(Grand Rapids, Michigan)—Big Ten individual champion Rachel Meikle of Michigan State and newly crowned Michigan Amateur champion Laura Bavaird of Western Michigan headline the field at the Founders Challenge this weekend near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The two-day Ryder Cup-style event will see 24 top women’s amateur stars play at The Meadows Golf Club at Grand Valley State University Saturday in six four-ball matches and at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada Sunday in 12 singles matches.
Playing captains for the Public Course and Private Club teams, respectively, are Michigan State University women’s golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Joan Garety. Slobodnik-Stoll lost to Bavaird in the semifinals of the recent Michigan Amateur championship at Egypt Valley, and her squad will face a team that features two other Michigan Amateur semifinalists: Shasta Averyhardt of Jackson State and Ashley Bauer of the University of Michigan. The Public Course team includes Stephanie Mory of the University of Illinois and two-time Michigan state high school champion Shannon Warner of Livonia Churchill High School near Detroit. Warner was the state’s "Miss Golf" award winner in 2007.
"There’s real quality on both squads again this year," said Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, who led her team to a Big Ten title and an NCAA championship berth in 2007. "Rachel Meikle had a great spring in college golf and Laura Bavaird also won a Division I tournament this year for her college team." Growing up in Grand Rapids, Slobodnik-Stoll has played scores of rounds over the years with Joan Garety, who preceded her at Michigan State. "Stacy’s team has gotten the best of us the last two years," said Garety, "but our team is really excited about our prospects this time, and many of our players are really playing well right now."
The Founders Challenge began in 2005 under the sponsorship of Founders Bank & Trust of Grand Rapids. Founders’ President and Chief Executive Officer Laurie Beard said the Founders Challenge honors the achievements of women in golf. "This has been a great event for the top amateur players in our state and region," said Beard. "This should cap off a great summer for women’s golf in Michigan."
The event sponsor since its inception, Founders Bank & Trust (www.foundersbt.com) is a locally owned community bank specializing in tailored relationship banking with offices in Grand Rapids, Grandville and Traverse City. Besides Founders Bank & Trust, additional event sponsorship is provided by golf industry clothing leader Fairway & Greene; international direct-sales giant Alticor; Laser Link, the Madison, Wisconsin manufacturer of golf course distance measurement systems; and Winners, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Contact:
Tom Cleary (tjcleary@aol.com, 616-915-4267)
Terry Moore (terry_moore@comcast.net, 616-247-1931)
