Nickel: The Badger Mutual Women's Amateur has thousands of reasons to go on despite coronavirus

The show will go on.

Even as professional sports are on hold indefinitely, and Milwaukee festivals are canceled and postponed, and amateur rides, runs and races – and what sometimes feels like all of Summer 2020 is scratched – at least one group is determined to keep a good thing going.

The Badger Mutual Women's Amateur Golf Tournament is set to go on as planned, July 27-28 at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Organizers are hoping that the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down so much of the state since March 17 won’t destroy plans for the 21st running of the tournament. The belief is tournament participants can practice social distancing pretty easily in this sport.

But even more than that, there’s a charity link that’s unique here, meaning there are very personal reasons why organizers want the Badger Mutual Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament to happen.

“Raising money – that’s going to be tougher,” said Barb Hussin, co-founder of the Badger Mutual Women’s Amateur. “The golfers themselves are generous in buying raffle tickets. We’ll raise some money. We’ll help the women who need help, just not as much as we’d like.”

Hussin and organizers say this is the only competitive amateur women's handicap tournament in the state to include a charity focus, and that has led to $250,000 raised from supporting businesses and the golfers themselves over the last two decades.

The money this year will go to Sojourner Family Peace Center and LOTUS Legal Clinic after the tournament collects donations from local companies, tee signs, the silent auction and a wine pull.

“This year, if you’ve read anything in the paper about Sojourner and domestic violence,” said Hussin. “And the sex trafficking. If anybody needs money … we need it now.”

Since this is an entirely volunteer operation, with the help of people like Audrey Gloor, the auction chair, and Scott Evans and Andy Barrett, former and current pros at Brown Deer, 100% of the fundraising goes back into the local charities.

“We may not raise as much money,” said Ann Devine, co-chair, because so many of sponsors were small businesses, and those have been affected so much by the shut down.

“But the tournament will go on – and we’ll just make up for it next year.”

This is a premier golf event in the state and one of the reasons is the regular state tournament format includes all handicap levels.

Badger Mutual Women’s Amateur attracts elite golfers because Potawatomi Hotel and Casino has offered an exemption to play in their Symetra Tour event at Brown Deer (the tour that leads to playing in the LPGA.)

Bobbi Stricker is the reigning two-time champion with her dad, pro Steve Stricker, serving as her caddie last year. Of the 25 championship players, half are college or high school students from around the state. The other 70 players in the tournament have a range of handicaps.

“It’s grown over the years,” said treasurer and longtime participating golfer Connie Hillman. “We’ve gotten some big names and that has propelled it to get a lot more championship caliber people in it. Our championship flight has just grown exponentially.”

Brown Deer Park Golf Course, the final home of the now-defunct Greater Milwaukee Open, has been the setting for the tournament since 2000 for a reason. While there were many women's amateur events in the state, none were in Milwaukee County because of the high green fees..

Badger Mutual Insurance’s sponsorship underwrites the cost of the tournament, allowing an  entry fee of $110 ($100 for students under 18).

Of course, the pandemic hangs over the plans of everyone.

Hillman’s D&M Accounting Services, Inc. firm has been incredibly busy trying to help small business owners get the paperwork for loans.

“We’ve been swamped, and nothing was cohesive; every bank wanted something different,” said Hillman. She laughed: "It's affecting my golf and I'm not happy about it."

When golf courses opened up April 24, Wisconsin Golf Hall of Famer Katie Falk was out with her clubs, a month after a bronchial illness.

“I wash my hands 20 times a day,” said the 73-year old. “The tournament will be different because we will still be social distancing. We’ll just have to be more mindful.

“But golf truly is one of the unique sports that social distancing is normal. You don’t bump against each other when you’re playing. You only touch your own equipment. Golf to a positive degree is going fare better than baseball and football, rugby and soccer.

“Sometimes we might pick up an opponents ball and throw it to them, but there will be very little difference in how we act.”

The unpredictable nature of the pandemic always threatens an event like this, and organizers admit there's always a possibility of cancellation that's out of their control. But it hasn’t doused their hopes.

“We have so many loyal players we don’t have to worry,” said Ann Devine. “When we sent out  an email saying, how many of you would walk – before carts were available – half the people responded, yes. Some said, ‘I may only walk 9 – but I want to get out there.’ They’re diehards. They’re hearty.”

Social distancing and precautions like hand washing will be the look of the tournament this year.

“We kind of knew once you were going to be allowed back on the course and you could have carts, we knew we’d be OK," said Hussin. "The actual tournament itself would be fine to play.

“The rest can be adjusted.

“People are living through the pandemic. And people are different. We don’t reach out and hug somebody. You don’t run up and shake their hand.

“I also think it makes you a little more patient with your frailties on the golf course. You’re just happy to be out there.

“People want to be normal – but they want to be safe. I don’t think we’re going to see foolish behavior.”

Message Lori Nickel on Twitter at @LoriNickel, Instagram at @bylorinickel or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChinUpLoriNickel