By Ron Rop
LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON – The Mona Shores Sailors regrouped from a tough golf outing on Tuesday night.

The Sailors, who regularly finish atop the standings in the OK-Green jamborees, found themselves in fourth place on Monday night with rival Reeths-Puffer finishing in first place by 10 strokes over the Sailors.

Not to be deterred on Wednesday, Mona Shores captured the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association team title for the fifth straight year with a 10-stroke advantage over runner-up, and fellow OK-Green member, Reeths-Puffer. Fruitport finished third, one stroke behind Reeths-Puffer, North Muskegon was fourth and Western Michigan Christian was fifth in the 12-team field.

Dylan Panozzo, the 2024 GMAA golf individual champion.

The city meet was played at Oak Ridge Golf Club.

Rocket senior Dylan Panozzo was the medalist with an 8-over-par 80. Mona Shores sophomore Eddie Kuznar was a shot back at 81.

The 60-man field was greeted with clear skies and mild temperatures, but a gusty wind that certainly wreaked some havoc on some shots.

“It was a little bit windy, but I thought it was it was there for the taking today,” said Mona Shores coach Scott Volkmann. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to win as a team.”

Kuznar was elevated to the No. 1 spot on the Sailor lineup and he responded with a solid round.

“I was surprised no one broke 80, to be honest with you,” said Volkmann. “The objective is to win as a team and this is always something we put on our goals for the year. To check that one off is great. I’m happy for the guys.”

And Volkmann was happy to see his team come back after Tuesday’s league jamboree.

“We had a pretty direct conversation after our match (Tuesday) night,” he said. “I also think it’s tough only playing nine holes because you’re essentially stopping at halftime, if you will. I thought being in our backyard at Oak Ridge and playing 18 holes was in our favor.”

For Panozzo, the city title comes after a round in which he navigated through some good times and some not so good times. He birdied the first hole, but bogeyed the second. He birdied No. 12 and eagled N0. 13 when he chipped in from 80 yards out. But then he double bogeyed No. 17 when his putt from just off the green rolled beyond the hole and all the way down the steep hill in front of the green.

“It was tough conditions so I just played the wind,” said Panozzo, who was still shaking his head over the putt on 17 that took off down the hill. “I barely tapped it and went down the hill. I chipped it close then two putted for a double then bogeyed 18.

“I felt good just getting back to playing the game that I love,” said Panozzo, who was away from the game for a week due to a severe sunburn he got in Florida.

“I’m very happy for him, he’s a senior,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Matt Pallett. “He had a great round, a couple great shots with the birdie and eagle that got him back in the mix.

“Dylan is kind of my 1A, 1B,” Pallett said. “I have a few guys battling it out and I’ve got a third guy who is now in the mix so we have three solid and now we have to find a fourth.”

Those other team leaders include Kristian Brown and Ayden Waggoner. Brown finished at 85 and Waggoner at 86.

TEAM SCORES
Mona Shores (340): Eddie Kuznar 81; Lucas Dethloff 84; Josiah Bement 87; Kaidyn Berghuis 88; Nathan Tilden 90.

Reeths-Puffer (350): Dylan Panozzo 80; Kristian Brown 85; Aiden Waggoner, 86; Ayden Hartzell 99; Jake Lee 99.

Fruitport (351): Chaseton Sullivan 85; Macen Benderman 87; Cole Woodard 89; Tyler Carlson 90; Andres Cribley-Cotto 96.

North Muskegon (358): Avery Freeland 86; Wyatt Brock 90; Luke Jones 91; Logan Pike 91; Tate Pannucci 104.

Western Michigan Christian (360): Zach Weare 87; Lucas Dick 88; Fisher Campbell 90; Ian Vanderstelt 95; Caleb DeVries 95.

Whitehall (347): William Burger 90; Braedon Bond 93; Mason Mulnix 95; Jones McDowell 96; Brady Tate 97.

Oakridge (376): Travis Lewis 86; Isaac Utzinger 94; Justin Cryderman 97; Russell Slocum 99; Drake Chase 107.

Montague (384): Owen Raeth 94; Brayden Bultema 96; Trevin Silvers 96; Jack Bailey 98; Elias Bunton 106.

Ravenna (388): Shea Iwaniw 88; Dylan May 95; Drew Mabrito 96; Cayden Caniff 109; Caden Marsman 127.

Muskegon Catholic (406): William Gowin 88; Q Lorenz 95; Will Fedewa 109; Evan LaGuire 114; Easten Cook 135.

Orchard View (451): Ethan Hodges 86; Josh Cherry 119; Jeffery Stone 121; Corbin Russelll 125; Cole TerHaar 153.

Holton (509): Tuff Scott 111; Tanner Steffens 120; Josh Bunker 129; Ethan Aleem 149; Gabe Helms 152.

GMAA champion, Dylan Panozzo of Reeths Puffer, tees off on the first hole to start the tournament. Photo/Eric Sturr

Second-place finisher, Eddie Kuznar of Mona Shores, rolls a putt from just off the green on the fourth hole at Oak Ridge. Photo/Eric Sturr

Kristian Brown, of Reeths Puffer, chips from 30 yards out on the 17th. Photo/Eric Sturr

Whitehall’s Braedon Bond chips from the fringe on the fifth hole at the GMAA golf meet. Photo/Eric Sturr