One down at the turn, University of Michigan golfer Patrick Sullivan birdied five of his first six holes on the back nine to eventually beat Tyler Rayman, two and one, and win the 110th Michigan Amateur Monday at Cascade Hills Country Club.
"The Michigan Am is obviously extremely special," Sullivan said. "Growing up this is a tournament you want to win."
Sullivan squared the match with a birdie at ten, but could not grab the lead despite birdies at 11 and 13 because Rayman made birdie at those holes as well.
"Tyler was making me play defense almost, he'd be in for birdie, and I just had to keep going," Sullivan said. "It felt like weird, usually birdies win holes but I think we halved probably four with birdies, so it was different, and I had to just kind of hang in there."
Sullivan made birdie at 14 and 15, making it five birdies in a six hole stretch and took a two up lead.
Holes 16 and 17 were halved with pars giving Sullivan the title.
Rayman, who is from Otsego and played college golf at Eastern Michigan, made four birdies and just one bogey in the 17 holes played in Monday's final match which was pushed back because of all the rain in the Grand Rapids area late last week.
"It was an awesome match," Rayman said. "I had a really solid front nine and took a one up lead heading into ten and Patrick got hot. Hats off to him, he's an unbelievable player. He was five under through eight and I was a few under par myself. He really went out and earned it, we can't say that anybody laid down for one another."
Rayman gained a tremendous amount of confidence from his play over the six days of the tournament.
"The takeaway from this week is that I belong here," Rayman said. "Coming into this week the goal is to win but the goal was also to prove that I can hang with these guys and personally I always knew it, but I had to show that too."
Rayman said he will next tee it up at the Kent County Amateur on July 10th and 11th at Kaufman Golf Course.
Sullivan said he will next attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.
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