Traverse City Record-Eagle

Sports

June 15, 2012

Kelpin wins Michigan Open

From staff reports ----

WASHINGTON, Mich. — Playing in his first professional event, Barrett Kelpin not only won, but won convincingly and in record-tying fashion.

Kelpin, 22, finished the 95th Michigan Open Championship with a 23-under-par 265 to put himself even with the tournament record set in 1948 and not equalled since.

The recent University of Iowa graduate closed with a 4-under-par 68 Thursday at The Orchards Golf Club. It earned him an $8,000 first-place check and a place in history.

Kelpin's four-round total matched the mark set in 1948 by Michigan Golf Hall of Fame legend Chick Harbert, who won the Michigan Open four times, won seven times on the PGA Tour, won the 1954 PGA National Championship and was a Ryder Cup captain.

It was also good for an eight-shot margin over runner-up Jeff Cuzzort, a Nationwide Tour player from Grosse Ile, who shot 72 for 15-under 273. Cuzzort won $4,800 for second.

Thompsonville's Korey Mahoney was the top area finisher, finishing with a final-round 68 for a -8 tourney total and a 10th-place result. Traverse City's Randy Hutchison was tied for 14th at -5 after leading following the opening round. Grand Traverse Resort professionals Scott Hebert (16th; -3) and Lee Houtteman (23rd; +1) were the other two local golfers remaining after the cut.

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