Island Resort Championship
Sweetgrass Golf Club | Harris, Mich. | June 11-13
HARRIS, Mich. — The ninth stop on the 2021 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Symetra Tour to Sweetgrass Golf Club in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the 10th annual Island Resort Championship from June 11-13.
Greeting the 144-player field in Harris, Mich. is a total purse of $200,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low-60 players and ties after 36 holes. The winner’s share for the event is $30,000.
Defending champion Daniela Iacobelli (
Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. ET all three days with play starting off No. 1 and No. 10 tees in the first and second round. Meanwhile, all groups will head off No. 1 tee in twosomes for the final round with a trophy presentation to follow on No. 18 green.
COLLEGIATE TIE AT NINTH STOP
One individual with a connection to Michigan
“I’m really excited to be back competing in my home state at the Island Resort Championship in Harris, Michigan,” said Hoffman. “This tournament is one of my favorites of the year, and the course is always in great shape, some might even call it pure.”
COUNTRIES (AND STATES) OF THE ISLAND RESORT CHAMPIONSHIP
A total of 30 countries are represented this week at the Island Resort Championship, led by the United States with 74 players then followed by Canada having the next highest of nine competitors.
“Playing in the 76th U.S. Women’s Open was very special for me. In 2016, I decided to step away from competing because I lost the joy in the game. Last week was probably the most joy I’ve felt competing again and there is so much I’ll be taking away with me,” said Rebecca Lee-Bentham (
Individuals from 26 different states are also set to tee it up at Sweetgrass Golf Club. Four players hail from the host state, while California boasts the most with 12.
“I absolutely love being back in Michigan and especially back to Harris since it has been a while,” said Shasta Averyhardt (Flint, Michigan). “I am thrilled for Island Resort to be back on the schedule in 2021. The weather and golf courses are always so beautiful in the summer up north [in Michigan].”
ROOKIES APLENTY IN THE UPPER PENINSULA
Numerous professionals in their first year on the Symetra Tour have made the trek to Menominee County, as 30 rookies are in the field and eager for the ninth event of the Symetra Tour season.
Among them is Kelly Whaley (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), making her fifth start as a professional on the Symetra Tour this week. The University of North Carolina alumna was a two-time All-ACC Academic Team member, led her team to the 2016 Cougar Classic title and won the 2018 Briar Creek Invitational. Kelly tied the program record for individual low-round in competition (6-under par 66) and competed in two NCAA National Championships.
“I’m excited to compete this week in Harris and am looking forward to the opportunity. Sweetgrass Golf Club has amazing reviews and I’m eager to get the Island Resort Championship underway,” said Whaley. “Thanks to Kenneth Meshigaud, Island Resort Casino and Sweetgrass Golf Club, all of us competitors on the Symetra Tour have another chance of reaching our goal of the LPGA. My game is ready, my mom is on the bag, and I am prepared to take on the Paul Albanese-design inspired course by the Hannahville Indian Community.”
RACE FOR THE CARD UPDATE
The Symetra Tour annually awards LPGA Tour Membership to the top players on the Race for the Card money list. With eight
“I feel like I’m in a great position heading into the middle of the season,” said Emrey, the 2021 IOA Golf Classic presented by RP Funding champion. “I know the next few courses really well, so I am going to use my experience from the past to help guide me.”
From 1999-2002, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA handed out three cards. Then from 2003-2007, that number increased to five before 10 were distributed starting in 2008. Since the inaugural year, a total of 162 players have graduated to the big stage.
ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR
The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 41st competitive season in 2021. With the support of entitlement partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $4.0 million in prize money awarded in 2019 and 2021. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 445 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA and Instagram @road2lpga.
ABOUT SYMETRA
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions and independent agents and advisors. Symetra began its partnership with the Road to the LPGA in 2010 as the title sponsor of the Symetra Classic. It secured naming rights for the Symetra Tour in November 2011. In addition to its title sponsorship of the Tour, which runs through 2021, Symetra sponsors two events on the tournament schedule—the Symetra Classic and the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship. For more information about Symetra, visit www.symetra.om
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