For 10 days, the women stole the spotlight of Michigan's golf scene.
Perfect timing, too, because the U.S. Senior Open at Indianwood Golf & Country Club is right around the corner.
Last Wednesday, Katie Burnett used the Michigan Women's Open as her professional debut to prepare for this week's U.S. Women's Open at the American Club in Kohler, Wis.
Crystal Mountain Resort's Mountain Ridge was kind to the 22-year-old from Brunswick, Ga., who recently graduated from South Carolina. She shot a final round 3-under-par 69 for a record-setting 11-under-par 205 total and resounding 10-shot win. It was an impressive show in the 10th anniversary of Crystal Mountain hosting the event (in 19 years).
“I feel pretty awesome right now,” she told tournament PR man Greg Johnson. “I don’t know if I can describe it. It hasn’t quite hit me yet. It gives me a lot of confidence. It was goal of mine to come out and get the confidence and momentum going into the U.S. Open.”
Her 205 was the lowest in tournament history, besting a 10-under performance by 2007 winner Lisa Fernandes. Runner-up Laura Bavaird of Grosse Ile was the only other golfer under par in the 54-hole $36,000 event. Bavaird closed with a 1-over-par 73 for 1-under-par 215, and then headed to Harris, Mich., in the Upper Peninsula for the Symetra Tour's Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort and Casino. She didn't fare so well there against a tougher, more international field, tying for 46th.
Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., shot 73-66-70 to finish at 209 to earn $16,500 of the $110,000 prize money. She won by three shots over three players on the 6,286-yard Sweetgrass to cap off the biggest 10 days of the summer for the women.
Showing posts with label Sweetgrass Golf Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweetgrass Golf Club. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sweetgrass Golf Club set for its 2012 Symetra Tour event next week
HARRIS, Mich. – An international field of 144 women golfers will descend on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula next week to compete in the second Island Resort Championship, presented by the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, June 29 – July 1. See photo of the course's island green par-3 above.
The 54-hole stroke-play Symetra Tour event has drawn professional golfers from 25 different countries and six continents to vie for a total $110,000 purse, from South Africa to Australia, Chile to Columbia, England to France, Norway to Japan, the Middle East to Thailand, and beyond.
“Several of the players from last year’s inaugural event have already graduated to the LPGA Tour,” says Susan Harris, co-chair and marketing director for the Island Resort & Casino, host site of the tournament. “Their spots have been filled with the next set of rising talent, ready to fight their way to the top.”
This is the seventh tournament of the Symetra Tour’s 2012 season, as Tour members play for the top 10 spots on the money list to win automatic entry to the LPGA Tour. Players to Watch Defending Champion Stephanie Kim will not be in the final field of 144, leaving the next generation of LPGA stars to capture the honors at Sweetgrass Golf Club, a Golfweek “America’s Best Courses You Can Play” layout.
Marquette High School graduate and Michigan State rising sophomore Carley Saint-Onge, four-time Upper Peninsula Division 1 Champion, has again received an amateur local exemption to compete in the event. Saint-Onge currently plays on the Michigan State golf team. She’ll be joined by two native Michiganders in the 2012 field, including Laura Bayaird of Grosse Ile, Britney Hamilton of Lake Orion – both Western Michigan University graduates. Former Michigan State graduates Allison Duncan and Aimee Neff will also be found on the Friday roster of players.
Wisconsites will cheer for Kenosha’s Carly Werwie, a Wisconsin-Madison graduate. On the international front, Australian Kristie Smith won the Tate and Lyle Players Championship last week, carding three bogeyless rounds. She’ll be in the Sweetgrass field, along with several players who have qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin directly following the Island Resort Championship. Among them are Sue Kim of Canada, Veronica Felibert of Venezuela, Lili Alvarez of Mexico, and Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea.
“I was amazed at the number of under-par rounds I saw on the leaderboard last year,” said Sweetgrass Director of Golf Dave Douglas. “For those who love golf, you’ll enjoy watching the incredible talent in the field.”
A complete list of players in the field has been posted at www.symetratour.com. Tickets are still available for the Island Resort Championship; $10 three-day passes can be purchased at the Island Resort & Casino Showroom or by calling 877-ISL-SHOW, or through several local non-profit organizations who keep the profits from their tickets sales. A complete list can be found at www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Sweetgrass Golf Club prepares for its 2012 Symetra Tour event in June
The balmy spring we've experienced has even jump-started the season way up in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula.
The Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris has officially opened for its 2012 season, and is actively preparing for the Island Resort Championship in late June.
Building on the success of last year, the 2012 Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass ticket program has officially launched as well, benefiting more than 50 nonprofit local organizations by giving them the ability to sell golf tournament tickets and keep 100% of the profit.
