Jennifer Kupcho ends LPGA title drought with Shoprite Classic crown
Jennifer Kupcho hits her tee on the eighth hole during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Seaview Bay Course on June 8. PHOTO: AFP
– Jennifer Kupcho rolled in a birdie putt at the final hole for a one-shot victory over Lee Il-hee at the Shoprite Classic, capturing her first LPGA title since 2022.
'It feels amazing,' said Kupcho, a stellar amateur whose three LPGA titles in 2022 included a Major at the Chevron Championship.
'I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good,' added the 28-year-old American, who birdied three of the last five holes to seal the win with a five-under-par final round of 66.
Kupcho was one of four players to start the day one shot behind South Korea's Lee and she gained ground quickly with birdies at the second, third and fifth.
Bogeys at the sixth and 11th were sandwiched around a birdie at the ninth, and Kupcho came home strong with birdies at 14, 16 and 18 for a 15-under par total of 198 in the 54-hole event at the Seaview Hotel & Country Club in Galloway, New Jersey.
Lee's hopes of adding a second LPGA title to her 2013 triumph in the Bahamas took a big hit as she bogeyed the first, third and seventh holes. But the 36-year-old, whose career has been derailed by a debilitating shoulder injury, rebounded with three straight birdies at the ninth, 10th and 11th.
She was right back in the mix with a birdie at 14, but back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18 weren't quite enough as her three-under 68 left her on 199.
'I had a couple of bad bounces on the first hole and third hole. I was just thinking, it's just golf,' Lee said.
'I was just trying the same things, same chipping, same putts... trying to move my lower body a little bit because I was kind of a little bit shaky because it was first time for me to start as a leader, so I was kind of nervous. I got through (that) pretty quick and I finished great.'
South Korean Kim Sei-young carded a six-under 65 that included a hole-in-one eagle at the 17th and a birdie at 18 and gave her sole possession of third place on 12-under 201.
Kim teed off well before the leaders on a rainy, blustery day and had just two pars on a back nine that featured three straight birdies at 11, 12 and 13 before a double bogey at 14 and a bogey at 15.
'It was like a roller coaster, up and down, up and down,' said Kim, adding that after her three birdies in a row she thought she was in striking distance of a victory.
'That thinking made me a little bit nervous, that's why my tee shot at hole 14 goes way right,' she said.
Nevertheless, with the tee moved up at 17, she knew she had a chance to make something happen and her wedge shot from off the tee found the cup for her third ace as a pro – two on the LPGA tour and one on the Korean LPGA.
'Always, it feels great. Amazing,' she said.
Japan's Ayaka Furue (70) was fourth at 11 under, while six golfers tied for fifth at 10 including Japan's Mao Saigo (71), the 2025 Chevron Championship champion.
Over on the PGA Tour, New Zealand's Ryan Fox had a dynamic putt to extend the RBC Canadian Open and later used an awesome rip from the fairway to help secure a victory.
Fox birdied the fourth play-off hole to win a showdown with American Sam Burns and capture the tournament on June 8 in Caledon, Ontario.
He notched a four-under-par 66 in the final round, forcing the play-off with a birdie putt from about 17 feet on the last hole of regulation, on the way to his second career victory. Both triumphs have come across his last four tournaments.
Burns shot 62 to set the clubhouse lead and then waited a couple of hours in an attempt to notch his first PGA Tour victory in more than two years.
Burns and Fox finished at 18-under 262 at the North Course of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The duo played the par-five 18th repeatedly in the play-off until a winner was determined. They each recorded pars the first three times through.
'Sam and I had a bit of a pillow fight there for three holes. It was some pretty average golf from both of us,' Fox said.
