Another first will be achieved for female sportscasters when the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer tees off Friday, October 1, at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel in Galloway, New Jersey.
Golf Channel’s coverage of the event will have an all-female roster of on-air talent for the first time in the history of golf.
Cara Banks handles the the play-by-play call, along with analysts Judy Rankin and Paige Mackenzie. On-course reporters are Karen Stupples and Kay Cockerill.
Beth Hutter, who earlier this year made history by being the first woman to produce the broadcasts for the U.S. Women’s Open and women’s golf at the Olympics, will produce the ShopRite LPGA Classic for Golf Channel.
For Rankin, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame who has served as Golf Channel’s lead LPGA Tour analyst since 2010, says “It’s fun to have something different. I think it’s good for golf and it’s good for the women’s game because the players might get some exposure because this is a new thing and a new idea that hasn’t been seen before. I feel like there might be some eyes on some players that might not have been there before. And I think that’s a really good thing. I’d love to see more people see how good they are.”
That field features 132 players and most of the world’s best, including recent major champions and Solheim Cup participants.
Rankin thinks a player like Anna Nordqvist (pictured above), who won the ShopRite Classic in 2016 and ’16, could add a third championship at Seaview.
“There are a number of players who are really vying to win for the first time, and this might be the kind of course where that could happen,” Rankin adds. “Jennifer Kupcho has not won yet on the LPGA Tour. She’s played very well a lot of times. It’s the kind of place where a player like Jennifer might get her first win.”
ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer
Friday, October 1: First Round, 1/noon c, Golf Channel
Saturday, October 2: Second Round, 1/noon c, Golf Channel
Sunday, October 3: Final Round, 1/noon c, Golf Channel