The ladies tour heads north up the east coast from South Carolina to the Jersey Shore for the 31st edition of the Shoprite LPGA Classic at Seview Hotel and Golf Club.
The New Jersey LPGA tournament is the 14th event of the 2019 season, and the finale of its three-stop East Coast Swing (Williamsburg, Charleston, and Atlantic City).
Annie Park will return to defend her maiden title, and will go head to head against a strong field over just 54 holes, including the newly-minted U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Jeongeun Lee6, along with top-10 ranked stars Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Sei Young Kim, and Ariya Jutanugarn.
The Skinny
Tournament: ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer
Dates:Â June 7-9, 2019
Where: Galloway, NJ
Course:Â Seaview Hotel and Golf Club (Bay Course)
Distance: Par 71, 6217 yards
Architect: Donald Ross
Format: 54-holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Purse: $1,750,000
Winning Share: $262,500
Defending Champion:Â Annie Park
Other Marquee Players: Lexi Thompson, Jeongeun Lee6, Ariya Jutanugarn, Annie Park, Brooke M. Henderson, Sei Young Kim, Bronte Law, Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist, Amy Yang, Pernilla Lindberg, Paula Creamer, Karrie Webb
GOLF Channel Coverage
Rd 1: Fr 12:00-02:30 pm
Rd 2: Sa 03:00-05:00 pm
Rd 3: Su 03:00-05:00 pm
Online: Web | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Wikipedia
Tournament History
Distinctive in its current format for “golf’s largest pro-am” played over two days and four courses, the ShopRite LPGA Classic brings the LPGA tour to southern New Jersey, just adjacent to Atlantic City.
It’s contested on the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, an historic gem designed by Donald Ross in 1914 and the host course for the 1942 PGA Championship.
The LPGA has been visiting almost continuously since 1986, with only a break from 2007-09. With an extra day of pro-am play, it is only a 54-hole event. A slew of top players have claimed the title over the years, including Betsy King and Annika Sorenstam, the only three-time winners of the event.
Juli Inkster won this title two times, as have Stacy Lewis and Anna Nordqvist. Other top names who have won on the Bay Course include Nancy Lopez, Donna Andrews, Dottie Pepper, Michelle McGann, Se Ri Pak, Cristie Kerr and Karrie Webb.
The title sponsor, ShopRite, is a supermarket cooperative that operates stores throughout the northeastern United States, and is also the largest employer in the state of New Jersey. Its partner in presenting the tournament, Acer, is a technology and electronics company based in Taiwan.
History: Tournament Names
2013-19: ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer
1992-12: ShopRite LPGA Classic
1988-91: Atlantic City Classic
1986-87: Atlantic City LPGA Classic
History: Recent Winners
2018: Annie Park (-16)
2017: I.K. Kim (-11)
2016: Anna Nordqvist (-17)
2015: Anna Nordqvist (-8)
2014: Stacy Lewis (-16)
2013: Karrie Webb (-4)
History: Tournament Records
Scoring
196 (-17) Annika Sorenstam (1998, 2005)
196 (-17) Anna Nordqvist (2016)
Wins
3 – Betsy King (1987, 1995, 2001)
3 – Annika Sorenstam (1998, 2002, 2005)
2 – Juli Inkster (1986, 1988)
2 – Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014)
2 – Anna Nordqvist (2016-17)
Defending Champion
Annie Park fired a bogey-free final-round 63 to capture her maiden LPGA Tour title at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Starting the day four shots back of overnight leader Sei Young Kim, the Long Island native came out of the gate red hot, posting birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 5 to quickly move into the hunt at 11 under.
After three-consecutive pars on hole Nos. 6-8, Park reeled off three birdies and an eagle in a six-hole stretch (Nos. 9-14) to take the outright lead.
The former USC star then cruised home with four-consecutive pars to sign for an 8-under 63 and three-day total of 16-under par, one clear of Japan’s Sakura Yokomine, who shot a low-round 61.
Marina Alex aced the par-3 17th en route to a 64 to secure the bronze at 14 under 199, one ahead of Kim (70) who finished at 13 under.
Final Top-5
1 Annie Park -16
2 Sakura Yokomine -15
3 Marina Alex -14
4 Sei Young Kim -13
5 Sandra Gal -12
5 Su-Hyun Oh -12
Full Field & Odds
Last weekend’s winner of the U.S. Women’s Open, Jeongeun Lee6, is the favorite this week in New Jersey. The 23-year old Korean is listed with 7-1 odds, just ahead of Brooke Henderson (8-1).
Lexi Thompson (10-1) and Sei Young Kim (11-1) were next with Amy Yang and Carlota Ciganda rounding out the top-5 favorites at 12-1.
Top-5 Favorites
1. Jeongeun Lee6 (7-1)
2. Brooke Henderson (8-1)
3. Lexi Thompson (10-1)
4. Sei Young Kim (11-1)
5. Carlota Ciganda (12-1)
5. Amy Yang (12-1)