Flint Township View

Flint Jr. Golf champions crowned






Ben Zyber and Kristen Wolfe display their championship trophies after the final day at Swartz Creek Golf Course.

Ben Zyber and Kristen Wolfe display their championship trophies after the final day at Swartz Creek Golf Course.

FLINT — Ben Zyber capped a red-hot summer in Flint Junior Golf Association play by winning the season-ending tournament July 31 at Swartz Creek Golf Course.

The Swartz Creek senior beat Davison graduate Gabe Schiller, 4-and-3, in the match-play final of the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Group, the FJGA’s premier division.

It was Zyber’s fourth straight victory in as many weeks, including championships in the Mancour Cup and Henrickson Award. The Mancour win qualified him for the Randy Wise Junior Open, an American Junior Golf Association event Aug. 19-22 at Warwick Hills.

“I didn’t really expect all this, but I wanted to do well,” Zyber said. “I just played my own game and if it was going to happen, it was going to happen. I’m happy with the way I played.”

Zyber played a bogey-free round in Wednesday’s rainy final to beat Schiller, a Mott Community College All-American. Schiller had led both days of stroke play with 1-under-par 71s Monday and Tuesday.

“I had three birdies and won a couple of those holes, and then he made a couple bogeys when I made pars,” Zyber said. “It was just a steady round — hit the greens and make a putt every once in a while.”

Flint Powers Catholic senior Kristen Wolfe edged Swartz Creek grad Haylee Zyber, 1-up, in the girls’ final, denying the Zyber family a sweep of the titles. Wolfe, a Grand Blanc resident, also had won the Henrickson Award, beating Zyber and Fenton’s Samantha Moss.

“She made a lot of putts,” Haylee said.

Other flight winners were Taylor Harding of Goodrich, Hannah Joslin and Madison Zloto in girls’ play, and Mitch Hughes, Scott James, Garrett Jewell, Jacob Rogers, Tony Mastin and Zach Duker in boys’ play. Alex Finsterwald and Morgan Zloto won the Sportsmanship Awards, and Mark Buterakos and Lauren Woods were named Most Improved.


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