With just two tournaments remaining in the LPGA Tour’s regular season the ladies are in Japan for the Mizuno Classic. Stacy Lewis is the defending champion and will be looking for her 17th top-10 finish of the season.
Lewis has three wins this year including her second career major title at the Ricoh Women’s British Open in August. She is ranked No. 3 on the Rolex Rankings and is also No. 3 in the LPGA money list with over $1.7 million.
Both, No. 1 Inbee Park and No. 2 Suzann Pettersen are taking this week off so Lewis will be trying to gain ground on the top ranked players.
The tournament will be hosted by the Kintetsu Kashshikojima Country Club in Shima-Shi, Me, Japan. It will play to 6,500 yards and par-72. Lewis came from seven shots back by posting an eight-under par 64 in the final round at the 2012 Mizuno Classic to win by a single stroke at 11-under par.
The Mizuno Classic is a 54-hole event with a total purse of $1.3 million. $180,000 will go to the winner. Besides Lewis past Mizuno Classic champions in the field this week include, Jiyai Shin and Karrie Webb.
One of the major storylines for this week at the Mizuno Classic is the race for the Louis Suggs Rookie of the Year award on the LPGA Tour.
Moriya Jutanugarn led the points list early in the season, but Caroline Masson has made a strong charge to gain a 26 point lead over Jutanugarn. Both women are in the field and the race for LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year may well be decided this week.
The Lorena Ochoa Invitational held next week in Mexico is the only event remaining on the LPGA Tour schedule after the Mizuno Classic, and prior to the season-ending CME Group Titleholders.
Players can only qualify for the CME Group Titleholders by being one of the top-three LPGA Tour members at the finish of an LPGA Tour event and not previously qualified for the CME Group Titleholders.
There are 15 LPGA Tour professionals in Japan this week trying to earn one of the few remaining spots for the CME Group Titleholders, November 21-24 in Naples, Florida.