Dow GLBI to welcome 12 Special Olympics athletes for annual competition
MIDLAND, Mich. – Tournament officials announced that the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational’s Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge program will be returning to the 2023 tournament. Scheduled for Friday, July 21, this annual event will welcome twelve Special Olympics athletes from Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region. Athletes will compete in a three-hole, three-person scramble on holes 16, 17, and 18 at Midland Country Club. The Dow GLBI and the Special Olympics Michigan have teamed up for the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge since 2019.
“The Dow GLBI remains committed to furthering opportunities and introducing individuals of all skills and capabilities to the game of golf,” said Dow GLBI Tournament Director Wendy Traschen. “We are proud to work alongside the Special Olympics Michigan to host this program. It truly is a great event, and we invite all spectators to come to cheer on the Special Olympics athletes this July.”
In addition to the competition, athletes get a chance to take part in a variety of activities. At the 2022 Dow GLBI, TaylorMade partnered with Dow GLBI to provide giveaways, branded Staff Bags, and signage highlighting the three holes. TaylorMade also provided the athletes with dozens of golf balls and TaylorMade-branded breakfast golf balls.
“TaylorMade Golf was honored to partner this year with Dow for the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge during the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational,” said TaylorMade Executive Vice President of Global Sales Brian Coffman. “Dow has a history of supporting the Midland community and we viewed this as a great chance to join forces in support of the game of golf. The participants had a great time getting an opportunity to play and we enjoyed being there in support.”
Following the competition, Special Olympics athletes got the chance to meet Dow Ambassador Corey Pavin. Pavin offered tips to the players and spent time taking pictures with them. Athletes were then given the chance to sign hats and watch the third round of the Dow GLBI with their families in the Diamond Club hospitality area on 18th green. Additional enhancements for the 2023 Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge will be announced at a later date.
“My favorite part of participating was how Dow and the LPGA made me feel like an important part of the whole tournament,” said Adam White, Special Olympics Michigan Athlete. “I felt included and was grateful for how Dow, the Dow GLBI and everyone there welcomed me that day.”
Most recently, the Dow GLBI’s Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge program was awarded with the LPGA’s Gold Driver Award for Picture Perfect Moment. This Gold Driver Award is given annually during the LPGA’s Tournament Partners End-of-Year Dinner at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, FL. Gold Driver Awards are voted on by a panel of three independent judges representing the LPGA Tour.
“It was an honor to be recognized by the LPGA for the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge,” said Traschen. “We were excited to share this win with the Special Olympics Michigan and all of the athletes who have competed since 2019.”
The Dow GLBI’s Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge is one of the many events that provide athletes a platform to compete and showcase skills at a professional level. Special Olympics Michigan provides year-round sports and health programs for nearly 24,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Athletes participate in several competitions throughout the year including 6 state-level competitions, 4 district basketball tournaments, and more than 700 local and regional competitions statewide. Details regarding the 2023 Special Olympics schedule will be available soon.
The 2023 Dow GLBI will take place July 17 – 22, at Midland Country Club. To stay up to date on the latest tournament news, follow @DowGLBI on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or online at www.DowGLBI.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Michele Bates
Marketing & Communications Manager, Outlyr
(219) 781-8833
mbates@outlyr.com
Lourin Sprenger
Marketing & Communications Manager, Special Olympics Michigan
(231) 620-0126
lourin.sprenger@somi.org
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About the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (Dow GLBI) is an official LPGA Tour event that will be held in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region July 17 – 22, 2023 at Midland Country Club. The Dow GLBI is the first team event played for official money and points and became the first fully GEO Certified® sustainable tournament on the LPGA Tour since its inception in 1950. The tournament is played with 72 two-woman teams competing in a 72-hole stroke play format with alternating rounds of foursomes (alternate shot) and four-ball (best ball) with a $2.7 million purse.
The week-long event features more than golf. It includes an official LPGA Tour Pro-Am Tournament, STEM Center, youth related programming, Eat Great Trail and leadership events. This inclusive event offers free daily youth opportunities, affordable ticket prices, and free admission for kids 17 and under as well as past and present Military personnel. Follow @DowGLBI on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or online at www.DowGLBI.com.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership to achieve profitable growth and deliver a sustainable future. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates 104 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $55 billion in 2021. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.
About Special Olympics Michigan
Special Olympics Michigan Inc. (SOMI) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to over 23,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Unified partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities). Athletes develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy while participating in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship among their families, Special Olympics athletes, and the community. SOMI is a non-profit organization supported almost entirely by corporate and individual gifts and events. The generosity of Michigan organizations, individuals, and statewide businesses enable the program to continue.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women, with a goal to change the face of golf by making the sport more accessible and inclusive.
Created in 1950 by 13 Founders, the Association celebrates a diverse and storied history. The LPGA Tour competes across the globe, reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. The Epson Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA also holds a joint-venture collaboration with the Ladies European Tour (LET), increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Across the Tours, the LPGA represents players in more than 60 countries.
Additionally, the LPGA Foundation has empowered and supported girls and women since 1991, most notably through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the only national program of its kind, which annually engages with nearly 100,000 girls. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association and LPGA Women’s Network provide virtual and in-person connections to female golfers around the world, while LPGA Professionals are educators, business leaders and gamechangers dedicated to growing the game of golf for everyone.
Follow the LPGA on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel, online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
