Latest news with #Kupcho
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jennifer Kupcho Gets Candid After Ending 3-Year Drought
Jennifer Kupcho Gets Candid After Ending 3-Year Drought originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The ShopRite LPGA Classic once again lived up to its legacy, delivering thrilling moments on a rain-soaked Seaview Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey. Known as a 54-hole sprint, the event has a strong tradition of major champions taking the crown 20 in the last 27 editions and this year was no different. Advertisement Jennifer Kupcho clinched her fourth LPGA title with a closing 5-under 66, finishing at 15-under 198, one shot ahead of South Korea's Ilhee Lee. The 28-year-old golfer hadn't won since her three-title run in 2022. She entered the week following a missed cut at the U.S. Women's Open but quickly rebounded. Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images "So like random stuff like that just to like keep my mind off of it," Kupcho said. At no.2 of the tournament, Ilhee Lee was playing her first event of 2025 and reminded everyone of her talent despite limited play in recent years. Her 68 wasn't quite enough, but she left a mark with her inspiring comeback story. Kupcho said she stayed in her zone and was simply trying to hit a target. '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,' she said per ESPN. Advertisement Even while leading, she found ways to lighten the mood. 'Halfway through the round we were trying to figure out the difference between an otter and a beaver,' Kupcho laughed. 'Just random stuff like that to keep my mind off it.' Earlier this year, Kupcho had tough conversations with her support team. 'I felt like I had completely lost what I was doing,' she admitted. But on Sunday, with the rain falling and nerves calm, she rediscovered her rhythm, and her smile. Related: World's No. 1 LPGA Golfer Sends Clear Message Ahead of Final Round of ShopRite Classic This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
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. ALSO READ | Niemann wins in Virginia for fourth LIV Golf title this year 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.'
The Star
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
American lass Jennifer Kupcho finishes strong to claim fourth LPGA title at ShopRite LPGA Classic
Jennifer Kupcho of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer 2025 at Seaview Bay Course on June 08, 2025, in Galloway, New Jersey. -- Photo by-LPGA GALLOWAY, New Jersey, USA: American Jennifer Kupcho ended a title drought of close to three years by winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel. Kupcho sank an eight-foot birdie putt in rainy weather at the par-71 Bay Course for a closing 66 and a 54-hole total of 15-under-par 198 (68-64-66), edging Korean Ilhee Lee (63-68-68) by one shot. Another Korean, Sei Young Kim, took third place on 12-under-par 201 (68-68-65), a shot clear of Japan's Ayaka Furue (66-66-70). It was an impressive finish from Kupcho in the wet conditions, as the 28-year-old birdied three of the last five holes to pick up her fourth LPGA title. Kupcho won three times in 2022 including a Major at the Chevron Championship, but has struggled to close the deal in recent years. 'It just feels amazing. I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good,' said Kupcho, who pocketed US$262,500 from the US$1.75 million total purse. 'I really just wasn't thinking about anything else. In my mind, I had set on 14-under, so I was just trying to get to that number – obviously, I did a little better. I kind of stayed in my zone the whole time,' she added. Lee was the sole leader 36-hole leader and had co-led the first round after an opening 63. Two early final round bogeys from the 36-year-old Korean dropped her off the pace, but she came back strongly with five birdies on the back nine to claim sole second place. Ilhee Lee of South Korea reacts on the 15th green during the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer 2025 at Seaview Bay Course on June 06, 2025 in Galloway, New Jersey. -- Photo by-LPGA Joining the LPGA Tour in 2010, Lee won the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her sole LPGA victory. Struggling with a chronic shoulder injury since 2019, Lee has made limited tour starts over the last seven years as she finished her college degree and worked for a short spell. 'I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out. Then I realized, 'Oh, I'm good at golf,' so I started teaching a little bit, not full time, but I loved it. "Since then, I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time, and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder, back and ankle,' said Lee, who got into the field as a past tournament winner. Among the players who missed the 36-hole cut of two-under-par were Malaysia's Kelly Tan (70, 75) and defending champion Linnea Strom of Sweden (72, 75). The next stop for the LPGA Tour is this week's Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan. This will be followed by the third Major of the 2025 season, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Texas. - The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
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.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Kupcho finishes strong to claim fourth LPGA title
AMERICAN Jennifer Kupcho ended a title drought of close to three years by winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel. Kupcho sank an eight-foot birdie putt in rainy weather at the par-71 Bay Course for a closing 66 and a 54-hole total of 15-under-par 198 (68-64-66), edging Korean Ilhee Lee (63-68-68) by one shot. Another Korean, Sei Young Kim, took third place on 12-under-par 201 (68-68-65), a shot clear of Japan's Ayaka Furue (66-66-70). It was an impressive finish from Kupcho in the wet conditions, as the 28-year-old birdied three of the last five holes to pick up her fourth LPGA title. Kupcho won three times in 2022 including a Major at the Chevron Championship, but has struggled to close the deal in recent years. 'It just feels amazing. I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good,' said Kupcho, who pocketed US$262,500 from the US$1.75 million total purse. 'I really just wasn't thinking about anything else. In my mind I had set on 14-under, so I was just trying to get to that number – obviously, I did a little better. I kind of stayed in my zone the whole time,' she added. Lee was the sole leader 36-hole leader and had co-led the first round after an opening 63. Two early final round bogeys from the 36-year-old Korean dropped her off the pace, but she came back strongly with five birdies on the back nine to claim sole second place. Joining the LPGA Tour in 2010, Lee won the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her sole LPGA victory. Struggling with a chronic shoulder injury since 2019, Lee has made limited tour starts over the last seven years as she finished her college degree and worked for a short spell. 'I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out. Then I realized, 'Oh, I'm good at golf,' so I started teaching a little bit, not full time, but I loved it. Since then, I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time, and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder, back and ankle,' said Lee, who got into the field as a past tournament winner. Among the players who missed the 36-hole cut of two-under-par were Malaysia's Kelly Tan (70, 75) and defending champion Linnea Strom of Sweden (72, 75). The next stop for the LPGA Tour is this week's Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan. This will be followed by the third Major of the 2025 season, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Texas.
