Harris, MI. – The 156-player field for the 11th Island Resort Championship – presented by Delta County Area Chamber of Commerce has been finalized by the Epson Tour. The “Road to the LPGA” concludes its two-week swing in the Great Lake State from June 24-26 at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan.
Individuals will compete in a 54-hole stroke-play format for $212,500 and a winner’s share of $31,875. A cut will be made to the top-60 competitors plus ties after 36 holes. Tournament admission is $10 total for access to all three days of competitions.
“The Island Resort Championship has set a standard for hosting the Epson Tour that continually raises the bar in hospitality, the quality of the venue, and prize money,” said Epson Tour Chief Business Officer, Mike Nichols. “To be able to bring our athletes to a golf course recently ranked #1 in Michigan by its golf course peers is truly a treat.”
Six of the top-10 players in the Ascensus Race for the Card will compete for this week’s title, including 2022 champions Lucy Li, Grace Kim, Kum-Kang Park and Linnea Strom. The Epson Tour’s most recent champion, Kiira Riihijarvi, will also compete in Harris, Michigan, following her win at last week’s Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA powered by the A2 Sports Commission.
Sweetgrass Golf Club has been hosting an Epson Tour event annually since 2011 with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hosting the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass is an important part of our golf calendar each year,” said Tournament Chair, Tony Mancilla. “It allows us to promote our golf property on a larger scale and we meet with our business partners annually at the event through the pro-ams. Fewer than 250 courses in the United States host a professional tour. The Epson Tour allows us to promote our property through the golf media directly.”
Four past Island Resort Championship winners will compete for the 2022 title, including Kim Kaufman (2013), Daniela Holmqvist (2015) and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (2016). Daniela Iacobelli, the 2019 champion who gushes about this event, will also compete this week.
“I love going up to Sweetgrass,” said Iacobelli. “I love the people there, I love the course, and I’m personally just excited to get back and keep continuing those friendships. I haven’t even thought about the golf part yet, I think that will happen Friday morning.”