Category: LPGA

Major champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa prevailed on American soil for the first time when she won the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday in Galloway, N.J.

Buhai, 34, fired her second straight round of 65 to finish at 14-under 199 in the 54-hole event, winning for the fourth time worldwide in the past 12 months.

The reigning Women’s Open champion from last year at Muirfield, Buhai had five career Ladies European Tour victories to her name and one in Australia last winter but had yet to win in the U.S.

“It’s definitely the best golf I’ve ever played in my career, but I think we’ve found a good balance,” Buhai said on the Golf Channel broadcast. “I said I’m on the older side on tour nowadays, one of the veterans, but I think between everything I’m doing between my putting, working with a putting coach, my swing coach and the mental side, when I put them all together I know that I can compete and have a chance to win.”

Buhai, who entered Sunday three shots off the pace, beat South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim by one stroke.

Kim had a chance to force a playoff if she eagled the par-5 18th at the Seaview Golf Club’s Bay Course, but her pitch shot came up short and she had to settle for a birdie that gave her a final-round 68 and pushed her to 13 under.

Buhai rolled in five of her seven birdies over her first eight holes, including a long putt at No. 5, to make a charge up the leaderboard. Her lone bogey came at the par-3 11th, but she rebounded with a birdie 3 at No. 14 and added a birdie on the last that ended up solidifying her winning score.

“Obviously I got off to such a good start, and the putt on 5 is a hallelujah,” Buhai said. “It’s like, those things need to happen for you to win, obviously. But at no point did I think it was mine until now, until it was really confirmed.”

Yan Liu of China shot a final-round 67 to take third place at 11 under. Nann Koerstz Madsen of Denmark fired a 65 and tied Sweden’s Dani Holmqvist for fourth at 10 under.

Seeking her first LPGA win, Holmqvist led the tournament after each of the first two rounds but only managed a 1-over 72 on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Dani Holmqvist of Sweden fired a 4-under 67 on Saturday to remain atop the leaderboard after two rounds of action at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J.

Holmqvist carded a first-round 64 to take an early lead and held on to it with seven birdies and three bogeys on Saturday at Seaview Golf Club’s Bay Course. She now sits at 11-under 131 for the tournament, one stroke ahead of South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, who posted a second-round 65.

“Just try and do the same thing, as cliche as that sounds,” Holmqvist said of how she plans to handle the final round on Sunday. “Just try and stay in my own bubble and picture the flights and just fall in love with those and just try and execute as good as I can.”

With her performance, Holmqvist finds herself leading after 36 holes for the first time since the 2020 AIG Women’s Open. However, things quickly took a turn for the worst at that event, and Holmqvist ended up finishing tied for 29th.

“I hope it turns out better than it did that time,” Holmqvist said. “You know, I think there are so many good and talented players in this field, and it’s going to be low scores. Only thing I can do is try to do the best that I possibly can and, hopefully, that’s enough.”

Kim stayed in contention by racking up eight birdies against a pair of bogeys on Saturday. South African Ashleigh Buhai was equally as impressive, notching seven birdies and a bogey en route to a 6-under 65 that kept her in third place.

Brianna Do had seven birdies during a bogey-free showing, giving her the low round of the day at 64. She skyrocketed on the leaderboard, moving up 49 spots into a six-way tie for fourth.

“I don’t think it’s like really hit me yet because I literally just finished and got out of the scoring tent, so I haven’t really checked scores,” Do said of her positioning. “I got a glimpse of the scoreboard on the last (hole), so I think it’s pretty cool.”

Joining Do in fourth are Finland’s Matilda Castren (67 on Saturday), Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand (67), German Chiara Noja (67), South Korea’s Jenny Shin (70) and Yan Liu of China (70).

Defending champion Brooke M. Henderson of Canada shot a 70 on Saturday and is in a tie for 27th at 3-under 139.

–Field Level Media

Dani Holmqvist of Sweden eagled the par-5 third hole on her way to a bogey-free, 7-under-par 64 that put her in the lead after one round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Friday in Galloway, N.J.

Holmqvist will head into the weekend one shot clear of China’s Yan Liu and South Korea’s Jenny Shin in the 54-hole event.

The 35-year-old has won tournaments in Sweden and Australia, but the veteran is now in position to contend for her first LPGA Tour title.

Holmqvist’s 64 was just her second sub-70 round all season. She played in just five events prior to this week and missed the cut at all five.

“It’s just been a very slow start to the year,” Holmqvist said of her schedule. “I’m personally a player that needs to play a lot of events that get going and kind of get into the groove, so I am looking forward to the stretch coming with more regular tournaments.”

Holmqvist began her day on the back nine at Seaview Golf Club’s Bay Course and birdied Nos. 14, 16 and 17. The eagle came in the middle of her round, with her drive and a 4-iron approach taking her to about 15 feet for the putt. Birdies at Nos. 6 and 7 gave her the solo lead.

“I think just that’s what everyone out here — that’s what we all strive to do,” she said. “Some weeks you’re better than others, and some weeks you feel like you’re losing. So it’s fun to actually come up on top for you once. This game is tough, and just got to cherish the moments when you actually put together a good one.”

Shin put together a round of six birdies and no bogeys, while Liu’s card was much more colorful. Liu posted two birdies and three bogeys over her first five holes, then eagled the par-5 ninth. She went 5-under 29 on her back nine by making three birdies in a row at Nos. 12-14 and scoring a second eagle on the par-5 18th.

Liu said she told her caddie she wanted to keep it easy after her up-and-down start. By the time she finished her round, she led the tournament, as Holmqvist was still playing.

“It’s my first time leader so I just want to stay focus my game, and like today, easy golf,” Liu said.

Sarah Schmelzel, England’s Georgia Hall, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, South Africa’s Paula Reto and Soo Bin Joo of South Korea were tied for fourth at 5-under 66.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada opened with a 2-under 69.

–Field Level Media