Meijer LPGA Classic – Syndication Server

2023 Meijer LPGA Classic prize money payouts for each LPGA player

Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 Meijer LPGA Classic.

BELMONT, Mich. – Ireland’s Leona Maguire’s pockets just got a little bit heavier. The first-time Meijer LPGA Classic champion, and second time winner on the LPGA, claimed $375,000 for the first-place prize, more than her total earnings for the 2023 season thus far. The total purse for the event was $2.5 million.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn also collected a healthy sum of $230,318 for finishing in the second-place spot. She also earned more money at this event than she has over the course of the season.

Here is the official prize money payouts for the 2023 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give:

Pos	Player	Score	Earnings
1	Leona Maguire	-21	$375,000
2	Ariya Jutanugarn	-19	$230,318
T3	Xiyu Lin	-18	$148,164
T3	Amy Yang	-18	$148,164
5	Hyo Joo Kim	-16	$104,031
T6	Jennifer Kupcho	-15	$78,181
T6	Thidapa Suwannapura	-15	$78,181
T8	Hye Jin Choi	-14	$52,204
T8	Ally Ewing	-14	$52,204
T8	Carlota Ciganda	-14	$52,204
T8	Pauline Roussin-Bouchard	-14	$52,204
T8	Aditi Ashok	-14	$52,204
T13	Minjee Lee	-13	$37,829
T13	Ayaka Furue	-13	$37,829
T13	Ashleigh Buhai	-13	$37,829
T13	Stephanie Meadow	-13	$37,829
T17	Minami Katsu	-12	$31,357
T17	Mi Hyang Lee	-12	$31,357
T17	Manon De Roey	-12	$31,357
T20	Na Rin An	-11	$25,108
T20	Cheyenne Knight	-11	$25,108
T20	Lindsey Weaver-Wright	-11	$25,108
T20	Emily Kristine Pedersen	-11	$25,108
T20	Grace Kim	-11	$25,108
T20	Hae Ran Ryu	-11	$25,108
T20	Morgane Metraux	-11	$25,108
T20	Ruixin Liu	-11	$25,108
T20	Melissa Reid	-11	$25,108
T29	Alison Lee	-10	$19,797
T29	Mina Harigae	-10	$19,797
T29	Arpichaya Yubol	-10	$19,797
T32	Nasa Hataoka	-9	$15,270
T32	Jodi Ewart Shadoff	-9	$15,270
T32	Madelene Sagstrom	-9	$15,270
T32	Allisen Corpuz	-9	$15,270
T32	Eun-Hee Ji	-9	$15,270
T32	Jeongeun Lee	-9	$15,270
T32	Sarah Schmelzel	-9	$15,270
T32	Anna Nordqvist	-9	$15,270
T32	Azahara Munoz	-9	$15,270
T32	Ines Laklalech	-9	$15,270
T42	Brooke Henderson	-8	$11,853
T42	Frida Kinhult	-8	$11,853
T44	Moriya Jutanugarn	-7	$10,151
T44	Pernilla Lindberg	-7	$10,151
T44	Wei Ling Hsu	-7	$10,151
T44	Xiaowen Yin	-7	$10,151
T44	Esther Henseleit	-7	$10,151
T44	Charlotte Thomas	-7	$10,151
T50	Hannah Green	-6	$8,448
T50	So Yeon Ryu	-6	$8,448
T50	Yan Liu	-6	$8,448
T50	Jennifer Chang	-6	$8,448
T54	Megan Khang	-5	$7,566
T54	Maja Stark	-5	$7,566
T54	Soo Bin Joo	-5	$7,566
T57	Chella Choi	-4	$6,683
T57	Polly Mack	-4	$6,683
T57	Allison Emrey	-4	$6,683
T57	Lindy Duncan	-4	$6,683
T61	Yuna Nishimura	-3	$6,053
T61	Marissa Steen	-3	$6,053
T61	Laura Wearn	-3	$6,053
T64	Haeji Kang	-2	$5,737
T64	Ellinor Sudow	-2	$5,737
T66	Stephanie Kyriacou	-1	$5,359
T66	Celine Borge	-1	$5,359
T66	Maddie Szeryk	-1	$5,359
T66	Louise Ridderstrom	-1	$5,359
T70	Bailey Tardy	1	$5,013
T70	Christina Kim	1	$5,013
T72	Sung Hyun Park	2	$4,885
T72	Ilhee Lee	2	$4,885
74	Jeong Eun Lee	3	$4,791

