The following news releases have been archived:

2008 Schedule Progressing

November 18, 2007

The Michigan Player's Tour schedule for 2008 is continuing to take shape, and will include a number of new courses not previously used on the Tour. Among the new courses contacted are Coyote Preserve G.C. in Fenton, Apple Mountain G.C. in Freeland, The Fortress in Frankenmuth, and The Majestic at Lake Walden in Howell.

3rd Hole, Fieldstone G.C.

One of the events recently added to the schedule is an 18 hole shootout at Fieldstone G.C. of Auburn Hills on Monday, June 16th. Players should note this is just 3 days before the PGA Tour Buick Open prequalifier at Fieldstone, and will be an excellent tune up for players hoping to get to the June 23rd Monday qualifier, which also takes place at Fieldstone.

In creating the 2008 schedule, the Tour has decided to conduct most of its18 hole events on Mondays, and most 36 hole events on Mondays and Tuesdays. This should allow more PGA Section players to participate.

Player Priority List

To help build larger fields in events, the Tour has decided to create a "player priority list" for the 2008 season. The creation of the list will accomplish three things:

• determine which players will get into events with a limited number of tee times;
• help the Tour gauge the number of players expected to play in any given event;
• get an early indication of overall participation.

Any player who is thinking about participating this year is encouraged to call or email the Tour office as soon as possible to tell us which events you might play in and to provide basic contact information. Although the list of events you provide will be non-binding, your early inclusion on the list will allow you to get into those events should the number of tee times for that event be limited. In addition, should certain events receive fewer proposed entries, it will allow the Tour to target its marketing efforts on those particular events.

As always, the Tour requests any player planning to play this year continue to "spread the word" about the Tour to your friends and to other players you come in contact with during the course of the season. Building the Tour will continue to require a "team effort."

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2007 Season Recap

Paul Wilson of Grayling leads 2007 Order of Merit

October 4, 2007

Paul Wilson

The Michigan Players Tour would like to extend its appreciation to all of the players who participated in Tour events this summer.

Paul Wilson of Grayling led the 2007 Order of Merit, winning $2,595.00 in 9 events. As a testament to the difficulty of courses used on the Tour, Wilson's scoring average for the season was 76.08 (12 rounds).

During the 2007 season, the Tour conducted a total of 12 events, and paid out $9,800.00 in prize money. Overall, 39 different players participated during 2007. In the two seasons the Tour has been in operation, 17 events have been conducted, with 62 different players participating. Total prize money paid out during the two seasons was $15,640.00.

A complete list of money winners in 2007 is shown below.

2007 Order of Merit

Final Standings

Pos.	Player	Hometown	Events	Winnings
1	Paul Wilson	Grayling, MI	9	$2595.00
2	Christian Vozza	Traverse City, MI	7	1980.00
3	Jay Jurecic	Caspian, MI	2	1000.00
4	Jason Swihart	Jackson, MI	2	950.00
5	Ken Carter	Traverse City, MI	12	800.00
6	David Shearer	Charlevoix, MI	3	750.00
7	Yohann Benson	Montreal, QC	1	600.00
8	Nathan Fritz	South Haven, MI	1	300.00
9	Jacob Leyrer	Lansing, MI	3	225.00
10	Matt Zavadil	Taylor, MI	1	200.00
10	Jordan Young	Brownstown, MI	1	200.00
12	Jeff Cuzzort	Grosse Ile, MI	1	100.00
12	Ryan Holly	Haslett, MI	1	100.00

September 28, 2007

With only 4 entries as of the September 28th deadline, the Michigan Player's Tour has decided to cancel the event scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 2-3, 2007 at the Hawk Hollow Resort (Eagle Eye G.C.) in Bath. The tournament would have been the final event on the 2007 schedule.

According to Tour Director Ken Carter, "Canceling the last event of the year is disappointing, but overall, I think the Tour did well in its first full season. Remember, there was nothing up here at all when it was started. Now, anyone who desires to play professional competitive golf on some of the greatest courses in the Great Lakes region has a tour to come out and tee it up on."

The Tour wishes to thank all of the players who participated in events this season. Please keep an eye on this web site to follow the progress in developing the Tour schedule for 2008.

