sports

B’nai B’rith
Golf League
Is Growing

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

TOP RIGHT: Jody Mendelson (left) and
David Swimmer are the 2017 B’nai
B’rith golf league team champions.
TOP LEFT: Howard Genser is a picture
of concentration during the B’nai
B’rith golf league competition.
BOTTOM: Here’s a close-up of the
B’nai B’rith golf league’s 2017 team
championship trophy.

90

September 14 • 2017

jn

he B’nai B’rith golf league reached
a milestone of sorts this season. It
was the league’s fifth year.
“I didn’t think about that during the
season. Now that I am thinking about it,
that’s pretty cool,” said league founder
and director Gary Klinger.
There were 23 golfers this year, the
most in the weekly’s league history,
beating the 20-golfer record set last year.
Ten two-man teams were supplemented
by three substitutes.
Nearly half of the 23 golfers have been
in the league all five years.
“That says something,” Klinger said.
“It shows a lot of guys are enjoying play-
ing in the league.”
This was the fourth year the league
played at the Links of Novi Singh, a
27-hole public course.
Teams compete in nine holes of
match play each week. Golfers’ handi-
caps are used.
The team that wins a hole earns two
points. Each golfer also competes indi-
vidually against an opponent with a
similar handicap. The golfer who wins a
hole earns one point.
Two points go to the team that wins
the match. One point is earned by the
player who wins the match. Points are
split in holes and matches that are
halved.
Here are the 2017 team standings:
1. David Swimmmer-Jody Mendelson,
170 points.
2. Steve Lotzoff-Art Hurvitz, 162 points.
3. Howard Genser-Lyle Schaefer, 151
points.
4. Larry Shapiro-Matt Brand/Al DiPaolo,
150 points.
5. Gary Klinger-Dale Taub, 144 points.
6. Mark Baron-Steve Wallace/David
Lubin, 142 points.
7. Mike Klinger-Kerry Chaben, 137
points.
8. Dave Thon-Marc Ruskin, 126 points.
9. Mitch Lefton-Stu Zorn, 119 points.
10. Rich Luger-Richard Spalter,
105 points.

Here are the 2017 individual standings:
1. David Swimmer, 85 points.
2. Lyle Schaefer, 78 points.
3. Steve Lotzoff, 77 points.
4. Jody Mendelson, 76.5 points.
5. Art Hurvitz, 75.5 points.
6. Larry Shapiro, 74.5 points.
7. Gary Klinger, 74.5 points.
8. Matt Brand-Al DiPaolo, 73 points.
9. Mark Baron, 72 points.
10. Kerry Chaben, 69 points.
11. Mike Klinger, 68 points.
12. Howard Genser, 67.5 points.
13. Steve Wallace-David Lubin,
66.5 points.
14. Marc Ruskin, 65.5. points.
15. Mitch Lefton, 65 points.
16. Dale Taub, 60.5 points.
17. Rich Luger, 60 points.
18. Richard Spalter, 57.5 points.
19. Stu Zorn, 56 points.
20. Dave Thon/Dave Riger, 50 points.
Swimmer and Mendelson each won a
$75 gift card to Carl’s Golfland. Lotzoff
and Hurvitz each won a $50 gift card.
Swimmer, Schaefer and Lotzoff won
$50, $35 and $25 gift cards to Carl’s
Golfland for their individual accom-
plishments.
The league season ran for 17 weeks.
Two weeks were used to establish hand-
icaps and one week was for fun. There
was 14 weeks of competition.
Fee for the season was $425, or $25
per week.
“Everyone likes to win, of course, but
our league is more about camaraderie
than competition,” Klinger said.
Klinger said he plans to continue with
the match play format.
“It seems to be working well,” he said.

HALL DOORS OPENING
September is here, which means it’s
time for the Michigan Jewish Sports
Foundation’s annual induction dinner for

the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
The 33rd annual dinner will be held
Sept. 25 at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield, benefitting
JCC Maccabi Detroit, the Dr. Steven and
Evelyn Rosen Stars of Tomorrow schol-
arship program and the Hall of Fame.
The evening will begin with cocktails,
appetizers, a silent auction and tours of
the Hall of Fame and Matthews sports
exhibit from 5-6 p.m., followed by a
sit-down dinner from 6-7:30 p.m., and
the awards presentation with a dessert
reception that starts at 7:30 p.m.
The 2017 Hall of Fame Class of
includes Rob Alvin, Sheila Johansson
Cohen, Bill Fagenson, Jack Levitt and
Noah Ruden.
Other award winners will be honored
at the dinner.
This year’s Pillars of Excellence win-
ners are James Dworman, Sheldon
Larky, Al Must and Larry Singer.
Alexa Hartje and Jacqueline Spizizen
from Detroit Country Day share the
Jewish News High School Female Athlete
of the Year award. Jackson Ross from
Novi Detroit Catholic Central is the
Jewish News High School Male Athlete of
the Year.
Matthew Blackman, Allison
Bloomberg, Jordyn Cranis, Emma Green
and Melissa Strome will receive Stars of
Tomorrow scholarships at the dinner
and Oakland University men’s basketball
coach Greg Kampe will be presented the
Shirley and Alvin Foon Humanitarian
Award.
For tickets, sponsorship opportuni-
ties, tribute and program ads, and to
donate items for the silent auction,
contact MJSF executive director David
Blatt at (248) 592-9323 or michiganjew-
ishsports.org. •

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yahoo.com.