After a sterling two weeks in Europe for The Evian Championship and the Solheim Cup, followed by a two-week break, the Asian Swing begins this week and makes a significant start to the conclusion of the season.

Most noteworthy is the race for the second CME Globe title, which awards a $1-million bonus to the winner. Lydia Ko, who won last year’s first title, is the current leader, followed by Inbee Park, the No. 1-ranked player in the world. Stacy Lewis, who led the CME Globe points at this juncture last season, is third and hungry for her first victory this season. Sei Young Kim is the season’s top rookie among a celebrated crop of first-year players and is contending for top overall honors. Lexi Thompson, at age 20, is just a bit older than Ko but is also rising to expectations for her power game.

All five players are in the field for this week’s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. Here’s a look at how they performed in the final stretch during the 2014 season:

2014 Tournament	Ko	Park	Lewis	Kim	Thompson
Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia	T8	DNP	T21	DNP	T41
KEB-Hana Bank	29	4	DNP	T42	T62
Fubon-LPGA Taiwan	3	Win	2	DNP	DNP
Blue Bay LPGA	T7	DNP	DNP	DNP	WD
Toto Japan	DNP	DNP	T31	DNP	DNP
Lorena Ochoa	T9	3	T26	DNP	T15
CME Group Tour Championship	Win	T24	T9	DNP	T20

Busy Asian golf in October

Asian golf courses will be busy with the top players, both women and men, playing here over the next two months. This week as the women play in Malaysia, the men are playing The Presidents Cup in South Korea.

This year’s venue, Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, has the unusual distinction of being a tournament site on three tours in one year. The LPGA plays on the East Course. The other events are on the men’s tours and are conducted on the longer West Course. The European Tour played the the Maybank Malaysian Open in early February, with India’s Anirban Lahiri winning. The PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic is scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

What a global year

While Inbee Park and Lydia Ko are battling for the top spot on the LPGA, U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun may be having just as good a season on a worldwide stage. She has won six times this season, including four major titles on three different tours, culminated by last week’s Japan Women’s Open, her second major on that tour this season. The 21-year-old won the U.S. Women’s Open in Lancaster, Pa., in July and a major on the Korean LPGA earlier this season.

Chun isn’t playing at the Sime Darby this week but is entered in her home country’s LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship next week.

Etc.

In five previous playings of the Sime Darby, only one winner has shot a round in the 70s. Jimin Kang opened with a 1-under 70 in 2010 in earning a victory in what was then a 54-hole event. … Kuala Lumpur is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Golf Channel’s coverage in the U.S. will be on tape each day – noon-3 p.m. EDT on Thursday, 6-8 a.m., on Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., on Saturday and noon-4 p.m., on Sunday. … In her four career LPGA victories, Shanshan Feng has finished with rounds of 67 (2012 Wegmans LPGA), 68 (2013 Reignwood LPGA), 66 (CME Group Titleholders) and 63 (Sime Darby LPGA). She has finished a combined 33-under par with eight consecutive rounds under par in her last two starts at the Sime Darby, including a second in 2013 and a victory last year.

Stats and Stuff: The Asia Swing Begins

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