CME Group Tour Championship Preview & TV Schedule

We’re less than 24 hours from tee time for the CME Group Tour Championship, the grande finale of the LPGA 2014 season, and what a season it’s been! Shanshan Feng’s the defending champion at the event with a 72-player field that’s been tested by fire all season, there’s a $2 million purse and for some the potential of a million dollar bonus waiting on the 72nd hole on Sunday. Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park are running neck-in-neck for two huge year-end awards, the Rolex Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy, and they’re both being pushed hard by a young teen phenom who’s already locked down the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year award and would like to make a clean sweep. Who could ask for more in a golf tournament?

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The Venue

The Tour Championship returns to the Greg Norman designed Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida, which also hosts the PGA Tour Franklin Templeton Shootout. With its stacked sod-wall bunkers, approaches cut to the height of most greens, and tricky coquina waste bunkers,Tiburón’s a track made to challenge the best of the best.

The Field

The top 72 players on the LPGA Tour are competing for the Tour Championship. The top nine in the field will have a chance to capture both the Championship and a million dollar bonus. And while there may be favorites and dark horses in the race, given the overall strength in the field this is anybody’s tournament to win.

Inbee Park’s momentum over the last two months puts her at a slight edge over Stacy Lewis in both the Player of the Year award and the Vare Trophy contests. However, nothing’s certain. Lewis will play hard to hold on to her current point advantage, however slight it is. They’re paired for the first round, along with Lydia Ko, so we’ll have a better sense Thursday afternoon of how this drama may play out over 72 holes.

I’m also giving Inbee Park the edge in the final lap of the Race to the CME Globe, but in addition to Stacy Lewis there are several players among the top-nine who post a threat to her control of the race. So Yeon Ryu’s having a strong season, as are Shanshan Feng and Chella Choi. Any among these three could pass Park on the board, and Hall of Famer Karrie Webb’s the wild card.

Brittany Lincicome

Further down in the rankings, Brittany Lincicome is one of my favorite dark horses to take home the Tour Championship trophy. Lincicome has a score to settle with Park She may be ready to collect. Two-time 2014 champion, rookie Mirim Lee’s also on my watch list. She withstood Inbee Park’s sudden death playoff assault at the Meijer Classic last August and she could do it again. Christina Kim’s riding a wave of victorious euphoria that she could easily translate into a 2nd 2013 win. I don’t count her out either.

As I said, right now this is anybody’s tournament to win.

Media Coverage

Tee times begin at 8:55am ET, with Austin Ernst, Mo Martin and Eun-Hee Ji leading off. The final group — Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park and Lydia Ko, tees off at 10:56am. Golf Channel coverage begins at 1:30pm every day, from Thursday, November 20 through Sunday, November 23, and continues through 4pm. All times are ET.

My colleagues and I at ProGolfNow will also provide ongoing commentary throughout the Tour Championship. Follow me on Twitter @bethbethel and Annette Walker @TinkWalker and we’ll notify you when we post event updates.

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