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11/20 17:04 CST Somi Lee leads LPGA Tour finale and Jeeno Thitikul takes big
step toward player of the year
Somi Lee leads LPGA Tour finale and Jeeno Thitikul takes big step toward player
of the year
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) --- Somi Lee decided to change her putting grip to be like
Lydia Ko and it paid off in a big way Thursday in the CME Group Tour
Championship, where the South Korean opened with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot
lead in the chase for a $4 million payoff.
Lee began to pull away when she went down one club to a 5-iron because of the
warm conditions and set up an eagle on the par-5 17th. Her only lapse was a
long three-putt bogey on the closing hole at Tiburon Golf Club.
Even so, she was two shots clear of former U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen
Corpuz.
Jeeno Thitikul, the No. 1 player and front-runner for LPGA player of the year,
had six birdies in her round of 67, tied with three other players. Thitikul won
the Tour Championship last year, and will win the points-based player of the
year unless Miyu Yamashita of Japan wins this tournament.
Yamashita, whose two victories this year include the Women's British Open, was
slowed by two bogeys and opened with a 70.
Nelly Korda, trying to avoid a winless year after seven titles a year ago,
missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th in a ho-hum round of 71.
Lee was among 29 players who won this year on the LPGA, teaming with Jin Hee Im
in the Dow Championship. She was 14th in the Race to CME Globe, a solid year,
but she felt she was held back by her putting. That's when she noticed Ko, the
latest LPGA Hall of Fame member.
"I just followed Lydia Ko's putter grip because she's a good player and I
thought, ?Why not follow a good player's putter grip?' It worked really well,"
Lee said.
She tried it last week, made a few tweaks and was rolling at the Tour
Championship, taking only 27 putts in the round.
The top 60 reached the season finale, and Race to CME Globe rankings are no
longer relevant. Whoever wins the tournament gets $4 million --- the richest
prize in women's golf --- from the $11 million purse.
Thitikul knows that feeling from last year. What really motivates her is
knowing a break is coming.
"I think because we're going to finish the season," the Thai star said when
asked why she plays so well at Tiburon. "I don't know, just excited and like we
had nothing to worry about. Because this is our last tournament of the year and
then we just play like carefree.
"I think it's the key to be able to hit some good golf."
She also has a tender left wrist from last week at Pelican Golf Club from
hitting shots off the firm turf, and she avoided practice on Tuesday. She said
it's still a little sore, but not enough to bother her. Her annoyance was more
from failing to birdie any of the four par 5s.
But she's in good spirits with the end in sight.
"I know like we're playing for $4 million check, but to me I think it's just
like almost a bonus for me this kind of year to be able to play here," she
said. "I have been on a really good run for the year, nothing to think about
that much."
Thitikul was in a tie for third with Im, Nasa Hataoka and Sei-young Kim. A pair
of major champions, Grace Kim (Evian Championship) and Minjee Lee (Women's PGA)
were in the group at 68.
Lexi Thompson was challenging for the lead early in the day until she stubbed a
chip short of the green at the par-5 17th and it ran down a swale. Her next
chip hit the cup and rolled 3 feet away and she missed the par putt. She missed
a 4-foot par putt on the 18th for a 70.
Thompson played a part-time schedule --- 11 times going into the Tour
Championship --- and is getting married early next year. She still wants to be
part of the next Solheim Cup team and doesn't plan to add to her schedule next
year.
Korda had two early bogeys, and while she was bogey-free the final 16 holes,
she also missed plenty of good birdie chances.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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