M.C. Mini Masters 2022 Recap & Photos
M.C Mini Masters Founder, Mick Cullen
Words by Mick Cullen. Photos by Mick Cullen, Tom & Robin of A Couple of Putts & a kindly staff member of Par-King
In 1997, Michael Cullen cruised to the victory in the inaugural M.C. Mini Masters—a 6-round tournament contested at six different 18-hole courses near Lake Michigan, in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois—with a total of 31 under par. That score stood as a record until Michael himself broke it in 2006 at the 10th annual edition of the tournament.
No one knew in 1997 that the M.C. Mini Masters would be going strong a decade later, let alone a quarter-century later! What started as a one-off idea about playing a bunch of mini golf in one day became an annual merry caravan from course to course, growing from roughly a dozen players to over 40 participants per year. This year, the M.C. Mini Masters celebrated its 25th anniversary with its second-largest field ever—42 players, ages 8 to 65—playing two courses at Action Territory (Kenosha, WI), followed by a pair of rounds at Kristof’s Entertainment Center and World of Fun (Round Lake Beach, IL), and concluding with 36 holes at Par-King Skill Golf (Lincolnshire, IL).
On June 25th, 2022, 42 competitors spent a full day mini golfing together across 5 courses in 3 locations over 6 rounds.
The day started with a round at Action Territory’s Wisconsin Adventure course, where 2nd-year Mini Masters veteran Justin Gutche took his first course title with a round of 38 that concluded as a light rain began to fall. Gutche’s round placed him two clear of the field, with a quartet of players tallying 40—AMA co-founder Tom Loftus (in his 2nd year of Mini Masters play), Tommy Schweiss (11th year), Greg Powroznik (6th year), and rookie Parker Wokwicz. It was a surprising showing from Gutche, who placed 20th out of 46 in his only previous M.C. Mini Masters three years ago. Former tournament champs Jason Gola and Tom Schweiss joined 3-year veteran Lee Donahue in a tie for 6th place at 41.
America’s Action Territory - Wisconsin Adventure Course - Round 1
In round two—at Action Territory’s Wild West course—the rain and wind picked up, chilling many players to the bone on this late June morning. A course already notoriously difficult for ace seekers became even stingier, yielding just 17 holes-in-one for the entire field. Scorecards became soaked as some players resorted to keeping score for their foursomes on their smartphones. It became a matter of surviving the round with as little damage as possible for many putters. The low score for the layout went to Nate Blazier, whose total of 40 garnered his first course trophy in his 44th Mini Masters round. His two-round total of 83 slotted him into 2nd place behind Parker Wokwicz, whose round of 41 was second-best at the course and earned him a 2-stroke lead on the field overall. Holey Moley Season 1 Episode 5 champion Dianne Cullen, the oldest player in the field, tied with Parker’s father Peter Wokwicz for 3rd place at the course with a total of 43.
America’s Action Territory - Wild West Course - Round 2
A break for lunch followed and the players made their way to Kristof’s, the course operated by Season 1 Holey Moley episode winner Steve Kristof. Unfortunately, what greeted them was heavy rain and lightning. Even as the precipitation let up, the lightning continued, causing a significant delay. While the tournament was scheduled to progress to Skokie Sports Park (Skokie, IL) after the round at Kristof’s, as the delay neared an hour, it became clear an alternate plan was needed. Tournament founder and director Mick Cullen (also a Season 1 Holey Moley winner) announced that once the skies cleared, the field would play two rounds at Kristof’s before finishing up at Par-King.
Holey Moley Season 1 reunion with Tom Loftus, Robin Schwartzman & Steve Kristof
After the standing water was cleared from the course, play resumed on the wet greens. The third round was played through mostly clear skies and a number of players crawled into contention. Seven-time champ Tom Schweiss, looking for his fourth title in the last five Mini Masters, tied the course record of 38 as he recorded his first three aces of the day to take the 32nd course championship of his Mini Masters career. Tom’s son Tommy tied Pam Powroznik (4th year) with a 39 in 2nd place for round 3. Tom Schweiss’s three-round total of 125 was good for second place overall, just a stroke behind Gutche’s 124 as the 2nd-year player returned to the lead. Loftus joined Schweiss to make a pair of Toms tied a stroke back, and Parker Wokwicz slipped to 4th after a round of 45.
Slightly soggy but still majestic course at Kristof’s. Home to rounds 3 & 4.
The second round at Kristof’s brought intermittent rain but little wind, and as the putting surfaces changed, the scores rose slightly. Still, the course record would once again be tied, as Mick Cullen’s 38 (with just a single ace) gave him his first course title of the day and the 26th of his career. Tom Schweiss was nearly as good with a 39, while rookie Chase Murphy and 2016 M.C. Mini Masters runner-up Zach Reichert tied for third with 40s in round 4. Mick’s low round pulled him into a tie with rookie Chase Murphy for 2nd place overall at 168, but Tom Schweiss had ensconced him firmly in the lead with a total of 164, four strokes clear. A pack of pursuers lurked close behind, with Parker Wokwicz and Gutche totaling 169 each, one better than Tommy Schweiss and Peter Wokwicz (knotted at 170).
One hole each round is played in a unique way or with an odd implement like a hockey stick. This round you had to play one hole “pool style”.
