Livonia man wins Detroit News / GAM Hole In One Contest
Livonia — Livonia’s Joe Measel vigorously texted the good news to his wife, Amy.
He had just used a nine-iron on the 127-yard seventh hole at Whispering Willows — and put the shot four inches from the cup. The shot gave Measel the overall victory in The Detroit News/Golf Association of Michigan Hole In One Contest on Monday.
Each participant received two shots, but Measel needed one. His second drive also hit the green.
“I just started it to the right and thought the wind would bring it back,” Measel said of the winning shot.
Measel, 67, a retiree who worked at Detroit Diesel, didn’t hit his shot with a lot of confidence, though. The owner of two aces, he said his golf game is in shambles.
“I was not playing well, so I was surprised that it felt so good,” Measel said. “I knew right away it was going to be close.”
Paul Stasie also had a good shot — just not as good as Measel’s.
But for the 91-year-old, it was impressive. Stasie’s shot came from 97 yards and landed 6 feet, 11 inches from the hole.
Other golfers, all of whom have at least one hole-in-one during their lives, came to enjoy themselves.
Stuart Hall won a bet with his friends, Nick Sharoian and Mike Norris. The bet was lunch at The Tin Cup restaurant at Whispering Willows for the one among the three closest to the pin.
Norris and Sharoian missed the green.
Hall put both his shots on the green, including one 28 feet, 2 inches from the cup.
“I always beat these guys,” Hall said.
Canton’s James Montgomery, 71, got cheers when he hit one 3 feet from the cup.
Mason Erskine, a 16-year-old student at Warren De La Salle, once hit a 378-yard hole-in-one on a par-4.
But none of his shots came close. He shanked two shots to the left.
The culprit? A broken hand.
WINNERS
Super Senior Men's Division (age of 80 or older)
First: Paul Stasie with a shot of 6 ft 11 inches
Second: Jerome Glowski with a shot of 11 ft 10 inches
Senior Men's Division (ages from 55 to 79)
First: James Montgomery with a shot of 3 ft
Second: Tom Whiting with a shot of 7 ft 2 inches
Men's Division (ages 18 to 54)
First: John Muller with a shot of 17 ft 5 inches
Second: Bill Peper with a shot of 22 ft 11 inches
Senior Ladies Division (ages 55 to 79)
First: Dawn Shaefers with a shot of 18 ft 4 inches
Second: Sue Wright with a shot of 19 ft 9 inches
Distances
Philip Acosta: 39 ft 6 in
Kevin Adams: 37 ft 7 in
James Atkinson: 23 ft 9 in
Harold Barber: 27 ft 10 in
Edmund Barbour: 35 ft 11 in
Ralph Barry: 7 ft 11 in
Christopher Campbell: 31 ft 10 in
Dr. Marshall Clement: 28 ft 9 in
Martin Clements: 40 ft 5 in
Mike Crumley: 41 ft
John Dezelski: 17 ft 7 in
Doug Dievendorf: 17 ft 7 in
Dennis Drabicki: 18 ft 8 in
Lorne DuBay: 11 ft 4 in
John Finch: 20 ft 10 in
Mary Francis: 49 ft 2 in
Ken Frankland: 52 ft 1 in
Greg Frontier: 9 ft 3 in
John Furkioti: 35 ft 7 in
Keith Girard: 16 ft 5 in
Jerome Glowski: 11 ft 10 in
Bert Green: 43 ft 9 in
Mike Gyokeres: 16 ft 1 in
Stuart Hall: 28 ft 2 in
Dan Harvey: 26 ft 8 in
Stan Hawkins: 46 ft 3 in
Don Hooper: 32 ft 7 in
Gordon Houston: 52 ft 7 in
John Hutt: 42 ft 6 in
Janina Jacobs: 39 ft 11 in
Gerald Johnson: 60 ft 4 in
David Khoury: 23 ft 8 in
Dennis Kiel: 10 ft 11 in
Douglas Laskowski: 46 ft 7 in
Jerome Leber: 24 ft 5 in
Mike Lie: 25 ft 7 in
Mark McConnell: 48 ft 10 in
Pat McKane: 49 ft 10 in
Joe Measel: 4 in
Dennis Michalek: 23 ft 11 in
James Montgomery: 3 ft
John Muller: 17 ft 5 in
Stan Nowak: 26 ft 5 in
Jim Nygord: 25 ft 8 in
Guy O'Neill: 49 ft
Gary Owen: 24 ft 2 in
Frank Paciero: 22 ft 2 in
Bill Peper: 22 ft 11 in
Lawrence Pickett: 45 ft 4 in
Stanley Polkowski: 42 ft 8 in
James Pulcini: 39 ft 2 in
Carl Rakowski: 29 ft 9 in
Bill Rellias: 49 ft
Eddie Rock: 26 ft 8 in
Billy Roe: 24 ft 1 in
Dawn Schaefers: 18 ft 4 in
Kevin Schaum: 15 ft 7 in
Joeseph Schramek: 22 ft 10
Dr. Edward Sienkowski: 50 ft 10 in
Paul Stasie: 6 ft 11 in
William Staugaard: 25 ft 6 in
Jeff Sylverster: 39 ft 4 in
Mike Taschmner: 26 ft 1 in
Marie Thomson: 44 ft 5 in
Mark Vandenberg: 68 ft 1 in
Denny Weymouth: 39 ft 5 in
Thomas Whiting: 7 ft 2 in
Harold Winters: 56 ft 10 in
Sue Wright: 19 ft 9 in
Tom Young: 33 ft 3 in
Tom Zberkot: 8 ft 1 in
Tom Zurek: 47 ft 11 in
terry.foster@detroitnews.com
twitter.com/terryfoster971