SOUTH BEND — The third Four Winds Invitational teed off this morning at 7:30 a.m. with a full field of players, which includes several LPGA Tour members.

With the U.S. Women’s Open beginning this week, the Four Winds Invitational will feature 15 players with LPGA status.

Alena Sharp, who won the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club, is in the field this week. Sharp has four career top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.  Her best finish on the big Tour this year is a tie for 14th at the North Texas LPGA Shootout presented by JTBC. Sharp finished in a tie for sixth last year at the Four Winds Invitational.

Reilley Rankin has 14 career top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Heather Farr Perseverance Award.

Nicole Jeray, who has won three times on the Symetra Tour, has one career top 10 finish on the LPGA.

Jenny Suh, who won the 2009 Alliance Bank Golf Classic and finished 11th on the Tour money list in 2012, will play in her third Symetra Tour event of the year.

A full list of the players with LPGA Tour status is below.

1. Brittany Altomare

2. Dottie Ardina

3. Lindy Duncan

4. Veronica Felibert

5. Megan Grehan

6. Emma Jandel

7. Nicole Jeray

8. Maude-Aimee Leblanc

9. Jane Rah

10. Reilley Rankin

11. Alena Sharp

12. Natalie Sheary

13. Jackie Stoelting

14. Jenny Suh

15. Caroline Westrup

 

Local exemptions

Kari Bellville, who graduated from Penn High School in Mishawaka in June and will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall, will play in her third Four Winds Invitational.

She was a sponsor exemption each of the last two years.

Bellville recently won the Indiana Golf Foundation Girls State Junior Championship by seven shots.

Julia Potter (Granger) is the second sponsor exemption.  She was a 2013 United States Golf Association’s (USGA) Women’s Mid-Am Medalist and Champion.  She played college golf at the University of Missouri and won five tournaments. Potter was named to the All-Big 12 team three times.

Potter was also a three-time Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) team champion at Penn High School.

The 26-year-old played in nine events on Tour in 2010 with her best finish a tie for 25th at the City of Hammond Classic in Hammond, Indiana.