OVGA Amateur Golf Tour

The OVGA has taken strides over the last few years to broaden the reach of the tour. Earlier this year, the OVGA announced plans for the Trevino Flight for the 50 and over golfer. And no anniversary season would be complete without celebrating the ladies on tour.

The first woman to join the tour was Julie Stewart in 2004, however she was unable to play due to pregnancy, opening the door for Phyllis Hegner, Mary Sue Peters and Vicky Valerin to become the first women members to play on the OVGA Tour in 2005. At times, other women have played in OVGA events over the last few years and none more notable than Debby Lakes, who competed in 12 events last year and who also finished in the money during the 2006 Myrtle Beach Trip. And who could forget Vicki Highley retiring her husband, Rob, last year when she beat him at the Mill Course! (note: she let Rob out of the retirement a few weeks later)

Not surprisingly, the response from women to the membership drive this year has been much higher than recent years. And much like the Trevino Flight, the women will have a chance to test their games against each other as well as the “open” flights with the creation of the Lopez Flight, named for LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to have the Lopez Flight on tour because it means that we have more women on tour,” said OVGA President Chad Stewart. “We’re not done trying to expand the OVGA and branch out within the community. The goal would be to have as many women on tour as the men in the coming years and this is the first step in that direction.”

In conjunction with this announcement, another major announcement concerning the Lopez Flight will be made in Cincigolf’s next newsletter.