HARRIS, MI – The Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass has solidified its reputation as one of the premier professional golf tournaments in the upper Midwest. Hosted by Island Resort & Casino and drawing 144 professional women golfers to compete at the Sweetgrass Golf Club, the event will take place from June 21-23, 2024. As part of the Epson Tour, known as the “Road to the LPGA,” the tournament serves as a pivotal stage for players aspiring to join the ranks of the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, promising competition and showcasing the talent of top female golfers. Athletes will be competing for prize money totaling $225,000 at the event, now in its 13th year.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to see up-and-coming pro golfers with the potential to be on the LPGA tour in the next few years,” said Tony Mancilla, GM of Island Resort & Casino and Tournament Director. “Over the past decade, the Epson Tour has grown substantially, and we are excited to be a part of it. The athletes’ abilities have improved and today the tour offers bigger purses; not to mention the higher quality venues participating in the tour.”
The winner of the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass will take home a trophy, tribal honor quilt handmade by an elder of the Hannahville Indian Community, and a check for $33,750. In 2023, the winner was Tsai Ching Tseng. The Island Resort Championship was her first career win, in the same year she turned professional.
The Epson Tour is the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA, where players earn LPGA Tour Membership through the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card. From 1999-2002, LPGA Tour cards were awarded to the top three individuals on the season’s money list. Beginning in 2024, 15 LPGA cards will be distributed to top points earners over the 20-event season. Each regular season event offers the winner 500 points, and the Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, CA, offers 650 points as the season finale.
Since the inaugural year, 192 players have graduated from the Epson Tour and advanced to the LPGA Tour.
