Meijer Classic Tops on LPGA Tour
For the second consecutive year, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give was recognized as the "Best Tournament" on the LPGA Tour.
The 2016 Meijer LPGA Classic, which hosted all of the Top 50 LPGA professionals at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Mich., received the Gold Driver – Dave Goff Series Award at a recent annual luncheon that honors excellence in event management and marketing across the entire LPGA tournament schedule.
"We are honored to once again receive this prestigious award, which ultimately belongs to the community," Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said. "We cannot thank the community enough for their continued support of our tournament, which continues to exceed expectations."
The Gold Driver – Dave Goff Series Award recognizes the entire body of work from a tournament, and is considered the ultimate prize awarded by the LPGA and Tournament Owners Association. The Meijer LPGA Classic also earned awards for its social media campaign, player engagement, sponsorship activation, program and the overall tournament experience.
"The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give has quickly become a role model for LPGA tournaments, excelling in all aspects of a successful tournament," LPGA Chief Commercial Officer Jon Podany said. "It is quite impressive to earn six TOA Gold Driver Awards honors, the Gold Driver Award for the best overall tournament experience, in just their third year as a tournament. These accolades speak volumes to the unified efforts of the tournament partners and staff, Blythefield Country Club, the Grand Rapids community and the people at Meijer who work year-long to make this event truly stand out."
The 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic will return to Blythefield Country Club on Father's Day weekend June 13-18. The driving mission of the tournament is focused on feeding the hungry through the retailer's Simply Give program that restocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. Over the past three years, the Meijer LPGA Classic generated more than $2.1 million for food pantries in the communities it serves.
The tournament hosts a field of 144 of the best women golfers for 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition. The tournament also includes events throughout the week to engage the entire family, including a Kid's Center, Meijer LPGA 5k Run and Walk presented by Kellogg's, and the Grand Taste, a three-day food-tasting event that features local restaurants, breweries, Meijer products, along with celebrity and local chef demonstrations.
"We are dedicated to making the Meijer LPGA Classic an event the community and the LPGA can stand behind," said Cathy Cooper, director of the Meijer LPGA Classic. "We are looking forward to putting on another great tournament week."
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer operates 230 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.