Michigan Women’s Open Decided in Playoff
By Greg Johnson
Milagros “Mila” Chaves, a 30-year-old native of Paraguay and a Del Mar, CA, resident, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a 3-golfer sudden-death playoff and won the Coca-Cola/GameAbove Michigan Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain – during its 70th anniversary celebration.
The international flavor was topped off by solid showings from Michigan players, and the significance of being a first-time ANNIKA-Women’s All-Pro Tour event.
It was Chaves’ first professional win in eight years chasing the LPGA dream, and she topped the ANNIKA-Women’s All-Pro Tour money leader, former Michigan State University star Katie Lu of New Jersey, and former UCLA golfer Kate Villegas, on the first playoff hole, the par 5 18th on the Mountain Ridge Course.
Chaves earned $10,000, an exemption into the LPGA’s Greater Toledo Open in July and she jumped up in the Callaway Race 2 Qualifying standings on the ANNIKA-WAPT where the top five golfers earn Epson Tour status for 2027 and pass through to Stage Two of LPGA Qualifying this winter.
Lu had the last chance to win it in regulation. She reached the green in two shots, but her 15-foot eagle putt stopped just a few inches short of the hole. She finished with a 70 and in the tie at 208. Lu also earned an exemption into the LPGA’s Greater Toledo Open.
Following the playoff trio was another trio at 209 that included first-round leader and GameAbove-sponsored Janae Leovao. The Eastern Michigan University golfer had the lead coming down the stretch, but bogeys at 17 and 18 left her one shot out of the playoff.
Also finishing at 209 were Jasmine Ly, a former Detroit area resident from Canada now playing professionally, who shot 67, and Florida Gulf Coast University golfer Sydney Deal of Ohio, who shot 71.
In the Legends Division tournament inside the tournament, two-time defending champion Suzy Green-Roebuck of Ann Arbor made it three in-a-row. She shot a 3-round 6-under 210 total and her third title among the seniors. It matches the number of times the Michigan Golf Hall of Famer has also won the Michigan Women’s Open.
