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ANNIKA WAPT Teams Up with Crystal Mountain and Michigan PGA to Elevate Michigan Women's Open in 2026

[Dallas TX] – The ANNIKA Women's All-Pro Tour (WAPT) proudly announces a new partnership with Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA, establishing the Michigan Women's Open... as an official event on the ANNIKA WAPT schedule beginning in 2026. This collaboration marks a significant step forward for women's professional golf in Michigan, offering aspiring female athletes a clearer pathway to the LPGA Tour.

The Michigan Women's Open, a long-standing and respected championship, will now gain enhanced visibility, increased prize money, and a stronger field of competitors as a result of its integration into the ANNIKA WAPT. The ANNIKA WAPT is a professional golf tour dedicated to providing a competitive platform for women golfers to develop their skills and prepare for the LPGA Tour.

"We are thrilled to welcome the Michigan Women's Open to the ANNIKA WAPT," said Gary DeSerrano, Founder of the ANNIKA WAPT. "Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA have established the event as one of the best women’s state opens in the country. We look forward to furthering the strength of the event as an official event on our schedule moving forward."

Crystal Mountain, a four-season family-owned resort renowned for its championship golf courses and exceptional hospitality, will continue to serve as the host venue for the Michigan Women's Open. The event will be held on the resort’s signature course, Mountain Ridge, which recently earned recognition from the Michigan Golf Course Association as the 2025 Michigan Golf Course of the Year. Crystal Mountain’s commitment to providing a premier experience for players and spectators alike has been instrumental in the tournament's success.

“Hosting an event of this caliber on our recognized Mountain Ridge course speaks volumes to the competitive and quality golf we have here at Crystal, and in northern Michigan,” said John Melcher, Crystal Mountain CEO. “Our entire team is eager to roll out the red carpet for the players, their guests, the ANNIKA WAPT staff, and our friends from the Michigan PGA. We sincerely hope this experience will inspire many future visits back to Benzie County, as well as our surrounding communities.”

The Michigan PGA, a leader in promoting and growing the game of golf throughout the state, has been a driving force behind the Michigan Women's Open for many years. Their expertise and dedication will be invaluable in ensuring the smooth execution and continued success of the event as part of the ANNIKA WAPT.

"This partnership represents a pivotal moment for women's professional golf in Michigan," commented Kevin Helm, Executive Director of the Michigan PGA. "By joining forces with the ANNIKA WAPT, we are creating a more robust and exciting platform for the Michigan Women's Open, which will benefit players, fans, and the entire golf community."

The 2026 Michigan Women's Open, presented by Coca-Cola, is scheduled to be played June 30-July 2, 2026 with the pro-am on June 29th. In addition to the coveted tournament title, the event will also provide the top two finishers with an exemption into an Epson Tour event during the 2026 season. Points and money earned at the tournament will be official on the tour’s season-long Callaway Race 2 Qualifying program, where the top five athletes earn Epson Tour status and automatic advancement to Stage two of LPGA Qualifying. Further details regarding the tournament schedule, prize money, and player registration will be announced in the coming months.

About the ANNIKA WAPT:
The ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT) was established in 2019 to provide a premier developmental opportunity for female golf professionals to hone their competitive skills while preparing for a life on the Epson and LPGA Tours. Through its partnership with the LPGA’s Epson Tour, the ANNIKA WAPT provides weekly opportunities for players to earn exemptions to select Epson Tour events. At the end of each season, the top five points winners on the Callaway Race To Q2 earn advancement directly to Stage II of LPGA qualifying and the top 20 on the ANNIKA 20 presented by Southern Company will be awarded an LPGA Qualifying Scholarship. Follow the WAPT online at www.wapt.golf, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Crystal Mountain:
Crystal Mountain is a premier four-season destination in Thompsonville, Michigan, about 30 miles southwest of Traverse City and Cherry Capital Airport. The 1500-acre resort offers two championship golf courses, a wide variety of lodging accommodations, dining, shopping, the award-winning Crystal Spa, and seasonal outdoor recreation, including skiing and Michigan’s only Alpine Slide.

About the Michigan PGA:
The Michigan PGA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the game of golf and serving its members throughout the state of Michigan.

Media Contact
Marissa McCardell, Communications Director, ANNIKA WAPT
marissa@kgsportsco.com
559-862-6850 cell

Don't miss out and register your team today for the 2026 Michigan PGA Evermore Resort Pro AM presented by JD Golf Sales! We are excited to return to Evermore after a great event there last year. Teams consist of one Michigan PGA Member or Associate and 3 amateurs.

For more info and to... register your team click below. Please feel free to reach out to Justin Phillips at the Michigan PGA with any questions or more info, jphillips@michiganpga.com

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/11941140057492062957

Good Luck to our Michigan PGA Professionals competing this weekend! 👏

Brian Cairns
Jim Deiters
Scott Hebert
Lee Houtteman
Chad Kurmel
Gary Lewandowski
Frank McAuliffe
Pete Mogg
Kevin Muir

Registration is now open for the Trackman Virtual Open for PGA of America Professionals!⛳ Click the links below for more information⬇

https://news.pga.org/championships-and-events/trackman-virtual-open-registration-open-for-pga-of-america-golf-professionals/

Event page: ...https://sites.google.com/pgatournaments.com/pgatournaments/member/trackman-virtual-open

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What a night at the 2025 President’s Dinner!

This past Sunday we celebrated our 2025 Special Award Winners, Program of the Year winners, Player of the Year, outgoing Board Members, and Hall of Fame Inductee, Ron Osborne at The Graduate Hotel in East Lansing.

The celebration ...continued Monday at our Fall Membership Meeting at Eagle Eye, where we had education sessions from Make The Turn and Mercer Advisors, and elected new Section officers. We also heard from our new Michigan PGA HOPE Ambassador, Dusty Hall who spoke about what the PGA HOPE Program means to him and his experience at National Golf and Wellness week.

Congratulations to our newly elected officers:
President – Dan Urban
Vice President – Jeff Rachar
Secretary – Ward Sutton

And to our 2025 Award Winners & Hall of Fame Inductee, Ron Osborne – congratulations!

Huge thank you to The Graduate and our Dinner sponsors: Peter Millar, Mercer Advisors, E-Z-GO, and Michigan Synthetic Turf Solutions, Inc..

Another thank you to our outgoing Board Members for their leadership, and to our Fall Meeting sponsors: Pepsi and Fairways to Heaven!

Reminder to Michigan PGA Members & Associates to register for the 🍂Fall Meeting!

📆 Monday, October 20th
🕛 9:00AM - 3:30PM
📍Eagle Eye Golf Club | East Lansing, MI

👏Earn 14 PDR's, network with peers, and stay up-to-date on Section news! Click the ...link below for more information and to register:
https://michiganpga.com/membership/meetings-events

We had an incredible day on Tuesday at our inaugural Birdies Fore REACH fundraiser at The Pines at Lake Isabella.🐣

Michigan PGA Professionals teed it up to play 72-holes in support of PGA REACH Michigan. With their efforts and the generosity of their donors, we raised over $20,000!
...
Congratulations to Ryan Bayer and Tyler Kapcia for being the top fundraisers, bringing in over $5,000!

Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative to help us make an impact and continue growing the game of golf for all.⛳️