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Leona Maguire shoots 30 on back nine to clinch second LPGA title at Meijer LPGA Classic, credits Padraig Harrington for short-game lesson

Leona Maguire might have to pay Padraig Harrington another visit this summer.

Leona Maguire might have to pay Padraig Harrington another visit this summer. The Meijer LPGA Classic winner credited several key up-and-downs this week to shots Ireland’s Harrington, a three-time major winner, taught her last summer ahead of the AIG Women’s British Open.

As U.S. Open contender Rory McIlroy arrived at Los Angeles Country Club for the final round, Maguire was lighting up the closing holes at Blythefield Country Club in Bellmont, Michigan, on Sunday. After finishing runner-up at the Meijer the past two years, the Irishwoman put the hammer down on the field, playing the last six holes in 6 under to pull away with a back-nine 30 en route to a closing 64.

Maguire, 28, became the first Irishwoman to win on the LPGA in February 2022 at the Drive On Championship. The former Duke player dominated the amateur game, ranking No. 1 for 135 weeks, a record that was only recently broken by Rose Zhang.

Maguire earned $375,000 for the victory.

Maguire began the day at 13 under and set a goal of getting to 20 under for the tournament. She bested that by a shot, beating Ariya Jutanugarn by two strokes and Xiyu “Janet” Lin and Amy Yang by three.

“It’s hugely satisfying,” Maguire said of her second career LPGA title. “I think it’s one thing knowing what to do; another thing executing on it.”

A well-deserved winning moment for @leona_maguire 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Yp8Fjv0qvL

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2023

China’s Lin looked poised to collect her first trophy in 202 starts on the LPGA until a misfire off the tee on the 17th hole bounced off a spectator in a chair, resulting in a lie that required negotiating a tree. Lin wound up bogeying the hole as Maguire tapped in for birdie up ahead on the 18th.

“I learned something today, how to stay in process, stay true with myself, with my own game,” said Lin, who recovered from a bout with COVID last week.

“I feel like I didn’t do the best, but I did pretty good.”

Ariya Jutanugarn tried to put together one of the best comebacks on the LPGA since the 1980s after an opening 73 put her outside the top 100. The former No. 1 played the next three rounds 64-66-66 to finish runner-up.

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Maguire will be one of the most talked-about players at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA at famed Baltusrol Golf Club. She finished in the top 10 in two majors last season, including a career-best fourth at the AIG Women’s British Open at Muirfield. Maguire got a first look at Baltusrol’s Lower Course on Monday after the Mizuho Americas Open.

“It’s a beastly golf course,” she said. “It’s a real major venue. I think this week is good preparation for it. I feel like I drove the ball really well this week.

“I think the greens are going to be firm and fast there like they were here. A slightly different test, it being a major and all.”

The biggest key, Maguire said, will be resting and recovering as quickly as possible before getting to work on Monday in New Jersey with swing coach, Shane O’Grady, who has guided her since age 10.

O’Grady came to Orlando last week to work with Maguire at Lake Nona, making only minor adjustments. Maguire said her confidence has been strong for several weeks now, pointing to a key turning point to her season at the Chevron, when she shot 4 under on the back nine Friday to make the cut.

It’s worth noting that every champion in the history of the Meijer has won a major championship.

“I’m just trying to do what I do,” said Maguire, “and hopefully it’ll inspire a younger generation of Irish girls.”

