TC Horse Shows to host FEI ’24, ’25 North American Youth Championships
TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Horse Shows was selected by U.S. Equestrian as the host venue for the 2024 and 2025 FEI North American Youth Championships for dressage and jumping. Next year’s competition is scheduled to run from July 30-Aug. 4.
The selection adds to a successful three-year run for Traverse City as the host site for the NAYC and a near decade-long growth plan that has seen Flintfields Horse Park develop into one of the top venues for horse sport in North America. Traverse City Horse Shows continues to make significant investments in strategic improvements to Flintfields Horse Park, which over the last eight years has already seen new competition and schooling rings, new footing, permanent pavilions for viewing and FEI stabling area improvements.
NAYC offers an opportunity for rising talent to experience both a team and individual championship environment while representing their country in international competition. The competition format, which emulates that of senior championship competition, is essential in the continued development of athletes while ensuring future success for U.S. Equestrian’s Olympic programs. Athlete applications for NAYC will open in mid-January 2024.
Traverse City Horse Shows will also host NAYC on Week 5 of The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, their six-week summer series. GLEF features multiple weeks of international jumping competitions, offering participating jumping athletes the opportunity to compete for consecutive weeks at the venue.
Several area pros to compete at Michigan PGA Professional Championship
FLINT — Many northern Michigan golf pros are set to take part in the 102nd Michigan PGA Professional Championship, which is set for Monday through Wednesday at Flint Golf Club.
The low nine golfers at the end of the Michigan PGA Professional Championship besides Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club and Jeff Roth of BOYNE Golf Academy, who are already exempt, will earn playing spots in the 2024 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Fields Ranch East & West courses in Frisco, Texas, home of the new PGA of America headquarters and Omni PGA Frisco Resort. The low 20 finishers from that championship move on to Valhalla to play with the best players in the world at the 105th PGA Championship.
Hebert, an eight-time Michigan PGA Professional champion (2006, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’14, ’16) and winner of the Yamaha Golf Cars Michigan Senior Open earlier this summer, and Roth, a five-time champion (1998, ’99, 2001, ’03, ’19) who also once worked as a professional at Flint Golf Club, are once again in the field.
Lee Houtteman of Leland Country Club, who won the event in 2018, will also be competing.
Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods is defending his title. Martin, the 2015 and 2020 Michigan PGA Match Play Champion who played last month in the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, said he would like another shot at playing with the PGA Tour players. He missed the 36-hole cut by two shots.
The others are three-time winner Brian Cairns of Fox Hills Learning Center (1996, 2000, 2013), two-time winner Steve Brady of Oakland Hills Country Club (1993,’95), two-time winner and PGA Life Member Barry Redmond of Chelsea (1990,‘92), two-time winner Benny Cook of Country Club of Lansing (2021,’22), John Seltzer III of Egypt Valley Country Club (2017), Dan Urban of Gull Lake Country Club (2015), Ron Beurmann of Country Club of Jackson (2010), Jack Seltzer of Seltzer Golf School (1988) and PGA Life Member John Traub of Berkley (1984).
The field will play 54-holes over three days with a cut to the low 60 scorers and ties after Tuesday’s second round.
The championship for Michigan PGA Section golf professionals determines who takes home this year’s first-place check from an estimated $55,000 purse, has their name added to the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy and is awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
The tournament serves as the starting point and qualifier on the road to major championship golf with the best players in the world at the PGA Championship of 2024, which will be played in May at Vahalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.