in April. He won in overall scoring and won the Drive category as well for his age group.
Bentley said he hopes to meet lots of pro golfers at Augusta and that his favorite Masters winner is Dustin Johnson, “because he can hit it far.”
Bentley knocked his longest drive at Oakland Hills 253 yards. He reached the same Regional level at Oakland Hills in 2019 at age 9, but didn’t win. Then in 2020 there was no competition due to Covid.
No. 9
Amateur Bradley Smithson Wins the Michigan Open
It is rare for any amateur golfer to win the professional Michigan Open Championship, but Bradley Smithson became just the fifth amateur to do so in 2021 in the 104-year history of the state championship.
Smithson, a Grand Rapids-area golfer at Michigan State, birdied the 18th hole in the final round to force a playoff with professional Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Ann Arbor, who teaches at the Kendall Academy in Ypsilanti and is the former assistant golf coach at Michigan. He also qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open.
In the playoff, Smithson chipped in for birdie from about 15 feet off the green to force a second hole, which he also birdied to win. The 18th hole at The Bear is one of those defining holes of the Jack Nicklaus design, so making three consecutive birdies was quite the feat.
“For sure, this definitely the biggest win of my life, and definitely the best,” Smithson said. “But this win doesn’t change my plans; it strengthens my goals.”
No. 8
A New 9 at Saskatoon Golf Club
The already bustling Saskatoon Golf Club near Caledonia opened a new 9 holes in mid-June called the Silver Course that drew more attention and tee time demands than the club thought it would. After a long hiatus of new golf options in Michigan, this makes my list at No. 8 for top news stories in 2021.\
The Silver Course is an excellent layout that adds new features on the property that already had four sets of 9-hole courses and is a popular home for league play that alone accounts for more than 1,300 golfers each week all summer long.
I would call the 6th the signature hole, a par 3 crossing back over the same creek golfers had to carry off No. 4 tee. The green on 6 is slightly lower than the tee boxes and backs up to Hole 2 that sits high atop the hill separating each green, creating a bowl effect on No. 6.
The new Silver Course sits near the Gold Course (est. 1992) on the north side of the road that splits the property. They will be bundled as one 18 course, and the current Blue and White Courses across the road will be bundled as a second 18. The original Red Course will be used mostly for a stand-alone 9 that’s popular with the older crowd and beginners, but can be added to any rotation mix.
More info at: https://www.saskatoongolf.com/