Meijer LPGA Classic golfers reflect on dads on Father’s Day weekend

It is a special weekend for fathers and daughters across the LPGA.

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BELMONT, Mich. — The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give has become a staple on the LPGA.

This weekend is the ninth edition of the tournament at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan, just outside Grand Rapids.

This weekend is also Father’s Day weekend, as it has been every year, giving the golfers a little more to reflect about in this tournament, led by Ayaka Furue at 11 under.

Winners like Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson have shared a little extra special moments with their fathers after winning, and some golfers like Chella Choi have their father as their caddie.

But it is a special weekend for fathers and daughters across the tour.

Here is what some of the top golfers said about their fathers:

Meijer LPGA Classic defending champion: Jennifer Kupcho, USA (9 under, 2 shots back)

“My dad has always been a big part of my life on and off the golf course, especially on the golf course. When I first came out, he caddied for me the first five events. To be able to play on Father’s Day, and last year to win, it is always fun.”

Amy Yang, Korea (10 under, 1 shot back)

“In Korea, we have Parents Day. My father and I are really close. He sacrificed a lot for me to improve my game. We moved to Australia (at 15), and he was traveling with me up until COVID hit. He has always been around, helping me, and it means a lot.”

Lindsey Weaver-Wright, USA (9 under, 2 shots back)

“It is awesome that we always play this tournament on Fathers’ Day. My dad got me into the game, so it is always important for me to play well this weekend, a little gift for him.”

Emily Kristine Petersen, Denmark (9 under, 2 shots back)

“My dad has meant so much. I started traveling at the age of 12 and he was a partner in a law firm. He kind of went on his own so he could travel with me so I could pursue my dream even back then. It has meant the world to me. I definitely wouldn’t be here without my dad – or my mom – but my dad traveled with me a lot when I was younger.”

Jennifer Kupcho outlasts Nelly Korda, Leona Maguire to win playoff at Meijer LPGA Classic

Kupcho struggled on Sunday but made the most of the playoff.

Nelly Korda and Leona Maguire each birdied the par-5 closing hole to get into a three-way playoff at the Meijer LPGA Classic.

Jennifer Kupcho made par on the last but in the playoff, she was the only one of the three to birdie the 18th at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan, clinching her second win of the season. Kupcho also won the Chevron Championship, her first major.

Kupcho led after 18 and 36 holes and only surrendered the 54-hole lead when Nelly Korda made eagle on the 18th hole Saturday evening.

On Sunday, Kupcho had an up-and-down round. She double bogeyed the third and bogeyed the sixth before rebounding with an eagle on No. 8 and birdies on Nos. 9, 12 and 14. A bogey on 16 led to a final-round 71 but she made the most of the playoff.

She will take home $375,000 for the win, giving her $1,333,521 in earnings this season and $2,831,793 in her career.

Lydia Ko missed out on the extra golf by a shot. Her final-round, bogey-free 68 left her just short at 17 under. Lexi Thompson birdied the 18th hole but bogeys on Nos. 11, 14 and 15 proved to much to overcome. She tied for fifth with Jessica Korda, Carlota Ciganda and Atthaya Thitikul. Brooke Henderson, last week’s winner on the LPGA, finished 15 under, tied for ninth.

The third major of the LPGA season is next week with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which will be staged at historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Gerina Mendoza looks to inspire parents, women with her play at 2022 Meijer LPGA Classic

Finding balance is a priority for Gerina Mendoza, who’s always searching for equilibrium as a pro golfer and a mom.

BELMONT, Mich. — Bringing a new life into the world comes with several sacrifices and responsibilities, and Gerina Mendoza cherishes every moment.

Mendoza, who has 40 career top-10 finishes on the LPGA, had always wanted to be a mother, and her dreams came true on April 26, 2018, when she gave birth to a baby boy, Ajeo Piller. Mendoza’s outlook on life, and golf, was changed forever.