In the coming days, a recap of the 2007 season will be posted.

Tour revises entry deadline

August 26, 2007

With a total of only 3 entries as of August 25th, the Michigan Player's Tour has decided to cancel the event August 28 at UAW Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway. This is the second consecutive event the Tour has been forced to cancel.

As a result of the cancelations occurring this season, the Tour has decided to move the deadline of its events to 5 pm the Friday prior to the event. If an event does not receive at least 5 entries by this time, the event will be cancelled. If an event is not cancelled at that time, players will still be able to enter until the day prior to the event if tee times are still available.

12th hole, UAW Black Lake G.C.

"The deadline to enter has always been the day before the event, because we wanted to let as many players tee it up as possible," said Tour Director Ken Carter. "In most of the events, we've been getting two or three entries at the last minute. But when we haven't, it's been a problem."

Even with small fields, the events have been worthwhile and a lot of fun, Carter said. "We've had a few events with 5 or 6 guys in the field this year, which is a disappointing number to be sure, but there is still money to play for and the courses have been spectacular," noted Carter. "You still have to play serious golf to post a score."

August 21, 2007

A lack of entries has once again forced the cancelation of a Michigan Player's Tour event, this time at the St. Ives Resort (Tullymore G.C.) in Stanwood. This is the third event of the season cancelled due to poor turnout.

"I'm especially disappointed we couldn't draw a field for this event because Tullymore is one of the most spectacular courses in Michigan, and is one of my favorite courses," said Ken Carter, Director of the Tour. "It still amazes me we are not attracting players to the Tour given the quality of these courses and the fact that the nearest place to compete at this level requires players to travel a thousand miles and play in 110 degree heat."

10th hole, Tullymore G.C.

Despite the small number of players participating this year, Carter remains optimistic about the future of the Tour. "I know some players will look at what we're trying to do up here and say, 'That tour will never make it. The golf season is too short. I can tee it up all year in Florida or Arizona.'"

"To that I would counter the only time of the year a developing player really needs his game in peak form is in the fall when PGA Tour School comes around, and after spending the whole summer battling heat, humidity, afternoon thunderstorms, floods and everything else going on in the South, players can show up at Tour School flat out exhausted. In my opinion, it would be better to concentrate one's preparation to a compact schedule on difficult courses in a pleasant environment, which is what the Michigan Player's Tour is all about."

Carter believes too many players have very little to do apart from playing golf, which tends to dull their enthusiasm for the game and saps their competitive spirit. "The life of a tour player can get pretty monotonous during the season, battling the heat, traveling from town to town, and going from motel to motel. In Michigan, you can actually break out of this lifestyle and enjoy the great outdoors all summer, rather than spending most of your time sitting indoors in the air conditioning when you're not playing or practicing."

July 29, 2007

With only 2 entries as of Sunday morning, the Michigan Player's Tour has decided to cancel the event scheduled for Tuesday, July 31st at Yarrow Golf and Conference Center.

Although the deadline for the event is Monday afternoon, the small number of entries this late in the weekend makes it unlikely the event will get many more. In fairness to the course and the players involved, it is better to release the tee times back to the general public a couple of days in advance, and to prevent the players from incurring unnecessary travel expenses.

"The number of entries is just too small at this stage of the game to justify playing it out," said Tour Director Ken Carter. "Usually we have more than this by now."

Despite the small turnout in recent events, Carter remains upbeat about the potential of the Tour. "Even if an event only has a few players, we're playing spectacular courses which are a lot of fun to play, and there is still something to play for. It's a real adventure to try and post decent scores on some of these courses."

Entry fees reduced, most 36 hole events reduced to 18

July 23, 2007

Due to lack of participation, the Michigan Player's Tour has reduced entry fees into all of the remaining events in 2007 and reduced all but the last of the scheduled 36 hole events to 18 holes.

"As a startup tour, the goal in 2007 was to post a full schedule and see what kind of response we would get," said Ken Carter, Director of the Michigan Player's Tour. "We're getting some response, but not quite to the degree we had expected. Although it is disappointing, to achieve what we have with practically no sponsorship is actually quite remarkable."

