Before a single golfer teed off Monday in the inaugural Michael Ray Lee Foundation Golf Tournament at the Greeley Country Club, the family of the former Greeley Central standout understood what Lee meant to his friends in northern Colorado.
The Lees over the past six months assembled a tournament for 144 players to honor and remember Michael Lee, who died at age 28 in December of complications related to COVID-19. A 2010 graduate of Greeley Central, Lee played college golf at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden and earned a reputation as a strong amateur golfer and “a gentleman,” according to one of his former Central coaches.
The family said while they had to cap the tournament at 144 players at GCC, Lee’s home course, they are already thinking about how to expand the tournament for next year.
Nick Umholtz, a former Greeley Central High School golfer, hugs Amy Lee, the mother of Michael Lee and one of Umholtz’s Central teammates, after Umholtz and three other former Central golfers won the inaugural Michael Ray Lee Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday, June 7, 2021 at the Greeley Country in Greeley. Michael Lee, a 2010 Greeley Central graduate, grew up playing golf at the country club. The Lee family started the foundation earlier this year in memory of Lee, who died of COVID-19 related complications at age 28 in December 2020. (Anne Delaney/Staff reporter).
“We are humbled and honored to have so many friends and family here,” said Amy Lee, Michael’s mother, as the country club ballroom filled up with golfers following their rounds on a blazing hot afternoon. “Acquaintances and business people. We are just … words can’t express how grateful we are to the people who are here.”
John Lee, Michael’s father, said between $130,000 and $140,000 was raised from the tournament over the past six months for the foundation. The family began working on the tournament in January. About $8,000 went to Mines for the creation of a golf scholarship in Lee’s memory.
Lee was a two-time team captain at Mines, twice Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a Division II honorable mention All-American.
With the rest of the money, John Lee said the foundation will work with the Colorado Golf Association and the Colorado Junior Golf Alliance to fund youth golfers or opportunities for young golfers.
The cost of the tournament was $150 per person with golfers having the option to pay an additional $50 to be eligible for prizes.
John Lee said the foundation and the state organizations are figuring out how they want to support and promote youth and junior golf with the funds. They are also working on identifying young golfers in need.
Joe Lee, right, the brother of former Greeley Central golfer Michael Lee, and John Lee, their father, preside over a raffle following the inaugural Michael Ray Lee Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday, June 7, 2021 at the Greeley Country Club in Greeley. Michael Lee grew up playing golf at the country club, and the Lee family held the tournament at the club to raise money for youth and junior golf in northern Colorado in Michael’s memory. (Anne Delaney/Staff reporter).
“It’s just been really wonderful and we’re thrilled,” John Lee said. “It’s a testament to Mike and the type of person he was.”
John Lee said Michael was in intensive care in a Denver hospital for a month before he died. John said his son didn’t have any underlying medical conditions or complicating factors that made him susceptible to COVID-19.
“He was decimated,” Lee said. “And he was probably in the best shape of his life. For some reason, his system couldn’t fight it.”
The tournament, with 36 teams of four players, was won by a group of former Greeley Central golfers. Jordan Burgess and Nick Umholtz were teammates with Lee at Central. Grant Suggs and Taylor Ramaekers were four years ahead of Lee at Central, but they knew Lee and were among a group of young men who played on the Wildcats’ Class 4A state tournament championship team in 2005.
“Even though we were older, we knew of Mike from growing up in Greeley and seeing him in high school and at Mines,” Suggs said. “I think his personality and who he was … we knew him enough to want to support this.”
Greeley Central High School golf coach Kevin Rohnke, right, and former Central coach John Johnson, left, listen to speeches at the Greeley Country Club on Monday, June 7, 2021 following the inaugural Michael Ray Lee Foundation Golf Tournament in Greeley. Rohnke and Johnson both coached Lee on the Wildcats golf team. Lee, a 2010 Greeley Central graduate, grew up playing golf at the club and his family held the memorial tournament at the club to raise money for youth and junior golf in northern Colorado. Rohnke and Johnson were among the 144 players who played. (Anne Delaney/Staff reporter).
The Wildcats were third at state in 2006 and 2007 and runner-up in 2008, Lee’s junior year. Umholtz was also a member of the 2005 state championship team. Then a freshman, Umholtz won the individual title after a six-hole playoff with two other golfers at Wellshire Golf Course in Denver.
“We were coming out to win today for everything Mike meant to us,” said Umholtz, who graduated from Central in 2009.
Current Central golf coach Kevin Rohnke was a Wildcats assistant under John Johnson for Lee’s first three years on the team. Rohnke took over as head coach in 2009, Lee’s senior year. Lee finished seventh at the Class 4A state tournament that year.
Rohnke, who referred to Lee as a gentleman, called the tournament “one of the most bittersweet events” and an emotional day. Rohnke said he “broke down in tears” when he ran into Amy Lee on the course.
Rohnke remembered Lee as tough and competitive, but said Lee maintained a perspective with his desire to be his best.
“I found myself remembering times at Greeley Central with Mike,” Rohnke said. “The golf was the least important today. It was the talking. Golf gave us an excuse to do that.”
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