It’s needless to say that raising a child is challenging, especially while being a world-class professional golfer. Luckily for Mendoza, she is no stranger to tricky situations, and through golf has learned how to thrive when the pressure is on.

“It was a big change, just traveling with another human being, but the perspective of life and my priorities have definitely changed and just went towards him,” Mendoza said. “It gave me a good outlook and perspective of golf.”

Finding balance has always been a priority for Mendoza, and now more than ever, she searches for equilibrium. Between raising a toddler, flying from country to country and competing at the highest level of golf, Mendoza tries not to go longer than a week before reuniting with her son.

“He didn’t come with me this week [at the Meijer LPGA Classic], but he’ll be with me next week [at the KPMG],” Mendoza said. “When I used to go overseas, the max I would go would be two weeks, so that was kind of hard.”

Staying strong for her child and her career, Mendoza repeats a mantra to help separate her emotions about her child from her ongoing career, allowing her to refocus on what is right in front of her.

“It’s obviously hard, it’s not unfeasible, and the best advice I was given was from Juli Inkster,” Mendoza said. “She was like ‘If you’re on the golf course, be on the golf course, and if you’re at home with your son, be at home with your son, so wherever you’re at, just be present.’”

Although life on the road can strain her relationship with her son, Mendoza still finds the time to create those life-long memories with Ajeo. Her son may be too young to understand her golf career, but Mendoza ensures he will remember the quality time he spends with his mom.

“He loves to go to aquariums and zoos, and he’s obsessed with animals,” Mendoza said. “We travel with a bug box, and whatever we find or catch, whether lizards or roly-polies, butterflies or whatever. … I take him to a bounce house because, like any parent will tell you, you want to get the energy out.”

Thoughts of retirement may start to become more relevant for Mendoza as Ajeo gets older. Mendoza worries that her golf career may start heavily weighing on her relationship with her son, causing her to miss those big moments every parent wants to be a part of.

“It’s definitely crossed my mind. … fall 2023, he’ll be going to kindergarten,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, I can’t take him out of school to travel, so I’ll definitely be toning down the travel a little bit because I don’t want to miss those graduations … or science fairs or anything like that.”

Mendoza isn’t the only mom playing in the LPGA Meijer Classic. Brittany Lincicome is a mother to three-year-old Emery and expects another girl in September. Sharing similar experiences, Lincicome receives a big mood booster when Emery is out watching her golf.

“She’s been watching me play golf since she was born, so when she sees me put on my golf uniform, she says, mommy go play golf,” Lincicome said. “I love having her out there to see her little smiling face.”

Encouraging each other every day, Mendoza and Lincicome share advice and stories that help each other grow as players and parents and hope to inspire young women everywhere.

“Hopefully, we can be an inspiration to the younger girls and the younger generation that you don’t have to put your career on hold to start a family or sacrifice your career and your dreams, and you can do both,” Mendoza said. “We all know how hard it is like I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard, and to see other moms doing it, it’s pretty cool.”

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Defending champion Nelly Korda grabs lead with eagle on 18 at Meijer LPGA Classic

“It was the perfect putt and it was great to hear the crowd go wild too, that was really cool,” said Korda.

BELMONT, Mich. — The crowd was roaring Saturday afternoon after Nelly Korda sunk a five-foot eagle putt that put her in the solo lead at the LPGA Meijer Classic.

It was nothing but smiles for last year’s tournament winner. Korda was feeding off the crowd’s energy all afternoon and seemed to flourish in the electric atmosphere as the fans rallied behind her.

“I had a left-to-righter on 17 that I under-read, and I knew that my putt on 18, when I got up to it that it was going to be a left-to-righter and I just gave it a little bit more than I thought,” Korda said. “Yeah, I trusted in my line and it just barely dropped in, but it was the perfect putt and it was great to hear the crowd go wild too, that was really cool.”

