Ann Arbor, Michigan – As
the final round concluded at the Volvik Championship, it proved to exceed the
expectations of everyone as a first year tournament on the LPGA Tour.
The LPGA and Travis Pointe Country Club seem to be the
perfect fit and after the first inaugural event, it seems to be a course that
adds some challenges where the players have to think about their shots.
Thursday thru Sunday, the patrons filled the ropes to watch the stars of the
LPGA Tour battle varying conditions throughout each of the four rounds of the
tournament. Top LPGA names were at the top of the leaderboard throughout the
week including Christina Kim, Ariya Juntanugarn, Jessica Korda and Brooke
Henderson.
This year that tournament fell on Memorial Day Weekend, which
could’ve aided in the increased crowds but possibly didn’t help with potential
patrons who could’ve been heading out of state for the long holiday weekend or
could’ve been headed to the Senior PGA Championship in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
Either way, the crowds proved that the LPGA has a following here in Michigan.
Michigan is a golf state from the beginning of May until
October or November (we take advantage of any extra golf we can get). Michigan
golf courses showcase the beauty they offer to Michiganders and visitors.
Travis Pointe Country Club is the perfect mix of a northern Michigan course and
Mitten courses down here. Travis Pointe is a course that not only has a
challenging course for the players but also can hold all of the facilities
needed for the professional golfers. It is also located in Ann Arbor which in
my opinion is the perfect location for the LPGA Tour in the years to come. Ann
Arbor is just 30 minutes away from downtown Detroit and not that far from the
suburbs of the city.
After Christina Kim’s second
round she was asked about being in contention for the weekend. “Yea, I love it
out here. I’m a big fan of the 313. There are very few places well, I guess
it’s the 734, but 313 is right there. I think that Ann Arbor is one of my
favorite towns in the country and it is hard to find anywhere that beats the
weather here than here in the middle of May, end of May in any part of the
world. It’s absolutely perfect right now. A little bit of humidity, lots of
heat, cool breeze, grass is green. You can’t find anything to complain about
this week.”
There were also plenty of Michigan natives in the field,
Saline native Sarah Hoffman earned the sponsor exemption, Grosse Pointe Shores
native Samantha Troyanovich Monday qualified at Eagle Crest Golf Club in
Ypsilanti, Michigan as well as Ann Arbor native Jennifer Song.
Sam Troyanovich spoke with the media after her first round
on Thursday “Who doesn’t love the Mitten in May when the suns out?”
One of the biggest compliments I overheard throughout the
weekend is that this tournament seems like it has been run for years before. A
huge credit should go to tournament director Keith Karbo and the rest of his
staff during the tournament. They were everywhere from Tuesday thru Sunday and
you never had to wonder where any of them were. The volunteers throughout the
weekend were phenomenal, polite and gracious to the players, media and fans. I
never met a volunteer who wasn’t personable and everyone that I spoke with said
that they wanted to be back next year.
Where do we go for next year? That’s a good question but
maybe for a different time because I’d rather think of all of the good things
this tournament had to offer. Ariya Juntanugarn may have won her 3rd
straight tournament but it seems like Travis Pointe and the LPGA were the real
winners from that weekend.
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