Two familiar faces on the Epson Tour and at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course will compete as sponsor exemptions at the 2024 Dream First Bank Charity Classic. Former Epson Tour member Hannah Arnold and Kansas native Rylie Cook will tee it up as part of the 144-player field this week, the former of which has plenty of pro golf experience and the latter of which is teeing it up on the professional stage as an amateur for the first time.
Arnold, a resilient competitor, graced the Epson Tour from 2015 to 2023 until she lost her status at the end of last season. Her unwavering positivity, a beacon of inspiration for her peers, was recognized with the peer-voted Heather Wilbur Spirit Award at the end of the 2023 season.
Arnold's unwavering support has remained constant on the Epson Tour. During the 2024 season, the Texas native drove to different states to fill in as a caddie when her friends—whom she also refers to as sisters—needed someone by their side. This bond of support and camaraderie among the players is what makes the Epson Tour a unique and special community."
"I feel fortunate to get the sponsor invite this year in Garden City," said Arnold. "I am always excited to tee it up in an Epson Tour event. This is such a great tour with some of the best players in the world, so anytime I have the opportunity to play with the best players possible, I will always take that opportunity.
"This tour feels like home, and I always enjoy my time with the (sisters) out here. I look forward to competing and being back in Garden City. I always look forward to my time here."
Cook's exemption is a full-circle moment for both the 22-year-old and the tournament venue. In 2018, Buffalo Dunes Golf Course decided to give back to underfunded high school golf programs, further promoting and growing the game.
Cook's team at Johnson High School was one of the first programs to start reaping the benefits of Buffalo Dunes' generosity, and now she gets to return to the course and tee it up in a professional event. Giving Cook the sponsor exemption fulfills part of Buffalo Dunes Head Golf Professional Jase Hase's original goal when deciding to give back to the local programs.
"One of my thoughts when we were doing this was, wouldn't it be cool if we had a high school kid that did this, went on to play college golf, was good enough to come back, and we give them a spot in the tournament as a sponsor exemption?" Hase said. "Lo and behold, we have that girl. Her name is Rylie Cook."
On Friday, Arnold tees off on No. 10 at 12:30 p.m. local time, while Cook is off No. 1 at 2:20 p.m. Both athletes can be followed via live scoring here.
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