COCA-COLA/GAMEABOVE MICHIGAN WOMEN’S OPEN
Paraguay’s Mila Chaves Wins in Three-Golfer Sudden-Death Playoff

THOMPSONVILLE – Milagros “Mila” Chaves, a 30-year-old native of Paraguay and a Del Mar, CA, resident, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a three-golfer ...sudden-death playoff and won the Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain Thursday.
It was her first professional win in eight years chasing the LPGA dream, and she topped the ANNIKA-Women’s All-Pro Tour money leader, former Michigan State University star Katie Lu of New Jersey, and former UCLA golfer Kate Villegas of Arcadia, CA, on the first playoff hole, the par 5 18th on the Mountain Ridge Course.
She earned $10,000, an exemption into the LPGA’s Greater Toledo Open in July and she jumped up in the Callaway Race 2 Qualifying standings on the ANNIKA-WAPT where the top five golfers earn Epson Tour status for 2027 and pass through to Stage Two of LPGA Qualifying this winter.
“It feels amazing,” said the former San Diego State golfer who shot a closing 3-under 69 to land at 8-under.
Chaves had to save a par on No. 18 in regulation play from the tree-line and jumped into a tie with Villegas, who a few minutes earlier had closed out her 67 with an eagle-3.
Lu then had the last chance to win it in regulation. She reached the green in two shots, but her 15-foot eagle putt stopped just a few inches short of the hole. She finished with a 70 and in the tie at 208.
Chaves was emotional and said she would be calling her parents in Paraguay to tell them it finally had happened. She also said the win rejuvenates her career.
“Honesty, after so many years of trying you start to think you’re never going to win,” she said. “You think you have been close before, and you know your game is good, so you try again. I missed the cut here last year by a shot, but I knew I could be up there and that I could do better. So, this year I have just been trying to put myself in contention every week. I didn’t make putts the last time here. This time I made putts.”
Chaves was two shots off the lead when the weather-suspended second round was concluded Thursday morning before the final round could start. Once the round started, she jumped up among the leaders and held it alone at times with five consecutive birdies on holes 6 through 10. She said she didn’t look at the leaderboard through the round but realized when people started following her playing group that she must be in contention.
“I made two bogeys, one in the last few holes (hole 13), but I was still hitting it really good, and I was putting it well,” she said. “I just tried to put myself in the fairway and on the green and tried to make birdies all day. I really enjoyed the golf course and the resort. Michigan golf courses are always so pure, and I had a great host family (Laura and Jerry Durkin) that I stayed with who treated me so wonderfully.”
Following the playoff trio was another trio at 209 that included first-round leader and GameAbove-sponsored Janae Leovao. The Eastern Michigan University golfer had the lead coming down the stretch, but bogeys at 17 and 18 left her one shot out of the playoff.
Also finishing at 209 were Jasmine Ly, a former Detroit area resident from Canada now playing professionally, who shot 67, and Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Sydney Deal of Ohio, who shot 71.
Lu, who also earned an exemption into the LPGA’s Greater Toledo Open, said losing in a playoff stung, but she was pleased she worked her way into the playoff.
“It was a good week, and I put myself in contention, so there are positives,” she said. “That eagle putt (in regulation play) just needed maybe one-and-a-half more revolutions.”
In the Legends Division tournament inside the tournament, two-time defending champion Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor made it three in-a-row. She shot even-par 72 for a three-round 6-under 210 total and her third title among the seniors. It matches the number of times the Michigan Golf Hall of Famer has also won the Michigan Women’s Open.
“I really wanted this, because it was the third time and I have three of the Opens, so that was important to me, and the (U.S. Senior Women’s Open) is at my club (Barton Hills Country Club) in August, so everything is kind of preparation for that,” she said. “I didn’t have my A-game today. It was a bit of a grind, so I’m pleased I kept it together to shoot even-par and win. It’s always great to win.”
Barb Moxness of Stuart, FL, and Tracy Hanson of Holland both shot 72 for 217 to tie for second. Like Green-Roebuck they are former LPGA players.

ABOUT ANNIKA WAPT: The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) was established in 2019 to provide a premier developmental opportunity for female golf professionals to hone their competitive skills while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. Through its partnership with the LPGA’s Epson Tour, the ANNIKA WAPT provides weekly opportunities for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events. Learn more at www.wapt.golf.

ABOUT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN: Crystal Mountain is a premier four-season destination in Thompsonville, Michigan, about 30 miles southwest of Traverse City and Cherry Capital Airport. The 1500-acre resort offers two championship golf courses, a wide variety of lodging accommodations, dining, shopping, the award-winning Crystal Spa, and seasonal outdoor recreation, including skiing and Michigan’s only Alpine Slide. Learn more at www.crystalmountain.com.

ABOUT GAMEABOVE: 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.