Preparing for the upcoming major next weekend, Korda relishes the moment to play against some of the most elite women in the world. She uses the competition at the Meijer Classic to feel out high-pressure situations like the ones she will face in the majors.

Now leading the pack, Korda sunk three birdies and two eagles and was able to edge out Jennifer Kupcho by one. Korda shot 6 under for the day, ending round three at 18-under par.

For the first time this tournament, Kupcho will not be leaving the course at the top of the leaderboard. Irritated and upset with her performance, she tries to put the day behind her and focus on coming out stronger and better in the final round.

“I mean, I think I kind of just controlled what I could control, obviously I do want to win but I didn’t have it today, so was just trying to keep myself in it,” Kupcho said. “Obviously there was a lot of golf left starting today, so I kind of just tried to remind myself of that, that there is more golf tomorrow.”

Ending her bogey-free run in this tournament, Kupcho knows she has to play a much smarter game in the final round. She acknowledges the cutthroat competition and believes that anything can happen in golf, so she must be at her best mentally as well as physically.

“I think just going out there and playing my best I mean, she’s a really good player, the whole top of the leaderboard are all good players anything can happen, anything can happen on the back nine,” Kupcho said. “It’s really exciting. I think this is what we all come out here to play for, so it’ll definitely be a really exciting round tomorrow.”

Moving down second on the leaderboard, Kupcho finished the day 3-under and sits one behind Korda at 17-under for the tournament.

Brooke Henderson went on a birdie barrage tallying five total for the afternoon including three consecutive birdies on the back nine. She shot 5 under for the day and moved into third place, sitting at 15 under for the tournament.

The former two-time champion of the Meijer Classic, Henderson has a lot of confidence playing on this course, but she feels honored to be able to play in the final group with the world’s most elite golfers.

“To be in those final groups, it’s just a lot of fun like I said, that’s kind of what we play for, is to get into those final groups and be in contention and feel that energy,” Henderson said. “Tomorrow I have nothing to lose. I can go out and be aggressive and try to make some birdies. But, I mean, Nelly plays very aggressively all the time and Jen is playing amazing and making a lot of birdies, so they’re not going to be easy to catch.”

Those final parings of the afternoon are stacked, with six of the top eight players in the world within five shots of the lead. Though win or lose, being able to play in the final groups has been exciting for Henderson, who is coming off her 11th career win last weekend. She has created a lot of great memories at the Meijer Classic and wants to focus on creating more and having fun playing the game she loves.

“It’s so much fun to be in the final groups on the weekend,” Henderson said. “That’s what we play for, and to be in contention and feeling the buzz from the crowd, that’s the best feeling.”

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Leona Maguire returns to Meijer Classic, the event that sparked her LPGA emergence

Last year’s tournament in West Michigan really helped Maguire realize she belongs competing for titles out on the tour.

BELMONT, Michigan — A lot of things can change in just one year.

Just 12 months ago, Leona Maguire was known as somebody who had been known one of the best amateurs women’s golf has ever seen, but who had failed to make her mark in her brief pro career. That all changed in a big way last summer.

At last year’s Meijer LPGA Classic, she finished alone in second place for the first time in her career, just two shots behind Nelly Korda who became the No. 1 ranked player in the world the following week. A month later, she was competing in the Olympics for her native Ireland. Then in September, she made a dominant run in her Solheim Cup debut, going undefeated and scoring a team-high 4.5 points. Those points helped push Team Europe to a 15-13 win over Team USA. The cherry on top for the 27-year-old was claiming the first-ever LPGA Tour win for an Irishwoman this February at the LPGA Drive On Championship.

She’s always been confident in herself, understandably so. After all, she held the world No. 1 amateur ranking for a record 135 weeks before turning pro in 2020. But last year’s tournament in West Michigan really helped her realize she belongs competing for titles out on the Tour.

