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JAN/FEB 2007
WSGA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Matt Behm, Janesville Rverside GC Matt Behm, 27, plays and works at Janesville Riverside GC during the Wisconsin golf season, then heads for Florida where he has worked at Boca Point CC in Boca Raton, Fla., the last few winters – jobs in which he works just enough to feed his passion for golf. He didn’t play college golf and has never taken a lesson, but Behm’s goal is to play on the PGA Tour. 2006 Highlights
- Behm won the Ray Fischer Amateur Championship at Janesville Riverside GC, with a 22-under-par 194 (62-67-65). He was on his way to setting a tournament scoring record when the final round was washed out by rain. He still won by seven shots.
- With partner Eric Hjortness of Westridge GC in Neenah, Behm won the WSGA Two-Man Team Championship – which combines stroke play, bestball and alternate-shot rounds – in September by two strokes. The win locked up player of the year honors for him.
- Behm finished fifth at the Wisconsin State Open at The Bog in Saukville in August. He shot 69-73-68-73–283 and was the low amateur in the tournament.
- Behm was runner-up at the WPLA Mid-Amateur Championship at Krueger Haskell GC in Beloit in July, shooting 68-77–145.
- Behm advanced to the second round at the WSGA Bestball Championship in early June with partner Sam Van Galder, where they lost in 20 holes. They tied for sixth in the 36-hole stroke-play qualifier which begins the event (70-67–137).
Behm's Comments
“The fifth-place finish at the State Open was a real eye-opener for me, just to realize that the only four people who had beaten me are all playing professional golf.”
“I’m going to play one more season, for sure, of amateur golf in Wisconsin. If all goes right, maybe next fall I’ll turn pro. Otherwise, I’ll wait a year. Now that I’ve gotten some recognition, I’m hoping I can find someone in the state who will sponsor a kid coming out of Wisconsin.”
“I’m not (at Janesville Riverside) for the wage; I’m there for the benefits, which is the free cart and the free golf and being able to play seven days a week when I’m in Wisconsin.”What's in Behm's Bag Driver: Titleist 905R, 8.5-degree
Fairway woods: Sonartec 3-wood; Mizuno T-Zoid 5-wood
Hybrid: Nickent 3DX Ironwood (20-degree)
Irons: Nike Slingshot, 4-iron through 9-iron
Wedges: DCI oversized pitching wedge; Titleist Vokey Oilcan 52-degree; Vokey Spin Milled 56-degree “(The pitching wedge) is probably 10 years old and it’s got worn down grooves. I just chip so well with it.”
Putter: Odyssey 2-Ball “It’s a battle. I’ve got about 16 clubs I’d like to carry.”
WWSGA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sydney Moore, Riverside GC
Sydney Moore, who plays out of Riverside GC, a WSGA-member course located in Menominee, Mich., was also the WWSGA player of the year in 2004. A reinstated amateur, Moore, 45, chooses to play amateur golf in Wisconsin rather than Michigan, but in winter she prefers to play mom. 2006 Highlights
- Moore won the WWSGA Match Play Championship at The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls in June over Kelsey Verbeten of Green Bay CC (3 and 2) in ugly, soggy conditions.
- Moore, along with Becky Allen of Whispering Pines GC in Cadott and Jessica Hauser of North Hills CC in menomonee Falls, was runner-up in the WWSGA Stroke Play Champion-ship held at Stevens Point CC, Stevens Point, shooting 78-77–155.
- Moore shot 77-77–154, tying for fifth place at the Wisconsin State Women’s Open at Hartland’s Bristlecone Pines GC.
- At the 2006 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, held at Old Waverly GC in West Point, Miss., Moore came in fourth in the stroke- play qualifier with rounds of 75-75–150. She advanced to the second round before being eliminated.
- “Last year was kind of an off year; this year just kind of fell together and served as validation for me.”
Moore's Comments
“I’m very appreciative that the WSGA has adopted (Riverside CC). I don’t play in any events in Wisconsin that are more than four hours away. If I were to play in Michigan, most of the tournaments are in the Detroit area, and that’s an eight-and-a-half hour hike.”
“I think age and experience helps in (bad weather) circumstances. I’ve learned how to close those sorts of things out.”
“These kids are getting awfully good. Each year it’s getting harder to hold them back.” What's in Moore's Bag Driver: Titleist 983, 9-degree “It’s a couple of years old. I’ve been trying to replace it with something that’ll get some more yards, but I just can’t find it yet.”
Fairway woods: Callaway Big Bertha 4-wood & 7-wood
Hybrid: Cobra Baffler “That’s a new addition this year, replacing the 3-iron.”
Irons: Callaway Fusion, 4-iron through pitching wedge
Wedges: Cleveland 56-degree and 60-degree
Putter: Odyssey White Hot blade
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gary Menzel, The Bog GCMenzel, 62, was the senior player of the year in 2006 for the fifth time. By his own admission, Menzel, a retired Milwaukee police officer, started the season slowly. But he came on down the stretch to win senior player of the year honors for the first time since 2003, and along the way he proved he can still play with the state’s youngsters. 2006 Highlights
- Menzel became the first four-time winner of the Wisconsin State Senior Open by edging Mark Bemowski of Johnson Park GC in Racine in a playoff. Menzel shot steady rounds of 71-70–141 to qualify for the playoff.
- In wet, dreary conditions, Menzel captured the Director’s Cup Championship – for players 25 and older – in another dramatic playoff. This time it was Pat Boyle of Meadowbrook who came up just short. Menzel made the playoff by firing 76-71–147.
- Menzel and playing partner Tommy Welton from Merrill Hills CC in Waukesha, were runners-up to Randy Warobick and Mark Bemowski at the WSGA Senior Bestball Champion-ship played at Merrill Hills.
