KENT, Wash. — One of Washington state's oldest golf tournaments gets underway this weekend. The 95th Washington Open Invitational returns to the Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent.
Top PGA Professionals and amateurs from throughout the Pacific Northwest compete for the title every year. Famously, Fred Couples won the tournament in 1978 while wearing his gym shoes.
Before the Open, the Muckleshoot Casino Pro-Am tees off at Meridian Valley, raising funds for Folds of Honor and the American Lake Veterans Golf Course.
"We've generated more interest in teams, and sponsorship dollars than ever before, which I think is probably [because of] COVID,” said Meridian Valley C.C. General Manager Greg Manley. “Everybody is just ready to get out and do something. It's a family atmosphere here, and championship golf is in our DNA for sure."
The Washington Open Invitational will be played at Meridian Valley through 2024.