Cheboygan Golf’s Northern Michigan Women’s Open receives high praise
CHEBOYGAN – Tara Vancil has always been a fierce competitor.
A former three-sport athlete at Cheboygan High School, Vancil’s drive to succeed was evident when she was the only woman to compete in last year’s Northern Michigan Open.
As someone who loves a challenge, she had an idea and shared it with Cheboygan Golf & Country Club.
“I asked them, ‘Hey, what would have to happen for the Northern Michigan Open to have a women’s division?’ and they said, ‘We can’t really do that because the tournament is already full and it takes up the whole day, so why don’t you start your own tournament?’ and I said, ‘OK, let’s do it,'” Vancil said. “They gave us a date and we tried to get people to sign up.”
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Fast forward to Sunday, the final round of the first-ever Northern Michigan Women’s Open, and Vancil couldn’t stop smiling as she turned onto the back nine holes. She got what she had hoped for – an opportunity for herself and women in the area to compete in golf.
“There are a lot of talented female golfers in this area, there are many different women’s leagues in Cheboygan County alone, so I’m excited to see this tournament grow in popularity over the years through word of mouth and give amateur female golfers the opportunity to challenge themselves and improve their golf game,” Vancil said.
Among the talented golfers were Katie Maybank, a recent graduate of Cheboygan University, who took first place in the open division, and Theresa Schultz, who won the title in the senior division. Vancil herself did not do badly, finishing in the top half of the open division.
Although the weather presented a challenge, the ladies in attendance enjoyed the competitive environment.
“It was fun — both days,” said Candi Gildner of Cheboygan. “It’s going to be cold now with the rain and everything, but it was great. It’s great that they did it for the women. They put a lot of work into it. I’m all for it because we have ambitious people. If there is such a thing, yes, I’ll try it. I don’t expect to win, but it’s fun.”
A total of 28 players competed over the weekend, 14 in the open division and 14 in the senior division.
“Tournament golf is a special thing,” Vancil said. “It forces you to focus on your game and yourself, and we can all come in next year after a year of training and working on the aspects of our game we want to improve.”
Before they set off for the 10thth At the hole on Sunday, Vancil praised those who made it all possible.
“I want to thank the Cheboygan Golf & Country Club, the board and staff for agreeing to host this tournament and for all the work the course staff did and for Olwyn (Hancock) for managing the course and helping to make this possible,” Vancil said. “I really appreciate their support.”
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Since the event was a success in its first year, those involved are convinced that it can develop into something very special.
“I think it will grow – we just have to work at it,” Gildner said. “It’s been great the first year. It’s a good start and I think it will grow as we bring in more people from the surrounding area and from the south, north and east.”
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at [email protected]Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
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