a spot in the 16-player championship match-play bracket . Cedar Point Club in Suffolk will host that event in late July .
But there ’ s never been a real opportunity for the professionals and amateurs to mix in an open championship in Virginia . That changes in June as the VSGA and Middle Atlantic PGA partner to host the new event .
“ The VSGA has a rich history of running world class events for female amateur golfers ,” said Lauren Greenlief , the 2015 U . S . Women ’ s Mid-Amateur champion . “ However , the schedule has never included a true open event . With the growth in the women ’ s game in both the amateur and professional levels , the time was right to create a new marquee event to showcase golf in Virginia .”
All female golfers are eligible to compete in the Women ’ s Open of Virginia , regardless of membership or residency status . Complete entry information can be found at vsga . org .
“ It is a priority for us to provide opportunity and help grow women ’ s golf at both the beginner level , and in this instance , the highly competitive level ,” MAPGA executive director Jon Guhl said .
The Women ’ s Open has been in the works for more than a year . Along with being an elite player , Greenlief is the chair of the VSGA competitions women ’ s subcommittee and a member of the VSGA Board of Directors . On the amateur side , the Women ’ s Open will replace the VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play Championship , which debuted in 1978 with Jane Mack winning the first title and concluded in 2022 with Alexandra Austin claiming her second win in the event .
In its place , the VSGA has created a new mid-amateur championship for players ages 22 and older , as long as the player is not an active college player . Though the USGA ’ s mid-amateur eligibility age remains 25 , several Allied Golf Associations nationwide have adopted a younger age threshold to encourage players to continue to compete after their college careers end . The VSGA Women ’ s Mid-Amateur Championship will be a 36-hole stroke play event played in October at International Country Club in Fairfax concurrent with the Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play , Super Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play and Net Women ’ s Stroke Play .
“ This new Women ’ s Open will be the jewel in the crown of the VSGA ’ s golf events for women ,” VSGA president Anne Greever said . “ The VSGA has focused in recent years in greatly enhancing its offerings for women , from the new women ’ s play days for recreational golfers to the new women ’ s mid-am , and now the Open for the most elite tier of golfers . I hope lots of golf fans will come out to cheer for these talented competitors .”
Expect plenty of talent on both the amateur and professional sides . The last four VSGA Women ’ s Amateur champions are all playing Division I golf . Greenlief is a four-time VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play champion . On the professional side , MAPGA professional Ashley Grier of Maryland made history in 2022 by becoming the first woman to win MAPGA ROLEX Player of the Year . She also earned a spot in last year ’ s KPMG Women ’ s PGA Championship and helped Team USA defend its title in the Women ’ s PGA Cup . Another professional to watch is Shannon McKew ( River Bend Club ), who finished second to Grier in last year ’ s MAPGA Women ’ s Player of the Year standings and has won the last two MAPGA Women ’ s Championships .
“ The region has an impressive group of competitors in both the MAPGA and amateur ranks with top college players , mid-amateurs and professionals that have competed in major championships ,” Greenlief said . “ It will be sure to be a very competitive three days of golf to crown the inaugural champion .”
CHRIS LANG ( AUSTIN ); MAPGA ( MCKEW ); USGA ( LEWIS )
STACY LEWIS TO CAPTAIN 2024 U . S . SOLHEIM CUP TEAM
Stacy Lewis has yet to make her first pairing for the upcoming 2023 Solheim Cup , to be played in September in Spain . Even so , the LPGA has seen enough from the youngest captain in United States history to make her a two-time U . S . captain . On Feb . 13 , Lewis , who turned 38 in February , earned her second nod as captain for the U . S . squad , which will compete against Team Europe at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville in September 2024 . She joins Juli Inkster , Patty Sheehan , Judy Rankin and Kathy Whitworth as multi-time U . S . captains . The inaugural Solheim Cup was played in 1990 and held in even-numbered years until 2002 , so as not to clash with the Ryder Cup . But the 2001 Ryder Cup was postponed to 2002 following the September 11 attacks , meaning the Solheim Cup switched to odd-numbered years starting in 2003 . COVID forced another shuffle in dates , and to get the Solheim Cup back on its original schedule , it will be played in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024 and in even-numbered years going forward . With that in mind , the naming of Lewis as captain for both the 2023 and 2024 teams makes sense . She spoke to Virginia Golfer as part of a two-day whirlwind of interviews and promotional appearances in the Washington , D . C ., area in February . “ I guess I ’ m doing a good job so far — they didn ’ t kick me out ,” she said with a laugh . “ It ’ s what ’ s easiest for the players , right ? They need to be prepared . It would be kind of overwhelming to have two captains on your back for back-to-back years . So it ’ s really what made sense for everybody .” Lewis is unusual among captains as that honor is generally bestowed upon recently retired players with Solheim Cup experience . Lewis is very much still active and plans to play a heavy schedule early in the year while also paying mind to her duties as U . S . captain . In a press release announcing the move , LPGA commissioner Molly Marcoux Samaan lauded Lewis ’ leadership approach early in the approach to the 2023 Solheim Cup . “ She has embraced the role in every way and has implemented several innovative ways to help her team reach peak performance , including the use of advanced data and analytics ,” Samaan said . Lewis , a 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a two-time major champion , got her first taste of team management in 2019 when she served as an unofficial assistant captain under Inkster after having to withdraw from competition due to an injury . She served as an official team assistant under Pat Hurst in 2021 . Lewis is hoping to guide the U . S . to its first victory in the competition since 2017 . Europe has won the last two meetings by a combined three points .
Hear the full interview with Lewis on the Golf In the Commonwealth podcast .
24 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M ARCH / A PRIL 2023