Emily Lauterbach
2020 Wisconsin State Women’s Open Champion
The Wisconsin Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (WPGA) announces an additional exemption for the 2021 Wisconsin State Open Championship. The WPGA Tournament Policy Board voted unanimously to provide the 2021 Wisconsin State Women’s Open Champion with an exemption into the field for the 101st Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley Wisconsin State Open hosted on August 16-18 at Blackwolf Run -Meadow Valleys (Kohler) & Pine Hills Country Club (Sheboygan).
“The WPGA is excited to announce that in 2021 the Women’s State Open Champion will earn an exemption into the State Open. While anyone may try and qualify for the State Open, the Women’s State Open Champion is deserving of this exemption,” stated WPGA President Jeff Ellingson, PGA of Edelweiss Chalet Country Club (New Glarus), Wisconsin PGA President and 2021 Wisconsin PGA Golf Professional of the Year.
The 2021 Wisconsin State Women’s Open will be hosted on the Links Course at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia in Green Lake on June 15-16. The Wisconsin State Women’s Open has been held annually since 1997. Each year 60-70 of the top women amateur and professional golfers with ties to the State of Wisconsin compete over 36 holes to determine the winner. The winner of the 2021 Wisconsin State Women’s Open will be awarded the first Wisconsin State Open exemption for a female golfer.
“It’s a great idea and an incredible opportunity for the winner of the Women’s Open. The WPGA is definitely demonstrating their commitment to player development and growing women’s golf. The players will be excited!” said Maggie Leef, Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame member and multi-time Wisconsin Women’s Player of the Year and multi-time Wisconsin Women’s Senior Player of the Year.
The winner of the Wisconsin State Women’s Open will be eligible to compete in the Wisconsin State Open held in the same year annually in August. The champion will have until mid-July to register for the event. Emily Lauterbach (a), current University of Wisconsin – Madison golfer, is the defending champion. The full list of Wisconsin State Women’s Open Champion is available online: https://wisconsin.pga.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/01/Womens-Open-Champions-2020.pdf
“It is our hope that this year’s champion decides to accept the exemption to play in the Wisconsin State Open which will in turn help create more interest for female golfers to participate in the Wisconsin State Women’s Open and the Wisconsin State Open,” said Matt Taken, WPGA Tournament Policy Board Chair and PGA of Tuckaway Country Club (Franklin). “This is an exemption that we are excited about for this year’s tournament and for decades to come.”
About the Wisconsin State Open
The Wisconsin State Open dates back to 1919 and has been contested every year, except for a two year stretch during World War II. The list of venues is impressive, ranging from classic designs such as Milwaukee Country Club and Blue Mound Golf and Country Club in Milwaukee to modern gems like Blackwolf Run in Kohler. This year the Wisconsin State Open returns to Blackwolf Run for the ninth time. Joining in on the hosting duties will be nearby neighbor and co-host, Pine Hills Country Club. The event will take place on August 16-18, 2021 and feature an expanded field of 204 participants. The Wisconsin State Open is sponsored by Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley and supported by TaylorMade. Players will complete 18-holes on each course Monday and Tuesday and then the field will be cut to the low 60 and ties. The final two rounds will be held on Wednesday, August 18 on the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run. Vanderbilt University golfer Harrison Ott is the defending champion. The event winners are a list of legends in Wisconsin golf history. PGA Tour veterans including Jerry Kelly, Steve Stricker and Mark Wilson have all captured the title. View full list of winners online: https://wisconsin.pga.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/01/State-Open-Champions-2020.pdf
About the Wisconsin State Women’s Open
The annual championship kicks off the Wisconsin State Open Series each year and is conducted by the Wisconsin Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The event spans two days and features 36 holes of stroke play. The championship field is open to professionals, and amateurs with a handicap index below 12.0. Approximately 60 to 70 of the best female golfers with ties to the state of Wisconsin participate. The 25th edition of the championship will be hosted on the Links Course at The Golf Courses of Lawsonia on June 15-16, 2021, and is supported by sponsors TaylorMade Golf and The Suter Ward Group at Morgan Stanley.
About the Wisconsin Section PGA
The Wisconsin Section is one of the 41 sections that comprise the regional entities of the PGA of America. Over 500 members and associates belong to the Wisconsin Section, stretching from areas in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to almost the entire state of Wisconsin. Annually, the Wisconsin Section conducts over 40 professional events, operates its Junior Golf Foundation and participates in several growth-of-the-game activities (PGA Junior League, Drive, Chip and Putt and instructional clinics/days). Wisconsin PGA Office is located at 11350 W. Theo Trecker Way in West Allis, Wis.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is the world’s largest working sports organization, comprised of nearly 29,000 male and female golf professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf. The organization serves millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives and award-winning golf promotions.