Michigan Powerball player finds forgotten $1M Match 5 ticket in his wallet two months after draw

A Michigan man has learned that a Powerball ticket he had overlooked for almost two months was worth $1 million, according to the Michigan Lottery.

Michael Vander Lugt, a player from Wyoming in Kent County, had bought the ticket and then forgot about it. The discovery came when he found he lacked the cash to pay for a drink and checked his wallet. He found several tickets he believed might carry at least a small prize and tried to use them as payment.

The store clerk handed one of the tickets back and told him he would need to submit a claim at the lottery office. Back in his car, Vander Lugt checked the results of the draw in question and saw that he had matched all five white balls.

The drawing was held on August 8, and the winning numbers were 5, 9, 35, 54 and 63, with a red Powerball of 7. Vander Lugt did not match the Powerball, so he missed the top prize, which then stood at $864 million. His ticket still qualified for the $1 million Match 5 prize.

The lottery said the ticket was sold at Big Top Market, located at 3630 Clyde Park Ave. SW in Wyoming. In an interview with officials, the winner said he recognized the numbers immediately and could hardly believe it. He said he had carried the ticket in his wallet for nearly two months without knowing its value.

Vander Lugt said he intends to use the money to pay off his mortgage and to invest.

Many lottery operators give winners up to a year to claim prizes, which allows for late claims such as this one. In other Michigan Lottery news, the October 19 Powerball drawing also produced a $1 million prize for another local player.