The Buick Open. The Ford Senior Players Championship. The Bay Mills Open. The Treetops Par-3 Shoot-out.
The tournament scene in Michigan has lost many great events over the past five years, but only a handful have weathered the financial storm.
The Michigan PGA Women's Open is one of them. The 54-hole championship enters its eighth year when 80 top female pros from 14 states tee it up July 12-14 at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville to compete for another $40,000 purse.
The field features top amateurs and players from both the Futures and LPGA Tours, including LPGA Tour winners Elaine Crosby and Cindy Figg-Currier, LPGA veteran and recent inductee into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, Sue Ertl, as well as Laura Kueny, the Big Ten Player of the Year.
Rehmann has pledged its support as the first Green Sponsor of the Open. Wind energy credits will be purchased through Renewable Choice Energy, a longtime partner of Crystal Mountain, to cover the carbon footprint of the Pro-Am. The number of participants, travel distance, transportation, food consumed and energy costs are among the factors included in that calculation. In total, this commitment by Rehmann will prevent the release of approximately 15.45 metric tons of CO2 or the equivalent of planting 450 trees.
“Rehmann is honored to be the first ‘Green’ sponsor of the Michigan PGA Women’s Open,” remarks Steve Kelly, Rehmann Chairman and CEO. “We have been committed to the success of the people and businesses of Michigan for nearly 70 years and are proud to be a part of this prestigious event.”
This latest partnership with Rehmann is consistent with Crystal Mountain’s commitment to environmental stewardship. The resort was among the first members of the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program and was one of 15 resorts nationwide recognized by Golf Digest for their environmental commitment which most recently included the addition of the Midwest’s only LEED-certified spa. This spring, Crystal Mountain CEO Jim MacInnes was honored as one of 16 Michigan Green Leaders by the Detroit Free Press.
Showing posts with label Buick Open. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buick Open. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, August 7, 2009
Fouch wins Michigan Women's Open; Buick Open gone for good
This week's "news" isn't really news at all.
But it's still worth blogging about.
Two things that were sure gimmees happened -- Allison Fouch won the Michigan Women's Open and the Buick Open announced it was leaving Michigan for good.
Fouch, an LPGA Tour player from Grand Rapids who is ranked among the top 80 players in the world, birdied the last hole, the par-5 18th on Mountain Ridge, to win the $5,700 first prize at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. She finished at 8-under-par, one shot better than Whitehall's Laura Kueny, who led the tournament the whole way.
“That’s the way I prefer to win. I did what I had to do. The adrenaline was flowing pretty good but I tried to stay calm and handle my emotions. Whew! What a nice way to win,” said Fouch, who lost the championship in a playoff in 2003. “Competition like this helps. I haven’t been in game face mode in a while. I never lost my confidence. I stayed patient.”
Even though Fouch was clearly the favorite, she still performed when she had to and is to be commended for her first Michigan Open win in her eighth try. Fouch has earned just over $79,000 on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T-12 finish at the Jamie Farr Classic in Toledo in July. She's arguably the most successful pro golfer from Michigan on any Tour. Former PGA Tour golfers like Tom Gillis, a Lake Orion native who won his first Nationwide Tour event in July, and Doug LaBelle, a Mount Pleasant native with just two top 25s on the Nationwide this year, have never been able to achieve Fouch's lofty world ranking.
As for the Buick Open, its impact on Michigan is profound, financially and psycologically. It is just another blow to Michigan's image. Now we're lumped with golf's ugly stepchildren -- states like Indiana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc. -- that don't host the Tour.
Its also a another blow to the Flint area economy, from the non-profits to the local hotels and restaurants that counted on the tournament for cash flow. The Tour has indicated it hasn't given up on Michigan yet, and would like to return, but without the deep pockets of the Big Three, it's highly unlikely. Maybe somebody can convince Compuware or Little Caesars want to switch their corporate dollars from hockey to golf.
The Little Caesars Open has a nice ring to it.
But it's still worth blogging about.
Two things that were sure gimmees happened -- Allison Fouch won the Michigan Women's Open and the Buick Open announced it was leaving Michigan for good.
