2023 ShopRite LPGA Classic: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money and Other Details

The LPGA Tour is set for an exciting finish this weekend as the Mizuho Americas Open comes to a close. Some of the most talented youngsters have their eyes on the title, but this won’t be the only trophy they seek.

Later next week, some of the best women’s golfers will have a chance at winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic. But who’s the favorite to triumph at Seaview in New Jersey?

Power rankings at the ShopRite LPGA Classic revealed

Next week’s ShopRite Classic will feature some mouthwatering clashes, but a certain section will be relishing their chances of winning a title. But who does this list consist of?

In the fifth spot, India’s very own Aditi Ashok claims a spot in the power rankings. The Bengaluru-born star has been in the form of her life recently, where she has finished in the top-5 twice in her last three appearances.

Read more: “Cool For Us”: LPGA Star Brooke Henderson Weighs on the Tour’s Initiative Helping Junior Golf

With the contest tightly poised at the Mizuho Americas Open, Ashok’s nine-under-par puts her in the joint-runner-up spot. Whether she converts her position into a maiden victory remains to be seen.

Furthermore, no power rankings could be complete without the mention of Nelly Korda. The swashbuckling superstar has often taken things into her own hands, which has given her competitors little chance.

But can New Jersey witness a similar storm next week? While her performance at the Cognizant Founders Cup fell short of her expectations, Korda has plenty of match practice under her belt. She already has five top-10 finishes this season, with the best rank being a solo second at the HSBC Women’s World Championship back in February.

Number three in our power rankings is none other than golf’s latest teen sensation, Rose Zhang. Merely 20 years old, the talented golfer has made heads turn ever since her name appeared in the majority of victories in her junior days.

Zhang hasn’t disappointed yet. Some of her key achievements in her young career include winning the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Division I Championships, and the gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

But that isn’t the end of it. Making her LPGA Tour debut at the Liberty National Golf Course, Zhang remains two strokes clear in the lead ahead of a Sunday round showdown. A victory on her maiden attempt at the senior tour couldn’t be any sweeter.

On number two is another 20-year-old Thai professional golfer, Atthaya Thitikul. Many pundits and fans alike have signaled that 2023 will be the stepping stone for the youngster, and she certainly seems to think along the same lines.

Nicknamed ‘Jeeno’, the talented golfer finished the recently concluded Cognizant Founders Cup in the joint-fifth spot. She also has top-5 rankings elsewhere this season, including a podium finish at the Honda LPGA Classic played in her homeland.

Who is the defending champion at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this year?

However, the defending champion at the ShopRite LPGA Classic remains a hot favorite this year as well. Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson clawed back from four shots down in the last round down to claim a playoff round, which she ultimately converted for a victory last year.

The reminiscence of triumph could work perfectly in favor of the 25-year-old. Henderson has been poor in terms of consistency this season, which has already witnessed multiple missed cuts. However, she has added to her LPGA titles after winning the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions back in January.

Field and prize money at the ShopRite LPGA Classic

These top-ranking players will be part of the 144-player field that will take to the course next week. They will all be battling for the total purse at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, which is set at $1,750,000. Of this whopping amount, the winner will walk away with $262,500, the standard 15 percent.

The event begins on June 9. With the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship scheduled soon, plenty of experiments and changes before the big tournament can be expected.

Watch this story | This LPGA star envies the PGA Tour