Marina Alex secured her spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship after a runner-up finish in Japan moved her up the Race to CME Globe points list. The tournament’s purse this year is $11 million, with a record $4 million going to the winner. All 60 players in the field will receive at least $55,000 at the no-cut event. The top 60 players on the CME Globe list will qualify for the event held at Tiburon Golf Club.
Hyo Joo Kim moved up five spots to No. 61 after tying for 17th in Japan, just one spot outside the cutoff line to qualify for the championship. Alexa Pano inched her way to 60th after a T-34 finish in Japan but is not in the field for the Lotte Championship in Hawaii. Yuna Nishimura and Hira Naveed also made moves up the rankings after strong finishes in Japan.
Meanwhile, former AIG Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno dropped two spots to No. 58 after a T-47 in her native Japan. Carlota Ciganda moved down two spots to No. 59 following a T-56 finish. Gaby Lopez sits on the bubble at 60th after moving down one spot, while Ashleigh Buhai dropped to No. 63 after taking a week off. Alison Lee also dropped two positions and will need a good showing at the upcoming tournaments to secure her spot in the CME Group Tour Championship.
With only two tournaments left before the cutoff point, players are looking to make their moves up the leaderboard to ensure they qualify for the lucrative championship event. The increased purse this year provides additional motivation for players to perform well and secure a larger share of the prize money. The competition is heating up as players jockey for position in the rankings and look to solidify their spots in the season-ending tournament. Stay tuned for more updates as the race to the CME Group Tour Championship intensifies.
