The Four Winds Invitational will return to the Blackthorn this summer
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Blackthorn Golf Club course in South Bend will host the Four Winds Invitational for the first time in 15 years.
The Four Winds Invitational was established in 2012 as part of the Epson Tour. This is the 46th year for the Epson Tour, the most qualifying female golfing tour in the world, aka, the one "Road to the LPGA".
This year's invitational will run Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12.
The Invitational is sponsored by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds Casinos and is known for combining competitive golf with strong community and charitable support. The tournament alternates between South Bend Country Club and Blackthorn Golf Club and will be returning to the Blackthorn for 2026.
The Four Winds Invitational has generated close to 1.2 million dollars in proceeds for the Beacon Health System and Beacon Children's Hospital over the last 14 years.
This year's event will feature a 12-year-old golfer named Bella Simoes, a player from Florida. She expressed her excitement about her first professional event, noting the challenge of playing on a different type of grass and layout compared to Florida:
"Yeah, it's my first time in Indiana. ...I'm from Florida. So yeah, the golf course is a lot different. It's different grass, and the layout here is much different than the ones in Florida, so that's a big challenge, but I'm hoping that by the start of the tournament I can get more used to the golf course here. ...I'm looking forward to obviously playing in an Epson tour event that's really big, and again having my team here with me, it's going to be super fun."
Jen Tonkovich, Director for Women and Children's Services for Beacon Children's Hospital told us what the charitable proceeds will be supporting, "We are super excited for the 15th year of this event. This year's event is going to sponsor the Milk Tracker program through Angel Eye, which is going to help provide increased safety for our babies through the feedings."
And finally, regarding the choice of venue, "We're very excited. It's a beautiful course, lots of nature. The course is very well maintained, and so we know the players are going to be very excited to be here this year."