Taiwan's Kevin Yu posted 66 for third place at 17 under. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Engel claims upset win in first professional match on grass in Stuttgart
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Hamburg European Open - Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany - May 21, 2025 Germany's Justin Engel reacts during his round of 16 match against Russia's Andrey Rublev REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Engel claims upset win in first professional match on grass in Stuttgart German teen Justin Engel had never played a professional tennis match on grass but on Tuesday he showed he could be a force to reckon with at the Stuttgart Open when he overcame Australian James Duckworth, who sits 187 rungs above him in the rankings. Engel, ranked 281 in the world, arrived at the tournament having played only five matches on the ATP Tour, with the 17-year-old a regular on the Challenger Tour where he has played on clay and hardcourts. After slowly coming to grips with the green surface, Engel forced a decider but found himself a break down and even needed treatment for dizziness before triumphing 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) in nearly 2-1/2 hours. When Duckworth's return on match point found the net, the Australian nearly smashed his racket but controlled himself while a relieved Engel sank to the grass in disbelief before throwing his cap into the air in delight. "I'm really proud of myself, it was my first grass match," said Engel, who fired 32 winners past Duckworth. "I know this match was tough and I'm pretty happy with this result. I can't wait to play the next round." American 19-year-old Learner Tien also advanced from his first match on grass but only after his opponent Yoshihito Nishioka retired when Tien had levelled the match at one set apiece. Meanwhile, Arthur Rinderknech led a bevy of Frenchmen into the second round when he upset fifth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4 2-6 6-0. Rinderknech has not had the best of starts this season with only four wins and 14 losses heading into his first grasscourt tournament. His compatriots Corentin Moutet and Quentin Halys also went the distance in their respective matches to come out on top against a pair of Italians. While Moutet beat Italian wildcard Fabio Fognini 6-4 6-7(3) 6-3, Halys came from behind to get the better of Lorenzo Sonego with a 6-7(6) 7-5 6-4 victory. However, 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils was knocked out when American seventh seed Alex Michelsen won 6-4 4-6 6-3. Top seeds Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime received direct entries into the second round. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Aussie Day sports American stars and stripes shorts at U.S. Open
Jun 9, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Jason Day signs an autograph during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images REUTERS OAKMONT, Pennsylvania - Australian Jason Day, already known for his loud outfits on the golf course, turned heads again on Tuesday when he showed up for U.S. Open practice at Oakmont Country Club sporting a loose-fitting pair of red, white and blue American flag shorts. To complete the patriotic all-American look, which seemed more suited for a U.S. Fourth of July barbecue than a practice for a men's major, Day wore a quarter-zip jacket that featured a blue and white star-lined collar. Former world number one Day, who left Nike in early 2024 to join Malbon Golf, had some bold ensembles ready for this year's Masters but said that week he changed his plans after Augusta National requested he dress in a more reserved way. At the 2024 Masters, Day wore baggy blue pants and a loud sweater vest that featured "No. 313. Malbon Golf Championship" in large block letters across the front when he showed up on the Friday to complete his first round alongside Tiger Woods. But when the 2015 PGA Championship winner showed up for the second round later that day, the vest was gone and he later said tournament organisers had asked him to remove the garment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Jon Rahm ready to embrace Oakmont challenge at US Open
Spain's Jon Rahm speaking to the media on June 10, ahead of the 125th US Open at Oakmont Country Club, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. PHOTO: AFP OAKMONT, Pennsylvania - Jon Rahm knows Oakmont Country Club will provide a challenge unlike any other at this week's US Open but the Spaniard said on June 10 the aura of one of the most feared layouts in the world will not impact his game. Oakmont is considered a quintessential US Open venue given its punishing rough, narrow fairways, lightning-fast greens and slew of bunkers that most expect will combine to keep the winning score above par. But Rahm, speaking ahead of the June 12 opening round, plans to embrace the gruelling test that awaits the world's top golfers at the par-70 venue that will be set up at 7,372 yards. 'To be honest, once you start the tournament, all of those things kind of go away. It's business at that point. It's time to post a score,' Rahm, who has posted a top-10 finish in all 20 LIV Golf regular season events he has completed in, told reporters. 'You're not really thinking, oh, this is Oakmont. It's more like, okay, here's the first hole, hopefully make a four, then move onto the next. That's kind of how it goes.' The US Open is widely considered the toughest test in golf and one that Rahm has enjoyed success at as he won in 2021 edition at Torrey Pines to pick up his first major title. Rahm was once quite vocal when things did not go his way but the 30-year-old Spaniard said his ability to accept mistakes and bad breaks on the course has improved. 'It's just a tough course. It's so difficult where very few times anybody has won under par. If it doesn't rain, most likely over par will win again,' said Rahm. 'It's something that none of us are used to, but it's a challenge you need to embrace. 'If there's any part of your game that will be tested on a week like this, it will be your mental game, that's for sure.' Rahm, who held a share of the back-nine final-round lead with Scottie Scheffler at May's PGA Championship before a late collapse, will play the opening two rounds with Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
