2023 was the Year of Women’s Golf in New Jersey, as four prestigious LPGA Tour events descended on the Garden State helping the LPGA celebrate its storied history and drive forth its unwavering commitment to leadership and the empowerment of women and young girls, both on and off the golf course.
In the biggest media market in the world, New Jersey was the epicenter of women’s golf as four great champions were crowned, including a new Major winner when Ruoning Yin hoisted the trophy at Baltusrol Golf Club after capturing the 69th KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday, June 25. Yin’s victory in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was the culmination of four LPGA tournaments over a seven-week period across Northern and Southern New Jersey throughout May and June.
The Year of Women’s Golf in N.J. kicked off with the LPGA’s prestigious Cognizant Founders Cup, which returned to Upper Montclair Country in Clifton for the second straight year. With six “Moms on Tour” in the field, the LPGA celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14, while saluting the 13 Founding Members of the LPGA Tour in the Association’s signature event that helps drive the LPGA’s mission to engage, empower and support girls and women in sports and business. In the end, Jin Young Ko overcame a four-shot deficit to win the Cognizant Founders Cup for the third time in five years.
Just three weeks later, on June 4, history was made at famed Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, when Rose Zhang, playing in her first professional event since ending her astounding amateur career, defeated Jennifer Kupcho on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to shock the sports world and become the first LPGA Tour player to win in her professional debut since 1951. While expectations were high for the former the two-time national champion from Stanford, who captured the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur, Zhang became an overnight sensation with her amazing win at Liberty National.
With Zhang’s victory placing an even bigger spotlight on the LPGA, the players continued their New Jersey tour by traveling down the N.J. Turnpike to historic Seaview Resort in Galloway Township for the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, a Jersey Shore/South Jersey tradition. South African Ashleigh Buhai, the 2022 AIG Women’s Open winner who was just shy of her 35th birthday, bested the field by shooting a 6-under 65 in the final round and holding off Hyo Joo Kim for a one-shot victory.
With three events in the books, it was major time, as the LPGA headed to acclaimed Baltusrol Golf Club for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, from June 22-25. One of five major championships on the LPGA Tour, the event took place on the iconic and newly restored Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club for the first time ever, backed by one of the strongest fields in women’s golf. On a rainy Sunday, Yin outplayed the 156-player field while capturing her first major championship.
Yin’s win at Baltusrol completed the Year of Women’s Golf in New Jersey, further establishing a significant women’s golf footprint in the region. Across the four championships, the LPGA Tour showcased the best players in the world, while highlighting the importance of business leadership, mentorship and the empowerment of women and young girls through a host of unique marketing programs that coincided with the respective tournaments.
With the 2023 New Jersey swing now compete, and with the 70th KPMG Women’s PGA Championship headed to Sahalee Country Club in Washington next year, the LPGA will maintain a very strong presence in the Garden State, as the Cognizant Founders Cup, the Mizuho Americas Open and the ShopRite LPGA Classic all return in 2024. Fans across the Garden State will have even more opportunities to see the best players in the world compete for their place in golf history.
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