October 01-04
Seaview, Bay Course, Galloway, New Jersey
$1,300,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Two-time LPGA Tour champion Mi Hyang Lee and second-year LPGA member Lauren Stephenson share the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer first round lead in Galloway, N.J., after each turned in an 8-under par 63 on the Bay Course at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel. Sitting one shot back at -7 is Nasa Hataoka and Ryann O'Toole.

Stephenson held the clubhouse lead following her performance out of the morning wave. It included a hole out for eagle from 137 yards with a pitching wedge on No. 14. The University of Alabama alumna also added eight birdies to her scorecard.

“I was in the rough and assumed it was going to skip forward,” said Stephenson, who competed in the IOA Classic last week on the Symetra Tour to prep for her eighth LPGA Tour start this season. “I saw the bounce and thought it stopped, which I was happy with because I was worried it was going to skip through the green and go over. I looked away and my caddie was like, ‘I think it went in.' I didn't want to get excited then it was over the green, but yeah, it was exciting.”

Lee recorded a bogey-free round this afternoon to join Stephenson at the top. A major key was her play on the four par-3 holes, which she played to 3-under combined.

“It was a really good start for me, and I really look forward to the next three rounds,” Lee said after eight birdies on the Bay Course. “I didn't have any bad shots or bad putts, everything was good. It's a little wet and the greens are really soft, so it was easier to hit the long clubs in. I have experience tied for a lead in the first round before and need to concentrate on my golf then just keep going.”

Holding down the fort in solo fifth position is Jennifer Song thanks to a bogey-free, 6-under 65. A total of six players sit 5-under including three-time LPGA winner Katherine Kirk , 2019 Symetra Tour graduate and 2020 LPGA rookie Patty Tavatanakit, and Jenny Shin, a ROLEX First-Time Winner in 2016.

Defending champion Lexi Thompson opened her ShopRite LPGA Classic title defense at -4 thanks to five birdies. She is joined by nine other individuals in a tie for 12th, including most recent LPGA winner at the Cambia Portland Classic, Georgia Hall.