“This week last year was a big confidence booster for me,” Maguire said. “I played some really great golf here and went toe to toe with Nelly [Korda] who then became No. 1 the next week, so I knew my game was in really good shape when I could do that, so [it] gave me a lot of confidence leading on from that.”

Maguire heads into Saturday’s third round with a shot to claim another title in 2022. She sits at 7-under par for the tournament, putting her in a tie for seventh place seven shots off the lead.

More: Photo gallery of the Meijer LPGA Classic from the Holland Sentinel

More: Mel Reid, several LPGA pros raising awareness with yardage books

The track at Blythefield Country Club is one of her favorites on the tour too. She said it reminds her of several courses from back home, so it gives her a sense of familiarity when she’s over the ball.

Another thing giving her good vibes heading into the weekend is that her twin sister, Lisa is with her. With hoards of fans in Michigan supporting Americans like Korda or Lexi Thompson, it’s comforting to know she has fans in her corner.

“It’s always nice having her out on the road. She’s been out for a few weeks now, so this week and next week at KPMG she’ll be out,” Maguire said. “Yeah, having her walk along and supporting me is always a benefit.”

Her fellow golfers on the Tour knew it was only a matter of time before Maguire, who is now ranked 24th in the world, burst onto the scene in the pro ranks. But it just took some time to adjust to the constant elite level of competition and the hectic lifestyle of always being on the road.

Meijer LPGA Classic - Round One — Leona Maguire of Ireland waves to fans after a par on the 15th green during round one of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club on June 17, 2021, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Mel Reid, her teammate on the Solheim Cup team last year, saw Maguire’s emergence firsthand when they were paired together for the first round of the tournament. She said she’s so happy to see her thriving now. She even got a nickname on the Tour due to her heroics for Team Europe.

“We call her MVP now, she’s obviously a great player, she’s always been a great player, she’s had a great amateur career,” Reid said. “It’s nice to see her doing well out here, you know it takes some time, the girls are really good out here.”

Another one of her teammates on Team Europe, Madelene Sagstrom, has known Maguire since junior golf. Just like Reid, there’s no surprise for her to see how Maguire has turned into the next potential superstar on the LPGA Tour.

“it’s nice to see her blossom. That’s what we’re all looking to do out here, so we all knew that she was going to do — she was going to win, and then we all knew she was going to do great,” Sagstrom said. That’s where she belongs.”

With the weekend rounds at the Meijer still to play and the third major of the year, The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, less than a week away Maguire will be looking to take more confidence from the Meijer LPGA Classic, even if she doesn’t end up hoisting the trophy on Sunday evening.

“Yeah, [that confidence] it’s huge,” Maguire said. “I think it’ll be a very different test next week at [the KPMG], but this week it’s about trying to go as low as possible.”

—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.

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Jennifer Kupcho holds lead at Meijer LPGA Classic, Nelly Korda shoots low round of day to climb into second

The third major on the 2022 LPGA schedule is next week.

BELMONT, Mich. — The third women’s major is next week but the game’s top players are making the most of this week’s event at Blythefield Country Club as a final tune-up.

Jennifer Kupcho, who won the Chevron Championship to kick off the 2022 major season, shot a second-round 67 and leads the field at the Meijer LPGA Classic by two at 14 under.

Nelly Korda shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to jump from a tie for seventh into solo second. Korda, who will be the defending champion at next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, is one three golfers to shoot a 65 on Friday.

The day was marked by winds that reached 20 mph.

“Golf is the luck of the draw, right? Unfortunately, sometimes you’re on the wrong side, and sometimes you’re on the good side of it,” Korda said. “You just have to fare with it and see how it goes.”

Nelly Korda plays her second shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the 2022 Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Carlota Ciganda was another. She’s in solo third at 11 under. Brooke Henderson, who won her 11th LPGA title five days ago, is solo fourth at 10 under. Anna Nordqvist and Lexi Thompson are next on the leaderboard at 9 under, along with Madelene Sagstrom.