Fouch, an LPGA Tour player from Grand Rapids who is ranked among the top 80 players in the world, birdied the last hole, the par-5 18th on Mountain Ridge, to win the $5,700 first prize at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. She finished at 8-under-par, one shot better than Whitehall's Laura Kueny, who led the tournament the whole way.
“That’s the way I prefer to win. I did what I had to do. The adrenaline was flowing pretty good but I tried to stay calm and handle my emotions. Whew! What a nice way to win,” said Fouch, who lost the championship in a playoff in 2003. “Competition like this helps. I haven’t been in game face mode in a while. I never lost my confidence. I stayed patient.”
Even though Fouch was clearly the favorite, she still performed when she had to and is to be commended for her first Michigan Open win in her eighth try. Fouch has earned just over $79,000 on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T-12 finish at the Jamie Farr Classic in Toledo in July. She's arguably the most successful pro golfer from Michigan on any Tour. Former PGA Tour golfers like Tom Gillis, a Lake Orion native who won his first Nationwide Tour event in July, and Doug LaBelle, a Mount Pleasant native with just two top 25s on the Nationwide this year, have never been able to achieve Fouch's lofty world ranking.
As for the Buick Open, its impact on Michigan is profound, financially and psycologically. It is just another blow to Michigan's image. Now we're lumped with golf's ugly stepchildren -- states like Indiana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc. -- that don't host the Tour.
Its also a another blow to the Flint area economy, from the non-profits to the local hotels and restaurants that counted on the tournament for cash flow. The Tour has indicated it hasn't given up on Michigan yet, and would like to return, but without the deep pockets of the Big Three, it's highly unlikely. Maybe somebody can convince Compuware or Little Caesars want to switch their corporate dollars from hockey to golf.
The Little Caesars Open has a nice ring to it.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Crystal Mountain's Michigan Women's Open still going strong
From all indications, the 2009 Buick Open will be the 51st, and last one, for golf fans in Michigan.
What a heartbreak.
Earlier this decade, Michigan hosted a full docket of professional events, two from the Champions Tour, one from the LPGA, one from the PGA Tour, and one apiece from the minor-league Canadian and Duramed Futures tours. It has even lost the second-best amateur tournament in the country, with the Western Am. leaving Benton Harbor for the Chicago area last summer after a 30-year run at Point O' Woods.
Just two smaller events are left standing: the Michigan Open and the Michigan Women's Open, both run by the Michigan section of the PGA. The Women's Open, in its seventh year at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville, tees off this week with play Aug. 3-5 on the resort's scenic Mountain Ridge course.
With the Buick Open's pending demise, this is now the only tournament in Michigan to entice top pros to visit the Wolverine state. The $40,000 purse has attracted the LPGA Tour’s Cindy Figg-Currier, Cindy Rarick, Sue Ertl, Anne Marie Palli and Allison Fouch, as will a handful of former champions with LPGA Tour experience on their resumes, players like Elaine Crosby and Suzanne Green-Roebuck.
Fouch, a standout from Michigan State, is currently 82nd in the Rolex World Rankings. Between 1985 and 2000 Cindy Rarick recorded four LPGA Tour victories and collected earnings totaling over $2.5 million. A tournament-record 111 players will tee it up, marking the third time in five years the event has broke its own high standards.
What a heartbreak.
Earlier this decade, Michigan hosted a full docket of professional events, two from the Champions Tour, one from the LPGA, one from the PGA Tour, and one apiece from the minor-league Canadian and Duramed Futures tours. It has even lost the second-best amateur tournament in the country, with the Western Am. leaving Benton Harbor for the Chicago area last summer after a 30-year run at Point O' Woods.
Just two smaller events are left standing: the Michigan Open and the Michigan Women's Open, both run by the Michigan section of the PGA. The Women's Open, in its seventh year at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville, tees off this week with play Aug. 3-5 on the resort's scenic Mountain Ridge course.
With the Buick Open's pending demise, this is now the only tournament in Michigan to entice top pros to visit the Wolverine state. The $40,000 purse has attracted the LPGA Tour’s Cindy Figg-Currier, Cindy Rarick, Sue Ertl, Anne Marie Palli and Allison Fouch, as will a handful of former champions with LPGA Tour experience on their resumes, players like Elaine Crosby and Suzanne Green-Roebuck.
