Korean players on the LPGA Tour are aiming for their fourth win of the season at the ShopRite Classic, where most of the top-ranked players are absent.
The LPGA Tour ShopRite Classic will be held over three days starting Sunday at the Bay Course (par 71) of the Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. Top-ranked players, from world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States to No. 6 Hannah Green of Australia, are largely skipping the event. They have opted to rest and conserve their strength ahead of the U.S. Women's Open, a major championship in women's golf, scheduled for next week.
This presents a prime opportunity for Korean players. With Kim Hyo-joo (No. 3), the highest-ranked Korean, along with Kim Sei-young (No. 11) and Yu Hae-ran (No. 12), also taking a break, attention is turning to Korean players who have yet to win this season.
The player drawing the most attention is Choi Hye-jin. Since making her LPGA Tour debut in 2022, she has played in 10 events this season and made the cut in all but one. With three top-10 finishes, she has shown consistent form that suggests a victory could come at any time.
Lee Dong-eun, in the midst of her rookie season, is looking to turn her fortunes around. She made her LPGA Tour debut this year after finishing tied for seventh at the Qualifying (Q) Series Final Stage last December. However, she has yet to produce notable results, with her best finish in six events this season being a tied 39th. With top-ranked players absent, this tournament offers a good stage to regain her confidence.
Major champions are also on the entry list. Jeon In-gee, a three-time major winner including the 2015 U.S. Women's Open, and Park Sung-hyun, who won the 2017 U.S. Women's Open and the 2018 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, are competing. Lee Jeong-eun, the 2019 U.S. Women's Open champion, has also chosen to enter.
The strongest competitor for the Korean players is world No. 7 Charley Hull of England. Hull has no wins this season but has shown steady form, including a tied 10th finish at the Chevron Championship, the season's first major. Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho of the United States is aiming for back-to-back titles.
The total prize money for this year's ShopRite Classic is $2 million, up $250,000 from last year.
