PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The chilly, muggy and cloudy conditions on Thursday didn’t stop hundreds of people from watching some of the best golfers in the world compete in the 9th Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club.
“The crowd support, this is a Thursday, we’re out here, it’s packed,” said Blake Henderson, the LPGA senior director of athlete policy and development. “We’ve got tons of people following our groups, and it’s really great. Our players feel very very supported by the community.”
Previous winners like Jennifer Kupcho and Lexi Thompson were among the 144 golfers competing for the $2,500,000 purse.
Officials said there are 43 Americans and 101 international players competing in the four-day tournament.
The @MeijerLPGA tees off today at @BlythefieldCC
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) June 15, 2023
A few stats:
⛳️ 144 players compete over 72 holes
⛳️ 43 American / 101 international
⛳️ 34 countries represented
⛳️ 5 of the top 10 and 19 of the top 30 golfers (according to Rolex) will compete
⛳️ Purse is $2.5M @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/cYGnQxloy7
According to the Rolex rankings, of the group, five are ranked in the Top Ten, and 19 are in the Top 30.
“We have a really strong field. We’ve got some of our top players in the field as well,” Henderson said. “So, it’s great to see that our players prioritize this tour stop even before a major championship week next week with KPMG.”
Mejier officials were thrilled too. They’re expecting thousands of people to come out and enjoy the event. There’s even a dedicated fun area where kids can run around, get their faces painted and swing on a large macaroni noodle.
Spokeswoman Christina Fecher said the tournament is also about giving back.
“All the money that we have raised through the tournament goes to the Simply Give program that goes to food pantries across the Midwest,” she said. “We’re talking over 400 food pantries in the local communities where Meijer serves. So, it’s feeding hundreds and hundreds of people every year.”
Over the years, they’ve raised, in total, more than $8,000,000 for Simply Give, she said.
The tournament runs through Sunday afternoon.
The LPGA said as much as the tournament is about showcasing some of the best players in the world, they consider it a treat to play in Grand Rapids.
“It’s great every time we come back to Grand Rapids. The immediate sense of the community is that everybody’s super happy for us to be here,” Henderson said. “Sometimes we go to much larger cities and nobody knows we’re there. The minute I came, got off the airplane, people knew that the LPGA is in town. That’s always a great feeling.”
