History Made at 69th Annual Saginaw District Golf Tournament

It was a tight and highly competitive contest between the impressive field of amateur golfers competing in the 54-hole three-day 69th Annual Saginaw District Golf Tournament, which this year was held over the weekend of June 23-25th at The Sawmill.

Tournament history was made as Mike Wenglikowski secured his 4th consecutive  District Title in the as the best golfer in Saginaw County with a 3 day total of 8-over par 224, winning by three shots over Matt Pumford.  This is the first time in District history that someone has won 4 straight titles and accomplished this feat on  4 different courses - The Fortress, Saginaw County Club, Apple Mountain, and now The Sawmill.  

The winner of the Senior Title (the lowest scoring player 50-years or older in the Open Division) went to Todd Essex, another back-to-back champion with a score of 232.  He won in a one-hole playoff over Alan Pumford.

The trophy for the "21 Club" Title (lowest scoring player 21 and under in the Open Division) went to Alex McCarthy, amazingly another back-to-back champion with a score of 231.  He won by 1 shot over Jiseung Choi.

Finally, the Legends Title (50+ Division playing from ~6200 yards) went to Parry Hughes, who secured his first Legends Title in his first attempt.  He shot 13-over 229 for 3 days and won by 1 shot over defending champion Dan Hughes.

The final day of the tournament also witnessed a hole-in-one on the 8th hole by Ryan Green in the Open Division.  This is the 6th hole-in-one in SDGA History and the 5th in the last three years

Beginning back in 1955, The Saginaw District Golf Association’s annual Invitational Tournament has been held each year at different golf courses throughout Saginaw County.

With an intent & purpose centered upon the objective of identifying the very best amateur golfer in Saginaw County, beginning back in 2020, sponsor & tournament proceeds have allowed the SDGA to make a donation to The First Tee of Eastern Michigan in order to help introduce youth to the game of golf and its inherent values.

“Our focus over the last few years has been to grow the game of golf in the area,” explains Trace Hendrick, SDGA Chairman. “Through our discounted entry fees and relationship with the First Tee, we’ve continued to increase the amount of young golfers in the Open Division field and to date have been able to contribute $10,000 to this admirable progam.”

Since its inception back in 1955, the Saginaw District Golf Association's annual District Invitational Tournament evolved and grew over the decades thanks in large part to the vision of former Saginaw News Sports Editor Joe Hart, and the tireless effort and commitment of long-time SDGA Board of Directors Chairman and my late father Fred Martin Jr, who passed away on the 50th anniversary of the tournament back in 2004..

Ron Stelter is the dean of participants, having played in every District Tournament from its inception in 1955 through 2012. In the years from 1956 to 1979, Ron Stelter and Stan Murphy owned the District, accounting for wins in 15 of the 24 Tournaments.

Ron's 10 victories likely will stand as a record for many years to come. Stan Murphy and Matt Pumford both have 5 Hart Trophies - tied for second on the list of multiple champions. Danny Hughes is third all-time with 4 victories, who is now joined by Wenglikowski. Craig Barber has 3 followed by Mike Anderson, Tom Doozan, Terry Franz, Mike Humphrey, Nick Pumford and Walt Van Sickle as two time winners.

For a complete list of scoring and overall results and to learn more about the Saginaw District Golf Tournament, please visit their website at www.saginawdistrictgolf.com.