After a rainy start to the day, the weather cooperated quite nicely for Keith Blakely and the rest of the Buick Open Pro-Am players.
With sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70’s, Blakely, a Groveland Township resident, teamed up with Professional Golfers Association (PGA) golfer Hank Kuehne and three other amateurs at the Buick Open OnStar Pro-Am at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc Aug. 27.
During the Pro-Am, the distinct smell of hot dogs and bratwursts grilling was in the air, and the crowd was milling around the course and putting green throughout the day to get a glimpse of their favorite PGA golfers and some local celebrities on hand to take part in the event.
‘It’s just another day to play golf,? Blakely, 47, said moments before taking to the par-4 10th hole with Kuehne and teammates Richard Sly, Dave Isbell, and George Dass to start their round.
The group teed off at approximately 12:20 p.m. as a throng of onlookers applauded when Kuehne, wearing a white cap, blue and white polo shirt, and black pants, led off for his team.
Sporting a white polo shirt, black slacks, and sunglasses, Blakely was the last golfer for his team to tee off. His opening drive drew plenty of admiration from the crowd.
Blakely then hit a drive onto the green on his second shot. He then missed putts for birdie and par before settling for a bogey (one over par) for the hole.
A drawing was held Monday, July 25, at which time the teams that signed up for the pro-am learned which PGA professional they would golf with for the pro-am.
Blakely said he did not meet Kuehne until his group teed off for the start of the event. However, Blakely said he practiced for three days prior to the start of the pro-am, twice at Warwick Hills and once at Atlas Valley Country Club in Atlas Township, where he is a member.
In addition to the PGA Tour golfers, some Michigan-area sports personalities taking part in the event were Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo, MSU women’s basketball coach Joanne McCallie, former Detroit Piston players Vinnie Johnson and Bill Laimbeer, and former Detroit Red Wing player and assistant coach Joe Kocur.
According to the PGA Web site, Kuehne, 29, lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, with wife Nicole. He is a 1999 graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in communications.
He turned professional in 1999 and officially joined the PGA Tour in 2003. His best finishes on the tour were at the Shell Houston Open on Apr. 27, 2003 and at the John Deere Classic July 10, 2005, finishing tied for second both times.
In addition, Kuehne earned a third-place tie at the Bell South Classic Apr. 3, 2003. During his inaugural 2003 season on the tour, Kuehne finished in the top 10 four times and in the top 25 five times. In 2004, he earned two top 10 finishes and eight top 25 finishes.
Kuehne has finished in the top 25 in both his previous appearances in the Buick Open, finishing tied for 24th in 2003 and tied for 18th in 2004.