Landon Michelson Wins Inaugural 2021 Citrus Golf Trail Open By Brian Weis

Landon Michelson Wins Inaugural 2021 Citrus Golf Trail Open

His 3-day total of 203 (68-68-67) earned him the biggest check in MLGT history

By Brian Weis

Landon Michelson from Miami, FL fired 203 (68-68-67) to win the 2021 Citrus Golf Trail Open on the Deer Run course at Sun 'N Lake Golf Club. His win earned him $15,000, the biggest check in Minor League Golf Tour (MLGT) history.

"The Minor League Golf Tour proudly partnered with the Citrus Golf Trail, Visit Sebring and Airstream Ventures on making the inaugural Citrus Golf Trail Open a big event in its first year," said Scott Turner, MLGT Director of Tournament Operations. "Our commitment is to provide players a competitive platform to sharpen their game to excel in the career."

Held Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Sebring, FL, the 54-hole event featured $25,000 in added sponsor money to the prize purse for the event as the competitors also battled for the coveted 'orange jacket.'

"A huge thank you to Sun 'N Lake Golf Club and its members for hosting and to the Citrus Golf Trail for sponsoring the event," Turner said. "This event was held on a PGA Tour qualifying school caliber course with a purse that made a big impact for the winner."

Michelson started the final round tied at -8 with Maxwell Sear and Pete Kellermann. John VanDerLaan and Josh Hart posted final rounds of 64 and 66 to come from behind and post -11. Michelson was also -11 after a birdie on #15. He then made a 10-foot birdie putt on #16 and a 20-foot birdie putt on #17 (the hardest par-4 on the course) to get to -13 and take a two-shot lead to the last. He two putted for par from 25 feet to slide on the orange jacket and be crowned the inaugural Citrus Golf Trail Open champion.

"It was great to host the first CGT Open. There were some very talented golf professionals competing and the course was in terrific shape for them, said Citrus Golf Trail Officer and Sun 'N Lake Head Golf Professional Andy Kesling. "We hope to continue the event for years to come."

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Revised: 12/10/2021 - Article Viewed 8,010 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.