The Four Winds Invitational teed off at 7:30 a.m. today at Blackthorn Golf Club.

Play will continue in the fifth annual event, which has a total purse of $150,000 Saturday and Sunday.

A field of 144 players from the United States and 26 different countries, will play in the 10th event on the LPGA Symetra Tour. The winner will pocket $22,000 and will likely move into the top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Former champion Nicole Vandermade, who was added to the field earlier this week, teed off at 7:41 a.m. along with Lili Alvarez and Katie Jean.

Current Volvik Race for the Card money leader Madelen Sagstrom teed off at 8:14 a.m. along with Jenny Coleman and Yu Liu.

Marissa Steen, second on the money list, teed off at 8:36 a.m. with Peiyun Chien and Allyssa Ferrell.

Former South Bend St. Joseph standout and currently Western Michigan University junior Anna Wilcoxson, who earned a sponsor’s exemption, will tee off on No. 10 at 12:53 p.m. along with Mary Narzisi and Kristi O’Brien, who hails from Fishers, Indiana.

O’Brien is playing in her second Four Winds Invitational. She missed the cut in 2014 and did not compete in last year’s event.

“It feels like I am home this week,” O’Brien said. “I still see people in the pro-am that I know since the golf industry is so small. I worked for Callaway through college so I know quite a few people from the Indiana area.”

O’Brien also said it is nice to have family and friends cheering her on. O’Brien is also no stranger to Blackthorn, where he won a high school tournament.

“My niece is here just hanging out with me and it is just so nice to have my support system here with me this week,” O’Brien said. “I love the golf course too.”

Member of the Symetra Tour stopped in at Memorial Children’s Hospital Wednesday.

Memorial Children’s Hospital has been the beneficiary of the Four Winds Invitational over the past four years. The event has raised more than $267,000 for the hospital. This year the money raised will go toward the purchase of a portable ultrasound for the hospital’s MedFlight.

Symetra Tour professionals Kristi Cardwell, Ericka Schneider, Jordan Britt and Emma de Groot spent time with the kids putting and playing basketball and also visited the NICU.

“It was eye-opening and it really makes you realize how tough some of them have it and what they have to go through everyday,” said Cardwell, who said she plans on going on more hospital visits throughout the year. “It made me realize how blessed we are to be out here playing. It puts in perspective how important this tournament is to help raise funds to help the kids.”