Seaview, a Dolce Hotel, plays host this week to the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer for the twenty-fifth time in the thirty-five-year history of the tournament. A mainstay on the LPGA schedule, this 54-hole shoot-out is loved by fans and players alike. One week after Rose Zhang catapulted herself into LPGA stardom, 144 players are set to compete just outside Atlantic City, N.J. for $1.75 million.
If a list of past champions is any indication of what it takes to contend in a championship, then the Bay Course at Seaview has quite the skill-set history. Three-time winner Annika Sorenstam leads the list of past champions with Stacy Lewis and Anna Nordqvist winning multiple times in more recent years. Defending champion Brooke Henderson leads seven of the top 25 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings to Seaview for this year’s edition of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
The Bay Course is a par-71, Donald Ross design that starts out with six par 4s and a par-37 front nine. Followed by a par-34 back nine, the 6,197-yard layout is one of the shortest on the LPGA Tour. Don’t be fooled by the length though as accuracy will reign with the small and undulating green complexes.
Players will also be challenged by the conditions. New Jersey has not seen much rain in the past few weeks. Sitting alongside the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay Course is built on a sand-based soil, so the small greens will get even smaller under these firm and fast conditions. Annika was one of the most accurate players ever. Her blueprint for success at Seaview came down to hitting greens in regulation (GIR). To win this week, one player will create a winning edge by doing the same.
Temperatures are predicted to be in the mid 70s for the first two days, reaching 80 on Sunday for the final round. Seaview sits on the coast, and much like Liberty National Golf Club last week, it can be affected by the wind. Thankfully, the three days of competition look somewhat calm by the Bay Course standards, meaning the field will really need to focus on proximity to the hole.
Scoring is key at the ShopRite. The average winning score over the last five years is 14-under. Remember, this tournament is only 54 holes. That equates to nearly a five-under average per round. Who has the firepower in the group to contend? Let’s start first with who can create the most opportunities:
- The best approach players in this field are: Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, Ashleigh Buhai, Georgia Hall and Hae Ran Ryu
These players lead in iron play. When you look at past leaderboards, everyone was competent in hitting GIRs. The scorecard at Seaview’s Bay Course has 11 par 4s. They range in length from 301 to 434 yards and the skill set required to score across all of them is varied.
- Six women to watch for par 4 scoring this week are: Atthaya Thitikul, Hall, Ayaka Furue, Kim, Buhai and Aditi Ashok.
They all rank in the top 10 in par-4 scoring on the LPGA Tour and have a considerable edge going into ShopRite. Of course, one is the tournament favorite (Thitikul) and the rest sit near the top of the betting board. Research shows this cumulative stat is a strong indicator for competitive success, especially at a course like Seaview.
Success in these skills doesn’t make contention in the ShopRite certain, but overall, when it comes to competing at Seaview, don’t be surprised if a couple of these names are in the final groups come Sunday down by the Jersey Shore.
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA Tour for Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, LPGA, and PGA TOUR. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.
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