ABOUT COCA-COLA: Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Michigan Women’s Open since its first year at Crystal Mountain. Learn more at Home Page | Coca-Cola US

ERIN THORNE OF DETROIT GOLF CLUB WINS MICHIGAN WOMEN’S PGA TITLE

THOMPSONVILLE – Detroit Golf Club professional Erin Thorne won the Michigan Women’s PGA Championship, a two-round tournament held in conjunction with the first two rounds of the Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan ...Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain
Thorne, a native of Canada and former collegiate women’s golf coach at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, shot 78 for a 155 total Wednesday on the Mountain Ridge Course. Erica Reed of Scottville shot 83 to close and finished a distant second.
Thorne, who has worked at DGC for the last 14 months, earned her PGA of America status in March and signed up for the Michigan Women’s PGA.
“I’ve always loved competing,” she said. “It’s great to be out here chasing my own ball, instead of watching others chase their ball and that sort of thing.”
The 42-year-old professional’s parents live in Windsor, and she played her college golf at Western Michigan University. She coached college golf for 12 years before returning to the club portion of the industry.
“I’m primarily teaching, but still have time in the shop as well,” she said. “A lot of coming to Detroit was to get closer to family. Being at DGC, I’m less than an hour to my parents.”
She grew up north of Toronto in a small town, and she liked the Mountain Ridge Course at Crystal Mountain.
“It’s very similar to what I grew up playing with tree lines and undulations on the green that you might not be able to see,” she said. “It’s great that we are part of this golf event where over 100 females are competing. It’s an awesome experience to be part of that even though I was playing in our section event.”

Results can be found at michiganpga.com

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The heat is back and so is the action☀⛳

Round 2 of the Coca-Cola / GameAbove Michigan Women's Open is underway!

Click the link below for leaderboard updates:
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12480210842144506433?back_link=true

COCA-COLA/GAMEABOVE MICHIGAN WOMEN’S OPEN
EMU Standout Janae Leovao Shoots 66, Leads After First Round

THOMPSONVILLE – Janae Leovao, who with her twin sister Jasmine was part of the Eastern Michigan University golf team that made a stunning run to the final four of the NCAA ...Division I Women’s Golf Championships, had a game above.
The 22-year-old California amateur who is sponsored by the tournament’s co-title sponsor GameAbove with a goal of turning professional, shot a 6-under 66 to lead through the first round of the 33rd Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open Tuesday at Crystal Mountain.
She closed her round with birdies on 17 and 18 of the Mountain Ridge Course and had a one-shot lead on two of the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour players, Chaves Milagros and Jasmine Lew, both California residents.
Two more of the 80 tour players in what is now an official event on the ANNIKA-WAPT schedule, were two shots back after 68s. They were Katie Lu of South Carolina, the former Michigan State University standout who is currently the leading money winner on the tour, and Texan Hannah Arnold.
Six golfers who shot 69 included Epson Tour player Sarah White, the Grand Rapids native who is also sponsored by GameAbove and won the 2022 Michigan Women’s Open.
The field of 135 golfers will play another 18 holes Wednesday before a cut to the low 50 scores and ties for the final round Thursday in the $60,000 championship.
Leovao, who rolled in a 20-foot putt for birdie on 17 and reached the par 5 No. 18 green in two for a tap-in birdie, said she came in without expectations.
“I was really burnt out after nationals and so I took two weeks off to be in Europe, just as a vacation,” she said. “I usually don’t take breaks at all. I usually practice every day, so I think maybe I needed a break.”
She is the older twin sister of Jasmine by one minute. She said she didn’t feel good about her swing during a practice round or Monday’s pro-am event.
“I was grateful that I could be here, and that GameAbove is sponsoring this event made it special to be here, and I guess it’s even more special to shoot a really good first round,” she said. “I felt really good about my putting today, which is weird because I haven’t been practicing it. I guess it just worked and I like the green speeds here, and it’s rolling pure, so I was able to read them pretty well.”
The twins are awaiting word from the NCAA on a fifth-year of eligibility at Eastern, but both plan to turn professional at some point.
“I’m not wishing I turned professional for this,” Janae said. “I think that would have changed my mentality for the first round. I think just being an amateur, you’re just taking everything in, and if I had made a sudden decision to turn pro already, that maybe would have changed how things went. I think the decisions we’ve made maybe led to this happening.”
In the Legends Division tournament inside the tournament Gale Graham of Naples, Fla., a former LPGA player, shot 69. She had a one-shot lead on Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor, another former LPGA player who has won the last two Legends titles.

ABOUT ANNIKA WAPT: The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) was established in 2019 to provide a premier developmental opportunity for female golf professionals to hone their competitive skills while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. Through its partnership with the LPGA’s Epson Tour, the ANNIKA WAPT provides weekly opportunities for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events. Learn more at www.wapt.golf.

ABOUT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN: Crystal Mountain is a premier four-season destination in Thompsonville, Michigan, about 30 miles southwest of Traverse City and Cherry Capital Airport. The 1500-acre resort offers two championship golf courses, a wide variety of lodging accommodations, dining, shopping, the award-winning Crystal Spa, and seasonal outdoor recreation, including skiing and Michigan’s only Alpine Slide. Learn more at www.crystalmountain.com.

ABOUT GAMEABOVE: 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.

ABOUT COCA-COLA: Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Michigan Women’s Open since its first year at Crystal Mountain. Learn more at Home Page | Coca-Cola US

What a great opening day it's been at the Coca-Cola / GameAbove Michigan Women's Open!

Despite the hot weather, the field is finishing up with some solid rounds. Catch up on the leaderboard through the link below:

...https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12480210842144506433?back_link=true

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