Jennifer Kupcho wins ShopRite LPGA Classic, ends nearly three-year drought
Jennifer Kupcho closed with an eight-foot birdie putt in light rain to hold off Ilhee Lee on Sunday in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending a drought of nearly three years without winning.
Kupcho, whose four LPGA Tour titles include a major at the Chevron Championship, birdied three of the last five holes for a 5-under 66. She took the lead with a 20-foot birdie putt from just off the green on the 14th, and avoided a playoff with the putt on 18.
Lee was the 36-hole leader going into the final round on a rain-soaked Bay Course at Seaview Hotel, so drenched that the par-3 17th was moved up to play only 76 yards. She had two early bogeys and shot 39 on the front to fall back.
But the South Korean finished strong, with five birdies on the back, including the last two holes, for a 68. It wasn't enough to catch Kupcho, who was in her own world.
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Kupcho finished at 15-under 198 in one of only two LPGA events contested over 54 holes.
'I really just wasn't thinking about anything else,' Kupcho said. 'I think in my mind I had set on 14 under, so I was really just trying to get to that number. Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time.'
The 36-year-old Lee won her only LPGA title 12 years ago in the Bahamas on a course shortened to 12 holes because of historic rain. But she had played only 18 times in the last seven years, finishing off her college degree and working briefly for Financial Forum. Lately, she has been a part-time golf teacher.
Lee got into the field as a past tournament winner, at No. 1,426 in the women's world ranking.
'I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out,' Lee said. 'Then I realize, 'Oh, I'm good at golf.' So I got to teach golf. I started teaching a little bit, not full time, but I was teaching a little bit and I loved it. I absolutely loved it.
'So since then I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder and back and ankle. I still have few students waiting for me in LA so I get to see them next week.'
Kupcho gets a much-needed win after going without a trophy after her three-win 2022 season.
'It just feels amazing,' Kupcho said. 'I think I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good.'
She said she carried some momentum from last week in the U.S. Women's Open, even though she missed the cup.
'Me and the U.S. Open sometimes just don't get along. I think I just carried my ball striking into this week,' Kupcho said. 'Hit the ball really well last week, hit it well this week, and just sunk some putts.'
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Indian Express
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A felicitation for the IPL-winning RCB team was conducted from 4 pm to 5 pm on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and several members of the Congress cabinet in attendance. A celebration was also held between 5 pm and 6 pm at the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where RCB fans had been gathering in thousands from 1 pm to gain entry to what was advertised by the team as a free event. The stampede occurred around the 21 gates surrounding the stadium as fans tried to force their way in while security personnel at the stadium tried to keep the gates closed. No deaths were reported in the vicinity of the venue at the Vidhana Soudha, held 1 km away from the stadium. Advocate-General K M Shashi Kiran Shetty told the Karnataka High Court last week–during the hearing of a suo motu petition–that 'four deaths were recorded of fans from Gate 7, one from Gate 1, two from Gate 2 and four from Gates 17 to 21'. The state government has argued that the gathering of nearly three lakh RCB fans–at the prompting of messages posted on social media by the team for its fan base of over three crores, to gather to celebrate the June 3 IPL victory without any police clearances for the event–had overwhelmed the police and security personnel outside the stadium, which only has a capacity of 33,000. The Karnataka government is due to file a report in a sealed cover on the findings on the stampede deaths on Thursday before the high court. 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