Jennifer Kupcho sank a birdie putt at the final hole to end a three-year drought and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday in Galloway, N.J.
Kupcho shot a 5-under-par 66 at the Bay Course at Seaview to finish 15-under 198. She balanced two bogeys with seven birdies, allowing her to finish a stroke ahead of South Korea’s Ilhee Lee.
Kupcho earned her fourth career win and first of the season — which was also her first top-10 finish of 2025.
“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. Feels really good for sure.”
The 28-year-old last won an LPGA event in 2022, when she took home all three of her career wins (Chevron Championship, Meijer LPGA Classic, Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational).
Addressing her slow start in 2025, including missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, Kupcho stressed her mindset as being key in the victory.
“I think in my mind I had set on 14-under, so I was really just trying to get to that number,” Kupcho said. “Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time.”
Kupcho rolled in birdies on three of her first five holes, taking command of the final round. She added birdies on Nos. 9, 14 and 16.
Lee (68), who came into the day with the lead, trailed Kupcho by one shot going into the final hole. She birdied the par-5 18th before Kupcho matched her with a 10-footer.
Lee shook off a slow start — three bogeys over seven holes — to rally into position. Her six birdies came on Nos. 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 and 18.
“I think it was (the) first time for me to start as a leader, so I was kind of nervous,” Lee said. “… I finished great, I think.”
Sei Young Kim of South Korea was the third-place finisher with a 6-under 65, putting her at 12 under, three strokes behind Kupcho.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue (70) was fourth at 11 under. Six golfers tied for fifth at 10 under: South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (68), Spain’s Azahara Munoz (68), Germany’s Aline Krauter (68), Japan’s Mao Saigo (71) and Miyu Yamashita (69) and Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu (69)
World No. 1 Nelly Korda opened with a 71 and was tied for 65th, but her second straight strong round (68) lifted her into a tie for 15th at 8 under.
–Field Level Media