Three-day passes are now on sale for $10 for the June 29-July 1 Symetra Tour - Road to the LPGA event, via participating regional organizations, which range from local Boy Scout troops to Habitat for Humanity chapters. A complete list of charities currently selling tickets can be found at www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012. Children 18 and under can enter the championship gates for free.
“We’re excited to continue the positive momentum and strong community support for our 2012 tournament,” said Tom McChesney, Island Resort & Casino General Manager. “Those community leaders and ticket sales participants became our most avid fans for the inaugural championship, and we can’t wait to see them in the gallery to support these rising professional stars this year.”
The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass, presented by the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, will welcome 144 professional women golfers to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to vie for a $110,000 purse. This is the second of a three-year commitment by the Tour to bring professional golf to the region.
Participating organizations currently selling 2012 tickets include the Escanaba, Wells and Menominee Lions Clubs; Delta County Youth Association; Marquette United Way; Habitat for Humanity of Menominee River and Boy Scout Troop 466, among others in both Michigan and Northern Wisconsin. A complete list of participating organizations can be found at http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012.
Those looking to play Sweetgrass can book overnight stay-and-play rates starting at $95 per night midweek. The popular Perfect Foursome golf package combines golf at Sweetgrass, and the nearby TimberStone and Greywalls courses, starting at $265 per person for three rounds and two nights’ stay, midweek.
The Sweetgrass Golf Club at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris has officially opened for its 2012 season, and is actively preparing for the Island Resort Championship in late June.
Building on the success of last year, the 2012 Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass ticket program has officially launched as well, benefiting more than 50 nonprofit local organizations by giving them the ability to sell golf tournament tickets and keep 100% of the profit.
Three-day passes are now on sale for $10 for the June 29-July 1 Symetra Tour - Road to the LPGA event, via participating regional organizations, which range from local Boy Scout troops to Habitat for Humanity chapters. A complete list of charities currently selling tickets can be found at www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012. Children 18 and under can enter the championship gates for free.
“We’re excited to continue the positive momentum and strong community support for our 2012 tournament,” said Tom McChesney, Island Resort & Casino General Manager. “Those community leaders and ticket sales participants became our most avid fans for the inaugural championship, and we can’t wait to see them in the gallery to support these rising professional stars this year.”
The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass, presented by the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, will welcome 144 professional women golfers to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to vie for a $110,000 purse. This is the second of a three-year commitment by the Tour to bring professional golf to the region.
Participating organizations currently selling 2012 tickets include the Escanaba, Wells and Menominee Lions Clubs; Delta County Youth Association; Marquette United Way; Habitat for Humanity of Menominee River and Boy Scout Troop 466, among others in both Michigan and Northern Wisconsin. A complete list of participating organizations can be found at http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012.
Those looking to play Sweetgrass can book overnight stay-and-play rates starting at $95 per night midweek. The popular Perfect Foursome golf package combines golf at Sweetgrass, and the nearby TimberStone and Greywalls courses, starting at $265 per person for three rounds and two nights’ stay, midweek.
Monday, June 13, 2011
First Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass on tap
For the first time since 2005, the Futures Tour will visit Michigan. The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass is set for June 24-26 at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
It's also the first major pro golf championship in the U.P. since the Canadian Tour's Bay Mills Open ended in 2004. Solid crowds are expected to attend. Tickets are $10 for all three days.
It's too bad Futures Tour events don't get any TV coverage because for many Michigan golf fans it will be their first look at the Sweetgrass course, designed by Paul Albanese of Plymouth.
Here are some story lines to watch:
* A number of professional players with Michigan ties will be in the field, including: SHASTA AVERYHARDT of Flint; LAURA BAVAIRD (Western Michigan University) of Grosse Ile; LAURA KUENY (Michigan State University) of Whitehall; ALISON MEYER (Ferris State University) of Duluth, Minn.; rookie AIMEE NEFF (Michigan State) of Carmel, Ind.; and ELISE SWARTOUT (Western Michigan) of Ann Arbor. AVERYHARDT became only the fourth African-American in the history of the LPGA Tour by qualifing through the LPGA’s annual “Q-School” last December. She has competed on both tours throughout the 2011 season.
* Continuing with the minority theme, Native American Cheryl Mitchell of Strongville, Ohio, was invited as a local exemption. Mitchell, 32, a mother of two, turned professional in 2004 after winning the 2003 Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship. She is a member of the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. As a college player at Kent State University, she was twice named to the All-MAC Conference First Team. She also was named to the Mid-Continent Conference First Team twice while attending Michigan’s Oakland University for graduate studies. Mitchell represents the Potawatomi Nation, which owns Sweetgrass Golf Club and the Island Resort & Casino.
