By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
(July 16, 2023 4:43 PM ET) A familiar name won the Jackson County Golf Open at Cascades Golf Course on Sunday.
This time it was Trevor not Mike Raymond.
Trevor Raymond birdied the first two holes in a playoff with Brian Coon to earn his first individual major in Jackson County.
Both golfers finished the 36-hole tournament with scores of 141 – 3-under par.
“This is my first individual anything (he has won) since high school,” Raymond said. “Nine out of 10 times these guys in Jackson County will beat me.
“There are a lot of really good players in the area.”
Raymond trailed Coon by two shots heading into the final round Sunday. Four birdies on the front nine and a triple bogey by Coon on No. 5 turned the match around.
Raymond held a two-shot lead through most of the back nine, but bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 tied the match.
Both players parred the 18th hole sending the tournament into a sudden death. Raymond and Coon both made birdie putts of under 5 feet on the first playoff hole.
Raymond made a 4 footer for birdie on the second playoff hole to earn the trophy.
He plays in many of the local Jackson tournaments and events in Lansing and Kalamazoo.
“I had better ball control this weekend,” Raymond said of his success.
Bret Valkuchak finished one shot out of the playoff with a two-day total of 142 – including a 2-under-par 70 Sunday. Tom Butterfield was fourth (143) and Andrew Tindall had the best round of the day in the championship flight with a 3-under-par 69 to finish tied for fifth (145) with Steve Maddalena and Jack Brockie.
Players in the first and second flight were still on the course when the championship match ended. Look for those scores later in the day.
Jackson County Golf Open
Championship Flight
Cascades Golf Course, par 72
Trevor Raymond 141
Brian Coon 141
Bret Valkuchak 142
Tom Butterfield 143
Andrew Tindall 145
Steve Maddalena 145
Jack Brockie 145
Steven Veydt 146
Conor Spencer 147
Tony Hurd 148
Jamie Clark 148
Dave Crandall 149
Tom Klintworth 150
Doug Bevan 150
Dave Mickle 150
Kory Roberts 150
Nick Reynolds 150
Rich Horodecki 151
Colin O’Connell 151
Mike Boldt 151
Rusty Whisman 152
Mike Kulka 152
Chris Chaney 152
Nick Henman 153
Brady Applegate 153
Chad Wrona 153
Brad McEldowney 154
Nick Bobich 154
Nick Huff 154
Tom Raymond 154
Cody Lysher 154
Sean Matson 156
John Tarpley 156
Brogan Brockie 157
Jim Coutu 157
Pete Walz 158
Travis Ziebell 160
Logan Wagner 161
Matt Hoop 163
Mark LaSerra 166