Michael Sloan
PERSONAL – Michael lives in Campbell, California and is single with no kids. He works for his brothers asphalt company and has been golfing since he was 9 years old. He loves the outdoors – fishing, hunting, and camping.
TIE TO THE MONTEMAR – Michael met Drew McGhie when they were 4 years-old in tee ball but they didn’t become besties until Majors (10-12). I talked about it a little with both Drew and Luke McGhie’s profiles but the McGhie boys know sports. Most men can talk sports but the McGhie brothers actually know what they’re talking about, and have some pretty good opinions also. It’s the thing I remember from when I met them all in a bar in Clear Lake. Apparently this goes back a long time. Drew’s dad Gary was managing a major’s little league team (I’d love to know what rounds they let him draft all three of his sons in) and it was actually Drew’s older brother’s, Luke and Josh, who are probably responsible for Drew and Michael becoming besties and for Michael finding his way to the Montemar.
Michael’s dad was a very good ball player – more on that in the fun facts – and Luke and Josh knew this. They also knew Michael was young but draftable player and that if their dad drafted Michael, there was a pretty good shot they could convince his dad David to be the assistant coach. Gary McGhie drafted Michael, David agreed to help coach. Drew and Michael have been besties for ever, Michael’s parents consider the McGhie brother’s sons, and the Montemar gets another great addition. Michael seems like a great dude who’s good at golf, loves sports, and happens to be another former baseball player – seems like at least half of us were – for the Montemar.
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MONTEMAR – Michael has some good ideas and will let me know once he decides on a prize to donate.
WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN 2023– I work on these profiles today and I’m noticing one common theme. Our scoring system made it really hard for the rookie class. Michael isn’t a rookie anymore and will enter the 2024 tournament with an extremely generous handicap of 19. He should be able to do damage with that day 1. He’s got more buddies in the tournament this year vs. last and which ones he chooses to scramble with on Sunday could determine his final outcome. Does he go with some of the sticks or does choose to play with Luke McGhie just because Luke is a cool guy? Or does he choose to play with Luke because those handicap points could be really helpful? There’s a strategy to it all. I would put money on Michael finishing top 15 this year, how he plays things strategically will determine if he climbs higher.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN 2024 - If you asked Michael he’d tell you he didn’t play the best in 2024, but so many of us would take the 89/91 that he put up in Idaho. For a guy who can play in the 70s though and has an 82 in competition, it wasn’t his best golf. That said, even with the subpar performance he was very close to cracking the top 10. The only things holding him back were 29 points lost due to not taking pictures and failing on the scorecard rules one round, plus some pretty shitty random pairings on day 1.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN 2025 – Sloan is in a prime spot to take home his first top 10 finish in 2025. As a third year vet he understands the system better than most. If he can garner all the easy points and play the game he’s capable of, he’s going to fly up the board. The 17 handicap puts him in a division he can dominate. The strategy he uses to build his lose your club scramble team could be the determining factor. Luke McGhie is an all-star in a handicapped format. Sloan is my dark horse choice to win the 2025 jacket.
ODDS TO WIN – 27-1
FUN FACT – Michael’s dad, David Sloan, was drafted 9th overall out of high school by the Cleveland Indians in the 1975 Major League baseball draft. He went 44 picks ahead of George Brett and 45 picks ahead of Mike Schmidt.
MONTEMARS PLAYED – 2 (Scottsdale 2023, Coeur D’Alene 2024)
MONTEMAR ROUNDS PLAYED – 6 (TPC Scottsdale, TS-Piipaash, TS-O’odhaam – 2023/Circling Raven x 2, Coeur D’Alene Resort Course - 2024)
LIFETIME POINT TOTAL – 553 (20th)
JACKETS WON – 0
TOP 3 FINISHES – 0
TOP 5 FINISHES – 0
TOP 10 FINISHES – 0
RECORDS – 0
TOURNAMENT HANDICAP – 17
INVITED BY – Drew McGhie
PLAYERS INVITED - 0
PRIZES DONATED – Michael has some ideas in mind and is going to let me know what he decides to donate.
