NORTON, Mass. – Long before she was a brand ambassador for the title sponsor here this week, Megan Khang was a Button Hole Kid.
A significant step in her golf journey took place in the former gravel pit that sits an equal drive from downtown Providence, Johnston and North Providence. Khang was one of the youth players who took advantage of everything the facility had to offer, and it’s helped vault her to a considerably larger stage.
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The FM Championship opens Thursday at TPC Boston. Her fourth straight Solheim Cup follows in two weeks, with Khang representing the United States against Team Europe. She’s a long way from the little girl who grew up paying $1 to play nine holes at one particular par-3 course.
“I kind of dragged my cousin with me just so I would have a friend to go play with,” Khang said. “Just being a Button Hole Kid, having a bucket of balls was only $1 or $2. It was very affordable for almost anyone.
“As I got older, I didn’t realize how expensive golf can be.”
Who is Megan Khang?
Khang’s parents were Vietnam War refugees from Laos who came to America in the 1970s. They settled in Brockton and her father, Lee, worked as a mechanic in Providence. He was in search of a sporting outlet for his daughter soon after Button Hole formally opened in 2000, and another chapter in their family’s history will be written this week.
“You could spend an entire day and spend maybe $10,” Khang said. “It’s incredible.”
Button Hole is still largely as Khang remembers it – barely 1,000 yards from the back tees, driving range, two putting greens and a chipping area with a sand bunker. Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon, the state’s professional golf emissaries and charity mainstays for four decades, serve as honorary co-chairs. Khang remains close with course founder Ed Mauro and his wife, Karen Adams, the longtime WPRI-TV anchor and avid golfer.
“They’re an incredible couple,” Khang said. “There’s no better family to do what they do, and they do it for the love of growing the game.”
Khang was an emerging star before too long, qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open as a 14-year-old and winning the Connecticut Women’s Open three times as a teenager. She earned her LPGA Tour card entering the 2016 season and picked up her first win last year at the CPKC Women’s Open.
“We had very limited time – especially when it came to daylight savings,” Khang said. “We had to have a very good practice session putting in the time and effort. The time was very short.”
Khang has developed into one of the most consistent contenders on tour, using a certain former New England Patriots quarterback for some inspiration. She’s closing in on a sixth straight year-end finish in the top 50 of the Women’s World Golf Rankings and finished in the top 10 at three LPGA majors in 2023. Khang was the top scorer for Team USA at the last Solheim Cup, collecting 3½ points thanks to a pair of victories with partner Lexi Thompson and a Sunday singles win over Linn Maria Grant.
“Hard work goes a long way,” Khang said. “(Tom) Brady played for however many extra years that not many others would. The work ethic alone just shines through.”
What is the FM Championship?
The last top-tier professional golf event in Massachusetts came in 2020, with Dustin Johnson dominating The Northern Trust field to win by 11 shots. That was the most recent of 17 PGA Tour events held at this venue, with the Deutsche Bank Championship – later rebranded the Dell Technologies Championship – starting in 2003. Orchards Golf Club hosted the U.S. Women’s Open the following year, with Meg Mallon capturing the title in South Hadley.
“To be able to bring it back to New England – Massachusetts especially – is incredible,” Khang said. “We have such a great fan base out here. We have amazing golf courses that we do want to showcase.
“I think it’s important to show off the girls, as well. We can play this golf course just like the men.”
Khang starts her tournament off the first tee Thursday, playing with Hannah Green and Yuka Saso at 12:59 p.m. The same threesome will go off the 10th tee Friday at 7:59 a.m. and will be one of the featured groups on the ESPN+ stream. Khang will be searching for a healthy cut of the $3.8-million purse, the largest available in 2024 outside the LPGA majors and tour championship.
“Hopefully it’s going to be very entertaining,” Khang said. “Selfishly, I’m hoping I’m the one raising the cup. We’ll see at the end of the week.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: ‘Button Hole Kid’ Meghan Khang plays TPC Boston on LPGA tour this week
