GALLOWAY, N.J., June 6, 2022 – Tournament officials announced today that rising high school senior and University of Southern California commit Bailey Shoemaker and rising juniors Maisie Filler from the University of Florida andLaney Frye from the University of Kentucky have each accepted sponsor exemptions to compete in this week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, June 10-12 at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel in Galloway, N.J.
Shoemaker, from Dade City, Fla., is currently ranked third in the Rolex AJGA Rankings with three second-place finishes and one win (Kathy Whitworth Invitational) in four AJGA events in 2022. A participant in the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Shoemaker made the cut and finished T49 at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, tying for third low-amateur at the championship. Shoemaker also will compete in the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic in September on a sponsor exemption for a second consecutive year as a result of winning the Kathy Whitworth Invitational AJGA event in March.
Filler wrapped up her sophomore year on the Florida Gators women’s golf team with a team-low 72.3 stroke average and was named to the All-SEC Second Team for a second consecutive year. Filler made her LPGA Tour debut in 2021 at the Pelican Women’s Championship in November via being the low amateur in the tournament’s Monday Qualifier.
Frye, a member of the University of Kentucky women’s golf team, also competed in last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, earning a spot in the championship via capturing the final spot in the qualifier in Pittsburgh via a sudden-death playoff to make her U.S. Women’s Open debut in three attempts. An SEC Community Service Team selection during her sophomore year, Frye enjoyed one of the best seasons in Kentucky women’s golf history as a freshman, averaging 73.5 strokes per round in 11 appearances, the fifth-best mark in school history and was selected to the SEC All-Freshman team.
“We are excited Bailey, Maisie and Laney accepted our sponsor invitations and will be joining the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic tournament field,” said tournament director Bill Hansen. “All three are having tremendous 2022 seasons in their respective golf careers, and we look forward to welcoming them to Seaview for Atlantic City’s kickoff sporting event of the summer.”
They will join a 144-player international field headlined by several of the world’s top-ranked players, including Jin Young Ko (1), Lydia Ko (4), Nasa Hataoka (7), Inbee Park (9) and Brooke Henderson (11); past champions from the past 10 years including defending champion Celine Boutier, Mel Reid (2020), I.K. Kim(2017), two-time winners Anna Nordqvist (2015-16) and Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014), Hall-of-Famer Karrie Webb (2013) and Brittany Lincicome (2011). 2019 AIG Women’s Open champion Hinako Shibuno, competing as a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2022, will tee-it-up at the ShopRite LPGA Classic for the first time since 2020, where she finished T27.
Webb, a seven-time major champion, is returning to LPGA Tour competition this week after last competing on the LPGA Tour in January at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. Also returning to LPGA Tour competition at the ShopRite LPGA Tour Classic is LPGA Tour winner Natalie Gulbis, her first event since July of 2021. New Jersey native Marina Alex, who captured her first LPGA Tour win in four years in April at the Palos Verdes Championship, also will return to South Jersey to compete in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, as will Philadelphia resident and LPGA Tour winner Meaghan Francella, current LPGA teaching professional at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.
The final two spots will be determined today via the Monday Qualifier at the Bay Course at Seaview.
Atlantic City’s largest annual sporting event, the ShopRite LPGA Classic returns to its traditional dates on the LPGA Tour schedule this week and, for the first time in history, will broadcast live on network television. CBS Television Network will carry Sunday’s final round and stream live on Paramount+. GOLF Channel will air the first two rounds and the first hour of Sunday’s final round, with CBS airing the final two hours.
Tickets are now on sale for the ShopRite LPGA Classic, exclusively atwww.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com. Ticket packages for the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic include exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. All 2022 tournament tickets will be digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed on either a mobile device or be printed out where they will be scanned at the main gate.
There are four ticket options for fans interested in attending the 2022 ShopRite LPGA Classic, which can be purchased in advance online.
- Any One Day Grounds Ticket: $20
- Weekly Grounds: $40
- Hard Rock Suite: $175 (complimentary food and non-alcoholic drinks with cash bar – located on the 17th green)
- Champions Club on 18: $275 (complimentary food and drinks)
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.
Since 1992, nearly $40 million has been donated to area hospitals, food banks, education and youth programs. At the 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, dozens of nonprofits received grants and donations totaling more than $1.5 million during a luncheon hosted by Wakefern Food Corp., the logistics, merchandising and distribution arm for ShopRite stores.
The 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic, which took place in October and welcomed fans back to the championship, was won by Boutier, who recorded the second LPGA Tour title of her career. Boutier matched her career-low score on Sunday’s final-round with a 63 to reach 14-under par, holding off Jin Young Ko, Inbee Park and a charging Brooke Henderson.
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 golfers competing over three rounds for a $1.75 million purse.
To date, ShopRite has donated nearly $40 million to charities through its association with the LPGA. The event is owned and operated by Outlyr, a global sports marketing and event management agency. In addition to managing 12 professional golf tournaments, Outlyr also operates a number of other sporting and lifestyle events and manages the sponsorship portfolio for several blue-chip clients. Visit www.ShopRiteLPGAClassic.com for more information.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women, with a goal to change the face of golf by making the sport more accessible and inclusive.
Created in 1950 by 13 Founders, the Association celebrates a diverse and storied history. The LPGA Tour competes across the globe, reaching television audiences in more than 220 countries. The Epson Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA also holds a joint-venture collaboration with the Ladies European Tour (LET), increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe. Across the three Tours, the LPGA represents players in more than 60 countries.
Additionally, the LPGA Foundation has empowered and supported girls and women since 1991, most notably through LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the only national program of its kind, which annually engages with nearly 100,000 girls. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association and LPGA Women’s Network provide virtual and in-person connections to female golfers around the world, while LPGA Professionals are educators, business leaders and gamechangers dedicated to growing the game of golf for everyone.
Follow the LPGA on its U.S. television home, Golf Channel, online atwww.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
ShopRite LPGA Classic Public Relations
Outlyr
407-721-9752
jfriedman@outlyr.com