“Yeah, on eight, the wind was helping. I hit a good driver, and then I hit a small 9-iron to like six, seven feet,” Ciganda said. “And then on the last hole, driver just in the rough, I had 146 meters, and I hit a nine again. The wind was helping. I tried to hit it to the front. It went up maybe to like 20 feet, just short of the pin, and made it. So very happy with those two eagles.”

The third 65 was posted by Paula Reto, who is tied for ninth with Jessica Korda and Gerina Mendoza at 8 under.

U.S. Women’s Open champ Minjee Lee is in a group at 7 under, tied for 12th.

Among those who didn’t make the cut to the weekend: Patty Tavatanakit, Ally Ewing, Sei Young Kim, Yuka Saso and Inbee Park.

Sam Smith of the Holland Sentinel contributed to this article.

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Jennifer Kupcho storms out of the gate at Meijer LPGA Classic, leads by one over Gerina Mendoza

Jennifer Kupcho had seven birdies and an eagle in her bogey-free round of 63 on Thursday.

BELMONT, Mich. — It was a test of who wanted it more in the opening round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give on Thursday.

And Jennifer Kupcho came out ready. Thanks for four early birdies and an eagle on No. 14, Kupcho carded a 9-under 63 to lead after the first round at Blythefield Country Club.

Consistency proved to be an aspect of the game Kupcho was working on by making six birdies on the front nine. In all, she hit 10 of 13 fairways and 16 greens. She also managed to save par each of the three times she hit into bunkers.

Although she sounded confident about her performance, she said she believes this is just one part of the puzzle.

“It’s important to me, but again, you never know what’s gonna happen there’s a lot of golf left,” Kupcho said. “So I’ll just go out there and control what I can control.

“I’m not really thinking about it honestly, I’m still a little angry that my last putt didn’t go in, so that’s where I’m at.”

Kupcho leads Gerina Mendoza by a shot after she fired an 8-under par 64, including an eagle on the par-5 18th hole. That slid her past Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom, who are tied tied for third after they each posted 65s.

“I’ve just been trying to work on being more consistent. That’s kind of been my mantra my whole career. It’s been kind of all over the map recently, but I just really tried to focus on a spot in front of my ball and really commit to that line and to my swing,” Mendoza said.

Lately, Mendoza believes her numbers haven’t been good, but she “feels like her old self,” after Thursday’s round. Taking the time to settle in and find her groove, she had to remind herself to stay in the moment and not get ahead of herself after a few good shots.

“I haven’t really been posting many numbers as of late, so it just really gave me a big confidence boost and I kind of felt like my old self, just kind of plunking away and not thinking about the number or one more or calculating,” Mendoza said. “I just really stayed present in every shot. I know it’s very cliche to say, but it’s really what you have to do. Kind of just keep your head down.”

Thompson seemed pleased with her first round.

“I would say I was pretty good off the tee today. Like I said earlier, just staying in the moment, staying relaxed, not getting too high or low with my attitude,” she said. “Yeah, we’re not robots. We’re going to hit bad shots. It’s all a matter of getting over it as quickly as possible. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s just a matter of staying positive, staying in the moment, and knowing you can pull off the next shot.”

Nelly Korda is tied for seventh at at 5 under.

“It’s so nice to be back, just in the city of Grand Rapids, too. It’s super nice. I really like it here. Everyone is so welcoming, and the crowd really gets behind this entire event, and the city gets behind this entire event,” Korda said. “I just really enjoy being here. I like the golf course, and I like the atmosphere.”

Last week’s winner, Brooke Henderson, is tied for 15th at 4 under.

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Here are 5 players we’re keeping an eye on at the Meijer LPGA Classic this week

Some of the best are descending upon West Michigan this weekend for the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club.

BELMONT, Michigan — Some of the best golfers in the world are descending upon West Michigan this weekend for the eighth iteration of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club.

