GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - Brittany Lincicome rarely watches the leaderboard, so she didn't fully realize how thrilling her win at last year's ShopRite LPGA Classic was until she saw video highlights of the tournament Monday afternoon.
Lincicome won by one shot over Cristie Kerr and Jiyai Shinn on the Bay Course at Seaview Resort last June. Lincicome clinched the victory by chipping out of the rough to within 5 feet of the pin and then sinking that birdie putt.
"It was pretty unbelievable to see it on the screen," Lincicome said. "They don't give you the DVD to go home and watch after you're done with your round. It was pretty crazy. I needed a birdie to win, which I didn't realize. It was my day."
Her trip back to Seaview on Monday was almost as exciting as last year's win. Lincicome attended the tournament's media day to promote this year's event, which will be held June 1-3.
Lincicome, 26, played in the final group at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in Alabama on Sunday. She finished tied four fourth, five shots back of winner Stacy Lewis. Since Lincicome played in the final group, she missed her flight to Philadelphia. Instead, she woke up 4:30 a.m. Monday, flew from Mobile to Atlanta and then on to Philadelphia. She was at Seaview for the luncheon. Lincicome could have easily blown off the news conference and spoke with media via telephone.
"Brittany is a great example of what the LPGA Tour is all about," ShopRite LPGA Classic executive director Tim Erensen said. "Something like (what Lincicome did Monday) happens every day on tour. The ladies don't get enough credit for going above and beyond for their partners and their fans. They're growing their fan base one day, one person at a time."
Lincicome will be among the many LPGA standouts at this year's Classic. The $1.5 million, 54-hole tournament will feature 24 of the tour's current top 25 money winners. The world's No. 1 player Yani Tseng and American standouts Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson and Kerr are committed to play.
Last year's Classic is one of Lincicome's five career wins. Her best finish this season is a tie for a second at the year's first event, the ISPS Handa Australian Open.
Lincicome said she played as well in Alabama as she had all season.
"Up until (the Alabama tournament), my putting has been awful all year," Lincicome said. "It's nice to see that coming back around. I putted amazing all of last year. I hit the ball as hard as I wanted to off the tee and I knew exactly where it was going. That's obviously a good feeling."
The Classic is part of key stretch of the LPGA season. The Tournament is one of five played from June 1-July 8. Two of the events, the Wegmans LPGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., and the U.S. Women's Open in Kohler, Wis., are major championships.
LPGA golfers almost have to play well during that stretch to have a successful season.
"It's great to come to (Seaview) to a golf tournament I've had a lot of success on and then go on to the majors," Lincicome said.
Contact Michael McGarry:
609-272-7185
