Women gear up for stateís two biggest events

EAST LANSING – First, it’s the girls’ turn, then the ladies.

The two biggest golf tournaments for top female players in Michigan are coming up, the 92nd Michigan Women’s Amateur on July 7-11, followed by the Michigan PGA Women’s Open presented by Century 21 on July 14-16.

The amateur, which attracts the top high school and college players from Michigan, returns to a familiar site, the Walnut Hills Country Club in East Lansing. The course hosted an LPGA Tour event for several years before the Oldsmobile Classic folded in 2000. The course is sure to provide a test for these aspiring, young pros.

Some amateurs may even play in the Women’s Open as well. The tournament returns to Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville for a fifth straight year. The three-day event on the resort’s Mountain Ridge course is open to professionals and amateurs from across the nation with a 15 handicap or less. The 54-hole event has attracted players from 15 different states and Canada, including some who spend time on the LPGA Tour and Futures Tour.