HSV Team in Invitational National Finals @ Streamsong Resort
By Carol Ansley Bodge
“We had a fabulous time. It was the greatest golfing experience!” That is how Suzanne Kuch describes her participation in the Liberty Mutual Invitational National Finals at Streamsong Resort in Florida March 30 – April 4. The team earned the event position by winning the September 2021 CHI St. Vincent Cancer Benefit @ Diamante Members Club. One of forty-two teams from twenty-two states winning their local charitable events, the team consisted of Villagers Kent and Suzanne Kuch and Mark and Sue Bencriscutto.
After three days of play, the field was split into the Championship flight (22 teams) playing the final round of the tournament and the Consolation flight (20 teams) playing a one-day tournament. While our team did not qualify for the final round they played in the Consolation Round on Sunday. Shooting a 61 they won the event by two strokes!
The Invitational National Finals and the seventy-five local charity golf tournaments held annually across the country have raised over $258 million for charitable causes over the past thirty-four years. The funding sponsor, Liberty Mutual Insurance, will return as premier sponsor after taking a hiatus during the pandemic. The Diamante Members Club event remains the only Arkansas site for the program as it hosts the CHI St. Vincent Cancer Benefit.
From the first Diamante event at the height of the pandemic, over $27,000 has been raised to help fund the CHI cancer clinical trials program. The Invitational 2022 National Finals play occurred on all three Streamsong Courses: Red, Blue, and Black, with each team provided a new caddie each day. There were on-course contests with premium prizes for Long Drives and Closest to the Pin in addition to team and individual skills challenges after play. The event also sponsored a reverse cash raffle along with live andsilent auctions of premium items.
Suzanne reported that in the Invitational 2022 National Finals golfers received packages of premium tee gifts in their hotel rooms on arrival and additional gifts on the course after play. Players received golf shoes, shirts, hats, caps, duffle bags, dozens of balls, sunglasses, sweatshirts and more totaling $1200. They were treated to cooked on-course lunches each day during play as well as provided breakfast each morning and invited to evening receptions.
The 2022 CHI St. Vincent Cancer Benefit @ Diamante Members Club is scheduled for Monday, October 3rd with a field limited to thirty 4-somes in a scramble format. Complete event information will be provided in the coming weeks along with registration details and opening. The Invitational 2023 National Finals will be at Kiawah Island March 22 – 26, 2023.
L-R Mark Bencriscutto, Sue Bencriscutto, Caddie, Suzanne Kuch, Kent Kuch
L-R Sue Bencriscutto, LPGA Golfer Nancy Lopez, Suzanne Kuch