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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 16 November 2017

Column: LPGA has everything but a dominant player

By DOUG FERGUSON ers have the opportunity
AP Golf Writer being No. 1,” Ryu said. “Be-
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Even cause every single player
with five of the biggest priz- just really loves this game
es still up for grabs at the fi- and they do their best to
nal LPGA Tour event of the be No. 1. But at the same
year, So Yeon Ryu has set time, it could be like we
an ambitious goal. might need a rock star, win
“I want to be a rock star for the tournament more than
the future,” Ryu said. five times in the year, being
Her smile and infectious in contention pretty much
laugh kept it all in context every tournament.”
Tuesday. Not this year.
The LPGA Tour has no short- The LPGA Tour season be-
age of star players this year. gan with 15 players winning
Shanshan Feng set a record the first 15 events on the
last week without even schedule.
knowing it when she won Ryu won the ANA Inspira-
the Blue Bay LPGA in China tion in a playoff over Lexi
and moved to No. 1 in the Thompson in a major best
world, making her the fifth remembered for Thompson
player to be No. 1 this year. incorrectly marking her ball
That’s the highest number on the green in the third
of players to reach the top LPGA golfers, from left, Sung Hyun Park, So Yeon Ryu, Lexi Thompson, Shanshan Feng and Brooke round and getting docked
of the ranking in a calendar Henderson pose before a glass case, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, reflecting the $1 million cash bonus four shots in the final round
year, male or female. up for grabs this week at the CME Group Tour Championship golf tournament at Tiburon Golf Club when the infraction was
Parity in women’s golf in Naples, Fla. Associated Press discovered. Ryu became
doesn’t end there. ers, along with Brooke Hen- Lydia Ko, who won her first hasn’t been the same. She the first multiple winner in
The CME Group Tour derson, only have to win at LPGA Tour title at age 15 lost her No. 1 ranking in June, and she hasn’t won
Championship will decide Tiburon Golf Club to claim and reached No. 1 in the June, and that paved the since.
who wins the LPGA money the $1 million bonus for win- world for the first time at way for a stream of play- Rock-star status will have to
title between Ryu and Sung ning the CME Race to the age 17. ers who have taken their wait.
Hyun Park. It will decide Globe. Ko won her second LPGA turns at the top — Ariya Women’s British Open
who wins the Vare Trophy It’s one thing to have star major when she was 18, Jutanugarn, Ryu, Park and champion I.K. Kim has three
for the lowest adjust scor- players. and she stayed No. 1 in the Feng. Jutanugarn lasted victories, tied for the most
ing average among Park, But a rock star? world for 20 consecutive two weeks at No. 1. Park this year with Feng, who
Lexi Thompson and In Gee That’s about the only thing months. was there only for a week. has won the last two weeks
Chun. The points-based the LPGA is lacking after a And then she stopped win- Is one star greater than in Asia. Park has won the
award for LPGA player dynamic season that still ning. five? U.S. Women’s Open and
of the year comes down has one final act. Ko changed her equip- “That’s a tough question, the Canadian Women’s
to Ryu, Feng, Park and The tour had the potential ment, her coach and her because it could be really Open. Thompson has won
Thompson. Those four play- for a dominant figure with caddie this year, and she great to see a lot of play- twice but no majors. q

Fleetwood must withstand Rose

challenge to win Race to Dubai

event on the European towards the top end of the To have any chance, Gar-
Tour, one of three players leaderboard, and if you’re cia has to win at Jumeirah
will be the Race to Dubai going to finish at the top Golf Estates with Fleet-
champion. Masters cham- end of the leaderboard, wood finishing outside of
pion Sergio Garcia of Spain you may as well focus on the top 11 and Rose finish-
is the only other in a field of trying to win.” ing fourth or worse.
60 with a chance to secure Fleetwood, who has a lead Fleetwood will be keeping
the European No.1 crown. of a lead of 256,737 points, a close eye on Rose — and
Its new territory for Fleet- will be hoping Rose does for once does not wish him
wood, but Rose has been not maintain the form that well. “There’s absolutely no
in this position before. In his seen his countryman way to avoid it. I think I’m
In this Thursday, July 20, 2017 file photo, Britain’s Tommy
Fleetwood prepares to play off the 2nd tee during the first 2007 he secured the Order winning back-to-back titles clearly going to see what
round of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale, of Merit in style by winning at the WGC-HSBC Cham- he’s doing,” the 26-year-
Southport, England. the season-ending cham- pions title in Shanghai and old Fleetwood said.
Associated Press pionship in Valderrama. the Turkish Airlines Open. “I’m not going to lie; I
By The Associated Press Dubai title, and stop his “I could have maybe fin- He needs to equal or bet- would prefer him not to
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- friend from repeating his ished second or third, but ter Rose’s finishing position do well. But it’s just an-
ates (AP) — Englishman last-gasp triumph of 10 went ahead and won the to claim the title. If Rose other test of character for
Tommy Fleetwood must years ago. tournament ... It’s proba- doesn’t finish in the top five me, just another experi-
withstand a strong chal- After this week’s DP World bly something fairly similar and Garcia doesn’t win, ence. Whatever happens,
lenge from Justin Rose Tour Championship in this week,” the 37-year-old Fleetwood will have done I’ll have massively learned
to secure a first Race to Dubai, the 48th and final Rose said. “I need to finish enough. from this.”q