JP Levan of Grand Rapids Tops 2024 Junior Boys’ Points List
FARMINGTON HILLS – With his win this summer in the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship JP Levan of Grand Rapids earned an exemption to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
“Going to the U.S. Junior Amateur was the best golf experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was a bunch of fun going down there with Tommy (Preston of Grand Rapids) and Cooper (Reitsma of Ada), and it was a thrill to get a chance to play such a prestigious event at such a great venue.”
Levan, 16 and a junior at East Grand Rapids High School, had a summer filled with great golf experiences. In addition to his trip to the U.S. Junior Amateur and win in the Michigan Junior Amateur, he also won the GAM Boys’ Championship.
Those performances powered him to the top of the Golf Association of Michigan Points List, and he has been named the 2025 GAM Junior Boy’s Player of the Year, Alex Clark, director of tournament operations, announced today.
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 recent weeks, the GAM announced Elayna Bowser of Dearborn as the Women’s Player of the Year, Caleb Bond of Williamston as the Men’s Player of the Year, Lori Schlicher of Lewiston as the Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Mike Anderson of Novi as the Senior Men’s Player of the Year and Alena Li of Okemos the Junior Girls’ Player of the Years. The 15-and-under Girls’ and Boys’ Player of the Year will be announced in the next week.
Levan called being named the Player of the Year a great achievement.
“I’m so glad that all the work I put in is being displayed with good results,” he said. “Going all the way through match play and beating a lot of good players in the (Michigan Junior Amateur) and then beating Harris (Hoekwater) in the playoff at the GAM Boys’ Championship were really tough things to accomplish and I’m proud of what I was able to do.”
Levan, who works with Jimmy Wisinski, the director of instruction at Kent Country Club where his family belongs, said his mental game helped him have a great summer of golf.
“I tried to never get down on myself and stay in the present,” he said. “I also think I improved my short game around the greens. It obviously helped my scoring.”
Levan also plays hockey at East Grand Rapids but said he hopes his future is in playing golf.
“I love hockey, but I love golf more,” he said.
Levan totaled 850 points playing a busy schedule of GAM, AJGA and PGA Junior tournaments. Tommy Preston of Grand Rapids, the champion of the GAM Junior Invitational, was second with 768 points.
Max VanderMolen of Richland, who had 748 points, Harris Hoekwater of Grand Rapids, who had 683 points and Cooper Reitsma of Ada, last year’s Junior Boys’ Player of the Year who had 650 points, rounded out the top five.
“JP had a tremendous season,” Clark said. “By winning both the Michigan Junior Amateur and GAM Boys Championship, he showed that his game is effective in both match and stroke play. His feat also showed that he can adapt to different courses while still being a peak performer. JP is a confident player who follows his game plan and doesn’t let outside distractions affect him. He is comfortable near the top of leaderboards and never seems to let the pressure of the moment get to him. He is a tireless worker and a great competitor.”
