2015 CHAMPION LEXI THOMPSON BACK TO DEFEND

With her T22 finish at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Lexi Thompson heads to Grand Rapids looking to win again at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club.

World No. 4, Thompson won the 2015 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give posting an overall 18-under, 266, defeating Gerina Piller and Lizette Salas by one shot. Thompson has seven top-10 finishes throughout 12 tournaments this year on Tour and one tournament win at the 2016 Honda LPGA Thailand.

BROOKE HENDERSON COMING OFF HER FIRST MAJOR VICTORY

Brooke Henderson drained a three-foot birdie putt to edge Lydia Ko on the first playoff hole to win the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday afternoon at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington.

Henderson, who began the day two shots behind Ko, fired the low round of the Championship, a bogey-free, 6-under-par 65, to force the playoff. Henderson’s charge thwarted Ko’s bid for a third consecutive major championship victory. The leader after Thursday’s first round, Henderson did not reclaim the top spot on the leaderboard until her clinching putt on the first extra hole (No. 18).

By winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Henderson secured the first major championship of her career at the age of 18 years, 9 months and 2 days. She is the 2nd-youngest major champion in the history of the LPGA. Coincidentally, only her playoff opponent, Ko, was younger (18 years, 4 months, 20 days upon winning the 2015 Evian Championship).

ROAD TO RIO CONTINUES IN GRAND RAPIDS

With the Olympics just months away, the chance for players to represent their country during the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil is heating up.

The top 60 players after the July 11 cutoff date will be eligible to compete in August. As of right now, 29 potential Olympians representing 19 countries will be in the field at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give looking to move up in the Rolex World Rankings to earn their spot in the Olympics.

Here’s a look at potential Olympians to look for during the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.

Australia - Minjee Lee, Su Oh
Canada - Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp
China - Shanshan Feng, Xi Yu Lin
Columbia – Mariajo Uribe
France – Karine Icher
Germany - Caroline Masson, Sandra Gal
Great Britain – Charley Hull
Israel- Laetitia Beck
Italy – Giulia Sergas
Japan – Harukyo Nomura
Mexico –Alejandra Llaneza
New Zealand: Lydia Ko
Norway - Suzann Pettersen
South Africa – Paula Reto, Lee-Ann Pace
South Korea - Amy Yang, Inbee Park, Sei Young Kim, In Gee Chun
Spain – Azahara Munoz, Carlota Ciganda
Sweden- Pernilla Lindberg
Thailand - Pornanong Phatlum, Ariya Jutanugarn
USA – Lexi Thompson

UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN PLAYERS FINALIZED

With the UL International Crown standings finalized after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, 32 players from eight different countries will compete in the UL International Crown which will be held on July 21-24 will be held at the Merit Club in Chicago.

The four highest ranked players from each of the eight qualifying countries will make up their respective teams for the matches. The players that are in the field for the UL International Crown will be divided into two pools based on the cumulative team score of the four players’ Rolex World Rankings.

Here’s the full list of players along with their Rolex World Ranking that have qualified to compete in the UL International Crown in July.

Team Korea: Inbee Park (3), Sei Young Kim (5), In Gee Chun (6), Amy Yang (8)
Team USA: Lexi Thompson (4), Stacy Lewis (9), Gerina Piller (15), Cristie Kerr (20)
Team Japan: Haru Nomura (22), Shiho Oyama (41), Mika Miyazato (42), Ayaka Watanabe( 45)
Team Australia: Minjee Lee (13), Su-Hyun Oh (40) Karrie Webb (53), Rebecca Artis (155)
Team Chinese Taipei: Teresa Lu (25), Candie Kung (37), Yani Tseng (70), Ssu-Chia Cheng (132)
Team Thailand: Ariya Jutanugarn (7), Pornanong Phatlum (32), Moriya Jutanugarn (95), Porani Chutichai (164)
Team England: Charley Hull (26), Holly Clyburn (102), Melissa Reid (107), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (125)
Team China: Shanshan Feng (12), Xi Yu Lin (58), Jing Yan (115), Yuting Shi (210)

YOUTH NUMBERS TO KNOW

Through the first 16 events of the 2016 season:

11 - Different winners (one player with three wins – Aryia Jutanugarn; three players with two wins each – Ha Na Jang, Lydia Ko, Haru Nomura).
23 - Only one winner this year has been over the age of 23 (Anna Nordqvist, 28)
21.13 - The average age of winners this year
4 - Events won by teenagers (Lydia Ko (18 y/o) won twice, Minjee Lee (19), Brooke Henderson (18))
9 - Events were won by players 21 years old and under
6 - Out of the top-10 in the world, six are 23 years old or younger (No. 1 Lydia Ko (19), No. 2 Brooke Henderson (18), No. 4 Lexi Thompson (21), No. 5 Sei Young Kim (23), No. 6 In Gee Chun (21), No. 7 Ariya Jutanugarn (20))

Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Top Storylines

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