Marina Alex makes late Race to CME Globe charge

She may have lost after a six-hole playoff last Sunday, but Marina Alex gained major footing in the Race to CME Globe this past weekend. The American golfer lost to Japanese golfer Rio Takeda on the sixth hole of the playoff at the TOTO Japan Classic.

She had a Sunday best 66 before entering the playoff. The result did not lead to a win, but it moved her up in the CME Standings with just two weeks to go before the CME Group Tour Championship. She moved up 29 spots with her second-place finish. It has all but secured her spot in the CME Tour Championship starting on November 21st.

Marina Alex shifts her focus to the LOTTE Championship this week in Hawaii

She has played strong in the final stretch of the season. The finish was her second-straight top 10. At the Maybank Championship, she finished in a tie for sixth place. She's had five top 10s and nine top 25s on the year.

“It's nice to have these next couple of weeks not worried about that as trying to get in and actually just keep building on my game and get geared up for CME,” Alex told LPGA.com earlier this week ahead of the LOTTE Championship. “It's been a little bit of an up and down year, but it's wonderful to see the hard work paying off.”

Marina's last victory hasn't been since the Palos Verdes Championship in 2022. If she continues to play strong, though, it should be right around the corner. She currently stands in 20th place in green hit from rough percentage. Her percentage is at 56.52%.

After the tournament in Japan, Marina commented on what she wanted to do next. "Very tired. Ready for a beer," she said. A calm attitude like that may lead to victory this weekend in Hawaii. She will tee it up again on Wednesday afternoon in Hawaii.