Out of the Rough: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give (2026)

The LPGA Tour will remain in Michigan for a second consecutive week for this week’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.

The event began in 2014 and has been held at the Blythefield Country Club for each of the past 11 editions. This season marks the 12th installment of this event, again, held at the Blythefield Country Club.

This week is also the final week before the third major event of the season - the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. This week serves as the final tuneup before the Tour turns its attention to Hazeltine National Golf Club.

The purse this week sits at $3.25 million, which is above average in terms of purses for a regular season event on the LPGA Tour.

The Field

Being the final event before next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, many of the World’s best will turn out to Blythefield County Club to get a fine tuneup in.

World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul leads the charge this week as she headlines a talented field.

Joining Thitikul this week are Hannah Green (No. 6,) Lottie Woad (No. 7,) Miyu Yamashita (No. 9,) Minjee Lee (No. 10,) Lauren Coughlin (No. 14) and Akie Iwai (No. 20) as those ranked within the top 20 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings to be teeing it up this week.

Carlota Ciganda comes in as the defending champion. She birdied the last two holes a season ago to claim her first LPGA title in eight-and-a-half years. 

Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include Lilia Vu (2024,) Leona Maguire (2023,) Jennifer Kupcho (2022,) Brooke Henderson (2017 and 2019) and Lexi Thompson (2015.) 

The Course

The Blythefield County Club will play host for the 12th time this week for the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.

It plays as a par-72 at 6,611 yards

It opened in 1928 during the ‘Golden Age’ of American golf and is your typical layout of the time. It was designed by William Langford and Theodore J. Moreau.

Blythefield County Club sits along the banks of the Rogue River in Belmont, Michigan. The course features rolling terrain nestled in the Grand River valley.

The fairways here at Blythefield County Club are described as immaculately kept and are average in width in terms of professional layouts. Some landing areas are narrowed for the long hitters of the modern game.

The course is known for its thick three-inch Kentucky bluegrass rough that can derail anyone’s hole that is to miss the fairway.

Blythefield County Club is also known for its challenging bunkering, both along the fairway and greenside.

Blythefield Country Club underwent a $3.5 million renovation in 2020 under the direction of Chris Wilczynski.

In that renovation, all of the bunkers were addressed and converted to the patented Better Billy Bunker system. 

Additionally in that renovation, five-to-six new tee boxes were added per hole and the greens were expanded and reshaped to their original historical dimensions.

These Bentgrass greens are fast and heavily contoured. They historically run 11.5 on the Stimpmeter. 

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday is calling for a 35-percent chance of morning showers. Friday is calling for just a 15-percent chance of precipitation, Saturday a ten-percent chance and Sunday a 40-percent chance of showers. Winds are set for 17 miles-per-hour out of the West on Thursday. Winds will settle to 16 miles-per-hour on Thursday coming from the northwest. Winds will turn to coming back out of the west on Saturday at 14 miles-per-hour. Winds will completely shift to coming out of the south on Sunday at 12 miles-per-hour. Temperatures will be the lowest on Thursday at 66-degrees before reaching 72-degrees on Friday. Temperatures will peak at 75-degrees on Saturday before settling to 74-degrees on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Stroked Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Stroked Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Driving Accuracy Percentage

• Sand Saves Percentage

• Scrambling Percentage

• Par-Five Average Scoring

Betting Card

Alison Lee (+2500)

Lee has been on a tear as of late on the LPGA Tour. She placed third last week at the Dow Championship alongside teammate Lilia Vu. Prior to that she placed 14th at the U.S. Women’s Open, 33rd at the Kroger Queen City Championship, third at the Mizuho Americas Open, missed the cut at The Chevron Championship and placed 13th at the JM Eagle LA Championship. Lee is currently fourth on Tour in par-five average scoring, fifth in SG: ATG, ninth in scrambling, 29th in sand saves percentage, 46th in driving accuracy percentage, 48th in SG: APP and 106th in SG: PUTT. She did not play this event a season ago but placed eighth in 2024, 29th in 2023, 32nd in 2022 and 29th in 2021. 

Brooke Henderson (+5000)

Henderson has been rather good at Blythefield Country Club across the last five seasons. She placed 14th here a season ago, 34th in 2024, 42nd in 2023, ninth in 2022 and missed the cut in 2021. She also won this event in both 2017 and 2019. Her season hasn’t been what we’ve come to expect out of Henderson but she is quietly coming into form across her last two starts. She placed 22nd in her latest outing at the U.S. Women’s Open and 40th at the ShopeRite LPGA Classic powered by Wakefern. Henderson is currently fourth on Tour in SG: PUTT, ninth in par-five average scoring, 13th in driving accuracy percentage, 18th in scrambling, 45th in sand saves percentage and 75th in SG: APP. 

In Gee Chun (+5800)

This was my first click this week. Why? The statistical matchup for Chun to Blythefield County Club is great. Chun is currently fourth on Tour in par-five average scoring, eighth in SG: ATG, 25th in scrambling, 30th in sand saves percentage, 40th in SG: APP, 47th in driving accuracy percentage and 71st in SG: PUTT. She most recently played the U.S. Women’s open where she placed fourth. Prior to that she placed 29th at the ShopeRite LPGA Classic powered by Wakefern and 21st at the Kroger Queen City Championship. She also placed 54th here at this event a season ago, missed the cut in 2023, placed 67th in 2022 and third in 2021. 

Mi Hyang Lee (+17500)

My long shot this week is Lee who placed 14th at this event a season ago. She also placed 77th here in 2024, 17th in 2023 and missed the cut in 2022. Since winning the Blue Bay LPGA clear back in the beginning of the season, she has made just two cuts in five starts. She’s missed three consecutive cuts coming into this week including a withdrawal from the Mizuho Americas Open. However, she has a victory on the season and is returning to a course she has proven success at. All of that is obviously baked into the price at 175/1. Lee is currently 12th on Tour in SG: ATG, 18th in SG: PUTT, 42nd in sand saves percentage, 64th in par-five average scoring, 68th in scrambling, 78th in SG: APP and 134th in driving accuracy percentage.