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Golfers excited about opening of Sage Run

Golf notes

Mancilla

HARRIS — The bad news: a rainy spring and summer has postponed the soft opening of Sage Run Golf Course. The good news: an even better grand opening is scheduled for June 14, 2018.

Tony Mancilla, general manager of Island Resort and Casino, said plans for a soft opening this fall just didn’t materialize.

“We got eight holes planted last year and we didn’t have time to get all the holes planted,” Mancilla said. “We were looking at nine holes this year, but we had a lot of rain. There’s nothing we could do about Mother Nature.

“Right now we are focusing on the other 10 holes. We want everyone to see it as a full eighteen. There is a lot of anticipation. A lot of people are calling and want to get a package. It will really take off.”

Sage Run is located eight miles southwest of Island Resort and Casino.

Douglas

Mancilla said Sage Run was the center piece of a project approved two years ago at Island Resort & Casino that included a sports bar, spa and remodeling of the lobby. He said the permit process also took while, the property for Sage Run was logged and cleared two winters ago and 80 percent of the course was built last summer.

Mancilla also said two new air-conditioned 12-person shuttle vehicles have been purchased and will be used to transport golfers from Island Resort and Casino to Sage Run and back.

Meanwhile, Sweetgrass Golf Course has enjoyed a strong golf season.

“We are having a great year,” Mancilla said. “Even with the rainy days, we are up six to eight percent. We had a lot of traffic this year. Golf is up for us right now.”

Sweetgrass will close for play on Sunday, Oct. 15 and reopen next spring.

Niphatsophon wins Potawatomi Cup

Benyapa Niphatsophon won the Symetra Tour’s Potawatomi Cup this year. The Potawatomi Cup is a four-tournament series sponsored by Potawatomi nation tribes for players to earn points based on their performance.

Niphatsophon finished in the top five in three of the four Potawatomi Cup events, including a tie for second at the Island Resort Championship at Sawgrass. She totaled 705 points and edged out Erynne Lee (697.5) for top honors.

Niphatsophon also tied for fourth at the Four Winds Invitational, was second at the Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship and tied for 31st at the PHC Classic. She pocketed $14,250, including a $6,000 bonus, for winning the cup and currently ranks first on the money list with earnings of $106,461. She has secured her LPGA Tour card for the 2018 season.

“The Potawatomi Cup events are definitely some of the best on Tour,” Niphatsophon said in an article on symetratour.com. “I’m grateful that they give us a second opportunity to make more money based on performance. I’m most proud of the consistency I’ve shown this season.”

Douglas makes debut at Detroit Mercy

Gladstone freshman Bryce Douglas has made the transition to college golf at Detroit Mercy. Douglas finished tied for 63rd Monday at the NKU Fall Collegiate Classic at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia, Ohio.

Douglas shot 77-81-79 – 237 as an individual and his score didn’t count in the team standings. The Titans placed 11th in the 15-team event won by Butler.

Douglas also shot 77-78 – 155 in the recent Can Am Classic.

SUBHEAD: Eichhorn helps Marquette

Carney-Nadeau freshman Hunter Eichhorn finished third overall to help Marquette University win the Northern Intercollegiate Monday at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. Eichhorn finished third with a 9-under total of 207 (71-65-71). He shared second-round medalist honors of 65 with teammate Oliver Farrell.

SUBHEAD: Mercier leads Yoopers at GAM event

Powers’ Bryson Mercier was the top area finisher in the recent 5th Annual GAM Invitational at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West Golf Course in East Lansing. Mercier shot a two-day total of 155 (77-78), which was good for third place in the 15-and-under division.

Other boys participants were Gladstone’s Rudy Peterson (34th, 80-82-162) and Menominee’s Evan Kramer (37th, 79-86-165), while the girls participants were Escanaba’s Paxton Johnson (25th, 93-85-178) and Hancock’s Payton Dube (31st, 107-96-203).

A field of 86 golfers competed from across Michigan. Players from the Upper Peninsula earned an invitation based on finishing in the top five overall at the UPGA Finals in August at Terrace Bluff in Gladstone.

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