THOMPSONVILLE – The Michigan Section PGA is presenting an open state championship for women golfers for the 33rd time, and for the 24th consecutive year at Crystal Mountain, but this time with a dramatic new wrinkle.
The 2026 Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open, set for next Tuesday through Thursday, June 30 through July 1, will still showcase several familiar faces, including two-time defending champion Jessica Welch of Thomasville, GA, and Grand Rapids native and 2022 champion Sarah White stopping in from the LPGA Epson Tour.
In addition, several of the state’s top amateur golfers and the well-known senior golfers, including Michigan Golf Hall of Famers Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor and Elaine Crosby of Jackson, will play for a separate Legends Division title (age 50-plus).
But this year’s starting field of 135 golfers for the $60,000 championship will also include 80 members of the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT).
Last fall, the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour (WAPT) announced its partnership with Crystal Mountain and the Michigan PGA establishing the championship as an official event on the ANNIKA schedule in 2026. The tour is dedicated to providing a competitive platform for professional women golfers to develop their skills on a pathway to the LPGA.
In addition to added sponsorship, enhanced prize money and the coveted tournament title, the event will also provide the top two finishers with an exemption into an LPGA Epson Tour event during the 2026 season (Greater Toledo Open, July 13-19). 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 advancement to Stage two of LPGA Qualifying.
The championship will be decided over 54-holes of stroke play on the award-winning Mountain Ridge course, and a cut will be made after the first two rounds to the low 50 scorers and ties to make up the field for the final 18 holes.
In addition to Welch defending, Green-Roebuck will defend her Senior Division title. Roebuck is a three-time overall champion with titles won in 1994, 1999 and 2016 and is now seeking a third consecutive Legends title in the tournament.
Also playing is the state’s most decorated amateur player, Hall of Famer Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, the head women’s golf coach at Michigan State University, and top amateurs like Grace Slocum of Traverse City and the University of Wisconsin, who recently won the GAM Women’s Championship.
Noted Michigan architect Bill Newcomb designed the Mountain Ridge course. It features some dramatic elevation changes, natural sand areas, and holes cut through towering tunnels of trees. It was also named the 2025 Michigan Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).
GameAbove is a title sponsor for the first time. It is a growing strategic investor in golf. Its brand, GameAbove Golf, has investments in multiple golf brands, including McLaren Golf, PLATFORM Golf and CHIP’d Golf, and it manages several professional golfers.
Three of those golfers are in this week’s field; White and twins Janae and Jasmine Leavao, who helped lead the stunning charge by Eastern Michigan University’s women’s golf team to the final four in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships this spring.
Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Michigan Women’s Open since its first year at Crystal Mountain. The 2026 championship, which also has strong local supporting sponsors, will also have a pro-am event prior to the championship.
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. Learn more at www.wapt.golf.
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. Learn more at www.crystalmountain.com.
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. Learn more at www.michiganpga.com.
Media contact Michigan PGA: Greg Johnson, 616-560-8995; Media planning to cover the event should contact Johnson. He will arrange workspace and access to the course and interviews with golfers.
