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Associated Press
Jun 8, 2025, 06:36 PM ET
GALLOWAY, N.J. -- Jennifer Kupcho closed with an 8-foot birdie putt successful airy rainfall to clasp disconnected Ilhee Lee connected Sunday successful the ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending a drought of astir 3 years without winning.
Kupcho, whose 4 LPGA Tour titles see a large astatine the Chevron Championship, birdied 3 of the past 5 holes for a 5-under 66. She took the pb with a 20-foot birdie putt from conscionable disconnected the greenish connected the 14th and avoided a playoff with the putt connected 18.
Lee was the 36-hole person going into the last circular connected a rain-soaked Bay Course astatine Seaview Hotel, truthful drenched that the par-3 17th was moved up to play lone 76 yards. She had 2 aboriginal bogeys and changeable 39 connected the beforehand to autumn back.
But the South Korean finished strong, with 5 birdies connected the back, including the past 2 holes, for a 68. It wasn't capable to drawback Kupcho, who was successful her ain world.
Kupcho finished astatine 15-under 198 successful 1 of lone 2 LPGA events contested implicit 54 holes.
"I truly conscionable wasn't reasoning astir thing else," Kupcho said. "I deliberation successful my caput I had acceptable connected 14 under, truthful I was truly conscionable trying to get to that number. Obviously did a small better. Yeah, conscionable feels truly nice. Just benignant of stayed successful my portion the full time."
The 36-year-old Lee won her lone LPGA rubric 12 years agone successful the Bahamas connected a people shortened to 12 holes due to the fact that of historical rain. But she had played lone 18 times successful the past 7 years, finishing disconnected her assemblage grade and moving concisely for Financial Forum. Lately, she has been a part-time play teacher.
Lee got into the tract arsenic a past tourney winner, astatine No. 1,426 successful the women's satellite ranking.
"I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and past got out," Lee said. "Then I realize, 'Oh, I'm bully astatine golf.' So I got to thatch golf. I started teaching a small bit, not afloat time, but I was teaching a small spot and I loved it. I perfectly loved it.
"So since past I was teaching a small spot and playing astatine the aforesaid clip and rehabbing, much attraction connected my enarthrosis and backmost and ankle. I inactive person fewer students waiting for maine successful LA truthful I get to spot them adjacent week."
Kupcho gets a much-needed triumph aft going without a trophy aft her three-win 2022 season.
"It conscionable feels amazing," Kupcho said. "I deliberation I struggled a batch aboriginal successful the twelvemonth and had a batch of pugnacious weeks, a batch of hard conversations, and it feels good."
She said she carried immoderate momentum from past week successful the U.S. Women's Open, adjacent though she missed the cup.
"Me and the U.S. Open sometimes conscionable don't get along. I deliberation I conscionable carried my shot striking into this week," Kupcho said. "Hit the shot truly good past week, deed it good this week, and conscionable sunk immoderate putts."
