LPGA's First Reshuffle
The first reshuffle of the 2017 LPGA Tour season took place with the conclusion of the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC.
The Priority List determines eligibility for most LPGA full-field events and where a player sits on this list determines if she will get into the field each week.
Katherine Kirk and Amelia Lewis made significant moves with this week’s reshuffle and should now earn a spot into most full-field events remaining on the 2017 schedule. Kirk jumped from No. 143 to No. 88 and Lewis moved from No. 140 to No. 100, earning the two Category 8 status.
With Aditi Ashok and Sarah Kemp moving to Category 15, they are not guaranteed to play in all full field events, but their odds have undoubtedly improved with their moves on the Priority List. Ashok moved up from No. 158 to No. 139, while Kemp made the largest jump in the rankings from No. 362 to No. 154
The second and final reshuffle for the season will take place after the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G
Current LPGA priority list (PDF)
Other Notable Moves
Rolex Rankings
Haru Nomura had the Rolex Rankings Move of the Week, moving up seven spots to No. 17 with her outstanding play in Texas. It took six extra holes for Nomura to defeat Cristie Kerr and hoisted the trophy at this year’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC.
“I’m so happy to win again. I’m so excited,” said Nomura.
Solheim Cup
Not much has changed in the top eight of the Solheim Cup Points Standing were last updated in April, Cristie Kerr moved to third after her runner-up finish in Texas, but for those hoping to make the roster or attract captain Juli Inkster’s attention they need continue to perform on the course.
Four-time Solheim Cup veteran, Michelle Wie hopes to make it onto her fifth U.S. roster this August. Wie finished T13 this past weekend in Texas and moved into the 12th position in the Solheim Cup Points Standings; moving her closer to representing the United States in Des Moines, Iowa.
Angel Yin made the biggest jump in the standing moving from No. 44 to No. 29 with her T-5, a career-best finish for the 2017 LPGA Tour rookie, at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC. Yin is no stranger to playing for her country, having played on the winning 2015 PING Junior Solheim Cup team in Germany.
For complete USA Rankings>> and Europe Rankings>>
Race to the CME Globe
Haru Nomura earned 500 points and moved up from 31st to 10th in the LPGA’s season-long Race to CME Globe with 780 points. The three-time LPGA winner outlasted Cristie Kerr in a six-hole playoff to capture the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC.
The Race to the CME Globe is in the fourth year, and fans have already seen players jockey for the top spot. So Yeon Ryu continues to hold a slight lead over Ariya Jutanugarn for the top spot with 1,605 points.
The top five finishers entering Naples control their destiny at the CME Group Tour Championship, meaning if they win in Naples, they will also win the CME Globe, but the top twelve finishers will have a mathematical chance at winning the CME Globe.
Ryu (1), Jutangarn (2), Cristie Kerr (3), Inbee Park (4), Lexi Thompson (5), In Gee Chun (6), Ha Na Jang (7), Mirim Lee (8), Stacy Lewis (9), Nomura (10), Amy Yang (11) and Anna Nordqvist (12) make up the top-12.