Latest news with #LPGAFuturesTour
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
North Carolina A&T makes historic coaching hire
The post North Carolina A&T makes historic coaching hire appeared first on ClutchPoints. North Carolina A&T has made a historic hire that looks to further grow the trajectory of their golf program. The institution announced Tuesday the hiring of Mesha Levister as the new director of both the men's and women's golf programs. With the hire, Levister becomes the first female head coach of a men's varsity sport at A&T and the first woman to lead the women's golf program. Advertisement 'I am excited to, first off, be coming back to my great home state,' Levister said in a statement. 'That's always the first thing in mind, to be close to family and close to friends and in a great place – the Triad area. The Triad area is a great place for golf, too, so in all honesty, I'm honored and incredibly excited to join North Carolina A&T.' North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III also commented on her hire, saying, 'Mesha Levister has established herself as a pioneer throughout her life and certainly in the world of golf. We look forward to having her join our team in Aggie Athletics. She knows golf, the area, and is passionate about academic and athletic accomplishments.' Levister's resume boasts a remarkable legacy in the golfing world. From starting her career at North Carolina Central as the lone female on the men's golf team and later serving as a coach, to earning the 2004 Virginia Women's Amateur title as the first African American to achieve the feat, Levister has consistently broken boundaries. After turning professional in 2006, she spent three seasons on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Epson Tour), competing globally and securing multiple top-10 finishes. She transitioned to coaching with notable success. During a three-year stint at Prairie View A&M University (2022-2025), Levister earned SWAC Women's Golf Coach of the Year honors in 2023 and led her teams to significant academic and athletic achievements. Her tenure there saw nine players receive All-SWAC honors while maintaining a high standard in academics, with the men's team consistently achieving a GPA of 3.1 or higher. Related: Six HBCUs partner to create first virtual university Related: David Banner and other notable alumni of Southern University
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Epson Tour's best coming to The Highlands for inaugural Great Lakes Championship
HARBOR SPRINGS — Northern Michigan in the summer transforms into a golfer's paradise. Well, summer feels like it's arrived and come this Friday to Sunday, June 13-15, some of the best women's golfers in the world will hope to turn The Highlands of Harbor Springs Heather Course into paradise. Advertisement The inaugural Great Lakes Championship at The Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker and part of the Epson Tour will tee off this weekend on The Heather Course. The Epson Tour, once know as the LPGA Futures Tour, is the official qualifying tour for the LPGA Tour, much like the Korn Ferry Tour for the PGA. Events are taking place throughout the week by BOYNE Golf and The Great Lakes Sports Commission, including a pair of Pro-Am events on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11-12. Epson Tour No. 4 ranked Yana Wilson is one of a handful of top ranked golfers that will take to The Highlands at Harbor Springs' Heather Course this Friday to Sunday, June 13-15 for the inaugural Great Lakes Championship. (Photo by) 'The Highlands and BOYNE Golf are honored and excited that the Great Lakes Sports Commission and the Epson Tour have selected The Heather golf course at The Highlands to host the Great Lakes Championship,' said Josh Richter, Boyne Resorts SVP of golf. 'The Heather was the first BOYNE Golf course and is widely credited as the spark that started the golf boom in northern Michigan. Advertisement "The Heather launched the region as America's summer golf capital and has hosted many prestigious championships, including five Michigan Amateur Championships since it opened in 1966. We look forward to the test it will provide the outstanding golfers on the Epson Tour on their journey to the LPGA.' From Epson to LPGA: Here are 15 of the most successful LPGA players to graduate from the Epson Tour since 1999, including two Hall of Famers Play will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Great Lakes Championship will feature a field of 144 golfers competing for Epson points of course, though also a $250,000 purse and $37,500 to the winner. Advertisement The field will be cut from 144 to 60 on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. awards ceremony and trophy presentation taking place. General admission is free to attend the 72-hole tournament, though there is a VIP ticket package available at $100 per day or $250 for the full weekend. Slots for the Pro-Am event are full. More: Michigan's best 20 public golf courses rankings: Arcadia Bluffs remains No. 1 More: Best Michigan private golf courses ranked: Alister MacKenzie gem still No. 1 It comes as the third Epson Tour event taking place in Michigan, following the recent FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creak, along with the Island Resort Championship in Harris to follow, with the three making up the new Pure Michigan Cup. Advertisement The highest points earner within the three events receives extra prize money from the Epson Tour. 'Bringing the Epson Tour to The Heather Golf Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs will have a big impact on the Petoskey area and the northern Michigan region,' said Great Lakes Sports Commission Executive Director, Eric Marvin. 'The expansion of the Tour's Michigan stretch will not only showcase the unparalleled beauty and unique charm of northern Michigan but also promises to create significant economic impact and international exposure. We are confident that adding another high-profile Epson Tour event will enhance our reputation as a premier destination for golf and we look forward to welcoming the world's top women's golfers to northern Michigan in 2025.' Sophia Schubert of the Epson Tour highlights a talented field that'll be on hand this weekend in Harbor Springs when golfers tee off in the inaugural Great Lakes Championship on BOYNE Golf's Heather Course. (Photo by) The inaugural field of the Great Lakes Championship will feature many of the top Epson Tour's current top points leaders, including the top five. Advertisement Current No. 1 with 1,176 points, Gina Kim, will be included in the field, with two wins to her credit already this season. The field will also include second ranked Sophia Schubert and third ranked Laetitia Beck, both with over $200,000 in career earnings. Yana Wilson, an 18-year-old with four career top 10 finishes and a May victory to her credit, will also be in the field, along with No. 5 ranked Minji Kang, who currently leads the Epson Tour with five top 10 finishes in eight events. All-Americans: Golfweek's 2024-25 Women's College Golf All-Americans Michigan natives will also take part in tournament, including BOYNE Golf ambassador and East Kentwood graduate, Sarah White. With an average driving distance of 270.48 yards, White is currently the Epson Tour leader. Advertisement The former Western Michigan and Texas State golfer earned a 2014 MHSAA Division 1 state championship at East Kentwood and has been with the Epson Tour since 2020. Many of the current top golfers of the LPGA Tour have made their way to the top ranks through the Epson Tour, including current LPGA No. 1, Nelly Korda. Korda has 15 career wins and over $15 million in career earnings. LPGA standouts Inbee Park and Lorena Ochoa are also former Epson Tour competitors, among others. More information on the Great Lakes Championship can be found at: Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Epson Great Lakes Championship teeing off Friday in Harbor Springs
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Epson Tour heads to new territory in Michigan this week
Epson Tour heads to new territory in Michigan this week HARBOR SPRINGS, Michigan — Northern Michigan in the summer transforms into a golfer's paradise. Well, summer feels like it's arrived, and come this Friday to Sunday, June 13-15, some of the best women's golfers in the world will hope to turn The Highlands of Harbor Springs Heather Course into paradise. The inaugural Great Lakes Championship at The Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker and part of the Epson Tour will tee off this weekend on The Heather Course. The Epson Tour, once known as the LPGA Futures Tour, is the official qualifying tour for the LPGA Tour, much like the Korn Ferry Tour for the PGA. Events are taking place throughout the week by BOYNE Golf and The Great Lakes Sports Commission, including a pair of Pro-Am events on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11-12. 'The Highlands and BOYNE Golf are honored and excited that the Great Lakes Sports Commission and the Epson Tour have selected The Heather golf course at The Highlands to host the Great Lakes Championship,' said Josh Richter, Boyne Resorts' SVP of golf. 'The Heather was the first BOYNE Golf course and is widely credited as the spark that started the golf boom in northern Michigan. "The Heather launched the region as America's summer golf capital and has hosted many prestigious championships, including five Michigan Amateur Championships since it opened in 1966. We look forward to the test it will provide the outstanding golfers on the Epson Tour on their journey to the LPGA.' From Epson to LPGA: Here are 15 of the most successful LPGA players to graduate from the Epson Tour since 1999, including two Hall of Famers Play will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Great Lakes Championship will feature a field of 144 golfers competing for Epson points, of course, as well as a $250,000 purse, of which $37,500 goes to the winner. The field will be cut from 144 to 60 on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. awards ceremony and trophy presentation taking place. General admission is free to attend the 72-hole tournament, though there is a VIP ticket package available at $100 per day or $250 for the full weekend. Slots for the Pro-Am event are full. More: Michigan's best 20 public golf courses rankings: Arcadia Bluffs remains No. 1 More: Best Michigan private golf courses ranked: Alister MacKenzie gem still No. 1 It comes as the third Epson Tour event taking place in Michigan, following the recent FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, along with the Island Resort Championship in Harris to follow, with the three making up the new Pure Michigan Cup. The highest points earner within the three events receives extra prize money from the Epson Tour. 'Bringing the Epson Tour to The Heather Golf Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs will have a big impact on the Petoskey area and the northern Michigan region,' said Great Lakes Sports Commission Executive Director, Eric Marvin. 'The expansion of the Tour's Michigan stretch will not only showcase the unparalleled beauty and unique charm of northern Michigan but also promises to create significant economic impact and international exposure. We are confident that adding another high-profile Epson Tour event will enhance our reputation as a premier destination for golf and we look forward to welcoming the world's top women's golfers to northern Michigan in 2025.' The inaugural field of the Great Lakes Championship will feature many of the top Epson Tour's current top points leaders, including the top five. Current No. 1 with 1,176 points, Gina Kim, will be included in the field, with two wins to her credit already this season. The field will also include second ranked Sophia Schubert and third ranked Laetitia Beck, both with over $200,000 in career earnings. Yana Wilson, an 18-year-old with four career top 10 finishes and a May victory to her credit, will also be in the field, along with No. 5 ranked Minji Kang, who currently leads the Epson Tour with five top 10 finishes in eight events. All-Americans: Golfweek's 2024-25 Women's College Golf All-Americans Michigan natives will also take part in tournament, including BOYNE Golf ambassador and East Kentwood graduate, Sarah White. With an average driving distance of 270.48 yards, White is currently the Epson Tour leader. The former Western Michigan and Texas State golfer earned a 2014 MHSAA Division 1 state championship at East Kentwood and has been with the Epson Tour since 2020. Many of the current top golfers of the LPGA Tour have made their way to the top ranks through the Epson Tour, including current LPGA No. 1, Nelly Korda. Korda has 15 career wins and over $15 million in career earnings. LPGA standouts Inbee Park and Lorena Ochoa are also former Epson Tour competitors, among others. More information on the Great Lakes Championship can be found at: Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
