The LPGA Tour returns to Grand Rapids for what has quickly become a player-favorite stop – the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
“This is probably one of our best crowds all year,” said two-time winner Brooke Henderson. “Coming to this event there are always so many fans and it's always exciting and so much energy.”
One thing is for certain this week at Blythefield Country Club, birdies will be needed to compete for the title as the average winning score over the last five years sits at just over 21-under par.
With the biggest names in women’s golf all back in action at the Meijer LPGA Classic, look at just a few of the featured groups this week, using KPMG Performance Insights:
Thursday, (12:59 p.m.) – Nelly Korda/Brooke Henderson/Leona Maguire
Nelly Korda: Korda highlights this power trio. Already a six-time winner this season, Korda won the Meijer LPGA Classic in 2021 with a tournament-record score of 25 under. Korda leads the LPGA Tour in scoring average by almost a full stroke over No. 2-ranked Hannah Green and is almost a full shot ahead of No. 2 Atthaya Thitikul in strokes gained: total.
Brooke Henderson: The two-time winner of the Meijer LPGA Classic has notched five top-10 finishes already this season including a tie for third at the Chevron Championship. If birdies are to come in bunches this week, Henderson has been doing that with aplomb this season – her 170 total birdies on the year has her second on Tour.
Leona Maguire: Maguire looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the Meijer LPGA Classic. She fired a sizzling Sunday 64 a year ago to top Ariya Jutanugarn by two shots. Maguire is 31st in scoring average this season and has long proven she can go on a nice scoring run.
Thursday, (8:10 a.m.) – Minjee Lee/Alison Lee/Lilia Vu
Lilia Vu: She’s back! Vu hasn’t teed it up since March at the Ford Championship presented by KCC as she’s battled an injured back. “I kind of had to reevaluate my game and how my body moves,” she said. Vu remains one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball on Tour – at 15th in driving accuracy – but she admitted Wednesday of tournament week would be first 18-hole round in months. Still, it’s great to see the world No. 2 return to action before a busy summertime stretch.
Minjee Lee: Lee has three top-10 finishes on the season including a tie for 9th at her last start, the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally. Somehow Lee has managed to make things work this season with her ball striking. She’s 144th on Tour on driving accuracy, but is first in strokes gained: approach, according to KPMG Performance Insights.
Alison Lee: Lee keeps chipping away and chipping away at a chance for an LPGA Tour title. She’s got two top-10 finishes so far this season and is ranked 18th in the world. Lee is 17th on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained: tee to green and if she can convert some of that elite ball striking into birdies, Blythefield may be a perfect venue for her to tilt a trophy.
*Off No. 10
Thursday, (7:59 a.m.) – Ayaka Furue/Atthaya Thitikul/Lexi Thompson
Ayaka Furue: If it’s going to be a birdie-fest at Blythfield, then look no further than the LPGA Tour leader in birdies to be in contention. Furue has made 21 more birdies than the No. 2 Brooke Henderson so far in 2024. She’s had seven top-10 finishes so far this season including three in a row (she was tied for second last week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer) and is fourth on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained: total.
Lexi Thompson: With Thompson’s big announcement that she will be retiring from a full-time playing schedule at the end of 2024 now out of the way, it’ll be fascinating to see if the fan-favorite will be playing more free moving forward. Thompson won this event in 2015.
Atthaya Thitikul: Thitikul is second to Korda in strokes gained: total for the season and is on a tremendous run over the last month or so – notching three straight top-10 results including a fourth last week and tie for sixth at the U.S. Women’s Open. She’s second in greens in regulation and fourth in scoring average for the season and seems primed to breakthrough for another LPGA Tour title.
*Off No. 10
For a full list of tee times, please click here.
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