Local players compete in Mississippi Women’s Amateur Championship at Windance Country Club

One of the biggest golf tournaments of the year is taking place at Windance Country Club.

The course in Gulfport is hosting the Women’s Amateur Championship and the Women’s Senior Amateur Championship.

The youngest participants in the tournament begin with some of our local high school golfers on the Gulf Coast and extend to golfers 50-and-older for the senior division.

Former WXXV Student Athlete of the Week and Ocean Springs graduate Avery Weed is currently at the top of the leaderboard after day two of the tournament. She tells News 25 how special it is to play her last tournament close to home before she starts her collegiate career playing for Mississippi State. “It means a lot just getting to be around all my friends from here and just play and have fun one last time, and to have my grandfather be able to come out here and watch just means a lot to me and it’s just extra motivation for me to play well, so it’s really special to play close to home.”

Ocean Springs rising senior Mallory Pippin said, “It’s just really exciting being able to play one of the biggest tournaments of the summer close to home and basically in our back yard with all our close friends and family, and Avery’s last tournament being here. I mean, we’ve played together for like seven years, so it’s very bitter sweet, but I’m excited to see what she does and hopefully she brings home the win!”

Tournament Manager Jared Johnston said, “It is awesome. There’s a lot of great golfers out here, a lot of college golfers. It’s awesome to watch them play. They’re pretty much better than anyone I know, so it’s awesome to watch.”

The women will tee it off one last time tomorrow for day three of the tournament and a Mississippi women’s and senior champion will be named.