Cardinals Reload in Golf After State-Qualifying Season

Michigan Center High School golfer Kamryn Shannon reacts as her golf ball goes over the green at Calderone Golf Club on Thursday during the first Cascades Conference jamboree. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(August 27, 2020 9:20 PM) A television commercial in the 1980s for Faberge Organics Shampoo said their secret was telling two friends about the product.

Then they told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on.

Michigan Center High School is using that theory successfully in rebuilding its golf program.

Only a handful of years ago the Cardinals barely had enough golfers to post four-person scores.

That has changed this year as the Cardinals have a robust team thanks to some successful recruiting.

Success on the golf course and advancing to the state level will do that for a program.

Michigan Center has started the season successfully winning the Hanover-Horton Invitational last week and taking the first Cascades Conference jamboree on Thursday at Calderone Golf Club.

Kamryn Shannon shot a 41 to break the school record for nine-hole score. The Cardinals finished with a team score of 196 to also set a school record.

Cara Brown has helped develop the program over the last six seasons.

“I had some relationships with some freshmen when I started,” Brown said. “A lot of the girls on the teams were dual-sporters.”

But somewhere down the road golf has become a favorite of high school athletes at MCHS. Players like Shannon – who has only been playing golf for three years – have made the Cardinals the team to beat in the Cascades Conference and at tournaments.

“Kamryn is swinging a club for at least two hours a day,” Brown said. “Sometimes if she doesn’t like the way she played, Kamryn will go home and work on her game or go to the driving range.”

Shannon was spurred on to take up the game by her grandfather, Bob Shannon – once a high school golf coach. He still keeps a close eye on the junior player.

“Grandpa is the person who go me into golf,” Kamryn said. “He helps me fix things after my rounds.”

Shannon spent a lot of time playing in R.W. Mercer Jackson Junior Golf Tour events, the Callaway/Meijer Junior Golf Tour, and the Jackson Women’s Golf Tour.

“Playing in the Meijer Tour motivates me to play better,” Kamryn said. “I don’t want to embarrass myself out there (playing against some of the best junior players in the state).

She would like to attend the PGA Golf Management program at Ferris State University when her high school days are over. But the Cardinals have work to do prior to that point.

The Cardinals finished third at the Michigan High School Athletic Association regional golf event and were 15th in the state in Division 4 a year ago.

“Being as young as there were and making the state finals did a lot for our program,” Brown said. “It was the first time a team from MCHS made it to states in girls’ golf.”

Shannon said the Cardinals want to do better.

“We want to go back to the state meet and place higher,” Kamryn said. “We are more experienced this season.”

Cascades Conference Jamboree

Aug. 28, 2020

Calderone Golf Club, par 36

Team scores

Michigan Center 196

East Jackson 226

Hanover-Horton 240

Grass Lake 247

Addison 251

Napoleon 254