Junior All-American Gianna Clemente; NCAA Standouts Maisie Filler and Rachel Kuehn to Compete as Sponsor Exemptions
Media Credential Registration Now Open at www.LPGAMediaCredentials.com
Tickets on Sale at www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com
GALLOWAY, N.J., May 14, 2024 – 2023 ShopRite LPGA Classic defending champion Ashleigh Buhai, former World No. 1 players Jin Young Ko, Stacy Lewis, Ariya Jutanugarn and Yani Tseng and past champions/major champions Brooke Henderson (2022), Anna Nordqvist (2015, 2016), Brittany Lincicome (2011) and Angela Stanford (2003) headline an elite field of early commitments for the 2024 ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, taking place June 7-9 at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel in Galloway, N.J.
Tournament officials also announced today that four-time Junior All-American Gianna Clemente, University of Florida senior and All-SEC First Team member Maisie Filler and Wake Forest fifth-year senior and NCAA All-American Rachel Kuehn each have accepted sponsor exemptions and will be a part of the 144-player field competing on the historic Bay Course at Seaview.
“We are excited to continue the LPGA Tour’s momentum in June with the return of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer and a world-class field returning that will serve as Atlantic City’s kickoff sporting event of the summer,” said Jeremy Friedman, ShopRite LPGA Classic media director. “We look forward to welcoming back to Seaview the world’s top professional golfers, the game’s future stars as well as our South Jersey sports fanbase in what has become a Shore Tradition.”
Buhai will return to the ShopRite LPGA Classic as defending champion, after accomplishing one of her career goals in 2023 in winning on the LPGA Tour on U.S. soil. She captured the 2023 title in come-from-behind fashion by turning in a final-round 6-under 65 to win by one stroke, highlighted by a closing birdie on 18.
Clemente, 16, a four-time junior All-American, is a member of the inaugural United States National Junior Team in 2024. Clemente’s junior golf accolades include qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at age 11, the youngest winner of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Ping Invitational at age 13 and making LPGA history as the first-ever amateur to Monday qualify for three straight LPGA Tour events at age 14. The 2023 Girls PGA Championship winner finished T-5 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and currently is ranked third in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Filler, an All-SEC First Team and a senior at the University of Florida, capped off her collegiate career with three wins and six top-10 finishes during the 2023-2024 college golf season. The ninth-ranked NCAA Women’s DI collegiate golfer, Filler also is a member of the 2024 United States Arnold Palmer Cup Team in July. She finished T-8 at this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and on Saturday, qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open appearance via finishing runner-up at the Jupiter qualifier. The 2024 ShopRite LPGA Classic will be Filler’s third appearance as a sponsor exemption.
Kuehn, a fifth-year senior out of Wake Forest University, last week captured the individual championship at the NCAA Women’s Golf Regional Championship at Bermuda Run Country Club, helping Wake Forest to advance to their sixth-straight NCAA Championship, coming up later this week. The ninth-ranked player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, Kuehn had two wins and six-top 10 finishes during her senior season at Wake Forest. She also finished T-8 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
The ShopRite LPGA Classic has been a launchpad for several of the game’s preeminent players to kickstart their LPGA Tour careers, including Paula Creamer, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson. The tournament also features many of the game’s greatest players as past champions, including Betsy King, Dottie Pepper, Seri Pak, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez, Cristie Kerr and Karrie Webb.
Tournament officials also will be announcing in the coming weeks special ancillary events taking place throughout the week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and additional field commitments. Players have until Wednesday, May 29 to commit to the ShopRite LPGA Classic. For a complete list of tournament entries, click HERE.
Atlantic City’s largest sporting event, the ShopRite LPGA Classic is one of the LPGA Tour’s longest running events. For three decades, golf fans from across the northeast have converged upon Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore to watch the top female golfers in the world compete on the famed waterfront course. The tournament not only hosts one of the strongest fields in women’s golf, but it also annually creates more than $19 million in economic activity in the region.
The ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer continues its tradition of supporting several charitable organizations. Since 1992, more than $40 million has been donated to area hospitals, food banks, education and youth programs. At the 2023 ShopRite LPGA Classic, dozens of nonprofits received grants and donations totaling more than $1.5 million during a luncheon hosted by Wakefern Food Corp., the largest U.S. retailer-owned cooperative and the logistics, merchandising and distribution arm for ShopRite stores.
Tickets on Sale: Tickets are on sale for the ShopRite LPGA Classic exclusively at www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com. Ticket packages include exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. All 2024 tournament tickets will be completely digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed on either a mobile device or printed out where they will be scanned at the main gate.
There are four ticket options for fans interested in attending the 2024 ShopRite LPGA Classic (**Ticket prices do not include taxes and fees**):
- Daily Grounds:
- General admission daily grounds, valid for one round Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 (tournament rounds).
- $20
- General admission daily grounds, valid for one round Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 (tournament rounds).
- Weekly Grounds:
- General admission daily grounds, valid Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 (tournament rounds)
- $40
- General admission daily grounds, valid Friday-Sunday, June 7-9 (tournament rounds)
- Hard Rock Suite – 17th Green:
- Luxury greenside suite offering exclusive views of the 17th green. Includes upgraded food and beverages and cash bar. Each purchase valid for one round of competition rounds, Friday-Sunday.
- $175
- Luxury greenside suite offering exclusive views of the 17th green. Includes upgraded food and beverages and cash bar. Each purchase valid for one round of competition rounds, Friday-Sunday.
- Champions Club – 18th Green Hospitality:
- Luxury greenside suites overlooking the 18th green. Includes upgraded food and beverages and open bar for alcoholic beverages. Each purchase valid for one round of competition rounds, Friday-Sunday.
- $275
- Luxury greenside suites overlooking the 18th green. Includes upgraded food and beverages and open bar for alcoholic beverages. Each purchase valid for one round of competition rounds, Friday-Sunday.
For more information on the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, visit www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com, and on social media @ShopRiteLPGA on X (formerly Twitter), @ShopRiteLPGA on Instagram and ShopRite LPGA Classic on Facebook.
About Seaview Hotel and Golf Club
Set on 670 acres of Galloway, N.J., coast and woodlands, Seaview is home to two world-class golf courses and a 296-room hotel. The Bay Course opened in 1914 and was designed by Hugh Wilson and Donald Ross. The 6,300-yard layout is less a test of length, and more a test of imagination, accuracy and short game. The Bay Course presents a Scottish-links feel, dramatic seaside views, deep pot bunkers and small undulating greens. It is the current host of the ShopRite LPGA Classic, as well as nine holes of the 1942 PGA Championship.
The Pines Course opened in 1929 and was designed by William Flynn and Howard Toomey. Unlike the Bay Course, the Pines winds its way through New Jersey woodlands, presenting elevation changes and bountiful doglegs. The course measures 6,800 yards, and it features large bunkers and expansive, sloping greens. The 16th hole was the site of Sam Snead’s miraculous 60-foot chip-in to win the 1942 PGA Championship – his first major.
For more information on Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, visit www.seaviewgolf.com. Troon Golf, the resort and daily-fee division of Troon, manages the golf operations at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.
About the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer
The ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer is one of the largest and most prestigious events on the LPGA Tour. It is held annually in Atlantic City on the Bay Course at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel, and features the world’s best female professional golfers competing over three rounds for a share of the $1.75 million purse. The ShopRite LPGA Classic is owned and operated by Outlyr, a global sports marketing and event management agency. For more information on the ShopRite LPGA Classic, visit www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com.
About the LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female Founders, the LPGA, whose members now represent more than 60 countries, is the longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, the LPGA Professionals, and a joint venture with the Ladies European Tour, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA features a fully integrated Foundation, which provides best-in-class programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming, and its LPGA Amateurs division, which offers its members playing and learning opportunities around the world. LPGA aims to use its unique platform to inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course.
Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.
About the LPGA Tour
The LPGA Tour is the world’s leading competitive destination for the best female professional golfers in the world. The Tour hosts more than 30 annual events across 10 countries for over 200 Active Players, awarding total prize funds exceeding $118 million and reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. Follow the LPGA Tour on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer
Outlyr
407-721-9752
jfriedman@outlyr.com
