Four of the Previous Ally Champions will not play this week. The 14 Club Challenge and the 3 Holes that will likely decide the tournament with Warwick Hills PGA Pro Doug Brody.
By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
Former Ally Tour Champions: Where did they go?
Grand Blanc, Mich. — It is tougher than you think to get former champions to return to an event. The Ally Challenge has crowned six so far and only two are playing this week. It is not because they did not want to come back. 2018 winner Paul Broadhurst and 2022 winner Steve Stricker have family commitments. Stricker is caddying for his daughter who is playing in a big US Amateur tournament. Vijay Singh (2023) and Jerry Kelly are nursing injuries. That leaves 2021 winner Joe Durant and Jim Furyk (2020) as playing this week.
Say it isn’t so Tom Gillis
Tom Gillis of Lake Orion started his PGA career at Warwick Hills and will most likely hang it up after this tournament including the professional tour event that started it all. From Tony Paul of the Detroit News.”I’ve been thinking about it, you know, all year, kind of because my (Champions Tour card) status hasn’t been as good this year, the back’s not great, it’s day to day. And, you know, I just started thinking it’s probably time,” Gillis said Wednesday afternoon, underneath the shade of a tee near the chipping green at Warwick Hills.
“And I’m OK with that. I’ll miss the guys, the relationships, that’s what I’ll miss the most.
“But I fully believe it’s time.” I will have to catch up with Tom Gillis. He has had a solid PGA Tour career. He is 103rd on the Schwab Cup list. The top 70 move on later this season.
Warwick Hills PGA Pro Doug Brody talks about the three holes that will likely decide the 2024 Ally Challenge
Roy J. Akers is a multi-media reporter and covers several sports for www.skyviewsports.net