Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

Michigan Golf News LPGA VOLVIK CHAMPIONSHIP GIVES AMATEURS A SHOT Amateur female golfers dreaming of a chance to compete in an LPGA tournament can soon sign up for the LPGA Volvik ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ŵĂƚĞƵƌ WƌĞͲ YƵĂůŝĮĞƌ͘ dŚĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ƚŽ play into the professional event will happen on Thursday, May 17 at Ann Arbor’s Leslie Park Golf Course. The number of amateur ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌƐ ĂůůŽǁĞĚ ƚŽ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞ ŚĂƐ expanded from two to three. ͞tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ opportunity to allow amateur ŐŽůĨĞƌƐ Ă ĐŚĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƋƵĂůŝĨLJ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ >W' ƐĂŶĐƟŽŶĞĚ ĞǀĞŶƚ͕͟ said LPGA Volvik Championship Tournament Director Keith <ĂƌďŽ͘ ͞dŚĞ >W' ƉƌĞͲ ƋƵĂůŝĨLJŝŶŐ ĞǀĞŶƚ ŝƐ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ way for amateur golfers to showcase their skills.” The three amateurs who card ƚŚĞ ůŽǁĞƐƚ ƐĐŽƌĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞͲ ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌ ǁŝůů ďĞ ŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů >W' >ŽĐĂů YƵĂůŝĮĞƌ ƚŽ be held at the Eagle Crest Golf ůƵď ŝŶ zƉƐŝůĂŶƟ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ DŽŶĚĂLJ͘ dŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚǁŽ ĮŶŝƐŚĞƌƐ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁŝůů ũŽŝŶ ƚŚĞ ϭϰϰͲƉůĂLJĞƌ ĮĞůĚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ >W' sŽůǀŝŬ Championship at Travis Pointe ŽƵŶƚƌLJ ůƵď͕ DĂLJ ϮϰͲϮϳ͘ “This season, all tournaments ŚŽƐƟŶŐ Ă ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚƌĞĞ ĂŵĂƚĞƵƌ ŝŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶƐ͕͟ <ĂƌďŽ ĂĚĚĞĚ͘ ͞/Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƚǁŽ seasons of our tournament, we had two spots.” Last year, Traverse City’s Anika Dy and Brighton’s ,ĂŶŶĂŚ WŝĞƟůĂ ĞĂĐŚ ƉŽƐƚĞĚ Ă ϳϳ ƚŽ ǁŝŶ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϳ ƉƌĞͲ ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌ͘ ůů ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ Dh^d ŚŽůĚ ĂŵĂƚĞƵƌ ƐƚĂƚƵƐ͘ Ɛ ĚĞĮŶĞĚ by the USGA: an amateur golfer, whether she plays ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞůLJ Žƌ ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂůůLJ͕ is one who plays golf for the challenge it presents, not as a profession and not for ĮŶĂŶĐŝĂů ŐĂŝŶ͘ ǀĞƌLJ ĂŵĂƚĞƵƌ ĞŶƚƌLJ ŵƵƐƚ ƐĂƟƐĨLJ ƚŚĞ ŚĂŶĚŝĐĂƉ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ Ă h^' Handicap index of 2.0 or less ;Žƌ ƚŚĞ ĞƋƵŝǀĂůĞŶƚ ŚĂŶĚŝĐĂƉ from the governing body of another country). Entries will open for LPGA sŽůǀŝŬ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌ on Monday, April 9, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Contact Kathy Widick at Kathy.widick@lpga.com with any problems in the ƌĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ͘ &Žƌ WƌŽͲ ŵ͕ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌƐŚŝƉ ĂŶĚ ƟĐŬĞƚ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ĐŽŶũƵŶĐƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ >W' Volvik Championship at Travis Pointe Country Club call 734.707.0789 or go to www. volviklpga.com.