South Jersey High School Grad Makes ShopRite LPGA Classic Comeback

One of the South Jersey Sports Traditions over the last 30 years have been the ShopRite LPGA Classic, which brings the world's best female golf professionals to the Atlantic City area to compete.

The Seaview Bay Course in Galloway has been the host of the annual Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in South Jersey almost every year since the Tournament was first started in 1986.

Having a multi-million dollar revenue professional sports league coming to South Jersey every year is very exciting for locals who typically have to drive to Philadelphia or New York City to see Professional Athletes perform.

But one of the ladies who will be participating in this weekend's prestigious tournament is a South Jersey High School Graduate who has not been an active member of the LPGA Tour in years.

How This New Jersey Woman Landed In The 2025 ShopRite LPGA Classic Field

Back in 2010, a 20-year-old Amateur Golfer who was a graduate of Oakcrest High School won the Monday Qualifier event to join the ShopRite LPGA Classic Tournament. Joanna Coe became the "feel-good local story" of the tournament that weekend.

Fifteen years later, she repeated history, shooting a 3-under par in the 2025 ShopRite LPGA Qualifier to enter the tournament field at Seaview Bay Course. The 2007 Oakcrest High School Graduate is bringing her golf life full circle when she steps to the tee box for her 1:48pm Tee Time of Friday Afternoon.

Joanna Coe was a four-time All-American Golfer at Rollins College (Florida) and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2008. She qualified for the LPGA US Women's Open (2011) one year after she entered her first ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Today, Joanna Coe is the PGA Director of Instruction at the historic Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania, a job she landed in 2022. She was previously the Director of Instruction for six years at the Baltimore Country Club.

But the wife and mother has not just been an instructor; Joanna Coe won the 2024 Women’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship last September.

When I spoke to her Thursday on 97.3 FM ESPN Radio South Jersey, Joanna Coe told a story that sounds like it could be the opening 30 minutes of a feel-good Hallmark movie come to life:

"Just on a whim I decided to sign up because I am playing in the KPMG Women's PGA Championships in two weeks. So I thought that I could use this as a practice round (because) I've been playing in the PGA Philadelphia Sectional and a lot of events with mostly men in the (playing) field. So I thought, let's get in the mindset of Women's Golf."

"On Monday, I drove down in the morning, no practice round, just showed up, and (met up) with my coach, who taught me everything I know, he caddied for me, Bruce Chelucci. Met him here at Seaview (Golf Course) at like 11:45 am and we warmed up, he started watching me hit and he (told me) 'This is looking pretty good" - I par (Hole One), I par (Hole Two), and I think Number Two is the hardest Hole on the property, and I thought 'Ok this could be pretty good'."

"I Kind of had a day, it was fun, but then I thought immediately after the round, I wasn't looking at any leaderboard (while I was playing), then I pulled out my phone, I looked at the leaderboard and (saw) I had a three shot lead, and I was like 'Oh ok, I guess this is happening'. So I had to figure out the week's schedule with (so many instructional lessons) and lots of going on at Merion (Golf Club) - (I had to) reschedule some lessons, figured out logistics with my husband, and here I am (this weekend)."

Now 35 years old, Joanna Coe knows the Seaview Golf Course well, and staying competitive has put her in the unique position to qualify for the 2025 ShopRite LPGA Classic. She will be a part of the 42nd trio to take the course on Friday for the 1:48 pm Tee Time.

In the same field as World Number One Women's Golfer Nelly Korda and six former ShopRite LPGA Championships winners, Joanna Coe is in a stacked field of talent. I am looking forward to seeing how she handles the weekend in a field with over 140 competitors.

The Seaview Bay Course in Galloway is one of the oldest in the state of New Jersey, recently named one of the Best Golf Courses in the United States.  Seaview is one of the great Atlantic County Golf Courses you have to visit if you enjoy the game: