Symetra Tour players visit Memorial Children's Hospital

The Four Winds Invitational has helped raised over a quarter of a million dollars for Memorial Children’s Hospital bringing life saving equipment to children all over Michiana.

A chance for the kids at hospital to meet some of the pro’s.

The greens are just a bit different on these ladies’ day off.

While their still putting, on this day, it’s not for birdies or pars, but for the children and the lives they are helping to save.

“It’s cool to see the direct benefit of what we do going back to the community, how it helps the kids and it’s amazing,“ says pro golfer Ericka Schneider.

For five-year-old Masen Ingle it’s an escape.

“He hasn’t done this before – so this is a first for him – so he’s really enjoyed I,” says Debbie Katona, Masen's grandmother

Masen has a rare genetic disease that affects only a few hundred children a year.

He visits the hospital once a week.

“It’s amazing for them to take their time. I know they are busy and spend their time coming to see these kids in the hospital and brighten everybody’s day. He was just excited to see them and spend the time with them,” says Katona.

“As excited as they are to see us, it is so much more exciting for us. Just to see the smiles on their face. The things that we do every single day playing golf for them to do this right now, its not on their every day list of things to do,” says Schneider.

Chairman John warren of the Pokagon Band knows how important it is to give back to the community especially Memorial Children’s Hospital, which is a direct beneficiary of the Four Winds Invitational.

 “If we don’t take care of our children, then we don’t take care of what our ancestors foreseen for seven generations. And memorial children’s hospital at the end of the day, they have saved many of our own tribal citizen babies,” says Chairman Warren.

Tomorrow it’s back to the range. But today a simple autograph. A high five. A smile. Is more than par for the course.

“It makes it more special for us to see them smile - seeing them go through something like this,” says Schneider.

The ladies of the Syametra Tour have a day off Thursday before teeing it up for the first round Friday.