Somi Lee leads the CME Group Tour Championship with an impressive round of 64
Naples, Florida – Somi Lee had a change in her putting grip that gave her positive results at the CME Group Tour Championship. The South Korean golfer started the tournament with an outstanding round of 64 strokes, eight under par, which gave her a two-stroke lead in the pursuit of a $4 million prize. Lee managed to distance herself from her competitors by using a 5-iron due to the warm conditions, which allowed her to get an eagle on the 17th hole, a par 5. Her only mistake was a bogey on the last hole of the Tiburon Golf Club. Despite this, she maintained a two-stroke lead over former U.S. Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz. Jeeno Thitikul, world number one and favorite to be the LPGA Player of the Year, achieved six birdies in her round of 67 strokes, tying with three other players. Thitikul, who won the Tour Championship last year, will secure the Player of the Year award, based on points, unless Miyu Yamashita, from Japan, wins this tournament. Yamashita, with two victories this year, including the Women’s Open, had a less outstanding round with two bogeys, finishing with 70 strokes. Nelly Korda, seeking to avoid a winless year after having obtained seven titles the previous year, missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, completing a round of 71 strokes. Lee, who was one of the 29 players who won this year on the LPGA, along with Jin Hee Im at the Dow Championship, ranked 14th in the Race to CME Globe. Although she had a good year, she felt that her game was affected by her putting performance. It was then that she took notice of Lydia Ko, the most recent inductee into the LPGA Hall of Fame.He tried the new grip last week, made some adjustments and achieved an excellent performance at the Tour Championship, making only 27 putts in the round. The 60 best players reached the season finale, and the Race to CME Globe rankings are no longer relevant. The tournament winner will take home $4 million, the highest prize in women’s golf, from a total of $11 million in prizes.I just followed Lydia Ko’s putting grip because she’s a great player, and I thought, ‘Why not follow a good player’s putting grip?’. It worked really well,” Lee said.
Somi Lee
Thitikul tied for third place with Im, Nasa Hataoka and Sei-young Kim. Grace Kim (Evian Championship) and Minjee Lee (Women’s PGA), both major champions, were in the group with 68 strokes.“I know we’re playing for a $4 million check, but for me, I think it’s almost a bonus in this kind of year to be able to play here,” Thitikul said. “I’ve had a very good run during the year, there’s not much to think about.”
Jeeno Thitikul
