Dana Open: new name, new dates, same great golf

NORTHWEST OHIO’S PREMIER SPORTS EVENT this year has a new name and new dates but the same high-quality professional golf.

The Dana LPGA Open Presented by Marathon is the new name, and August 29 to September 4 are the new days. The site is the same: Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania. More than 140 of the top women on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour will be there. What is hoped is that many local golf fans will be on hand to cheer the pros on, and many are being sought to help the tournament run smoothly.

“This is the first year under the new name,” said Paige Ottaviano, Assistant Tournament Director for the Dana LPGA Open Presented by Marathon. “We flipped our presenting and title sponsors.” She explained that Marathon, which for several years was the title sponsor, has now become the presenting sponsor. Dana, which had been the presenting sponsor for a few years, stepped up to the title spot—thus the new name was born.

Changing the dates of tournament week made good sense, she said. “The official rounds begin Thursday, September 1, and end Sunday, September 4—Labor Day weekend. Usually, the tournament is around the Fourth of July.” Ottaviano said the change was made for two main reasons. “We want to provide the best experience possible for our sponsors, and having it on Labor Day weekend, we can be live on the Golf Channel every one of those days for three hours, which is awesome.”

Also, it’s a good fit for the LPGA schedule. “The week before is the CP Women’s Open in Ottawa, Ontario. The ladies then will come to us in Toledo. The week after they’ll go to a new event on the tour in Cincinnati. It’s really a great three-week swing for the tour and the ladies.”

Despite the changes, there are three constants that make the tournament the popular event that it has been. One is the change made for last year’s tournament, having the Clubhouse Courtyard, an upgraded, covered space featuring food and beverages overlooking the 18th green. “It’s a great location,” Ottaviano said.

The other is the purse of $1.75 million, same as 2021. “The winner gets $262,500,” Ottaviano said, with others receiving lower, various amounts depending on where they finish.

The most important constant, though, is the tournament’s reason for being. “The mission of our tournament is to raise funds for children’s charities in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan,” Ottaviano says with a measure of pride. The number of such charities varies from year to year; in 2021 there were 29, in 2020, 23. This year, 19 children’s charities will benefit. The funds come from events related to tournament week, ticket sales, and sponsorships—“all of that directly affects our bottom line and what we’ll be able to give away,” she said. “We won’t know that amount until after the tournament.” She said last year a record $815,810 was raised.

While Dana Open organizers plan to welcome thousands of golf fans, Ottaviano emphasizes that there’s a need to be sure things run smoothly—and that’s where a legion of volunteers comes in. “There are volunteer opportunities available. It’s a great way to get involved and experience what the tournament is all about,” she said.

Anyone so interested is encouraged to visit the tournament’s website, danaopen.com, and click on a tab at the top that says “volunteer.” That’ll take the visitor to a page listing the various volunteer positions and walk the applicant through the registration process. Ottaviano added volunteers also can call the tournament office at 419-531-3277.

“The LPGA community looks at us very positively,” Ottaviano said. “This is our 38th year. To have this event here year in and year out, the ladies know it’s stable and the LPGA knows we’ll deliver a great tournament to reflect this community and the LPGA as well.”

Dennis Bova is a freelance writer and editor.