Thompson In Contention, Wie A 'Hermit Crab' and More from CME

QUOTABLE FROM THE TOP FIVE IN THE RACE TO THE CME GLOBE

“I’m in a good position for tomorrow, but I am just going to focus on one shot at a time and just visualize my shots out there.” - Lexi Thompson, tied for fifth at 9-under, 207, one-stroke off the lead

“I think that it’s going to be really important to keep my focus going into tomorrow. There is a lot of top players right now at the top of the leaderboard. Keeping my focus will be key.” - Sung Hyun Park, tied for fifth at 9-under, 207, one-stroke off the lead

“Before I started the round I told myself, I mean, it’s time to try to go low. First two rounds obviously I didn’t play super well, so I’m a lot behind. I was trying to shoot low. I mean, 5-under was still pretty good score.” - Shanshan Feng, tied for 23rd at 6-under, 201, four-strokes off the lead 

“Putting was little better than yesterday, but I couldn’t really make lot of putts. Putting was only disappointing part of my game today. Hopefully I can make more putt tomorrow.” - So Yeon Ryu, tied for 32nd at 5-under, 211, five-strokes off the lead

“Being this far back with that many people ahead of you it’s very unlikely that I could be the champion of this event this year. However, I can still get into the top 10, maybe even better if I get off to a hot start tomorrow and hopefully make a few putts.” - Brooke Henderson, tied for 23rd at 6-under, 201, four-strokes off the lead

“HERMIT CRAB” WIE LOOKING FOR BIG WIN AFTER SURGERY

It takes a brave woman to call herself a hermit crab to a group of media. That’s exactly what Michelle Wie did after her 6-under 66 on Saturday, one of her best rounds since having an emergency appendectomy on Sunday of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in in August. After withdrawing in Ottawa, Wie sat out nearly two months of action before teeing it up in Korea a month ago, a span where she could barely get out of bed, let alone work out or swing a golf club. 

“I really did struggle for a bit just really trying to get my feel back, but every week was an improvement,” said Wie, who is laying low this week in Naples and resting as much as she can, like the aforementioned hermit crab. “Every week I felt like I got a little part of my game back. From last week I felt pretty good. I’m just excited to end the season on a good note.” 

Wie has one more round between her and that good note, and Saturday’s solid play certainly helped resurrect what had been a promising season for the 28-year-old Hawaiian. Prior to her surgery, Wie had seven top-10 finishes, including the ANA Inspiration and Ricoh Women’s British Open. Without a victory to her name since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, Wie continues to look ahead with optimism.

“I gained a lot of confidence this year,” said Wie, who will be in the final group with Kim Kaufman and Ariya Jutanugarn on Sunday. “I had a really tough year last year, couple years. Just really feeling like my old self. Really feeling comfortable out there and having fun, and that’s when I play my best.”

THOMPSON RIGHT IN CONTENTION

It if weren’t for Tiburon Golf Club’s first hole, Lexi Thompson might be on top of the leaderboard. The fan favorite, who entered the tournament leading the Race to the CME Globe, bogeyed No. 1 on Thursday and made a painful double bogey there on Saturday.

“I’m going to try a little something a little different tomorrow just to make sure that I’m nice and relaxed going into that first tee shot,” said Thompson, who as usual credited her caddie, Kevin McAlpine, with helping calm her temper after those opening difficulties. “There is always that little bit of adrenaline and just wanting to get playing and get out there and just get started. So there is always that bit of adrenaline, but you have to tame it and control it.” 

But despite the opening troubles, Thompson only sits one-stroke off the lead going into Sunday’s final round. With Thompson in contention for multiple season-ending awards, no one would blame her for going all out on Sunday and playing aggressively. Not a chance, she says. 

“I’m not going into tomorrow with any different attitude,” said Thompson. “Just going to go out there, free swing, commit to my targets, and just try to do my best, how I played my last 17 holes today, is just how my mindset is going into tomorrow.”

QUICK HITS

• Sung Hyun Park is playing in her first CME Group Tour Championship 
• Kim Kaufman is playing in her fourth CME Group Tour Championship; her best finish is T20 in 2014
• Kaufman’s third-round 64 is tied for the lowest round of her career, joining the fourth round of the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic
• Kaufman has never held or been tied for the lead after 54-holes and has never played in the final group of the final round 
• Michelle Wie is playing in her third CME Group Tour Championship and also played in the 2011-13 CME Group Titleholders; her best finish is T5 in 2014
• Ariya Jutanugarn is playing in her third CME Group Tour Championship; her best finish is T4 in 2016
• Suzann Pettersen is playing in her fourth CME Group Tour Championship and also played in the 2011-13 CME Group Titleholders; her best finish is T4 in 2011 
• In-Kyung Kim made a hole-in-one at No. 12, with a 6-iron from 171 yards
• The last time four players were tied for the lead after 54 holes at any LPGA event was the 2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic Presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I (In-Kyung Kim, Jiyai Shin, So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo)

CME GROUP CARES WEEKENDS EAGLES UPDATE AFTER SATURDAY AT THE CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

CME Group Cares Weekend is a season-long charitable giving program that turns eagles into donations. For each eagle recorded during weekend play (Saturday and Sunday) throughout the 2017 LPGA Tour season, CME Group donated $1,000 to the program’s total donation count. 

However, at this week’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, the stakes are even higher, as the donation has been raised to a generous $5,000 per eagle. The money raised will go towards a charitable pool and be split evenly between Wounded Warrior Project® and Bright Pink®.

Saturday at the CME Group Tour Championship saw three eagles, coming from In-Kyung Kim (an ace at No. 12), Austin Ernst (No. 17) and So Yeon Ryu (No. 14). 

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE STANDINGS

The top 12 players in the Race to the CME Globe standings heading into this week’s CME Group Tour Championship are eligible to win the $1 million bonus.

ROLEX PLAYER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

After 54 holes, Sung Hyun Park and Lexi Thompson are tied for fifth place, which would project Park the winner by one point over So Yeon Ryu. Ryu and Shanshan Feng are still outside the top 10 (Ryu – T32; Feng – T23).

VARE TROPHY STANDINGS

Through three rounds, Lexi Thompson and Sung Hyun Park have each recorded a score of 207 (-9). This gives Thompson a small lead of 0.109 entering the final round. For Park to win lowest scoring average, she would need to separate herself from Thompson by nine to 10 strokes.