After posting seven top-10 finishes in eight starts on the LPGA Tour this year, Stacy Lewis finally found the winning combination at the North Texas Shootout on Sunday.
This was her ninth career victory and the win will move her to the top of the standings for the Race to the CME Globe. It also moves her past Lydia Ko for the No. 2 spot in the world rankings
Ko jumped over Lewis last week from No. 4 to No. 2 with her win at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Ko did not play this week at the North Texas Shootout.
It is no secret that Lewis wants to regain the top spot in the Rolex Rankings and appears to be trending in the right direction.
No. 1 Inbee Park has not won since the U.S. Women’s Open last July and the gap between her, Lewis, Ko and Suzann Pettersen is growing ever closer. Park finished at five-under par and T-13.
Lewis began the day tied for the lead with Meena Lee at nine-under par. While Lee posted a one-under par 70 in the final round to finish a distant second, Lewis blew away the field with her second seven-under par 64 of the tournament to win by six shots.
Lewis seemed to be clicking on all cylinders on Sunday, hitting fairways, finding greens and making putts. She carded three birdies and one eagle on the front nine and added three more birdies and a lone bogey on the back side for her 64.
Lewis also posted a 64 in the second round to get into contention in Dallas.
Michelle Wie had another strong finish in Texas. She posted three rounds in the 60’s and finished solo third. This was her sixth top 10 this season and with $739,000 in earnings she is No. 2 in the Race to the CME Globe and No. 12 on the Rolex Rankings.
Na Yeon Choi and Kim Kaufman finished tied for fourth. This was a huge finish for Kaufman. She moves from No. 118 on the Race to the CME Globe to No. 61.
Kaufman is in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour and the fourth-place finish was her first top 10. It was also her just her second start on tour. She finished T-42 in the LPGA Lotte Championship.
No. 4 in the world Suzann Pettersen finished tied for sixth at seven-under par with Christie Kerr, Lexi Thompson, Dori Carter, Christina Kim and Dewi Claire Schreefel.
The next stop for the women is the Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, VA in two weeks.