Riding the momentum from last week’s second major championship, the U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica, the LPGA Tour returns to Galloway, N.J. for the 34th edition of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer. The tournament is back in its familiar early summer dates after the 2021 event was contested in October. The 144-player field, competing for a $1.75 million purse, is headlined by defending champion Celine Boutier and eight more past victors, including LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb (2013), and two-time winners Anna Nordqvist (2015, 2016) and Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014).
Last year, Boutier rallied from a five-shot deficit going into the final day to earn her second-career victory at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel. Boutier matched her career-low score on Sunday with a final-round 63 to hold off current Rolex Rankings No. 1 Jin Young Ko and major champions Inbee Park and Brooke Henderson. She matched Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and Anne-Marie Palli (who won the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 1992) for most wins by a French golfer in LPGA Tour history.
Joining Boutier in the field are five 2022 Tour winners including New Jersey native Marina Alex (Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America) and Lydia Ko (Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio). There are 25 rookies teeing it up in the 54-hole event, including Hye-Jin Choi, the 11-time KLPGA Tour winner hot off a solo third finish at the U.S. Women’s Open. Bailey Shoemaker, Maisie Filler and Laney Frye are this week’s sponsor exemptions; Shoemaker was one of four amateurs to make the cut in last week’s major in Pine Needles.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER
- This is the 34th playing of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer and 24th on the Bay Course at the famed Seaview, A Dolce Hotel.
- Nine former champions of the ShopRite LPGA Classic are playing in this year’s event (Celine Boutier, Mel Reid, In Kyung Kim, Anna Nordqvist, Stacy Lewis, Karrie Webb, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford).
- The tournament was originally known as the Atlantic City LPGA Classic, but changed its name to the ShopRite LPGA Classic in 1992 when Wakefern Food Corporation took over as title sponsor. In 2013, current presenting sponsor Acer signed on.
- The Bay Course was designed in 1914 by Donald Ross and hosted the 1942 PGA Championship, the first of seven majors won by Sam Snead.
- Every year, ShopRite donates more than $1.5 million to food banks, as well as healthcare and education programs in the communities it serves. Since becoming the title sponsor, ShopRite has donated more than $40 million to charity.
- Betsy King (1987, 1995, 2001) and Annika Sorenstam (1998, 2002, 2005) are the only three-time winners of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer
- Nordqvist is the only player to successfully defend her ShopRite LPGA Classic title (2016, 2017)
- There have been 26 different champions in tournament history from eight different countries
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