In 200th LPGA Tour Start, Ilhee Lee in Position for Second LPGA Title and First Since 2013
By Doug Milne
In what is her 200th career LPGA start, second start of the season and first since missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, Ilhee Lee followed an opening-round 8-under 63 with a 3-under 68 in Saturday’s second round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer.
Beginning her round on No. 10, Lee made seven straight pars before taking a double bogey at the par-4 17th, her eighth hole of the day. The 36-year-old rallied with birdies on five of her remaining 10 holes to get in with a 3-under 68.
“Today was a completely different day from yesterday, and I knew it's going to be different,” Lee said. “So, I didn't have any expectations. Just like I did yesterday, I was just playing golf and having fun. I’m happy again.”
At 11-under 131, Lee will head into the final round with a one-stroke edge over four others.
“I looked at the leaderboard coming up the 18th and said ‘I'm playing on Sunday’,” Lee said. “I was happy about it. I feel like all the others around me have more expectations than I do right now. I'm pretty chill. I love the game of golf, and now that I know how fun this game is, I'm just enjoying golf. But, yes, I am here to win. That would be great.”
Though she largely has been sidelined by a 2019 shoulder injury, Lee remains in search of her second career win on the LPGA Tour and first since the 2013 Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic.
Seeking a first top-10 finish in her 11th start of the season, American Jennifer Kupcho birdied four of her last seven holes en route to the day’s low score of 7-under 64 – and bogey-free, at that. At 10-under 132, she is one stroke back.
“It felt good,” Kupcho said. “I was just really giving myself opportunities. I think scores tend to be higher in the afternoon, but I just went into it with the mindset of not every putt will fall and to just be patient. I started hitting them a lot closer and that helped, as well.”
Coming off a missed cut at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, her best finish of this season is a T11 from the Honda LPGA Thailand. The 28-year-old has three LPGA wins and was a member of the winning U.S. Solheim Cup Team in 2024.
Following a bogey on her second hole of the day, Japan’s Mao Saigo more than recovered from the dropped shot by way of an albatross-2 from 214 yards on the par-5 third hole. She would add four more birdies against one additional bogey to get in with a 6-under 65. Coupled with round one’s 4-under 67, the 23-year-old will begin Sunday’s final round just one off the pace at 10-under 132.
After finishing round one birdie-birdie-eagle to post a 5-under 66, Japan’s Ayaka Furue kept her foot on the gas in round two with a second consecutive 66, elevating her to 10-under 132. Bogey-free in round two, Furue’s lone blemish through 36 holes came on her second hole (No. 11) in round one.
Furue seeks her third career win on the LPGA and first since her major championship victory at The Amundi Evian Championship last year.
Elizabeth Szokol, who matched Ilhee Lee’s 8-under 63 in round one, good for a share of lead, followed with a 2-under 69 in round two to reach 10-under 132.
Szokol used four birdies on the round to take a bit of the sting out of a double bogey incurred at her sixth hole of the day, No. 15.
Szokol is vying for a second career win on the LPGA Tour and first since the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
“I'm not quite letting myself get there to think about winning yet,” Szokol said. “I’m really just focused on hitting the fairway the first tee shot tomorrow and going from there. I want to go shot by shot and put a good round together. But, yes, it would obviously be amazing to win.”
Part of what would make a win this week amazing is credited to Seaview and the unwavering title sponsorship of ShopRite.
“It's amazing and always great to be back here, staying on site and just walking over each morning.” she said. “It has been here for so long and is incredible that ShopRite has been such a long-standing sponsor. Lots of fans have been out, so I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
Japan’s Chisato Iwai bettered an opening-round 3-under 68 with a 66 in round two. The 22-year-old made six birdies against a lone bogey and, enroute to doing so, missed only two fairways and three greens in regulation.
The LPGA Tour rookie finished second at the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series to earn LPGA Tour Membership for the 2025 season. Interestingly, Chisato’s twin sister, Akie, finished T5 in Final Qualifying to also earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. Also in the field this week, Akie opened with rounds of 65-72 and sits 5-under 137.
On the strength of a bogey-free 5-under 66 in round two to reach 8-under 134, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita positioned herself within striking distance Sunday. The 23-year-old found all but one fairway off the tee and hit 16-of-18 greens in regulation.
Yamashita is making her 10th start of her rookie LPGA season this week and seeks a fourth top-10 finish.
Through 36 holes of the 54-hole event, here’s how the six past champions of the ShopRite LPGA Classic stand: Linnea Strom/2024 (72-75/MC), Ashleigh Buhai/2023 (67-72/-3), Brooke Henderson/2022 (71-67/-4), Annie Park/2018 (71-71/MC), Stacy Lewis/2012, 2014 (69-71/-2) and Brittany Lincicome/2011 (69-72/-1).
The ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer features 144 of the world’s best female professional golfers vying for a share of the $1.75 million tournament purse. Now in its 31st year under ShopRite’s title sponsorship, the event is being contested on the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, N.J.
