June 8, 2017
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — University of Michigan women’s golfer Megan Kim is one of three collegiate golfers to be awarded a sponsor exemption, allowing her to compete among the field of professionals at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, June 13-18, at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids.
Kim will be joined by Michigan State’s Allyson Geer and Purdue’s August Kim as sponsor exemptions for the event. In fact, all three Big Ten players recently competed together at the Big Ten Championships (April 21-23) and NCAA Championships (May 19-24).
“This is such a wonderful opportunity that Meijer has allowed me to have with this exemption,” said Kim. “It has been a dream of mine to play on the LPGA and compete with some of the best players in the world. I’m looking forward to learning from them and representing the University of Michigan as best I can.”
Kim is the third Wolverine to earn an exemption to the local LPGA Tour event. Grace Choi was awarded a sponsor’s exemption in the inaugural 2014 event, while Catherine Peterswon a 35-golfer collegiate shootout in 2015 for one of two spots.
In her third season in Ann Arbor, Kim was a steady force for the Wolverines. She was instrumental in helping the Wolverines earn their second straight NCAA Regional team selection and trip back to the NCAA Championships, starting all 12 events, averaging 76.09 per round and producing three top-20 finishes. A two-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association Scholar All-American, Kim has started 31 of 32 career events.
The 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic will host a full field of 144 of the best women golfers for 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition. Proceeds from the tournament — and each of the week’s festivities — will benefit the Meijer Simply Give program that restocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. To date, the Meijer LPGA Classic has generated more than $2.1 million for food pantries in the communities it serves.
Blythefield, which has hosted such prestigious events as the 1953 Western Amateur and the 1961 Western Open won by Arnold Palmer, has been providing West Michigan with one of the state’s most beautiful championship layouts since 1928. Beginning in 2014, Blythefield has hosted the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Television coverage will be provided by the Golf Channel, running from 4-7 p.m. for Thursday and Friday’s first two rounds. Saturday’s third round will be covered from 3-6 p.m., with final-round coverage from noon to 3 p.m.
For full event details and information, please visit the Meijer LPGA Classic website.
Michigan at the Meijer LPGA Classic
2015 Meijer LPGA Classic: Catherine Peters
2014 Meijer LPGA Classic: Grace Choi
