(Grand Rapids, Michigan)—During a sterling career that’s seen her go from college star at Michigan State to a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, Joan Garety has become acutely aware of how things have changed in women’s golf.
"The young players today seem to be born with the confidence it took years for people of my generation to develop," says Garety. "Some of these young women look like they came out of the cradle with a club in their hands!"
Garety, who captained the Private Club team to a 10-8 victory in the Founders Challenge matches August 4-5 at two west Michigan clubs, says events like the Founders Challenge demonstrate the presence of talent that’s found in Michigan and throughout the Midwest. "This event has only been in existence for three years, but we drew from ten Division I colleges. These players are all either from right around here or attend school within an hour or two of Grand Rapids. It just shows the depth of talent in women’s golf–not just in California or Florida–but right here in the Midwest."
Garety’s opposite number in the Founders Challenge was Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, the women’s golf coach at Big Ten champion Michigan State and a Grand Rapids-area native. While captaining the Public Course team in the Founders Challenge, she’s had a chance to watch Michigan prep stars such as Laura Kueny, Stephany Fleet and Laura Bavaird. Kueny (Michigan State) and Fleet (Eastern Michigan) were relatively unknown prep players just a few years ago, but both qualified for the U.S. Amateur this summer at Crooked Stick. Bavaird, meanwhile, won her first college tournament this year at Old Dominion while playing for Western Michigan, and then captured the Michigan Amateur title in July. "The Founders Challenge has offered top prep players in Michigan a chance to compete against accomplished college and veteran golfers," says Slobodnik-Stoll. "Once these young players learn what the standard is, it doesn’t take them long to adjust to the quality of the competition."
Michigan State, Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Louisville, Jackson State, Toledo, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan were all represented this year at the Founders Challenge, as were top Division II golf powers Grand Valley and Ferris State. "Players like Caitlin Bennett and Ashley Smith (both of Grand Valley) are certainly capable of holding their own with Division I players," says Founders’ participant Rachel Meikle, the 2007 Big Ten individual champion from Michigan State. "That they’re playing at Grand Valley tells you how much ability is out there these days."
The Founders Challenge, a Ryder Cup-style event with two teams and 24 players, is sponsored by Founders Bank & Trust, a west Michigan financial institution with offices in Grand Rapids, Grandville and Traverse City, Michigan. Additional event sponsorship was provided golf industry clothing supplier Fairway & Greene; direct-sales giant Alticor; Laser Link, the Madison, Wisconsin, yardage measuring device manufacturer; and Winners, Inc., the Grand Rapids-based trophy and corporate gift supplier.
Contact:
Tom Cleary (616-915-4267, tjcleary@aol.com)
Terry Moore (616-247-1931, terry_moore@comcast.net)