“Relieved” Mel Reid claims maiden LPGA title

It has been a long time coming but Mel Reid can finally call herself an LPGA winner.

The 33-year-old from Derby held off Jennifer Kupcho to win the Shoprite LPGA Classic by two shots at Seaview Golf Club.

It was the perfect bounce-back for Reid, who squandered a two-shot 54-hole lead in the Portland Classic on her previous appearance on the women’s most lucrative circuit a fortnight ago.

A six-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, Reid now has her first LPGA title – 13 years after she turned professional. 

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“I’m so emotional,” said the three-time Solheim Cup player. “I just want to call my dad, to be honest. After Portland, I wanted to redeem myself and just felt like I handed things a lot better today obviously.”

Reid, who described the win as a “huge relief”, also reserved special praise for her caddie, Ryan ‘Dez’ Desveaux . 

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“He really pulled me through today,” she added. “I love the boy to death.”

In addition to securing her first title in the States, Reid banks $195,000, bringing her season earnings to $351,373. 

Her winning score of 19-under 265 set a new ShopRite LPGA Classic 72-hole scoring record, improving upon the previous best – set by Christa Johnson at Greate Bay CC in 1990 – by a whopping ten shots.

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Reid’s win also makes it back-to-back triumphs on the LPGA for English golfers, following Georgia Hall who capitalised on her compatriot’s misfortune in Portland two weeks ago.

The timing couldn’t be better, too, with the third women’s major championship of the season – the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – coming up this week.