* The second local exemption, awarded to a local amateur, went to Marquette Senior High School player Carley Saint-Onge. The three-time defending Michigan High School Athletic Association Upper Peninsula Division I medalist will play at Michigan State University this fall.
4. Four tournament winners from the current 2011 LPGA Futures Tour will play: KATHLEEN EKEY of Sharon Township, Ohio, winner of last week’s Ladies Titan Tire Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; LISA FERRERO of Lodi, Calif., winner of the Symetra Classic in San Antonio, Texas; TZU-CHI LIN of Taichung, Taiwan, winner of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven, Fla., and RYANN O’TOOLE of San Clemente, Calif., winner of the Santorini Riviera Nayarit Classic in Mexico. O’Toole is a three-time tournament winner on the LPGA Futures Tour and a former contestant on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” show. She is also a 2011 LPGA rookie and plays on both tours. Eight of the top-10 money winners on the current 2011 money list will be in the field.
* Two "Big Break" winners will be in the field. Model and professional golfer BLAIR O’NEAL of Tempe, Ariz., also will be in the field. O’Neal, who won the Golf Channel’s “Big Break Dominican Republic” last fall in a field of men and women professionals, was featured in Sports Illustrated’s annual 2011 “swim suit issue” in a full-page ad for Cobra Golf. O’Neal played collegiately at Arizona State University. CARLING COFFING of Middletown, Ohio, won last year’s “Big Break Sandals Resorts” show.
For more, visit sweetgrassgolfclub.com/championship.
It's also the first major pro golf championship in the U.P. since the Canadian Tour's Bay Mills Open ended in 2004. Solid crowds are expected to attend. Tickets are $10 for all three days.
It's too bad Futures Tour events don't get any TV coverage because for many Michigan golf fans it will be their first look at the Sweetgrass course, designed by Paul Albanese of Plymouth.
Here are some story lines to watch:
* A number of professional players with Michigan ties will be in the field, including: SHASTA AVERYHARDT of Flint; LAURA BAVAIRD (Western Michigan University) of Grosse Ile; LAURA KUENY (Michigan State University) of Whitehall; ALISON MEYER (Ferris State University) of Duluth, Minn.; rookie AIMEE NEFF (Michigan State) of Carmel, Ind.; and ELISE SWARTOUT (Western Michigan) of Ann Arbor. AVERYHARDT became only the fourth African-American in the history of the LPGA Tour by qualifing through the LPGA’s annual “Q-School” last December. She has competed on both tours throughout the 2011 season.
* Continuing with the minority theme, Native American Cheryl Mitchell of Strongville, Ohio, was invited as a local exemption. Mitchell, 32, a mother of two, turned professional in 2004 after winning the 2003 Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship. She is a member of the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. As a college player at Kent State University, she was twice named to the All-MAC Conference First Team. She also was named to the Mid-Continent Conference First Team twice while attending Michigan’s Oakland University for graduate studies. Mitchell represents the Potawatomi Nation, which owns Sweetgrass Golf Club and the Island Resort & Casino.
* The second local exemption, awarded to a local amateur, went to Marquette Senior High School player Carley Saint-Onge. The three-time defending Michigan High School Athletic Association Upper Peninsula Division I medalist will play at Michigan State University this fall.
4. Four tournament winners from the current 2011 LPGA Futures Tour will play: KATHLEEN EKEY of Sharon Township, Ohio, winner of last week’s Ladies Titan Tire Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; LISA FERRERO of Lodi, Calif., winner of the Symetra Classic in San Antonio, Texas; TZU-CHI LIN of Taichung, Taiwan, winner of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven, Fla., and RYANN O’TOOLE of San Clemente, Calif., winner of the Santorini Riviera Nayarit Classic in Mexico. O’Toole is a three-time tournament winner on the LPGA Futures Tour and a former contestant on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” show. She is also a 2011 LPGA rookie and plays on both tours. Eight of the top-10 money winners on the current 2011 money list will be in the field.
* Two "Big Break" winners will be in the field. Model and professional golfer BLAIR O’NEAL of Tempe, Ariz., also will be in the field. O’Neal, who won the Golf Channel’s “Big Break Dominican Republic” last fall in a field of men and women professionals, was featured in Sports Illustrated’s annual 2011 “swim suit issue” in a full-page ad for Cobra Golf. O’Neal played collegiately at Arizona State University. CARLING COFFING of Middletown, Ohio, won last year’s “Big Break Sandals Resorts” show.
For more, visit sweetgrassgolfclub.com/championship.
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