- Shooting 74-73–147, Menzel tied for fourth place at the WSGA Senior Amateur Championship at Minocqua CC.
- Menzel tied for 11th place in the qualifying round of the WSGA Senior Match Play Championship held at Oconomowoc GC, Oconomowoc. He made it all the way to the semifinals, losing 1-up to eventual champion Mike Hilton.
Menzel's Comments “Winning the Senior Open was big for me. And the Director’s Cup, I had no clue I’d even get close to winning that one.”
“(PGA Pro) Carl Unis has helped me immensely. We’ve known each other for a long time, and he knows what I do and isn’t going to try and change my swing. I’ve got to swing like I do. He’s got a way of saying a couple of words that gets me back on track.”
“It was like two different seasons. It seems like at the end of July, I really start playing good. I’m not sure what it is, but I commonly get off track in the spring and start to put things together again in late July.”
“I’m just so grateful I can still play and compete. You know, the better the competition, the more fun it is out there.” What's in Menzel's Bag Driver: Ping G2 8.5-degree
Fairway wood: Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead 3+ (strong 3-wood)
Hybrid: Tour Edge Lift-Off, 21-degree “I’m going to spend a little time over the winter looking into (hybrids). Why hit a 2-, 3- or 4-iron anymore when you can use these?”
Irons: Ping i3, 4-iron through pitching wedge “I use Penley graphite shafts and add some lead tape to the heads. I got them working and feeling about right.”
Wedges: Titleist Vokey 200 Series 54-degree and 58-degree. “Sometimes I’ll use a 52-degree wedge if I think it will suit the course better.”
Putter: Yes! mallet
JUNIOR BOYS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Aicher, Wausau CC Anthony Aicher, 16, played beyond his years during the 2006 competitive season and did what few others have done, earning state junior player of the year honors
following his freshman year in
high school. Although he works with teacher Pat Gorman, Anthony considers his dad, David Aicher, his primary coach. 2006 Highlights - Aicher shot 73-72–145 and won the Boys Division at the Lake Arrowhead Invitational, a prestigious end-of-season tournament for top Wisconsin junior players.
- Aicher won another 36-hole event in July – this one a U.S. Bank Championship Players Tour event at Dretzka Park GC in Milwaukee – after shooting 71-71–142, which earned him a future exemption on the American Junior Golf Association.
- Aicher shot 66 and won the junior club championship at Wausau CC, a title he also won two years ago.
- Aicher recorded the first hole-in-one of his life in his final WPGA Junior Tour event of the season at The Woods GC in Green Bay.
- Aicher won both his singles and fourball matches at the Wisconsin-Minnesota Junior Cup in July, as Team Wisconsin reclaimed the cup.
- Aicher won the Cog Hill Classic with scores of 75-79–154. The tournament, held in the Chicago area in October, is an event on the Future Collegians World Tour.
Aicher's Comments
“I try to work on my swing over winter because it’s a lot easier to do that than in summer when you’re playing in a lot of tournaments. I also lift weights in the winter.”
“I had not made a hole-in-one before, so I was really excited about that (ace at The Woods).”
“My grandma lives in Milwaukee, so we spend a lot of time down there. We try to do some events that are grouped together so we can just stay there for a week. My mom drives me to all of my tournaments.”
“I’m excited about how it went. Being named player of the year and a hole-in-one – that was kind of the highlight of the end of my year. I hope next year can go as well, too.” What's in Aicher's Bag Driver: Callaway X-Tour, 9.5-degree
Fairway woods: Titleist 975F 3-wood; Titleist 580F 5-wood
Hybrid: Nike Tungsten Hybrid, 20-degree “I hit that club about 200 yards, so I use it a lot on long par-3s.”
Irons: Mizuno MP-60, 4-iron through pitching wedge “I got the irons around the middle of the season. I had Mizuno MP-32s before that, so my irons are just a couple months old.”
Wedges: TaylorMade rac 52-degree; Mizuno MT Series 58-degree
Putter: Odyssey, DFX blade “I’ve had that putter a long time. I usually don’t change (equipment) very much. I like to stick with what I have.”
JUNIOR GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ellie ArkinEllie Arkin, 16, is an all-around athlete who plays golf, hockey and tennis. After reshaping her game last winter with the help of swing coach Jim Schuman, Arkin, whose family lives on the golf course at Reedsburg CC, played often and well on the WPGA Junior Tour to earn state girls player of the year honors for the first time. 2006 Highlights
Arkin's Comments
“(The U.S. Girls Junior) was an awesome experience. I got to meet girls from all over the country. Ironically, I met a girl from a town in Illinois where I was born, and I actually ended up playing golf with her two days out of the three.”
“I changed my swing over the winter, so I think the new swing has helped a lot. I also seemed to scramble well to get up and down quite a bit.”
“When I was little, I played a few of the (Wisconsin Section) nine-hole tournaments, then I played the regular Wisconsin Junior PGA events, and now I’ve been playing the Players Tour and a couple of national events.”
“Everyone is always so nice (at Reedsburg CC), and I love to be up there.” What's in Arkin's Bag Driver: Callaway Big Bertha, 10-degree “(2007) will be my third year with the driver, unless I get a different one.”
Fairway woods: TaylorMade R500 3-wood; Cobra 7-wood
Irons: I Ping i3 plus, 4-iron through sand wedge
Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled, 60-degree
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron “Since I’m left-handed, I can’t just run in the pro shop and expect to find (equipment). It’s more like I should expect to find something in a magazine and then have them order it. The lucky thing is – at least I think it’s lucky – being left-handed, I don’t get any hand-me-downs.”
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