ShopRite doesn't draw field of dreams, but is still respectable

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. - The 28th ShopRite LPGA Classic probably deserved better.

We're not talking about Sunday's weather forecast, which prompted tournament officials to move up the final-round tee times to early morning in order to finish before the nasty stuff was projected to arrive. That meant no live coverage on the Golf Channel. Only tape-delayed instead, from Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. Not the same. But when Mother Nature happens . . . Sometimes it's simply your turn to take a hit.

The field was another matter. There was no Lydia Ko, the top-ranked women's golfer. And no Lexi Thompson, the top-ranked American. And no Inbee Park, who's been No. 1 and has won seven majors, including two last year. And no Ariya Jutanugarn, who had won the last three LPGA events and could have tied a women's record had she made it four straight. There wasn't even Paula Creamer, who draws galleries, although Natalie Gulbis came and did. In fact, only two of the world's top 10 made it here this week.

"We knew what was possible, when we saw the schedule in October," said the tourney's executive director, Tim Erensen, when it was almost over. "I was much more concerned a week ago than I am today."

That's because he got a worthy winner, in Anna Nordqvist, who became the first to successfully defend her title. The rain held off. The crowds were still respectable. And enthusiastic. In other words, the players who weren't here didn't seem to ruin the experience for those who came out to watch.

"Sure, you'd like to see some of the more well-known names," Erensen acknowledged. "But we realized this could be part of the deal, given the unusual circumstances. It was a bit of a perfect storm."

Golf is back in the Olympics for the first time in over a century, and the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro necessitated the LPGA itinerary getting rearranged. For the first time in recent memory, there's an event being played in two weeks opposite the men's U.S. Open. The ShopRite is the third stop in a stretch of 11 straight weeks without a bye, which is unheard of. There's three majors in that run, starting with next week's KPMG Women's PGA Championship in suburban Seattle. So a lot of players decided to pass on the ShopRite instead of traveling coast-to-coast immediately afterward. Again, nobody's fault.

Last year the PGA was played in New York, so that wasn't an issue. The next two years it will be held in Chicago, so it figures to much less of a factor.

This year the logistics made things difficult, although Ko didn't play here in 2015 either, for whatever reasons.

So how much of a difference does a more attractive field make? Well, financially not really that much. For the most part, the folks who are going to attend are going to do so regardless. And the truth of the matter is, this tournament gets the majority of its money off the two-day pro-am, which generates some 1,400 rounds on three courses. This is the largest sporting event in South Jersey, and the pro-am is the largest in golf, period. It's actually not even close. And the charities that benefit from the proceeds are thankful for all the support, which this year amounted to a record $1.5 million.

That's the reality. And it's a great thing for the community and the region.

Perception-wise, though, you can always do better.

"The good news is, we showed how strong this event is, by having what I think was one of our best tournaments yet," Erensen said. "That makes me feel more encouraged about the future. I firmly believe this (weaker field) is a one-year anomaly. And (next year) we should be right back where we were.

"I get it. Every event wants 100 out of (the top) 100. I'm not sure there's many other markets where the title sponsor could still embrace the LPGA like this. That's why it's been here for so long. And if this is the biggest challenge we're going to face . . . "

This tournament has had an up-and-down existence. There was a point when it was struggling to survive. But largely through the efforts of Ruth and Larry Harrison, this event eventually evolved into what was considered the next best thing to a major. Back in the days when the McDonald's LPGA Championship was being held in Delaware and then Maryland, either the week before or week after, the fields at both were equally stellar. It made sense. And Atlantic City, comparatively speaking, is about as alluring as it gets when it comes to LPGA destinations. So it worked, from just about every angle.

Then along came commissioner Carolyn Bivens, who wanted to switch the dates to accommodate a new event, with three-time ShopRite winner Annika Sorenstam's name attached to it, that wound up lasting only two years before going out of business. When another week couldn't be agreed upon to suit everyone's interests, it went away for three years before coming back in 2010. Since then the fields have generally been very good. Until now.

These days, it seems tough enough for the LPGA to get attention without adding to the problem. The Associated Press doesn't even cover many of the non-majors live any more. The Tour is dominated by Asians. And that doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon. This year, not only are Americans not winning, but the Asians who are aren't the usual suspects. So as far as story lines go, there really hasn't been a theme that stands out. That could change in the next two months, if the majors are being won by the Kos, Parks and Thompsons of the food chain.

From a fan standpoint, it just would have been nice to see at least some more of them at the South Jersey shore. Maybe the bottom line wouldn't have been impacted much. That's not the point. You want to be as big-league as possible, just because.

Unfortunately, the circumstances don't always cooperate. This time it happened to be ShopRite's turn. Fortunately, there's always next year. And beyond.

"At least our staff got to got to McGettigan's (pub) five hours early," Erensen said with a smile. "That was our selling point internally."

@mikekerndn