Two MSU Golfers to Compete in Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids
On Friday, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give announced that three collegiate athletes have been awarded sponsor exemptions and will compete in the professional tournament at Blythefield Country Club.
The 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic will host a full field of 144 of the world's best golfers, June 14 - June 17. Each year the field has also included a select few elite college golfers. This year's collegiate golfers are:
Burnham is an MSU senior from Maple Grove, Minn. She is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year having won in her junior and senior seasons. She holds the MSU season scoring record at 70.68 (1.32 under par), which is the lowest in the Big Ten in the past 12 years. Last summer, Burnham competed in the U.S. Amateur Championship and advanced to the Round of 32. She was also the runner-up in the Minnesota Women's State Open with a six-under-par 138 (68-70) at Deer Run Golf Club. At age 16, Burnham was named the Minnesota Golf Association Women's Player of the Year, becoming the first junior to do so since 1997.
Geer is an upcoming junior at MSU from Brighton, Mich. This is her second year as a Meijer sponsor exemption for the tournament. In the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic, she shot 7-over-par 149 (75-74). Last summer, Geer also competed in the Symetra Tour Tullymore Classic and finished in a tie for 33rd, recording a 3-under-par 213 (68-73-72). During her freshman year at MSU, Geer was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, had two Top 5 finishes and two Top 20 finishes in appearing in all eight tournaments after joining the team in January. She finished the season with a 74.08 average, ranking second on the team.
Lee is a Calgary, Alberta native from Ohio State University. She joins the Meijer LPGA Classic field for the first time. Lee was the 2014 Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship winner at 17 years old, becoming the youngest winner in the tournament's 79-year history. In addition to being the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2017, Lee was also a WGCA All-American Scholar (2016 and 2017), Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2017), Academic All-Big Ten (2017) and an OSU Scholar-Athlete (2016 and 2017).