THE POKAGON BAND AND ITS FOUR WINDS CASINOS ANNOUNCE THE DATES FOR THE 2026 FOUR WINDS INVITATIONAL

15^thAnnual Tournament will return to Blackthorn Golf Club, July 10-12

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana and its Four Winds® Casinos are pleased to announce that the 2026 Four Winds Invitational will return to Blackthorn Golf Club from Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12.  This year’s Four Winds Invitational will offer a $225,000 purse for the players and the proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Beacon Children’s Hospital.  The tournament is also seeking 150 volunteers for morning, afternoon, and evening shifts of all three days of the tournament.  The Four Winds Invitational is part of the Epson Tour schedule, which entered its 46^th year of structured competition in 2026 and is the most established women’s qualifying tour in the world as the one “Road to the LPGA.”

“The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and our Four Winds Casinos are very excited to announce the dates for the15^th edition of the Four Winds Invitational,” said Matthew Wesaw, Tribal Council Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana.  “We are proud to once again partner with the LPGA’s Epson Tour as well as Blackthorn Golf Club which hosted the tournament from 2012 through 2020.  Over the last 14 years, we’ve donated close to $1.2 Million to Beacon Children’s Hospital using proceeds from the tournament and we couldn’t be more proud that these funds have been used to acquire life-saving equipment to better serve patients and families in the South Bend community.”

Tim Firestone, CEO of Blackthorn Golf Club added, “The Four Winds Invitational is one of South Bend’s most important sporting events for summer, attracting top talent from around the world as well as raising funds for Beacon Children’s Hospital.  We are excited to return as golf course host for the tournament and partner with the Pokagon Band, Four Winds Casinos, and LPGA’s Epson Tour to make the 15^th edition of 2026 Four Winds Invitational the best tournament yet.”  

Volunteers are needed to fill a variety of roles including assisting with scoring duties and serving as building attendants, caddies, cart drivers, driving range attendants, food and beverage servers, marshals and spotters, parking attendants, standard bearers, shuttle drivers, and more.

All selected volunteers must be at least 16 years of age prior to June 1, 2026, and will receive a Four Winds Invitational polo shirt, hat, and a $25 gift card for their services (9+ hours of service are required).  Two meals and non-alcoholic beverages will also be provided to volunteers on each day of service.  Volunteers are required to pay a $25 fee with the application.  All applications and payments should be submitted in person at the Blackthorn Pro Shop, online, or by mail by July 1, 2026.

For more information, please visit http://fourwindsinvitational.com/volunteer/.

For questions regarding volunteer opportunities, please contact Cathy Wallisch, Four Winds Invitational Volunteer Coordinator at cathy@blackthorngolf.com.                

About the Four Winds Invitational

The Four Winds® Invitational was established in 2012 as part of the Road to the LPGA® and is sponsored by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos.  The tournament features a field of professional women golfers from around the world.  More information is available at:  http://fourwindsinvitational.com/.                                             

About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994.  The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care, and cultural preservation for its more than 6,400 citizens.  The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana.  Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind.  In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011, Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in January 2018.  The Pokagon Band operates a variety of non-gaming businesses through its investment enterprises, Mno-Bmadsen and the Pokagon Development Authority.  More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov, www.fourwindscasino.com and www.mno-bmadsen.com.   

About the Epson Tour

The Epson Tour is the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA and enters its 46^th competitive season in 2026. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour.   In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2025. In all, over 400 LPGA Tour titles have been won by Epson Tour alumni, including over 50 major championships.  Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.