The Wisconsin PGA proudly presents the 2023 tournament schedule. This year’s calendar is full of terrific venues, various formats, and competitions that cater to both professionals and amateurs. Whether it be the major championships, professional only events, or pro-ams, the schedule has something for everyone. Consistent with the past, the season gets underway with the annual WPGA Las Vegas Pro-Am in early March and concludes in mid-October with the Fall Pro-Pro Scramble.

Save The Dates – Another Great Slate of State Opens
Headlining this year’s schedule is the Wisconsin State Open Series. It will again bring together some of the top professional and amateur players with ties to the state of Wisconsin.

The three-event series is highlighted by the 103rd playing of the Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Wisconsin State Open at SentryWorld on August 14-16. Just six weeks earlier the facility will play host to the best senior golfers in the world by hosting the U.S. Senior Open. It will be an exciting and busy stretch for the award-winning facility.

“The commitment that SentryWorld and Sentry Insurance have made by hosting both championships in one year is amazing,” said Chris Hoel, WPGA assistant executive director. “The course is one of the best conditioned facilities in the state and we know that it will be a terrific test of golf.”

By hosting the Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Wisconsin State Open the facility completes the trifecta of hosting the State Open, State Women’s Open and State Senior Open all in the past 19 years. It will mark the first time the Wisconsin State Open has returned to Stevens Point since Steve Stricker won in 2000 at Stevens Point CC.

Qualifying for the Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Wisconsin State Open will take place at eight sites throughout the state. It will kick off on July 11 and wrap up with the last chance qualifier on August 7.

Approximately two months prior to the State Open the best female golfers with ties to the state will take their turn. The 27th Sentry Wisconsin State Women’s Open will visit Madison for the first time since 2014. This year’s contest will take place at Blackhawk CC on June 12-14. UW-Madison golfer Emily Lauterbach will look to claim her third title in four years.

Bringing the series to a close will be the 39th Wisconsin State Senior Open. The 36-hole two-day event will take place at its third private facility in Madison in the past four years. Hosting for the first time will be Maple Bluff CC on September 5-6. After picking up his fourth title in eight years, Madison native Jim Schuman will look to win a record setting fifth title at a place he knows very well.

Plenty of WPGA Professional Playing Opportunities
The top playing professionals in the Wisconsin PGA will once again have their sights set on their schedule of professional only events. This year’s lineup of WPGA professional playing opportunities is full of great courses that offer plenty of variety.

After the state opens the top attention grabber on the calendar is the WPGA Professional Championships. The championships will again be offered in the member, assistant and senior categories. The assistants and seniors in the section will share a host site and have their events overlap. The assistants will complete their 36 holes in one day, while the seniors will split up their two rounds between two days. Meadowbrook CC in Racine will play host on July 17-18. It will mark the first time the club has hosted either of the championships. As for the member championship, the 79th ranked course in the United States by Golf Magazine will challenge the WPGA’s best. The event stops at the Links Course at The GC’s of Lawsonia on September 11-12.

In addition to the individual stroke play championships there will be plenty of chances for the PGA professionals in the state to tee it up with their colleagues. The in-state calendar starts and finishes with back-to-back pro-pros featuring the scramble and better ball formats. This year’s pro-pro venues include Koshkonong Mounds CC, Beloit Club, Pine Hills CC and Hartford GC. As for the sought after Pro-Assistant title, teams will make the trek up to Minocqua CC to enjoy a fun day in the Northwoods on September 18. Finally, the season-long Four-Ball Match Play Championship will return for the 12th straight season.

If Pro-Ams Are Your Interest
The 2023 four-player pro-am series features an impressive lineup of facilities, with a record 10 different events. This year’s lineup has a great mixture of private, public and resort courses. From early May until late September the series will make stops at Oconomowoc GC, the Highlands Course at Grand Geneva, The Club at Strawberry Creek, The Bull, Bullseye GC, the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run, North Hills CC, The Legend at Bergamont and Hidden Glen GC. Over the course of those nine events participants will look to earn one of the coveted spots into the season-ending Oliphant Golf Management Pro-Am Championship. The championship will wrap up the pro-am season at the Links Course at The GC’s of Lawsonia for eighth straight year.

Other pro-amateur playing opportunities include two Pro-Ladies events, The Legend Challenge – Scratch Pro-Am, and the WPGA / WGCSA Superintendent-Professional event.

Things To Know and Changes for 2023 – Formats, Dates, Policies?

  • The WPGA Stableford Classic moves from August to July. It will take place on July 31 at Waupaca CC. Participants will play the nine-hole layout twice for their 18-hole competition.
  • The Legend at Bergamont Pro-Am will take place simultaneously as the Wisconsin State Senior Open. A scenario that played out in 2022 after an early season pro-am was postponed due to wet conditions.
  • Staggered registration opening dates will return. A list of opening dates can be found below. All events will be first come, first serve in terms of entering with one exception. For the second straight season The Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Meadow Valleys Pro-Am will feature a lottery system.
  • Host facilities of our pro-ams will have three spots reserved for teams from the host facility.
  • Defending champions of our in-season pro-ams will have a spot reserved for them provided the event has some continuity (title sponsor, name, or same host facility).
    • Applicable teams will register and pay prior to registration opening to reserve a spot. Each host professional or team professional in the case of defending champions will be contacted by section staff in advance.
  • Low professional events at pro-ams and pro-lady events will feature stableford format.
  • A new handicap reduction policy will be instituted for exceptional amateur performance at four-player pro-ams.
  • The WPGA Las Vegas Pro-Am lottery system will continue and be altered. The 2024 process and rules will be rolled out prior to April 17.

 

Registration Opening Dates:

March 1
Pro-Pros including the Pro-Assistant, One-Day Classics, WPGA Match Play Championships, Super-Pro
Oconomowoc Pro-Am, Grand Geneva Double Dip Pro-Am, Pro-Ladies Spring Event, The Legend Challenge – Scratch Pro-Am

April 1
Wisconsin State Open Series and Qualifiers
X Golf Strawberry Creek Pro-Am, The Bull Pro-Am

May 1
WPGA Professional Championships
National Golf Graphics Pro-Am, Oliphant Golf Management Pro-Am Championship.

June 1
The Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Meadow Valleys Pro-Am (Lottery), North Hills Pro-Am, Pro-Ladies Summer Event

July 1
The Legend at Bergamont Pro-Am, Hidden Glen Pro-Am

July 29
Wisconsin State Open – Last Chance Qualifier

August 18
Fall Pro-Pro Better Ball

 

To see the complete 2023 schedule please visit – https://wisconsin.pga.com/schedule/