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Meijer LPGA tee off delayed 7 hours after rain drenches course

Officials have pushed back tee time into Thursday afternoon.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give is seeing a very soggy start. 

Tee times for Thursday’s first round of the 2019 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give have been pushed back all morning long. The original tee time was 7:15 a.m., however after heavy rainfall swept through the area officials say the tee time and the spectator gates won't open until 2:15 p.m.

The Blythefield Country Club maintenance team was able to clear some of the puddles from the course this morning and then had to stop due to heavy rains just before daybreak when another band of moderate rain swept through.

However, nearly an inch of rain has fallen since the it started overnight, soaking the golf course beyond the playability standard. The golf course needs time to dry before players can take to the course.

RELATED: Meijer LPGA Classic first on tour with on-course family care for nursing mothers, families

There is one aspect of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give that isn't impacted by rain, which is the money being generated for local food pantries. 

The tournament benefits Meijer's Simply Give program, which stocks the shelves at food pantries across the Midwest. Since the start of the LPGA Classic in 2014, more than $4 million has been put into fresh vegetables, fruit and other food items in pantries and eventually homes in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. 

"The Meijer Simply Give and LPGA are a god-send the to the North Kent Connect, without the proceeds we could not give all the fresh fruits and vegetables to our clients," Claire Guisfredi, Executive Director of North Kent Connect, explained. "We just love Meijer and this tournament and the giving back to the community that they do."

If you can't make it to the tournament this year, you can support pantries like North Kent Connect by visiting any Meijer store and purchasing a $10 Simply Give donation care at checkout. 

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