BELMONT, Mich. — The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give has seen the best golfers in the world perform at elite levels year after year.
But this year’s tournament at Blythefield Country Club has been particularly tough for the big names on the LPGA Tour.
Several missed the cut, and with some of the top players like Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda – the top two in the world rankings – and upstart Rose Zhang not in the field, the weekend will be missing some star power.
The only top 10 players to make the cut were Hyo Joo Kim, Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson, who had to birdie 18 to make the cut.
Henderson faced an uphill battle after bogeying Nos. 3-5 but a birdie on 18 was enough to survive.
“It’s really amazing this tournament how many people come out to support us girls, and it’s just so much fun to play in front of these big crowds. I’m really fortunate that this involves a lot of personal connections to me, a lot really cute little ones and family and friends. Yeah, no, it’s really important, especially that I’m playing the weekend and hopefully just play a little better now,” Henderson said. “It took a while for the birdies to fall, but it was nice to get one on 12 and then to finish 18 hitting the green in two. Took a big deep breath and said, ‘OK, now just two-putt.’”
The cut was 2 under after two rounds.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue took the lead with a 5-under 67 on Friday. She’s at 11 under through two rounds. Amy Yang, Hyo Joo Kim, Leona Maguire and Carlota Ciganda are one shot back at 10 under. Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho is two back at 9 under, along with Lindsey Weaver-Wright, Minjee Lee, Manon De Roey, Aditi Ashok and Emily Kristine Pedersen
Here are the big names who missed the cut:
The defending Tour champion and third-ranked Lydia Ko was even through the first round and even in the second round, which added up to an uneven performance at Blythefield.
It was just the second cut she has missed this season.
She didn’t have any terrible holes, five bogeys, but just five birdies on a course like this is not going to make a dent on the leaderboard.
There wasn’t anything she overly struggled with. She played OK, and OK isn’t enough to get to the weekend at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Lydia Ko stands as she prepares to putt during the Meijer LPGA Classic Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, MI. (Photo: Cody Scanlan/Holland Sentinel)
The No. 8 golfer in the rankings has had tons of success at Blythefield, but not this week.
The first round saw her shoot 3-under, but she struggled to stay on the fairway and it cost her several shots. She was still in contention, just three shots back heading into the second round, but a 2 over with bogeys on 9, 16, 18 left her with a short tournament – one of eight golfers to miss the cut by a single stroke.
Thompson has won the Meijer LPGA Classic and has been a top-five finisher five other times, including a couple runner-up finishes.
Lexi Thompson sends the ball toward the hole during the Meijer LPGA Classic Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, MI. (Photo: Cody Scanlan/Holland Sentinel)
Former No. 1 in the world and Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis had three bogeys in a five-hole span on the front nine that proved costly as she was able to just manage pars the rest of the way.
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