Four Winds Invitational draws nearer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - For the seventh straight year, the Four Winds Invitational is set to be one of the prime summer events on the South Bend sports calendar.

From June 8 to 10, some of the premier players in women's golf will tee off at Blackthorn Golf Club.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years that we’ve been doing this," said club owner and general manager Tim Firestone. "We’ve kind of gotten into a groove here and it’s great to see how this community has embraced this event. Not only from a spectator standpoint, but from volunteers and sponsorships, we’ve been very fortunate to establish this event.”

The Four Winds Invitational features stars of the Symetra Tour, who play not only for the purse, but to take a big step towards their goal of joining the LPGA Tour.

“I look forward to it just because I know the quality of the course and the competition," said Symetra Tour pro Carleigh Silvers, who is also a native Hoosier from Martinsville. "Just the whole week is really great for us. I’m a little biased, obviously being from Indiana, so I just love it even more.”

And beyond the quality of play, some of the main benefits of the Invitational stay right here in the community through partnership with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and Four Winds. Since the event's inception, more than 450 thousand dollars have been raised for Beacon Children's hospital, which they all hope is just a start.

“It’s great to see everybody come together and work together to create such a great event here in South Bend," said Firestone. "We’re very fortunate to have an LPGA Tour event in a town of our size, so hopefully we continue for years to come.”