DCC Runs Golf Championship Streak to 3 with 2nd-Round Surge
By
Todd VanSickle
Special for MHSAA.com
June 6, 2026
BIG RAPIDS – Detroit Catholic Central clawed its way back Saturday to claim its third-consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 1 boys golf championship at Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course.
The Shamrocks finished with a score of 590 over the two-day 36-hole tournament.
“We started the day nine strokes back,” said Detroit Catholic Central coach Mike Fras. “We had to chase Brighton and Brother Rice, and we know how good they are. Everything really worked. We felt the pressure, but we handled it.”
DCC’s top placer was senior Jack Whitmore, who finished with a two-round 145. He shot a 69 on Saturday, with an eagle on hole 18 during the second round.
“I holed out from about 65 yards for eagle,” said Whitmore. “It was crazy. … We have won it in the past, so we knew we had it in us. We knew that we needed a low one today. All day the vibes were high.”
At the end of the second round, Whitmore was congratulated with high-fives and hugs from his teammates and coaches. He said winning a third-straight team championship is an indication of the program’s consistency.
“We practice all year long,” Whitmore said. “We are all friends and have team camaraderie. I think we are the strongest team out here bonding-wise.”
All told, the Shamrocks had four seniors competing at the Finals who had all made appearances in last year’s tournament, including David Krusinski, who shot a 79 on the first day and improved by four strokes Saturday. Collin Davis shot 146 and Luke Slankster finished with a 149.
The Shamrocks’ only freshman, Sal Camalo, ended the tournament with a 150.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice took home the second-place team trophy with a score of 592. Senior Rocco Iacobelli was Rice’s top golfer with a 145 after carding a 71 on the final day. Teammate Joseph Karoutsos finished with a 150 and shot a 70 on the second day.
The Warriors shot a 292 on the first day and 300 on Saturday.
“We set out today to replicate what we did yesterday,” Brother Rice assistant coach David Sass said. “But we had a couple guys fall short. I am still proud of them. Nobody quit. I have to hand it to CC, if you shoot one-under on the day – that is pretty good – they deserve it.”
Brighton took third with 595, while Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern shot a 602 for fourth and Rochester Adams was fifth at 604.
The top individual golfer was decided in a playoff between three on hole 10.
Rochester Adams’ Ben Vento, Flushing’s AJ Gasper and Midland Dow’s David Han ended the first 36 holes tied at 142.
All three golfers had strong drives to begin the playoff hole, all well past the 150-yard mark down the middle of the fairway.
On their second shots, Vento and Gasper each chipped onto the green coming within three feet of the hole. Han also landed on the green, but missed his 30-foot putt to stay in contention for the top spot.
Vento was next up and sank his short putt in front of a large crowd of fans and golfers who gathered to watch.
“I think this is the biggest tournament I have ever played in,” Vento said. “I don’t think I have ever experienced a crowd like that. I think it was like 100 people. I was shocked that they all came out. My team was cheering pretty big for me. I really appreciated it.”
Gasper was the last to putt, but he narrowly missed the hole giving the Rochester Adams freshman the win.
“I kind of blacked out on all of my shots,” Vento said. “On my drive, I just swung as hard as I could. The chip was pretty good and the putt caught the left edge of the hole.”
Vento finished with a 70 on the first day and a 72 during the second round. He noted he had “good wedges all day.”
“My approach play was good all tournament, but I struggled off the tee,” he said. “Thanks to my coach for replacing my driver halfway through.”
Vento discovered a crack in his driver head, and after checking with officials they allowed him to replace it during the tournament.
“My coach came through clutch for me,” he said. “I hit the ball right down the fairway on the playoff hole.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s golf team poses for a photo after completing its championship victory Saturday. (Middle) Adams’ Ben Vento lines up a putt. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Lake Orion Savors Championship Sweep
June 8, 2019
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
FRANKENMUTH – After 18 years of dreaming about this moment as head coach of the Lake Orion boys golf program, the reality obviously turned out to be even better for Monty Gallaher.
Since taking over the program, there have been tears over not being able to qualify for the Finals despite playing Regionals on the home course, years with disappointing finishes when his team had qualified for the championship tournament, or simply years when there wasn’t enough talent to win much of anything.
But the only tears Gallaher and the rest of Lake Orion’s team shed after the Lower Peninsula Division 1 tournament at The Fortress in Frankenmuth on Saturday were tears of joy after the Dragons captured their first MHSAA Finals title.
Lake Orion finished with a two-day score of 606, 11 shots better than the 617 put up by runner-up Grosse Pointe South.
Rockford was third at 621, Detroit Catholic Central shot a 623 to finish fourth and Hartland was fifth with a 624.
“I just feel a little numb right now,” Gallaher said. “I’ve known we can do this. We’re a great team. But finally seeing it happen, it’s winner winner, chicken dinner here in Frankenmuth.”
The Dragons took a 10-shot lead after posting a 294 for Friday’s first round, and actually were 18 strokes worse as a team on the second day.
But other than Grosse Pointe South, no other team was noticeably better to the degree needed to catch Lake Orion.
South entered the day 23 shots behind Lake Orion, a gap that was too much to overcome despite its better play during the second round.
But the reigning champion rallied to earn another runner-up finish, its third in four years to go with the title won last year.
“One of the things I stressed is that if you’re making good choices, there’s no regrets,” Grosse Pointe South head coach Rob McIntyre said. “Good choices lead to no regrets. They went out there and made some good choices today.”
Even better for Lake Orion was that it celebrated the individual champion as well after junior Justin Sui defeated Grosse Pointe South senior Coalter Smith in a playoff after each shot two-day scores of 141 (71-70).
After each parred the par-5 10th hole, Sui sank a 10-foot putt for par on the par-4, 9th hole to clinch the title as Smith was lining up a 6-footer for bogey that would have potentially forced a third playoff hole if Sui missed.
“I was really excited,” Sui said of his mindset going into the playoff. “I had the adrenaline rushing, and everyone was watching. The team was cheering me on. It felt great. I feel like I played better during the playoff than normal.”
Lake Orion senior Drew Coble flanked Sui by finishing in a tie for fourth with a two-day total of 145 (70-75).
Senior Andrew Remer shot a 159 (76-83), and junior Zach Hay had a 161 (77-84) to round out the top four for Lake Orion.
Gallaher said having to sleep on a 10-shot lead after the first night wasn’t too nerve-racking for his team, mainly because the Dragons kept as normal a routine as possible.
Instead of staying at a hotel in Frankenmuth, the team drove back home after Friday’s round, with Remer actually attending the school’s prom Friday night.
“I made the executive decision to sleep in our own beds,” Gallaher said. “We do all kinds of tournaments in southern Ohio and northern Michigan, where we stayed over and we didn’t play great. That was a determining factor. We didn’t win those tournaments and I said, “That’s what we are here to do, to win this tournament.’”
PHOTOS: (Top) Lake Orion got out to a 10-stroke lead during Friday’s first round at The Fortress. (Middle) Grosse Pointe South made a run at the title Saturday, finishing second for the weekend. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)