Touring Pro Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights Nets His Biggest Career Win at Home: Michigan Open

By Greg Johnson

Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights, a touring professional golfer playing one tour or another for 13 years, came home to Michigan to win the biggest check of his career.

The 36-year-old journeyman shot a closing 2-under 69 and finished two shots clear of the field at 12-under for the victory in the Hall Financial Michigan Open played at Katke-Cousins Course at Oakland University.

“I’ve won tournaments before but nothing that meant this much,” he said just before receiving the $18,000 first-place share from the largest purse in the 106-year history of the state championship: $122,500.

Grand Valley State University golfer Charles DeLong of DeWitt, the leader by one shot over Jusczcyk going into the final round, shot a closing 72 and tied for second at 10-under with mini-tour golfer James Holley of Howell. DeLong, the recent Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the best player in NCAA Division II, was the low amateur of the championship.

Juszczyk, who played at Wayne State and has status on PGA Tour Canada, said playing mini-tour events and chasing the PGA Tour dream is tough, and joked that he thinks about giving up the road every winter.

“It’s a tough road, especially if you can’t handle the failures along the way and just be patient,” he said. “I’ve worked at being patient. Seriously though, I have thought about quitting a handful of times since I was 28 or 29, but I’m a golfer and I keep going.”

Jusczcyk and DeLong traded the lead or were tied for the lead throughout the final round. It turned in Jusczcyk’s favor when he saved pars after missing the greens on Nos. 13 and 14 and DeLong missed the greens at Nos. 14 and 15 and couldn’t get up and down.

“Joe was super solid all day and when he was in trouble a couple of times he was able to get back on track really well,” DeLong said. “He made a clutch par on 14 and that was kind of the turning point. It was a fun battle back and forth.”