Looking Ahead To This Weekend’s Meijer LPGA Classic For Simply Give

What You Need To Know About This Weekend’s Meijer LPGA Classic For Simply Give

ABOUT THE MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC FOR SIMPLY GIVE

• This is the fifth year for the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
• Meijer is a major midwest supercenter / grocer / retailer
• Meijer supports the LPGA to help raise awareness about Meijer Simply Give, support local food pantries and to bring the community together through local events and the game of golf. Proceeds from the tournament – and each of the week’s festivities – benefit the Meijer Simply Give program that stocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest.
• The 2017 tournament raised $1 million for local food pantries through Simply Give. In total, the four tournaments have generated more than $3.1 million for the Meijer Simply Give program.
• Four different winners have represented three different countries: Brooke Henderson (Canada, 2017), Sei Young Kim (Rep. of Korea, 2016), Lexi Thompson (USA, 2015), Mirim Lee (Rep. of Korea, 2014)
• Three-time LPGA winner Mirim Lee became a Rolex First-Time winner at the event in 2014
• There’s been two playoffs in the event’s four-year history: Mirim Lee beat Inbee Park with birdie on second extra hole in 2014, Sei Young Kim beat Carlota Ciganda with birdie on first extra hole in 2016
• Along with the LPGA Volvik Championship, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give is one of two tournaments in the state of Michigan in 2018; the LPGA recently announced the new Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, a team competition that will begin in 2019 in Midland

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

• 144 players
• 72 holes, stroke play
• after 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 70 and ties

PURSE

• $2 million USD
• winner’s portion is $300,000

Blythefield Country Club

• 36-36–72
• 6,624 yards (par and yardage are subject to change through the start of the tournament)
• Built in 1928 and designed by William Langford and Theodore J. Moreau, a team that is admired by many modern architects, but often overlooked by the general public amidst other giants of the era. (Read GolfBlogger’s Blythefield Country Club Review Here)

TV Times -(all times EST on Golf Channel)

• Thursday, June 14: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
• Friday, June 15: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 16: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
• Sunday, June 17: 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Visiting The Meijer LPGA Classic

• Parking for the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will be at Rockford High School. Parking is $5
• Shuttles will transport from Rockford High School to Blythefield Country Club Tournament Entrance
• Order tickets online, or at your local Meijer.
• Daily tickets cost $10, and are valid any one day, Tuesday through Sunday.
• Weekly ticket cost $25, and are valid all week, Tuesday through Sunday.
• The Grand Taste – known as the best food experience on any tour includes food and beverage samples from participating local restaurants, breweries and Meijer vendors.
• New this year is The Grand Taste Garden , a second venue that will feature food, games and chef demonstrations, along with live music following play on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16. This ticket will grant access to both Grand Taste locations and includes general admission access to the golf tournament.
  • Single Day adult tickets cost $35 apiece, and are valid any one day, Friday through Sunday.
  • Weekend passes cost $70 apiece, and are valid Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
  • Tickets for kids, ages 17 and under with a ticketed adult, cost $10 for a single day and $20 for the weekend

PAST CHAMPIONS AND RUNNERS-UP

• 2017: Brooke Henderson, 263 (-21); Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson, 265 (-19)
• 2016: Sei Young Kim, 267 (-17); beat Carlota Ciganda with birdie on first extra hole
• 2015: Lexi Thompson, 266 (-18); Gerina Piller and Lizette Salas, 267 (-17)
• 2014: Mirim Lee, 270 (-14); beat Inbee Park with birdie on second extra hole

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS

• 18 holes: 61 (-10), Lee-Ann Pace (third round, 2017)
• 36 holes: 130 (-12), Brooke Henderson, 2017
• 54 holes: 196 (-17), Lexi Thompson, 2017
• 72 holes: 263 (-21), Brooke Henderson, 2017