Entry fees will now be consistent from event to event, and will be as follows:

Number of rounds	PGA Pros	Unaffiliated Pros	Amateurs
1	$175.00	$200.00	$100.00
2	$350.00	$400.00	$200.00

June 23, 2007

Due to lack of entries, the 36 hole event scheduled at The Ravines G.C. in Saugatuck June 26-27 has been canceled.

"It's unfortunate this had to happen, but every startup business is bound to have its ups and downs," Tour Director Ken Carter said. "The Michigan Player's Tour has a lot of potential, and a bunch of guys have expressed interest in playing, but it just didn't happen this week."

Carter noted the Buick Open prequalifying and Monday qualifying were scheduled immediately preceding the event at The Ravines. "Several of the guys who played at the first two Tour events made it through the prequalifier and are playing Monday," Carter said. "To commit to play at The Ravines on Tuesday and Wednesday is tantamount to saying 'I'm probably not going to qualify for the Buick,' so I would not expect any of those players to contact me until Monday night. But that's too late to know if I have a field."

Lack of sponsorship is hindering the growth of the Tour, Carter noted. "The thing that draws players is guaranteed purses. We're doing everything possible to secure sponsors for the Tour, but it's been a tough sell in this economy. Even the state open can't find a title sponsor."

Carter had also hoped to draw a few players from the Chicago area for the two events in southwest Michigan, but there were no takers. "It has to be all the road construction in northwest Indiana that is keeping them from playing. It is impossible to drive from Chicago to Michigan right now, unless you drive up and around through the UP," Carter said jokingly.

Changes made to enhance fields

Players may now place deposits to enter events.

March 14, 2007

It was a long weekend, but the overall response from the Michigan Golf Show in Novi March 9-11 was excellent, according to Ken Carter, Director of the Michigan Player's Tour.

"I met at least 25 players who are planning to enter events on the Tour this year, as well as a bunch of guys who are considering it," said Carter. "Combined with other commitments I've received and new contacts from ads placed in various publications, I think we should have decent fields in Tour events right from the start."

The first event of the season is at Shepherd's Hollow G.C. in Clarkston on June 5th and 6th. "Shepherd's Hollow is a spectacular course, and it will challenge even the best players. They really should move the Buick Open there. With the greens cut down and the pins tucked in the corners, guys will have their hands full," Carter said.

The Michigan Golf Show in Novi is the largest consumer golf convention in the United States. The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in January is larger, but it is closed to the general public.

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Dates Of Two Events Changed

March 5, 2007

The Michigan Player's Tour has swapped the dates of two events on the 2007 Men's Division schedule. The event at Angel's Crossing G.C. in Vicksburg has moved to June 19th and has become an 18 hole event, and the event at The Ravines G.C. in Saugatuck has moved to June 26th and 27th and has become a 36 hole event. Please refer to the Event Information page for entry fees and other information concerning these events.

6th Hole, The Majestic at Lake Walden

The Michigan Player's Tour has also scheduled four events for women in 2007. These events are designed to help publicize the creation of the Women's Division of the Tour in 2008, which will consist of 12 to 16 events at many of the top courses in Michigan. The events are open to all female professionals and to amateurs with a handicap of 5.0 or less.

The four Women's Division events are at The Majestic at Lake Walden in Hartland, Michigan on June 7th, Gull Lake View Resort (Stonehedge South G.C.) in Augusta on June 20th, UAW Black Lake G.C. in Onaway on July 12th, and at Buck's Run G.C. in Mt. Pleasant on August 1st.

Players competing in these events can expect the courses to be set up similar to Future's Tour and LPGA courses (6250 to 6500 yards).

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Tour Now Accepting Membership Applications

January 1, 2007

The Michigan Player's Tour is now accepting membership applications for the 2007 Men's Division schedule. Players who wish to become members should contact the Tour office or register online.

The Men's Division schedule will consist of eight 18 hole events and nine 36 hole events at some of the most scenic (and difficult) courses in Michigan. The Tour will kick off the season June 5th at Shepherd's Hollow G.C. in Clarkston, which is ranked #2 by Michigan Golf Magazine in its list of "Michigan Monsters," and continue throughout the summer to nearly every region of the lower peninsula. In all, the Tour will conduct events at six of the courses mentioned in the MGM "monsters" list.

