NEXT ON THE TEE:
COCA-COLA/GAMEABOVE MICHIGAN WOMEN’S OPEN

THOMPSONVILLE – The 2026 Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open is set for a Tuesday morning start on the award-winning Mountain Ridge Course at Crystal Mountain.
The Michigan Section PGA is presenting an open... state championship for women golfers for the 33rd time, and for the 24th consecutive year at Crystal Mountain, but this time with a dramatic new wrinkle.
In addition to two-time defending champion and Epson Tour player Jessica Welch of Thomasville, Ga., and 2022 champion and Epson Tour player Sarah White, a Grand Rapids native, this year’s starting field of 135 golfers for the $60,000 championship will also include 80 members of the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT).
And the leading money winner on the tour is a former Michigan State Spartan. Katie Lu of Aiken, SC, has one win, one second and five top 10 finishes in seven tournaments. She played last week in the LPGA Meijer Classic in Grand Rapids.
“I didn’t play well, but I learned a lot and it was good experience for me,” said Lu, who graduated from MSU in 2025 and played in Monday’s pro-am with her former Michigan State coach, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, who is in the Senior Championship division, a tournament inside this week’s tournament.
“I’ve had some good finishes this year,” Lu said. “I hope to have one here this week.”
Last fall, the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT) announced its partnership with Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA establishing the championship as an official event on the ANNIKA schedule in 2026. The tour is dedicated to providing a competitive platform for professional women golfers to develop their skills on a pathway to the LPGA.
In addition to added sponsorship, enhanced prize money and the coveted tournament title, the event will also provide the top two finishers with an exemption into an LPGA Epson Tour event during the 2026 season (Greater Toledo Open, July 13-19). Points and money earned at the tournament will be official on the tour’s season-long Callaway Race 2 Qualifying program, where the top five athletes earn Epson Tour status and advancement to Stage two of LPGA Qualifying. Lu currently leads that category on the tour as well.
The Michigan Open will be decided over 54-holes of stroke play, Tuesday through Thursday, on the award-winning Mountain Ridge course, and a cut will be made after the first two rounds to the low 50 scorers and ties to make up the field for the final 18 holes.
GameAbove is a title sponsor for the first time. It is a growing strategic investor in golf. Its brand, GameAbove Golf, has investments in multiple golf brands, including McLaren Golf, PLATFORM Golf and CHIP’d Golf, and it manages several professional golfers.
Three of those golfers are in this week’s field; White and twins Janae and Jasmine Leavao, who helped lead the stunning charge by Eastern Michigan University’s women’s golf team to the final four in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships this spring.
Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Michigan Women’s Open since its first year at Crystal Mountain. The 2026 championship, which also has strong local supporting sponsors, will also have a pro-am event prior to the championship.

FIND THE LEADERBOARD: At www.michiganpga.com

Coca-Cola / GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open Includes ANNIKA-WAPT Golfers, Starting Monday at Crystal Mountain

THOMPSONVILLE – The Michigan Section PGA is presenting an open state championship for women golfers for the 33rd time, and for the 24th consecutive year at Crystal Mountain, ...but this time with a dramatic new wrinkle.

The 2026 Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open, set for next Tuesday through Thursday, June 30 through July 1, will still showcase several familiar faces, including two-time defending champion Jessica Welch of Thomasville, GA, and Grand Rapids native and 2022 champion Sarah White stopping in from the LPGA Epson Tour.

In addition, several of the state’s top amateur golfers and the well-known senior golfers, including Michigan Golf Hall of Famers Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor and Elaine Crosby of Jackson, will play for a separate Legends Division title (age 50-plus).

But this year’s starting field of 135 golfers for the $60,000 championship will also include 80 members of the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT).

Last fall, the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT) announced its partnership with Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA establishing the championship as an official event on the ANNIKA schedule in 2026. The tour is dedicated to providing a competitive platform for professional women golfers to develop their skills on a pathway to the LPGA.

In addition to added sponsorship, enhanced prize money and the coveted tournament title, the event will also provide the top two finishers with an exemption into an LPGA Epson Tour event during the 2026 season (Greater Toledo Open, July 13-19).

Continue reading the press release below:
https://michiganpga.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/06/Coca-Cola_GameAbove-Michigan-Womens-Open-Includes-ANNIKA-WAPT-Golfers-Starting-Monday-at-Crystal-Mountain.pdf

COON LEADS AN ELITE FIELD IN A RED-NUMBER SHOWDOWN! 2026 Michigan Boys Junior PGA Championship🏆

The historic event concluded yesterday, showcasing an absolute masterclass in elite junior golf at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek. Benefiting from perfect conditions and beautiful ...weather, a full field of 144 of Michigan's top boys aged 13–18 faced off in what will go down in history as one of the strongest, most competitive fields the tournament has ever seen.

To put the sheer depth of the competition into perspective, an unbelievable 15 players finished the tournament under par. Seeing that many competitors consistently attacking pins and putting up red numbers highlights the incredibly high standard of play from start to finish.

