Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel partners with Michigan Section PGA to present pro-am and 103rd state championship on The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, June 5-11
TRAVERSE CITY – The best golfers from Michigan will play for the Michigan Open Championship’s largest purse ever in June thanks to a new sponsorship agreement reached with Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel.
The 103rd edition of the state championship, now titled the Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open Championship, is scheduled for June 8-11 on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, and will have a purse of over $115,000, the Michigan Section PGA and Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel announced today.
“We are so excited to have Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel as our new title sponsor for the 103rd Turtle Creek Casino Michigan Open,” said Kevin Helm, executive director of the Michigan Section PGA. “We have a terrific host in Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and now this addition of Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel as the title sponsor will elevate the championship to a new level with the largest purse ever. We look forward to working with our partners at the resort and casino to promote the championship as well as the re-launch of the pro-am preceding the championship.”
The sponsorship agreement is for the 2020 championship and includes a Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, pro-am event preceding the Monday through Thursday championship in which amateurs will pair up with a professional in a traditional style pro-am team event. Pricing and details will be announced soon by the Michigan PGA via michiganpgagolf.com.
“It’s an honor to host the Michigan Open Championship,” said Michael Schrader, chief executive officer of Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos. “This year marks the 31st year that it has been held at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, with the best golfers in the state coming to play on the best course in the state. Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel has increased its sponsorship this year so we could truly make an impact on the tournament as well as to the Traverse City area. And a purse over $115,000 should welcome the players, their families, and plenty of spectators to enjoy all that we offer on our beautiful campus of premiere golf, gaming, spa, accommodations, and dining.”
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, and especially The Bear course, has played a significant role in the history of the Michigan Open. The champion has been determined 27 times on The Bear. The first three times the resort hosted the championship it was played on what is now the Spruce Run course.
“The Michigan Open brings the top club professionals and amateurs together to compete in the state’s most prestigious Open Championship and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a perfect fit for the event,” Tom McGee, director of golf operations at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, said. “The Bear poses a great challenge and test of golf for the players that helps create the great championship atmosphere, and the players and their families also enjoy the great amenities the Resort has to offer during the week.”
Last June on The Bear, Okemos mini-tour professional Eric Lilleboe emerged as champion by five shots over former champion Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, a PGA Tour Latinoamerica player, in an event shortened to 54 holes by weather.
The historic championship annually attracts the top professional and amateur golfers in Michigan and its list of winners includes golf legends Walter Hagen, Al Watrous, Chuck Kocsis, Horton Smith and Dave Hill, and more recent Michigan Golf Hall of Fame inductees Randy Erskine, Buddy Whitten, Lynn Janson, Jeff Roth, Steve Brady, Tom Gillis, Scott Hebert and Tom Werkmeister. The champion is honored with the historic James D. Standish Jr. trophy.
About Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos
Owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos offers world-class gaming, golf, dining, and spa amenities in the northwest corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The premier properties include Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, and Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge, along with EDC ventures Turtle Creek Market, Eagletown Market, and more. For more information, visit www.gtbindians.com, www.turtlecreekcasino.com, www.grandtraverseresort.com.
