Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Named "Best Tournament" on LPGA Tour

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, 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 & 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."

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 230 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer has a fundamental philosophy aimed at strengthening the communities it serves and proudly donates more than 6 percent of its net profit each year to charities throughout the Midwest. With hunger as a corporate philanthropic focus, Meijer partners with hundreds of food banks and pantries through its Simply Give and food rescue programs. Meijer also supports education, disaster relief, and health and wellness initiatives. For additional information on Meijer philanthropy, please visit www.meijercommunity.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

About Blythefield Country Club: Located just north of Grand Rapids, Blythefield has been providing families the best golf and social experience in West Michigan since 1928. With the Rogue River flowing through, Blythefield boasts one of the most beautiful championship layouts in Michigan. Previously, Blythefield has hosted the 1953 Western Amateur, the 1961 Western Open, won by Arnold Palmer, and the 2005 Western Junior won by Rickie Fowler. Beginning in 2014, Blythefield is honored to host the Meijer LPGA Classic. Learn more about Blythefield Country Club at www.blythefieldcc.org.

SOURCE Meijer