ABOUT DEFENDING CHAMPION BROOKE HENDERSON

• In 2018, Henderson has made 11 cuts in 14 starts, with five top-10 finishes including a victory at the LOTTE Championship presented by HERSHEY
• In three attempts, Henderson has successfully defended a title one time at the 2016 Cambia Portland Classic
• Entering the Meijer LPGA Classic, Henderson is just $75,951 away from the $4 million mark in career earnings
• With her sixth career victory at the LOTTE Championship in April, Henderson is the only LPGA player to have wins in each of the last four seasons (2015-2018)
• In 2017, Henderson shot a career-low 63 twice – in the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and in the third round of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open
• In two starts at the Meijer LPGA Classic, Henderson has a victory (2017) and a T21 finish (2016)
• While Henderson feels a bit of extra pressure to perform well during a title defense, on Tuesday in Grand Rapids she said it’s mainly good nerves she feels. “You come back and you have so many great memories and you just are full of energy the whole week,” Henderson said. “This is like the best I’ve felt this year because I’m coming back to somewhere where I know I’ve played really well in the past, and I know it’s going to be extremely difficult to repeat and I’m definitely not counting on it.
• “It’s just one of those things you’ve got to go out, stick to the game plan that worked so well last year, remember those great times, remember those great memories and try to do it again, for sure,” she continued. “But there’s so many talented players on the LPGA Tour that if I don’t, I’m not going to be disappointed, I’m just going to work really hard to hopefully make it happen again.”

WHO’S IN THE MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC FIELD

2018 Tournament Winners (9 of 14):

Jin Young Ko (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open), Michelle Wie (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Eun-Hee Ji (Kia Classic), Pernilla Lindberg (ANA Inspiration), Brooke Henderson (LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey), Moriya Jutanugarn (HUGEL-JTBC LA Open), Lydia Ko (LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship), Ariya Jutanugarn (Kingsmill Championship presented by GEICO, U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA), Annie Park (ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer)

Past Champions (4 of 4):

Brooke Henderson (2017), Sei Young Kim (2016), Lexi Thompson (2015), Mirim Lee (2014)

2018 LPGA Rookies (24 of 30):

Rebecca Artis, Lauren Coughlin, Katelyn Dambaugh, Gemma Dryburgh, Martina Edberg, Allison Emrey, Hannah Green, Jennifer Hahn, Jin Young Ko, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Harang Lee, Camilla Lennarth, Yu Liu, Brittany Marchand, Maddie McCrary, Mind Muangkhumsakul, Alexandra Newell, Leticia Ras-Anderica, Robynn Ree, Katelyn Sepmoree, Luna Sobron, Kassidy Teare, Maria Torres, Samantha Troyanovich

Sponsor Invites (3):

Sarah Burnham, Allyson Geer, Jaclyn Lee

Michigan Connections:

Sarah Burnham (former MSU golfer), Allyson Geer (from Brighton; sophomore at MSU), Daniela Iacobelli (from Clinton Township), Jennifer Song (from Ann Arbor), Samantha Troyanovich (from Gross Pointe)

Three Collegiate Athletes to Compete in the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give as Sponsor Exemptions

• For the fifth consecutive year, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will open its tournament to collegiate athletes as sponsor exemptions, representing Meijer and their respective universities in the professional tournament.
• This year, three exemptions were awarded to Sarah Burnham and Allyson Geer, of Michigan State University; and Jaclyn Lee, of Ohio State University.
• “We love being able to give these young women the opportunity to compete with the best golfers in the world,” Meijer LPGA Classic Executive Director Cathy Cooper said. “It is a great opportunity for these athletes to show their talent while supporting the Meijer brand.”
• Sarah Burnham, an MSU senior from Maple Grove, Minn., will also join the Meijer LPGA Classic field. Burnham is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year during her junior and senior seasons, and holds the MSU season scoring record at 70.68 (1.32 under par), which is the lowest in the Big Ten in the past 12 years. Last summer, Burnham competed in the U.S. Amateur Championship and advanced to the Round of 32. She was also the runner-up in the Minnesota Women’s State Open with a six-under-par 138 (68-70) at Deer Run Golf Club. At age 16, Burnham was named the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year, becoming the first junior to do so since 1997.
• Jaclyn Lee, a Calgary, Alberta native from Ohio State University will join the Meijer LPGA Classic field for the first time. Lee was the 2014 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship winner at 17 years old, becoming the youngest to seize the title in the tournament’s 79-year history. In addition to being the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2017, Lee was also a WGCA All-American Scholar (2016 and 2017), Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2017), Academic All-Big Ten (2017) and an OSU Scholar-Athlete (2016 and 2017).
• Allyson Geer, an upcoming junior at MSU from Brighton, Mich., will return for her second year as a Meijer sponsor exemption for the tournament. In the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic, she shot 7-over-par 149 (75-74). Last summer, Geer also competed in the Symetra Tour Tullymore Classic and finished in a tie for 33rd, recording a 3-under-par 213 (68-73-72). During her freshman year at MSU, Geer was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, had two Top 5 finishes and two Top 20 finishes in appearing in all eight tournaments after joining the team in January and finished the season with a 74.08 average, ranking second on the team.