CANTON – Jack Julian of South Lyon struggled to put rounds together during his recent season on the Wayne State University golf team, but it wasn’t a problem in the Michigan Publinx Medal Play Championship over the weekend.
Julian, 22, made nine birdies and zero bogeys in his final 27 holes Sunday and romped to his first Michigan Publinx title Sunday at Pheasant Run Golf Club.
His 13-under total for 54 holes was seven ahead of runner-up Sean Friel of Rochester, a former Michigan State golfer who shot 6-under 210.
Jerred Barley of Tecumseh, the 2024 Michigan Publinx Medal Play Champion, finished third at 214, and John Quigley of Sterling Heights, the 2023 Michigan Publinx Medal Play Champion, tied at 215 with Wayne State golfer Josh Lahner of Roselle, Ill.
“It feels amazing,” Julian said. “I don’t really know how to feel right now, honestly. It still feels crazy that it happened. I finally put rounds together.”
Julian wasn’t the only runaway winner on the day.
Andrew Smith of Oakland Township won the Michigan Publinx Medal Play Senior title by eight shots with a 4-under 212 total.
The 51-year-old current president of the Michigan Publinx and native of England won one of the organization’s major titles for the first time.
“It’s been a minute since I won a trophy,” he said. “It’s always nice to get one, and this one comes with the exemption into the (Michigan PGA) Tournament of Champions up at Boyne (Mountain) so I’m really excited to play in that because I’ve heard how great it is.”
Steve Anderson of Troy, 2014 Michigan Amateur runner-up, was the runner-up at 220. Timothy Coffee of Sterling Heights, who shot 223, Mike Raymond of Jackson, who shot 224, and Publinx member Leon Stadwick, who shot 227, rounded out the top five.
Julian, a former standout hockey player now concentrating on golf, said sticking with his process Sunday was the key to victory.
“I took it one shot at a time, and like really just focused on the one shot in front of me,” he said. “And I trusted myself a lot today. I trusted that even if I didn’t feel good over it, I was at least going to be in play. I was also driving it really good.”
It was his first win since last summer in a pair of Golfweek Amateur Tour events.
“I’ve been grinding on the game really hard, and it showed this weekend,” he said. “Hoping it means I will have a big summer.”
He said finishing second a year ago in the championship left a bad taste in his mouth.
“So, this year I really wanted to come back,” he said. “After the first day last year I was able to put myself in position coming down the stretch and didn’t get it done. I did think I could win going into today. I just didn’t know it would turn out like this.”
Smith said he didn’t check the leaderboard often but did look before the final nine holes, and then again down the stretch.
“Steve (Anderson) chipped in to get closer, but I piped some good drives when I had to and the short game was pretty good,” he said. “I missed a few putts but made a couple to make up for it.”
