_{Brooke Ferrell, recent University of Wisconsin graduate, was on hand Wednesday at the Island Resort Championship media day to receive her official invite into the field as a sponsors exemption. The impact could be immeasurable as she hopes to improve her status with a strong performance from June 23-25 at Sweetgrass Golf Club.}

_{“It’s hard out here, and money is tight for everyone, and since I didn’t play well at Q-School it determined my next 365 days,” explained Ferrell, who did not advance past Stage I and therefore has low status. “I felt like I was better than the status I have, but I have to deal with it. Being able to get into this tournament and have the opportunity to earn money makes me really want to capitalize.”}

_{“I’m so happy to be back here, I’m glad they weren’t sick of me,” joked Ferrell, whose older sister, Allyssa, is a full-time member of the Epson Tour. “I love the golf course, and I love the casino, it is so fun.”}

_{Ferrell was a First-Team All Big Ten performer at Wisconsin as a junior and was the low Badgers golfer in six of the teams’ ten tournaments this past year as a senior. Recently, she has dealt with a wrist injury that has bothered her since high school.}

_{“I took some time off after my collegiate season, I felt like I needed to rest my body and mind, so I’m still shaking off a bit of rust coming back,” explained Ferrell about the state of her game. “I didn’t want to be burned out by the time July rolled around. I wanted to be completely ready to go, and I wanted to give me wrist some time to heal.”}

_{Ferrell said she had hit balls on the range five days in a row for the first time since the Big Ten Championships ended.}

_{“I’m happy to be back golfing because I didn’t know what to do with my time now that I am done with school,” said Ferrell. “I might get a part time job just to fill the time. Because of my wrist injury, I can only practice for so long in a given day.”}

_{In the next few weeks, Ferrell has a LPGA Monday Qualifier and the Ohio Women’s Open; then she will focus squarely on the Island Resort Championship.}

_{“I’m hoping to use my upcoming events to get ready for this one (at Sweetgrass Golf Club),” said Ferrell. When I get here (Island Resort), I want to be peaking.”}

_{Ferrell’s sister, Allyssa, has been an amazing sounding board for Brooke. Allyssa played at Michigan State and has competed on the Epson Tour since 2015. While she is not off to a great start this year, Allyssa finished 35th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2016 and has contended many times on Tour.}

“I lean on her a ton, whether I’ve had a good day or a bad day, she always knows what to say,” said Brooke. “Because she plays, it is such an advantage to have a sister like that. She is by far the strongest person I know. I’m hoping she finds success very soon.”

More than anything, Brooke loves the opportunity to compete alongside her sister and even test her luck on a slot machine or two during the tournament.

_{“We just have such a fun time here, she (Allyssa) was so jealous that I was coming (for media day), my parents were jealous too,” said Ferrell with a broad smile. “My dad joked that he wanted to me to put $20 on the slots for him. We just love it here.”}

_{It’ll be a family affair for the Ferrell’s in late June at the Island Resort Championship.}

Brooke Ferrell Gets Exemption into Island Resort Championship

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