BATTLE CREEK — Drew Rzeppa of Rochester Hills, the No. 32 seed out of 32 in the match play bracket, didn’t want to call it an upset.
“I know the level that I can play, and I know if I play to that level, then I can beat anybody,” the 17-year-old Rochester Adams High golfer said after knocking off No. 1 seed Landon Guenther of Grand Blanc, 1-up, Tuesday in the 48th Michigan Junior Amateur Championship at Bedford Valley Golf Club.
Rzeppa, who survived a four-golfer playoff for the last of three match play spots in Monday’s stroke play qualifying, birdied the first three holes of the match to take an early 2-up lead and held the lead through the first 12 holes.
Guenther tied the match with a par on No. 13, but Rzeppa birdied No. 14 to lead again. Guenther made a birdie on 16 to tie it again, but then Rzeppa took the lead again at 17 with a par and halved the final hole with a par for the win.
“I love match play because I feel like it’s more competitive, and I’m a really competitive person, and I feel I always play better in match play,” Rzeppa said. “I came in expecting to win and I don’t want to stop there. I want to keep on winning.”
Match play continues on Wednesday with the Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches trimming the field to four for Thursday’s semifinals and final match.
Rzeppa’s win was the biggest surprise of the day.
Defending champion JP Levan of East Grand Rapids said putts started to fall for him as he turned back AJ Gasper of Flushing 2 and 1.
“I didn’t have the putter going in stroke play, so it was nice to have it today,” said the 17-year-old East Grand Rapids High golfer. “I’m hitting it pretty well and I’m starting to get the putter back, so I’m feeling good.”
Jack Klimek of Ada is back in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. He has his game rolling, shooting 5-under, including birdies on the last two holes to top Linus Vandenberg of Hamilton 2-up.
“It was a good match,” said the 17-year-old Forest Hills Eastern student who reached the quarterfinal round a year ago. “On 17 we were all tied, and I hit it to three feet. It was a five-iron. It was my best shot of the day.”
Draven Rogers of Fort Gratiot, a Port Huron Northern golfer who was co-medalist on Monday with Guenther and slotted in as the No. 2 seed, advanced to the Round of 16 with a 5 and 3 win over Matthew Murdock of Ada.
Also making their way to the final 16 were Blake Springstead of Kewadin, who was last year’s 15-and-under Division champion, Julian Sinishtaj of Macomb, who won the 15-and-under Division in 2024 and Tommy Preston of Grand Rapids, the 2025 GAM 15-and-under Boys’ Player of the Year.
While the Round of 32 decided the Sweet 16 for the overall championship, eight golfers were determined for this year’s eight-golfer backet in the age 15-and-under Division.
Zane Rueger of Saline shot 5-under 67 to earn medalist honors among the younger set. He finished second in the recent Michigan PGA Junior Championship, which was also held at Bedford Valley.
Benjamin Vento of Rochester Hills was second with a 69, and Colin Oake was third with a 71.
The 15-and-under Division plays one round of match play Wednesday with semifinals and the final match scheduled for Thursday.