Mike Ignasiak, Randy Frederick Win GAM Senior Four-Ball

Mike Ignasiak, Randy Frederick Win GAM Senior Four-Ball

PLYMOUTH – Mike Ignasiak of Saline and Randy Frederick of St. Clair won the GAM Senior Four-Ball Championship for the second time Wednesday.

 The 2021 champions made some late birdies in a round of 6-under 66 to pull away from foursome partners and two-time champions Leo Daigle of Wixom and Kevin Klemet of White Lake in the 19th edition of the tournament presented by Sullivan Golf and Travel.

  Ignasiak and Frederick, who also won the championship in 2021, totaled 13-under 131, two shots ahead of three teams, including Daigle and Klemet, who shot a final 68 for 133.

   Chris Bailey of Rochester and Tom Senkowski of Rochester Hills, who shot 66 to close, and Alastair Ironside of Lake Orion and Thomas Magyar of Pontiac, who rallied with a 64, the day’s low round were also at 133. Bailey and Senkowski won a scorecard playoff for the runner-up trophies.

   Frederick birdied the par 4 15th hole, and Ignasiak put the team up by two shots with a birdie on the par 5 17th hole.

  “We made a bogey in there (on 16) and it was close with (Daigle and Klemet), but then Mike made another birdie on 17 to put us up by two,” Frederick said.

   Ignasiak, the former Major League baseball player and Dairy Queen owner, had six birdies for the team.

  “We won because Mike was so consistent both days,” said Frederick, a retired construction safety advisor. “I helped a few times, but it was Mike today. He hits the ball long, hits a lot of greens and today he was putting out of sight.”

  Frederick said he was steady with a lull in the middle of his round, but the late birdie helped.

  “Mike’s a great guy to have on your team,” he said. “He’s the guy that made it happen. He always keeps the ball in play, and he makes a lot of birdies.”

   A Super Senior championship team was also crowned with new 65-year-old Steve Maddalena, a Michigan Golf Hall of Famer, and fellow Country Club of Jackson member Mike Raymond winning by three shots.

  The winners of the two divisions in the championship have their names inscribed on the Gus Cosmos Trophy.

  They shot a closing bogey-free 65 for 132 with Maddalena carding five birdies in his round.

  “We had one hiccup, a double-bogey yesterday, and no bogeys in 36 holes, so we were playing well, and Steve was great today,” Raymond said. “He was hitting great shots and making birdie putts. He was a great teammate.”

  Mitch Wilson of Portage and Tom Eberhard of Kalamazoo shot a closing 69 for 135 and second place.

  Dave Fugenschuh of Ann Arbor and Willard Richart of Saline teamed up for a final 69 for 134 and third place, and Greg Zeller of Jackson and Joseph Johnson of LaSalle shot 73 for 140 and fourth.

   Raymond said he usually plays with Pete Walz of Jackson in the Senior Best-Ball, but Walz was unable to play this year, so Maddalena stepped in.

  “And he was the guy for us,” Raymond said. “We looked at the leaderboard late. Steve made a couple of birdies (on 15, 17 and 18). I figured it would take 7-under to win, and that’s what we ended up with.”

RESULTS: At GAM.org or on the Golf Genius App.

MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Johnson, [email protected], 616-560-8995