The Tour will also conduct four 18 hole events for women in 2007, which are designed to help publicize the creation of the Women's Division of the Michigan Player's Tour in 2008. Three of these events have now been scheduled, and will occur at Gull Lake View Resort (Stonehedge South G.C.) in Augusta on June 20th, UAW Black Lake G.C. in Onaway on July 12th, and at Buck's Run G.C. in Mt. Pleasant on August 1. In the coming days, the Tour will finalize the Women's Division schedule as well.

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Tour Logo Redesigned

August 19, 2006

In response to player suggestions, the Michigan Player's Tour has changed its policy regarding the percentage of the field to be paid in 18 hole Tour events.

In 18 hole tournaments, prize money will now be paid to the lowest 25% of scorers and ties. The amount paid to the champion has also been changed -- the champion will now receive 35% of the purse. In multi-round events, the policy remains unchanged.

The change will take effect September 12th at Treetops Resort.

August 8, 2006

The Michigan Player's Tour has added several events to the 2007 schedule -- most recently a 36 hole event at Thousand Oaks G.C. in Grand Rapids on August 7th and 8th, and an 18 hole event at King's Challenge G.C. in Cedar on July 3rd.

In the coming days, several additional events will be added to the schedule, with ten 36 hole events and six 18 hole events being the ultimate goal for the 2007 season.

The Tour will also conduct four 18 hole events for women in 2007, which are designed to help publicize the creation of the Women's Division of the Michigan Player's Tour in 2008.

The Tour will begin accepting membership applications for the 2007 season on January 1st, 2007.

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Changes Made to Tour Membership Policy

August 8, 2006

In order to increase field sizes in the early years of the Tour, the Michigan Player's Tour has revised its Membership policy to make it easier for non-members to compete in Tour events beginning in the 2007 season.

The changes to the policy are as follows --

• Members will receive priority in entering all Tour events -- non-members will receive spots in an event on a space-available basis.
• To encourage players to obtain a membership, the entry fees into events for members will be 25% less than the entry fees of non-members.
• PGA Section professionals and assistants will not be required to obtain a membership to compete, and will not be required to pay the 25% surcharge. They will, however, be subject to the space-available limitation if they do not purchase a membership.
• Amateurs will continue to be accepted into events on a space-available basis.

The cost of purchasing a membership can be found on the Membership page.

Entry fees for non-members are affected by these changes -- please go to the Entry Fees page to see these changes.

The event will be the first of 8 to 10 multi-round events to be conducted during the 2007 season, the first full season of the Tour. Players can also expect several 18 hole events on the schedule as well. The event has been posted on the Tour Schedule page.

On January 1st, 2007, the Michigan Player's Tour will begin accepting membership applications for the 2007 season. Players desiring to compete in Tour events during the 2007 season will be required to obtain a membership.

"Contributing to the purse accomplishes two things," Carter states. "First, it underscores the committment I have to the success of the Michigan Player's Tour, which has been started to help the game grow here in Michigan. And second, spending money already earmarked for advertising on the golf tournament gives me a much more visible way to market my construction company than placing a few additional print ads."

The money will augment the first place check in the event, which is determined by the number of professionals who play in the event. "If we get 70 pros to tee it up, the first place check will be about $3,600.00, which isn't bad for 18 holes of golf," Carter says.

Carter is also working to secure additional sponsors for the other events on the Tour this year. "Securing guaranteed prize money will help the Tour grow faster than anything else I can do," notes Carter.

The Tour has scheduled several 18 hole events in 2006, which are listed as follows:

Date	Course	City
June 13	Shepherd's Hollow G.C.	Clarkston
July 6	Grand Traverse Resort (Bear)	Acme
July 25	Thousand Oaks G.C.	Grand Rapids
August 17	The Grande G.C.	Jackson
September 12	Treetops (RTJ Masterpiece)	Treetops Village

Additional events will be added soon.

For more information on these events, please see the Schedule page of this web site, or the Event Information page.

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