The 144-player field is stacked with talent and features every single previous winner of the tournament dating back to the inaugural one in 2014. Eighteen of the top 25 players in the world are slated to hit the links right outside of Grand Rapids as well, including Inbee Park, Anna Nordqvist and Jessica Korda. They’ll all be using this weekend as a tune-up before one of the LPGA’s majors, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the following week.

Play began on Thursday.

While those are three big names in the LPGA world, there are still several more players that you might want to watch a tad closer this weekend. Here are five of the LPGA’s best that have a chance to hoist the trophy on the 18th green Sunday evening.

Nelly Korda

Nelly Korda, the younger sister of Jessica Korda, is the reigning champion at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. In 2021 she fired a tournament-record 21-under par to claim a two-stroke victory. The following week she claimed the first major of her career at the KPMG. The Meijer LPGA Classic served as a bit of a catalyst to her young career, because just a few weeks after claiming the title she rose to the world No. 1 ranking and won an Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

The 23-year-old has since fallen to No. 2 in the world and was sidelined since March with a blood clot, but returned to tournament play earlier this month after surgery. She tied for 8th place at the U.S. Women’s open. The Meijer LPGA Classic will be just her second tournament back after her surgery. She has a total of seven Tour victories in her career, including four in 2021.

Leona Maguire

Maguire nearly made history in her first trip to Blythefield in 2021 by becoming the first Irish woman to win an LPGA Tour event. She fell just two strokes short after Korda’s record-breaking Saturday round. Last fall she was the first-ever Irish player to be selected to represent Team Europe in the Solheim Cup, where she went undefeated and sparked a 15-13 win over Team USA. She just had to wait a little bit longer to finally earn that first victory on Tour for the Emerald Isle, though, winning the LPGA Drive On Championship back in February.

The 27-year-old enjoys playing at Blythefield and said last year that the course brings a familiarity to her, reminding her of several courses back home in Ireland. She is currently the No. 24 ranked player in the world and has a real shot to get her second Tour victory in her return to West Michigan.

Brooke Henderson

Henderson, a 24-year-old from Canada, is the only golfer to have won the Meijer LPGA Classic twice. She claimed her first title back in 2017 and won the event again two years later in 2019. Blythefield is clearly a course that suits her eye and play style. She struggled in the event last year, posting a two-under-par and failing to make the cut for the final two rounds of the weekend.

That was a bit of an anomaly for her, though. She’s gotten back on track and is ranked just outside the top 10 as the No. 11 golfer in the world. Henderson is also in a bit of a groove. She comes into the tournament having just won the Shoprite LPGA Classic last weekend, marking her 11th career victory on the Tour. Like Korda, she’s also won one major.

Lydia Ko

Ko, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, has an eye-popping 17 career Tour wins and has two major championships since turning pro in 2014. The 25-year-old most recently won in January of this year and earned another victory back in 2021.

She’s never earned the title at Blythefield but has come close several times. Last year she finished in 61st place with a three-under-par for the tournament. That was her worst performance in West Michigan, though. She’s finished in the top 10 on three occasions with a best finish of third place back in 2018. She’s playing some really good golf heading into this week as well, finishing in the top five in three of the last four tournaments she’s competed in.

Lexi Thompson

Thompson is probably the most well-known name to the non-golf fan on this list. She turned pro back in 2010 when she was just 15 years old. She earned full-time LPGA Tour status just two years later and has been a force in the golf world ever since. The native of Broward County, Florida is currently ranked as the No. 6 golfer in the world. She has amassed 11 career Tour victories and finished in the top 10 a whopping 81 times. She’s yet to win an event in 2022, but she has finished in the top 10 four times, including a second-place finish back in May at the Founders Cup, which was the second most-recent time she’s competed on the tour.

Thompson won the Meijer LPGA Classic back in 2015.

Television coverage of the tournament can be seen from Thursday to Sunday on Golf Channel.

—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.