Final ShopRite LPGA Classic spot to be determined by Twitter vote
The organizers of the ShopRite LPGA Classic are trying something new with setting their final field: the last sponsor exemption will be given to the winner of a Twitter vote held this week.
According to reports, ShopRite officials worked with sports social media tracking firm MVP Index to identify the top female golfers in social media who don't already have a spot in the event. Fans will vote between Golf Channel host and reality golf star Blair O'Neal, Indian social media star Sharmila Nicollet, Scottish golfer and Ladies European Tour member Carly Booth, and Susana Benavides, the only Bolivian-born golfer to have played in an LPGA tournament.
O'Neal has won more than 75 events on the Symetra Tour and was the winner of "Big Break: Dominican Republic" in 2010. Nicollet has 11 professional wins and was the youngest Indian player to qualify for the LET. Booth has two wins on the LET and, when she was 17, was the youngest player ever to qualify for that Tour. Benavides played golf while at Ohio State University and has competed on the Symetra Tour. All four women have substantial social media followings.
"Women's golf has always been at the forefront of fan engagement on the course, so it makes perfect sense that the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer would be the first professional golf tournament to use fan engagement to help shape the field of play," Kyle Nelson, co-founder of MVPindex, said in a press release.
Fans can visit www.twitter.com/shopritelpga to vote until 11:59 a.m. ET May 8.
We've partnered with @MVPindex to award the final spot in our field! Vote now for @MissNicollet @BLAIRONEAL @mumita_b or @CarlyBooth92— ShopRiteLPGAClassic (@ShopRiteLPGA) May 1, 2017
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