Rachel Niskanen, a 2023 graduate of NHS, just completed her junior year at CMU as a member of the Chippewas golf team.

She is one of three collegiate players from the Midwest to earn a sponsor’s exemption for the event, which runs through Sunday, June 28, and is part of the Epson Tour that is the official qualifying series for the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

In her high school years, Niskanen won individual MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 championships at the Island Resort’s two courses, taking the 2022 title at Sweetgrass and the 2023 crown at nearby Sage Run Golf Course. And she was a three-time West PAC Player of the Year, too.

She has gone on to success at CMU, this past season tying for eighth place at the Bowling Green State University Invitational on rounds of 73, 74 and 69.

Negaunee High School graduate Rachel Niskanen lines up a putt while golfing with the Central Michigan University women’s team during a meet. (Photo courtesy CMU)

As a Chippewas’ sophomore, she posted a 77.79 per-round scoring average and also finished in the top 10 at the Bronco Fall Classic.

And she actually began her career with a pair of top-20 finishes in her first fall as a collegian, including tying for 14th at the Chippewa Invitational in October 2023.

Niskanen, a two-year letterwinner in volleyball at Negaunee to go with three years in golf, also received an Island Resort Championship exemption in 2025, playing the first two rounds but not making the cut to the final third round.

That might not be unexpected at this event that is part of the Epson Tour that sends its season-long top finishers directly into the LPGA.

“Focusing on the process and not the end result has been one of my biggest learning curves,” Niskanen said in an Island Resort & Casino news release about the upcoming tournament. “This caliber of a tournament forces me to trust myself.

Negaunee High School graduate Rachel Niskanen hits a tee shot while golfing with the Central Michigan University women’s team during a 2025 Mid-American Conference tournament. (Joe Grogan photo, @leazier.media, courtesy CMU)

“One thing I learned was the value of a very good caddie. I had my high school golf coach, Dustin Hongisto, caddie for me and it was the best choice, so I’m really excited he’ll be with me this year too.

“Overall, I am ecstatic to play here again and look forward to the challenge.”

The Island Resort Championship includes a field of 144 pro golfers from all over the world vying for a share of a $225,000 purse.

The other two collegians earning exemptions are Taylor Kehoe of Michigan State and Veronika Kedronova of Kent State.

Kehoe is a Canadian from Strathroy, Ontario, located about 100 miles east of Detroit, who just completed her senior season with the Spartans. She played two years at the University of Alabama before transferring closer to home.

She averaged a sizzling 72.43 per round her first year at MSU, the seventh-best single season average in MSU history. This current spring as a senior, she tied for 23rd at the NCAA Division I Championships, the best finish by a Spartans golfer in more than a decade.

Kehoe, who starting golfing at 6 years old, looks forward to the challenge of a pro tournament.

“Being able to have the opportunity to play in my first Epson Tour event in Michigan is really special,” Kehoe said in the Island Resort & Casino release. “After graduating from Michigan State University, this state has really become my home away from home, and I’m excited to compete and represent the Spartans.”

Kedronova is a native of the Czech Republic and just completed her junior season in Ohio with the Golden Flashes.

She grew up watching her brother play and picked up the game quite young, too. She participated in the U.S. Women’s Open at the Riviera Country Club earlier this month, though she didn’t make the cut at one of the LPGA’s majors.

In August, Kedronova is scheduled to play in the CPKC Women’s Open, Canada’s premier women’s pro tournament and another LPGA event.

Island Resort Championship co-chairman Tony Mancilla was impressed by her skills and performance and invited her to compete on a sponsor’s exemption, giving her another chance to test her skills on a bigger stage.

“Ever since I started playing golf, competing at the professional level has been one of my biggest goals, so being able to experience both an Epson Tour and LPGA event is really exciting and motivating,” Kedronova said in the Island Resort release. “My driving has also become one of the strongest parts of my game, which gives me confidence competing against strong fields and in challenging environments.”

Mancilla noted that spectators are encouraged to take in the Island Resort Championship, with a three-day pass costing $10 and free for youths ages 17 and under with a paying adult.

Story contents based on an email received from Island Resort & Casino publicist Kevin Frisch Public Relations. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.