Before the first player strikes a tee shot at Highland Meadows Golf Club, four young girls will take center stage.

Representing Nationwide Children's Hospital – Toledo and ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children's Hospital, this year's Patient Champions will help open tournament play, a tradition that serves as a reminder that the Greater Toledo Classic has always been about more than birdies, trophies and championship golf.

For more than four decades, the tournament, held in Sylvania, Ohio, has combined elite women's golf with a charitable mission that has raised $14.7 million for children's charities throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. While the championship entered a new era on the Epson Tour in 2025 after 40 years on the LPGA Tour, the mission that has defined the event since 1984 has never changed.

"We've been part of the LPGA family for 42 years, dating back to 1984," said tournament director Judd Silverman. "For 40 years we were an LPGA Tour event, and now we're in our second year as an Epson Tour event. It's become part of the sports fabric of Northwest Ohio, bringing professional golf to the community every year.

"Just as importantly, all net proceeds benefit children's charities across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Thanks to incredible support from sponsors, volunteers and the community, we've donated $14.7 million to nearly 200 charities, and hopefully we'll reach the $15 million mark this year."

Though the tournament has competed under several names, from the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic to the Marathon Classic, Dana Open and now the Greater Toledo Classic – its purpose has remained remarkably consistent. Every chapter has been built around bringing the world's best women golfers to northwest Ohio while giving back to the community that has embraced the event for more than 40 years.

Hall of Famers and major champions including Se Ri Pak, Laura Davies, Patty Sheehan, Annika Sörenstam, Paula Creamer and Lydia Ko have all won at Highland Meadows Golf Club. When the LPGA event concluded following its 40th anniversary in 2024, tournament organizers chose not to let that legacy end, instead partnering with the Epson Tour to continue Toledo's tradition of hosting professional women's golf while creating opportunities for the next generation of LPGA stars.

"That's really our mission," Silverman said. "From day one, the goal has been to bring professional golf to Northwest Ohio while raising money to help kids in the community. I think that's what connects this event with the community. People know the proceeds go right back to local charities, and that's what makes this tournament so special."

That mission comes to life through the Champions for Children program.

The four Patient Champions, ranging in ages from seven to 15, each has overcome significant medical challenges and now serves as an ambassador for the tournament's charitable purpose.

For Silverman, they represent the heart of tournament week.

"Everything we do is centered around children's charities," he said. "The Patient Champions initiative was created by Nationwide Children's Hospital – Toledo and ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children's Hospital. Each hospital selects two young patients who are willing to share their stories to inspire other children facing health challenges.

While the charitable mission defines tournament week, the competition itself remains as compelling as ever.

Last year, defending champion, Mia Hammond, became the first amateur in five years to win on the Epson Tour, birdieing the final hole to secure a one-shot victory before she heads to Duke University this fall.

"Mia Hammond is a perfect example," Silverman said. "She first played here as a 15-year-old after Monday qualifying for the tournament and went on to make the cut. Two years later she came back and won the tournament as a 17-year-old amateur. We're so proud to have her back as defending champion before she heads to Duke."

"It's rewarding to help the next generation of players who are working toward earning their LPGA Tour cards," Silverman said.

When the final putt drops Sunday afternoon, another champion will be crowned.

But the tournament isn't defined only by who lifts the trophy. It's measured by the lives it touches, the children it supports, and the community that continues to make it possible.

More Than a Tournament: Greater Toledo Classic Continues Four-Decade Legacy of Community, Charity and Championship Golf

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