Leading the charge all week was 16-year-old Bentley Coon of Horton, who put on a breathtaking show on day one by racking up six birdies and a spectacular eagle on the par-5 7th hole en route to an opening-round 64 (8-under-par). He proved his ice-cold composure by backing it up with a second-round 70 to claim the overall crown at a spectacular 10-under-par total of 134.

Right on his heels was 14-year-old overall runner-up Zane Rueger of Saline, who put together an incredible performance of his own. After opening with a rock-solid 68, Zane went on an absolute birdie tear in his second round to card a 67. He turned up the heat on the back nine, draining clutch, consecutive birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17 to make for a thrilling, down-to-the-wire finish before ultimately concluding the tournament just one stroke back at 9-under-par (135).

By taking the top two spots in the field, both elite competitors have officially punched their tickets to the 50th Junior PGA Championship, which will take center stage July 28–31, 2026, at PGA Fields Ranch East & West in Frisco, Texas - the modern home of the PGA of America.

The individual age divisions featured intense battles for the podium, with the top three players in each group taking home some hard-earned hardware. In the 13-15 Division, Zane Rueger comfortably captured the title with his stellar 135 (-9). He was followed by runner-up Benjamin Vento of Rochester Hills, who finished at 141 (-3), while Collier Ludwig of Mattawan secured third place with a total score of 147 (+3). Meanwhile, the 16-18 Division saw Bentley Coon claim the championship honors at 134 (-10). Julian Sinishtaj of Macomb earned the runner-up spot with a strong 139 (-5) fired up by a stellar final-round 68, and Harris Hoekwater of Grand Rapids took third place at 140 (-4) after winning a scorecard playoff secured by a strong final-round 69.

A huge thank you to Bedford Valley, all of our incredible competitors, and the families who came out to support them during this historic championship week. Michigan junior golf is brighter than ever, and we can't wait to watch Bentley and Zane represent the state on the national stage next month!

CHAMPIONS CROWNED & A HOLE-IN-ONE! 2026 Michigan Girls Junior PGA Championship 🏆

What an unbelievable showcase of grit, talent, and determination this week at Bedford Valley Golf Club!

The course was in fantastic shape all week, featuring its signature heavy bunkering and ...very large greens that kept the field of 50 players in the Girls 13-18 division on their toes. The weather threw plenty of challenges at these athletes, too. Throughout Round 1, players battled a persistent, steady rain that came on and off all day. If that wasn’t enough, Round 2 swapped the damp conditions for intense, sweeping winds that tested everyone's course management and mental toughness.

Through it all, these young women put on a masterclass in competitive golf. Taking home the ultimate honors, 13-year-old Hannah Kim of Troy put together a phenomenal two-day total of 146 (+2) to be crowned our 2026 Overall Champion. Finishing just one shot behind her with a stellar two-day score of 147 (+3) was Overall Runner-Up, 15-year-old Saisha Patil of Okemos. Both of these fantastic players have officially punched their tickets and will represent Michigan proudly at the 50th National Junior PGA Championship, taking place July 28–31 at the breathtaking Fields Ranch West at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas—the magnificent new home of the PGA of America!

The high-level play continued across all of our individual age groups. In the Girls 16-18 Division, defending champion Lillian O’Grady of Grand Rapids captured first place with a two-day total of 149 (+5). She was followed by runner-up Sophia McCollum of Twin Lake with a 153 (+9), and Emanuella Micakovic of Washington Township, who secured third place in the division after winning a scorecard playoff with a final score of 154 (+10). In the Girls 13-15 Division, overall winner Hannah Kim naturally claimed the top spot on the podium, while overall runner-up Saisha Patil took home the division's second-place trophy. Rounding out the top three, Sixtine Charnelet of Bloomfield Hills secured a strong third-place finish with an impressive two-day total of 153 (+9).

🎉 SHOT OF THE TOURNAMENT 🎉
As if the leaderboard action wasn't enough, the tournament delivered a major milestone during Round 1. Despite the day's on-and-off rain, 13-year-old Dylan Hall aced the par-3 8th hole, knocking it in from 169 yards out with her 3-hybrid. Cheers echoed across the course as the ball found the bottom of the cup, marking Dylan's first-ever career hole-in-one. Congratulations, Dylan, on an unforgettable achievement on a major championship stage!

A massive thank you to the entire staff at Bedford Valley for hosting us and keeping the course in championship condition despite the wild Michigan weather. We also want to extend a huge thank you to the parents for their incredible support, and most importantly, to all the players who gave it their all out there. You made the Michigan PGA Section incredibly proud this week!

Strong start to the Michigan Girls Junior PGA Championship including a hole-in-one by Dylan Hall! 👏 ⛳

Follow tomorrow's final round through the link below:
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12459932766022173648?back_link=true

As we turn our attention to the U.S. Open this week, Michigan PGA Member Adam Schriber is helping defending champion J.J. Spaun prepare for Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York.

Adam was recently featured on Kelly Elbin's "Musings on Golf" podcast, where he shares his ...journey from humble beginnings in the game, how he first connected with J.J., and the evolution of their player-coach relationship.

🎧 Listen to the episode here:
https://audioboom.com/posts/8914637-adam-schriber-pga-believing-in-j-j-spaun