Marquette, MI – June 18th, 2026 – Next Friday, June 26th, marks the start of the 15th Annual Island Resort Championship, which runs through June 28 and features some of the top emerging golf talent from around the world. With a $225,000 purse on the line and a coveted pathway to the LPGA Tour, 144 players will compete on one of the Midwest’s most scenic and award-winning golf courses as they chase their professional dreams.
Among those competitors will be one of the Upper Peninsula’s most accomplished golfers, Rachel Niskanen. The Negaunee native recently completed her third season at Central Michigan University as a member of the Chippewas women’s golf program.
Niskanen earned a sponsor exemption into the Island Resort Championship in 2025, becoming one of the few local golfers to compete in the prestigious event. She played through the first two rounds, narrowly missing the weekend cut. The experience provided valuable insight into the professional game, and she enters this year’s tournament eager to build on what she learned while testing herself against another world-class field.
Long before making her mark at the collegiate level, Niskanen established herself as one of the Upper Peninsula’s premier golfers during a standout career at Negaunee High School. She captured two Upper Peninsula Division I championships, finished as the U.P. Division I Runner-up as a sophomore, and won all but three tournaments she entered during her high school career. She also claimed two Upper Peninsula Golf Association championships and earned Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors three times. Her success extended beyond the U.P. golf scene. In 2023, Niskanen finished 11th at the American Junior Golf Association’s Legend at Merrill Hills tournament, competing against some of the nation’s top junior golfers.
Now preparing for her second appearance at the Island Resort Championship, Niskanen will once again have the opportunity to showcase her talent on one of the biggest stages in women’s developmental golf while representing both Central Michigan University and the UP. Ahead of the Island Resort Championship, Tyler Young caught up with Rachel Niskanen to talk about her season and her upcoming appearance in the tournament. Listen to the full interview by clicking the link below.
