Grant Haefner Shoots 65, Leads Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain Resort

BOYNE FALLS – Playing in the U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania earlier this summer showed Grant Haefner some things.

“It showed me what I need to work on,” he said after working up a 7-under 65 Monday on the Alpine Course at Boyne Mountain Resort to lead through the first round of the 33rd Tournament of Champions.

The 27-year-old mini-tour player from Bloomfield Hills had a four-shot lead on a group of eight golfers who shot 69 in the unique championship that brings together men, women, professionals, amateurs, seniors and juniors – all who have won significant Michigan championships – playing for the same title from different tee positions.

Haefner, who has been working with Michigan Golf Hall of Fame teacher Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Golf & Learning Center, has been on a roll. He won his fourth career mini-tour event in Florida in March, then was a medalist in qualifying for the U.S. Open, then played at Oakmont missing the 36-hole cut and over last weekend won the prestigious Kalamazoo Invitational with partner Jimmy Dewling.

And in the process, he also set a couple of course records, shooting a 61 at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville, and then last week shooting a 60 at Kalamazoo Country Club.

“I feel really good about my game,” he said. “Brian and I have been working hard on what we learned at the U.S. Open over the last five weeks, and it’s really been showing the last few weeks. I’ve just been playing great and putting great and I feel like it’s time to do it out here.”

Haefner did it on Monday with seven birdies and a notable par-save from a bunker behind the green at No. 9.

“I flew it in the back bunker at nine and I had the worst fried egg I’ve ever seen,” he said. “But I’ve been working and making better decisions, and I was thinking let’s just get it out and get the best opportunity we can. I chopped it out to 15 feet and then made that putt to keep the card clean.”

Haefner and the rest of the 107-golfer field play 18 more holes Tuesday before a 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties. The $75,000, 54-hole championship concludes with Wednesday’s final round.

Defending champion Joe Juszczyk of Dearborn Heights, a PGA Tour of Americas player, was among the eightsome at 69.

Also at 69 was mini-tour pro Baker Stevenson of Highland, the recent Michigan Senior Open champion Tom Werkmeister of Hudsonville, mini-tour pro Ben Smith, a Novi native who now lives in Atlanta, Evan Bowser, a Dearborn native who works now as a club pro in Naples, Fla., Jay Jurecic, a senior pro from Crystal Falls and pro Jeff Bronkema of Caledonia.

Three golfers shot 70, including 2009 champion Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Michigan State University men’s golf coach Chad Kurmel of Okemos and Jeff Cuzzort, the golf services director at Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club.

LPGA Epson Tour player Sarah White, a BOYNE Golf ambassador, and Elayna Bowser, an amateur from Dearborn, both shot 72, best among the women in the field.

Jack Zubkus of Ada, an Oakland University golfer, was low amateur with a 71.