2016 ShopRite Classic: Golf Youth Movement Make More Moves
The 2016 ShopRite Classic at our amazing New Jersey site, the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, culminated in another thrilling finish.
Seaview has two magnificent courses, the Bay and the Pines. The Bay course is a Donald Ross signature design that is a supreme links layout and the venue for the ShopRite Classic presented by Acer.
The LPGA Tour has been dominated by young players so far in 2016. The oldest player to have won in the first 14 events on the LPGA Tour is 24-year old South Korean star, Ha Na Jang, who has won twice so far this year. Another 2-time winner this season and World #1, Lydia Ko, is 19 years old and the winner of the last three Tour events, Ariya Jutanugarn is 20. World #3 and America’s highest ranked player, Lexi Thompson is 21 years old. Youth is most certainly being served.
37-year old French player, Karine Icher, was trying to buck the youth movement trend and win for the first time in her 11 year career on the Tour. Icher fired a course record-tying, 9-under par 62 that gave her a one-shot lead over Japan’s Haru Nomura (also twice a winner in 2016) and Korea’s Na Yeon Choi, heading into Sunday’s final round.
American Christina Kim continued her recent return to form (she was the runner-up at last week’s LPGA Volvik Championship) and shot a 6-under par, 65 on Sunday to finish at 13-under par for the tournament and in 4th place.
Defending champion, Anna Nordqvist, would prevail again after a superb, finishing 64, for a three-day total of 17-under and one ahead of a hard charging Nomura. Nordqvist 3-day total matched the event’s scoring record set twice by her countrywoman, Annika Sorenstam, in 1998 and 2005. This is the 28-year old Swedish stars’ 6th LPGA victory and moves her into the Top 15 in the Rolex World golf rankings.
Icher played well on Sunday, closing with a 2-under par 69 and a third place finish, but still in search of that elusive first win.
The Seaview courses have never been in better condition and now is the perfect time to come and enjoy this iconic East Coast resort. Come and play where the pros play and take your game to a new level with one of Bird Golf’s incomparable teachers. For more information about our golf schools at Seaview please see https://www.birdgolf.com/c-locations/new-jersey-golf-schools/