The weather resolved itself as players caravanned to the final location, Par-King, where a Mini Masters course record-tying round would shake up the leaderboard. Mick Cullen had been tied for 11th after two rounds before a pair of solid 18s at Kristof’s put him into 2nd, and his hot streak continued at Par-King’s Black course, with aces on three of the first six holes. He stayed on the two-putt train for most of the rest of the round to finish with a 35, matching Tom Schweiss’s course record from the 2009 tournament. Meanwhile, the pre-round leader could manage only a 43, flipping their positions as Mick went from four strokes down to four up entering the final round of the day. The only other player to break Par-King Black’s par of 41 was Tommy Schweiss (38), while four players managed even par: Tom Loftus, Peter Wokwicz (a former winner of Par-King’s annual tournament), rookie Robin Schwartzman, and third-year veteran Derek Hartmann.
Par-King: An American Mini Golf Treasure
All 40+ competitors at Par-King
Round 1 was on the Black course and Mick Cullen took the overall lead with an impressive 35. This was 3 strokes better than any of the competitors. This set up a final foursome of Mick with 3 Tom’s (Tom Schweiss, Tommy Schweiss, Tom Loftus). It was tight down to the last putt but Tom Schweiss’ round of 35 on Par-King’s Red course was enough to overtake Mick by a single stroke and Tommy by two.
Tom Schweiss (green shirt), Tommy Schweiss (grey shirt) watch on as Mick Cullen (bucket hat) starts off the final round
Entering the final round, the four best total scores featured a trio of Toms. Mick Cullen’s 203 put him in a position to claim his 6th Ugly Jacket, with Tom Schweiss at 207 seeking his 8th, Tommy Schweiss in serious championship contention for the first time at 208, and Tom Loftus in 4th at 210. The Wokwiczes lurked at 211 as they played in the penultimate foursome.
Final Foursome at Par-King (Red Course) L to R: Tom Schweiss (1st), Tommy Schweiss (3rd), Tom Loftus (4th), Mick Cullen (2nd)
Mick held his four-stroke lead through the fifth hole before the Schweisses began to chip away. A four-putt falter on the 8th hole shrank the lead to a single stroke, and Tom Schweiss pulled even after the 10th with Tommy Schweiss two strokes back. The Toms and Mick all aced the 11th, and twos for Cullen and the Schweisses on the 12th led to drama on the 13th, where Tommy grabbed his third ace of the round while his father scored a deuce and Mick a three. Tom took the lead by a stroke with Tommy and Mick just behind.
Mick’s 243 (-20) was good for his 8th runner-up finish in a Mini Masters (to go with 5 titles). Tommy Schweiss took the bronze with a 19-under 244 after his final-round 36, and Tom Loftus’s closing 39 kept him firmly in 4th place with a total of 249 (-14). Rounding out the top ten were Rookie of the Year Peter Wokwicz (-10, 5th place), Parker Wokwicz (-8, 6th place), Chase Murphy (-6, 7th place), Nate Blazier (-5, 8th place), Derek Hartmann (-3, 9th place), and a trio tied for 10th at one under par: Justin Gutche, Best Dressed trophy winner Robin Schwartzman, and Tommy’s mother/Tom’s wife, Julie Schweiss.
2022 M.C. Mini Masters Top 10
WA-WW-Kr-Kr-PB-PR
Par 43-50-44-44-41-41--263
Tom Schweiss..........41-46-38-39-43-35--242 (-21)
Mick Cullen.........…..42-48-40-38-35-40--243 (-20)
Tommy Schweiss......40-49-39-42-38-36--244 (-19)
Tom Loftus..........…..40-44-41-44-41-39--249 (-14)
Peter Wokwicz.......…43-43-43-41-41-42--253 (-10)
Parker Wokwicz.......40-41-45-43-42-44--255 (- 8)
Chase Murphy.........43-45-40-40-45-44--257 (- 6)
Nate Blazier........…..43-40-45-48-46-36--258 (- 5)
Derek Hartmann......43-50-44-41-41-41--260 (- 3)
Justin Gutche.......….38-46-40-45-45-48--262 (- 1)
Robin Schwartzman..43-47-44-45-41-42--262 (- 1)
Julie Schweiss......….42-54-41-42-45-38--262 (- 1)
WA (Wisconsin Adventure course at America’s Action Territory) | WW (Wild West course at America’s Action Territory) | Kr (Kristof’s course) | PB (Black course Par-King) | PR (Red course at Par-King
Full results at the M.C. Mini Masters website and more photos via A Couple of Putts Flickr album
Putterz Division Champion: Tommy Schweiss (-19)
Most holes-in-one: Tommy Schweiss, Julie Schweiss (10)
Most sixes: Zacchaeus Gola (12)
Most improved: Zacchaeus Gola (-33 strokes)
Rookie of the Year: Peter Wokwicz (-10)
Most improved course trophies: WA--Alexa Gola (-6 strokes); WW--Conner Altergott (-13 strokes); Kr--Ralph Freye (-8 strokes); PKB--Frank Ettinger (-8 strokes); PKR--Stephen Rammelsberg (-10 strokes)
Spirit of the Game Award: Maxwell Cullen
Best dressed: Robin Schwartzman
The Puttcast recapped results of the M.C. Mini Masters along with a number of other tournaments in July 2022
