Everywhere Paige Crawford goes, she travels by van.

The vehicle, which she named Solstice, also serves as her home as Crawford said she lives in her van year-round.

“I don’t have to pay for hotels, which are expensive,” Crawford said. “Instead, if I need to stay at a campsite, one week at a campsite is (the cost of) one day at a hotel. … (Traveling by van) is an easy way to get to golf tournaments and have my home with me.”

Crawford’s next stop includes the Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., for The John Shippen Women’s Invitational, which begins Tuesday.

The tournament will include a field of 12 Black golfers who vie for the event’s top spot.

The winner of the Women’s Invitational will secure a spot at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give (June 13-16) and the Dow Championship (June 24-30.)

“The John Shippen National Invitational is a series of competitions created to provide playing opportunities on the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour for the nation’s top Black amateur and professional women and men golfers,” Greg Ball, BZA Public Relations senior account executive, said in a news release. “The events are named after John Shippen, Jr., who was both the first American-born golf professional and the country’s first Black golf professional.”

Crawford won both The John Shippen Cognizant Cup and Women’s Invitational in 2023 and earned exemptions to the forementioned LPGA tournaments as well as the Cognizant Founders Cup last May.

This year, though, Crawford couldn’t repeat as champ at the Cognizant Cup and carded a 78 to finish fifth.

While she’s grateful for the opportunity to compete at John Shippen events, Crawford said she’s not there just to participate.

“I was a bit disappointed with how last month went,” Crawford said. “My game wasn’t there and I couldn’t make putts. It was a good experience going in and trying to defend my title. But I’m looking forward to this one in Michigan.”

Crawford said she played the Colorado Open in Aurora on May 29-31 and said “something started to click” on the back nine at Green Valley Ranch.

She expects that success to carry over to the two-day tournament at Blythefield Country Club where she hopes to repeat as Women’s Invitational champion to parlay that victory to another LPGA run.

“I appreciate what John Shippen is doing,” Crawford said. “Having these opportunities for Black golfers like me who are trying to get on to the LPGA or gain more experiences to get better. It’s helped my game so much being able to play on quality golf courses that are very tough. … It’s given me the confidence to know I’m on the right path and that I’m capable of playing on the LPGA.”