5 Big Names Who Will Miss The LPGA's CME Group Tour Championship
The defending champion is just one star player missing from the season finale in Florida
The LPGA Tour season will reach its conclusion this coming weekend at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida – and a number of big names won’t be teeing it up, including defending champion Lydia Ko.
Here are five players who didn't manage to secure a top-60 place for the season finale.
Lexi Thompson
This will be the first time that the 2014 Chevron Championship winner will not being participating in the season finale since its inception 12 years ago. The American gave herself too much to do after a poor start to the season. On the positive side, the 28-year-old did not finish outside the top 10 in her last three LPGA Tour events, which suggests that she could make up for what has been a pretty average campaign next season.
Emily Pedersen
If there’s one positive that Danish star Pedersen can take away from this season – and this is a pretty big one – it’s her performance in the Solheim Cup in Spain, where she won two-and-a-half points for Team Europe. The season came to a disappointing end when she lost her lead going into the final round of The Annika and then double-bogeyed the last hole to miss out on the top 60.
Lydia Ko
What a difference a year makes. In 2022, the New Zealander filled her trophy cabinet with silverware and awards, including Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. The 26-year-old even won the CME Group Tour Championship and banked a $2 million winner’s check. This year, however, Ko has been rather up and down and, bar her third-place finish at the BMW Ladies Championship, has rarely threatened to add to her 19 LPGA Tour victories.
Jeongeun Lee6
A year ago, Lee finished tied fourth at the Tour Championship. A string of missed cuts early on in the 2023 season saw the 2019 US Women’s Open champion fall well off the pace, and there have been few signs of a return to form at any stage. Better times surely lie ahead for the 2019 LPGA Rookie of the Year.
In Gee Chun
Chun is another player to have suffered a dip after the high of Major glory. Last year, she won her third Major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional. Twelve months on and she will be looking back on what has been a fairly ordinary campaign, one in which she has recorded just one top-10 finish.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. As a multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the men's European Championships, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers, and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's now a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including six world number ones, and has attended and reported on many Major Championships and Ryder Cups. He's a member of Formby Golf Club.
-
Graham DeLaet Facts: 20 Things To Know About The PGA Tour Pro Turned Broadcaster
Graham DeLaet had a successful career in the game, but after injuries took a toll, he has stepped into a broadcasting role in recent years - here are 20 facts about him
By Mike Hall Published
-
Arron Oberholser Facts: 15 Things To Know About The PGA Tour-Winning Golf Channel Broadcaster
Arron Oberholser left his PGA Tour career behind to take up life as a Golf Channel broadcaster in 2013 – here are 15 things to know about him
By Mike Hall Published
-
LPGA Tour Announces 2025 Schedule
The 2025 LPGA Tour season will have two new events including a visit to Mexico, while the biennial International Crown returns
By Mike Hall Published
-
Anyone From Nelly Korda To 60th-Place Carlota Ciganda Can Win The Biggest Check In Women's Golf History This Week - Here's Why
The LPGA Tour season culminates in the CME Globe Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club this week - and an $11 million total prize purse is on the line
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Lexi Thompson Says She ‘May Tee It Up A Few Times Next Year’ As She Prepares To Retire From Full-Time Professional Golf
The American has revealed she might play a limited schedule next year as she prepares for life beyond a full-time professional schedule
By Mike Hall Published
-
'I Just Think It Really Drags The Game Down' - LPGA Tour Stars Weigh In On Slow Play Debate
Nelly Korda is one of the players who has given her thoughts on the issue of slow play on the LPGA Tour after Charley Hull suggested a brutal idea to kill the issue
By Mike Hall Published
-
CME Group Tour Championship Prize Money Payout 2024
Nelly Korda heads the field as players compete for one of the largest purses in the history of the women’s game
By Mike Hall Published
-
Women’s NCAA Division I Champion Adela Cernousek Turns Pro
Texas A&M's Adela Cernousek has announced she is turning professional, with a place in the final stage of LPGA Tour Q-Series on the horizon
By Mike Hall Published
-
‘I Feel Sorry For The Fans' - Charley Hull Proposes Brutal Idea To 'Kill' Slow Play
After pointing out that her third round at The Annika took close to six hours, the World No.11 suggested an idea which could greatly reduce slow play on tour
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Nelly Korda Joined By Tennis Star Brother Sebastian As He Watches Her Win For First Time
Sebastian Korda was present to watch Nelly Korda claim her seventh victory of the season in the Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican
By Mike Hall Published