The 2026 ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern is shaping up to be one of the most champion-stacked stops on the LPGA Tour calendar. With the commitment deadline closing Tuesday, May 19, organizers have already locked in eight past winners of the event, headlined by 2026 European Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist and defending champion Jennifer Kupcho. The 54-hole tournament returns to the historic Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey, from May 29-31, with a 144-player field competing for a $2 million purse — a $250,000 bump from 2025.
A Field Loaded With Major Champions And Past Winners
Eight previous ShopRite LPGA winners are confirmed for this year’s event. Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho leads the group after her 2025 victory, joined by 2024 winner Linnea Strom, 2023 winner Ashleigh Buhai, 2022 winner Brooke Henderson, 2021 winner Celine Boutier, 2018 winner Annie Park, two-time winner Anna Nordqvist (2015 and 2016), and 2011 winner Brittany Lincicome.
That roster reads like a major championship leaderboard. Henderson is a two-time major winner. Boutier captured the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship. Buhai broke through at the 2022 AIG Women’s Open. Nordqvist owns three major titles of her own and has now been entrusted with the European Solheim Cup captaincy for the 2026 matches this September. Lincicome is a two-time ANA Inspiration winner whose ShopRite victory came 15 years ago — proof that this title travels well across generations of the women’s game.
Why This ShopRite Has Extra Pull
Tournament purses on the LPGA Tour are surging in 2026, and the ShopRite event is part of the wave. The $2 million purse marks a $250,000 increase over 2025 and continues the LPGA’s broader effort to close the long-running pay gap with the men’s tour. The 2026 season is also the first in tour history where every single round of every event is broadcast live on television, a milestone that has changed how preview weeks like this one are covered.
The Bay Course itself plays a role in the field’s strength. The Donald Ross-designed par-71 layout measures roughly 6,200 yards from the championship tees — shorter than most modern LPGA venues — and has hosted the ShopRite Classic since 1986. It rewards precision and ball-striking over raw distance. Wind off the bay is the dominant defense, and the course has historically produced low scores from players with strong wedge games and excellent course management. That profile favors the kind of veteran past champions making up the bulk of this year’s commitments.
Storylines To Watch: Nordqvist, Kupcho, And A Pro Debut
Anna Nordqvist arrives in New Jersey carrying a unique double duty. She is a two-time ShopRite champion (2015, 2016) playing the same course she has historically thrived on, and she is also four months away from leading Team Europe at the Solheim Cup. Every competitive round between now and September is part of her own preparation — and a viewing post on the form of the European players she may need to pick.
Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho returns to a course where she clearly knows how to score. A successful title defense at Seaview would push her firmly back into the Solheim Cup conversation on the American side, and continuity at a familiar venue is something every pro values in a long, travel-heavy season.
The field also includes Epson Tour player and former Michigan State All-American Brooke Biermann, who has accepted a sponsor exemption to make her LPGA Tour debut as a professional. A made cut at Seaview would be a major step toward securing more starts in 2026.
What This Means For You
If you’re a viewer: Coverage runs Friday through Sunday, May 29-31, with all rounds on the Golf Channel as part of the LPGA’s new wall-to-wall TV deal. Saturday and Sunday afternoon windows are the prime watch slots, with Sunday’s final round expected to finish in the late afternoon Eastern window.
If you’re going in person: Seaview sits a short drive west of Atlantic City and has historically been one of the more spectator-friendly stops on tour, with flat walking and short distances between greens and tees. Bring sun cover — the course has plenty of open, exposed holes.
If you’re trying to improve your own game: The Bay Course is a useful study in how to score on a shorter, exposed track. Tour pros at Seaview consistently emphasize three things: starting balls into the wind rather than across it, taking one extra club on iron shots into firm greens, and choosing the safer side of the pin on approaches. Those principles translate directly to coastal and parkland courses for everyday players who tend to over-aggress in similar conditions.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern runs May 29-31 at the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, NJ.
- Eight past champions have committed, including defending champion Jennifer Kupcho and Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist.
- The purse climbs to $2 million, a $250,000 jump over 2025 and part of a broader LPGA prize-money surge.
- Every round will be on live TV for the first time in tour history.
- Epson Tour player Brooke Biermann will make her professional LPGA debut on a sponsor exemption.
For more LPGA coverage this week, see our Kroger Queen City Championship preview, our deeper look at why every LPGA round is now on live TV, and our reporting on how women’s golf is changing in 2026. For the previous big-money preview, see our Mizuho Americas Open 2026 breakdown.