Fouch, a standout from Michigan State, is currently 82nd in the Rolex World Rankings. Between 1985 and 2000 Cindy Rarick recorded four LPGA Tour victories and collected earnings totaling over $2.5 million. A tournament-record 111 players will tee it up, marking the third time in five years the event has broke its own high standards.
The Michigan Open attracts some solid pro talent as well, but its top players -- like past winners Ryan Brehm, who won at Orchard Lake Country Club earlier this year, and 6-time champ Scott Hebert, who won the 2008 national club pro championship -- couldn't even make the cut at this year's Buick Open.
Michigan has too many good courses, players and fans to see such a shortage of high-caliber tournament golf. Unfortunately, the state of the game greatly reflects the state of our economy. Both are on life-support.Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tiger Woods pumps needed buzz back into 2009 Buick Open
The Buick Open had lost its buzz, but then Tiger Woods stepped up to help his old friends at Buick, giving the tournament a shot of adrenaline it had been lacking.
Before Woods officially committed Thursday, did anybody even know that next week (July 27-Aug. 2) was the only time all year the PGA Tour will stop in Michigan at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc?
I hate to feel self-important, but this fact is true: Without a media day and a lack of advertising -- two problems no doubt due to the bankruptcy of Buick's parent company, General Motors Co. -- the buildup to the Buick Open has been lacking its usual punch. There's nobody trumpeting the tournament's message: This is your only chance to see U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover, Woods and John Daly up close and personal.
There are other issues that aren't helping Michigan's only major golf event. With a third new date in the past three years, fans can't plan for it on a consistent basis.
Getting a quality field has gotten tougher as well. Woods, now that he's not in the Buick family, probably won't be a regular visitor anymore and Phil Mickelson will likely never tee it up here again. This year, defending champion Kenny Perry won't tee it up, either, missing to be with his family.
Don't get me wrong. The Buick Open is good for Michigan. If it went away -- which is still a possibility without Buick's ability to commit long-term -- it would be just another blow to a state reeling with bigger problems.
The tournament is a perfect place for die-hard golf fans to get close to elite players. The tournament setting is intimate and fan-friendly. For tickets or information, visit http://www.buick.com/ or call 1-800-878-OPEN.
Another bonus: the lovable Rocco Mediate, the 2008 U.S. Open runner-up, will host a free clinic 7 p.m. Tuesday at Carl's Golfland at 1976 South Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township. The 5-time PGA Tour winner will no doubt win over more fans with his chatty style and witty sense of humor. For more, visit http://www.carlsgolfland.com/
Before Woods officially committed Thursday, did anybody even know that next week (July 27-Aug. 2) was the only time all year the PGA Tour will stop in Michigan at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc?
I hate to feel self-important, but this fact is true: Without a media day and a lack of advertising -- two problems no doubt due to the bankruptcy of Buick's parent company, General Motors Co. -- the buildup to the Buick Open has been lacking its usual punch. There's nobody trumpeting the tournament's message: This is your only chance to see U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover, Woods and John Daly up close and personal.
There are other issues that aren't helping Michigan's only major golf event. With a third new date in the past three years, fans can't plan for it on a consistent basis.
Getting a quality field has gotten tougher as well. Woods, now that he's not in the Buick family, probably won't be a regular visitor anymore and Phil Mickelson will likely never tee it up here again. This year, defending champion Kenny Perry won't tee it up, either, missing to be with his family.
Don't get me wrong. The Buick Open is good for Michigan. If it went away -- which is still a possibility without Buick's ability to commit long-term -- it would be just another blow to a state reeling with bigger problems.
The tournament is a perfect place for die-hard golf fans to get close to elite players. The tournament setting is intimate and fan-friendly. For tickets or information, visit http://www.buick.com/ or call 1-800-878-OPEN.
Another bonus: the lovable Rocco Mediate, the 2008 U.S. Open runner-up, will host a free clinic 7 p.m. Tuesday at Carl's Golfland at 1976 South Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township. The 5-time PGA Tour winner will no doubt win over more fans with his chatty style and witty sense of humor. For more, visit http://www.carlsgolfland.com/
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