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HARBOR SPRINGS — When the Michigan Amateur reaches match play, it’s often buddy-against-buddy.
Friendships abound and, though the competitive juices flow, it’s never easy, players say, to try to end a pal’s dreams of hoisting the coveted Staghorn Trophy.
One match in the 100th edition of the storied tournament took on an even more personal vibe Thursday as Mike and Steve Fedewa — father and son — squared off on the Heather course at Boyne Highlands.
It’s the first time in tournament history that a father and son have met in match play.
Chalk one up for the old-timers.
Mike Fedewa, 61, defeated his 29-year-old son, 3 and 2, to advance to the Sweet 16. Both Fedewas won their opening matches on Wednesday morning, setting up the father-son showdown.
“I felt really sick to my stomach (Thursday) morning when I saw we were paired so close together because I wanted us to meet later on if we did at all,” Mike said. “It bummed me out. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react if we had to play each other if we both won our morning matches.”
The reaction was as it is for most players in the Amateur when they’re faced with the prospect of an opponent they know well: Forget about the past, and focus on the round.
After all, a spot in the Sweet 16 doesn’t come every day.
“I decided well shoot, I’m not going to get many more chances at this,” Mike said. “And I told him that, I said, ‘I’m going to play as hard as I can against you.’ And he said he would too.
“We’re real comfortable with each other so we can say things to each other and stuff like that. But I think we were both down to business, I know I was.”
Steve Fedewa, who hails from Howell, was seeded fifth coming out of stroke play after shooting 74-71 — 145. Mike Fedewa shot 76-74 — 150 and was seeded 28th. He is by far the oldest player remaining in the tournament.
Dad held a 1-up lead through 13 holes, then made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to extend his lead to 3-up. Mike got up and down for par from a bunker on the par 3 16th, while Steve’s birdie putt slid over the edge of the cup.
And that was the match.
“He had a good birdie try, but he was just burning the edges today,” said Mike, who added he was a frequent participant in the Amateur back in the late 1960s and early ’70s before family and professional commitments took precedence over competitive golf.
He got his son started in the game and once Steve reached his 20s, Dad got the competitive bug again.
“We do play together, but not as much as we used to when he was younger,” Mike said. “When he was growing up we’d play all the time because I was trying to encourage him to get into the game. He had kind of a natural ability for it and liked it. I didn’t try to force it on him, but he loved it.
“He wanted to start playing these kinds of events, so I said, ‘Shoot I’ll start playing with you.’”
The pair are rooming together this week at the lodge at Boyne Highlands, and Steve will now caddy for his father as he attempts to advance through match play. He’s scheduled to play 22-year-old Willie Mack III of Flint on Friday morning.
Friendships abound and, though the competitive juices flow, it’s never easy, players say, to try to end a pal’s dreams of hoisting the coveted Staghorn Trophy.
One match in the 100th edition of the storied tournament took on an even more personal vibe Thursday as Mike and Steve Fedewa — father and son — squared off on the Heather course at Boyne Highlands.
It’s the first time in tournament history that a father and son have met in match play.
Chalk one up for the old-timers.
Mike Fedewa, 61, defeated his 29-year-old son, 3 and 2, to advance to the Sweet 16. Both Fedewas won their opening matches on Wednesday morning, setting up the father-son showdown.
“I felt really sick to my stomach (Thursday) morning when I saw we were paired so close together because I wanted us to meet later on if we did at all,” Mike said. “It bummed me out. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react if we had to play each other if we both won our morning matches.”
The reaction was as it is for most players in the Amateur when they’re faced with the prospect of an opponent they know well: Forget about the past, and focus on the round.
After all, a spot in the Sweet 16 doesn’t come every day.
“I decided well shoot, I’m not going to get many more chances at this,” Mike said. “And I told him that, I said, ‘I’m going to play as hard as I can against you.’ And he said he would too.
“We’re real comfortable with each other so we can say things to each other and stuff like that. But I think we were both down to business, I know I was.”
Steve Fedewa, who hails from Howell, was seeded fifth coming out of stroke play after shooting 74-71 — 145. Mike Fedewa shot 76-74 — 150 and was seeded 28th. He is by far the oldest player remaining in the tournament.
Dad held a 1-up lead through 13 holes, then made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to extend his lead to 3-up. Mike got up and down for par from a bunker on the par 3 16th, while Steve’s birdie putt slid over the edge of the cup.
And that was the match.
“He had a good birdie try, but he was just burning the edges today,” said Mike, who added he was a frequent participant in the Amateur back in the late 1960s and early ’70s before family and professional commitments took precedence over competitive golf.
He got his son started in the game and once Steve reached his 20s, Dad got the competitive bug again.
“We do play together, but not as much as we used to when he was younger,” Mike said. “When he was growing up we’d play all the time because I was trying to encourage him to get into the game. He had kind of a natural ability for it and liked it. I didn’t try to force it on him, but he loved it.
“He wanted to start playing these kinds of events, so I said, ‘Shoot I’ll start playing with you.’”
The pair are rooming together this week at the lodge at Boyne Highlands, and Steve will now caddy for his father as he attempts to advance through match play. He’s scheduled to play 22-year-old Willie Mack III of Flint on Friday morning.
