Cooper Reitsma of Ada Tops 2024 Junior Boys’ Points List
By Greg Johnson- GAM.org for www.skyviewsports.net
FARMINGTON HILLS – Cooper Reitsma of Ada packs his summer tournament schedule and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s pretty much go, go, go, for me,” he said. “I don’t get burned out or tired of tournament golf. I love the game so much and I don’t really wear out. I just keep playing.”
The Grand Rapids Christian High School junior, who will be 17 in January, has topped a GAM points list for a third consecutive year. This time it was the GAM Junior Boys’ Points list, and he did it by earning points in 13 different tournaments, including winning the Michigan PGA Junior Championship and two Callaway Tour tournaments.
In 2022 and 2023 he was the 15-and-under Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, and this year he moved up an age group and has been named the Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, Alex Clark, director of tournament operations, announced today.
“It’s a by-product of a good summer of hard work and good golf, and I’m happy to have that player of the year distinction once again,” Reitsma said.
A Cascade Hills Country Club member with his family, Reitsma scored 1,062.5 points, including finishing second in stroke play in the Michigan Junior State Amateur, and making the round of 32 in the Michigan Amateur Championship.
Drew Miller of East Lansing and Country Club of Lansing, a Michigan State University golfer, was second with 792.5 points.
Connor Fox of Lake Orion and Indianwood Golf & Country Club, who will be joining Miller at Michigan State in the fall, finished third. The Michigan Junior State Amateur champion had 787.5 points.
Julian Menser of South Lyon, a Youth on Course Michigan member and another Michigan State golfer, totaled 780 points, and Konner Kubica of Northville and Meadowbrook Country Club, the stroke play medalist and a semifinalist at the Michigan Junior State Amateur, earned 775 points to round out the top five.
Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org Carl’s Golfland is the presenting sponsor of the points lists.
In the last two weeks, McCoy Biagioli of White Lake was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Elayna Bowser of Dearborn was named the Women’s Player of the Year, Randy Lewis of Alma was named the Super Senior Player of the Year, Leo Daigle of Wixom was named the Senior Men’s Player of the Year and Lori Schlicher of Lewiston was named the Senior Women’s Player of the Year. The GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories in the next two weeks.
Reitsma, who works on his game with PGA professional Brandon Roby in Grand Rapids, said he had ups and downs and a blister issue over the season but noticed consistency in his statistics.
“I usually set process goals instead of results goals, and I reached my process goals,” he said.
He plans to play another busy summer of tournaments before his senior year in high school. College golf coaches have been recruiting him.
“I’ve been talking to quite a few schools and options have come up,” he said. “It’s a big decision to make. I plan to trust the Lord to help me through it and make that right decision.”
Clark said Reitsma’s tournament results attract collegiate recruiters, and his experience helps him with various situations he might encounter in competition.
“He is routinely at the top of leaderboards and is comfortable in that position,” he said. “Obviously, being the Boys’ Player of the Year shows he was able to adapt to the longer distances and steeper competition in the overall junior division without a hiccup. Still only 16, Cooper will be a strong force in GAM Junior tournaments for years to come, especially since he is a tireless worker and will continue to work on and improve his game.”
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