Michigan Golf Journal May 2019

Pro Tournaments Flood Michigan This Season Five short years ago, no major professional golf tour was to be found in Michigan. Fans were at a loss. That all changed when Meijer brought golf’s national stage back to the state with the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give . Support for the tournament has been huge, with large crowds each year raising more than $4.2 million for food pantries. (pages 8-12). Yet if nothing else, Meijer’s positive gamble proved to other business groups that Michigan golf fans would come watch their favorite players in person and TV would positively promote our state to the world. ^ŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƟŵĞ͕ ƚŚĞ >W' dŽƵƌ added the Ann Arbor tournament (now on hiatus) and created the ĮƌƐƚ ŽĸĐŝĂů ůĂĚŝĞƐ ƚĞĂŵ ĞǀĞŶƚ ŽŶ the LPGA Tour with the upcoming Žǁ 'ƌĞĂƚ >ĂŬĞƐ ĂLJ /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů in Midland (pages 14-15). The PGA Tour Champions brought men’s tour golf back to Grand Blanc ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ůůLJ ŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ůĂƐƚ September; and now the much- ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ZŽĐŬĞƚ DŽƌƚŐĂŐĞ Classic is coming in June (see page ϭϴͿ͕ ƚŽ ŵĂƌŬ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƟŵĞ ŝŶ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ the PGA Tour is stepping foot inside the city limits of Detroit. Thank you, golf fans. Thank you, Meijer. Pro golf in Michigan is set for a long and prosperous run. Tom Lang Publisher/Editor WHAT’S INSIDE: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Q&A with LPGA’s Brooke Henderson Guest column: Tiger Woods Unites U.S. PGA Tour Players Announced for Detroit Michigan News and Notes 08 10 16 18 Golf Tips from Kendall Academy Michigan’s 5 Greatest Golfers 26 28 20 Michigan Woman Leads Valspar Championship 32 Michigan Golf Journal