CME Group Tour Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Naples, Florida |
| Established | 2011 |
| Course(s) |
Tiburón Golf Club, Gold Course |
| Par | 72[1] |
| Length | 6,540 yards (5,980 m)[2] |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play - 72 holes |
| Prize fund | $2.0 million |
| Month played | November |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 269 Charley Hull (2016) |
| To par | −19 as above |
| Current champion | |
 Charley Hull | |
 2016 CME Group Tour Championship | |
The CME Group Tour Championship is a women's professional golf tournament, the season-ending event of the LPGA Tour. It succeeded the LPGA Tour Championship, which was played for two seasons in 2009 and 2010. From 2011 to 2013 the tournament was called the CME Group Titleholders. The tournament has a limited field of about 70 players. The event is currently televised by Golf Channel and ABC.
In 2014 the LPGA Tour introduced a season-long points race, the Race to the CME Globe, and a $1 million bonus.[3][4] The CME Group Tour Championship marked the end of this season-long "Race". Each player's season-long "Race to the CME Globe" points were "reset" before the tournament based on their position in the points list. "Championship points" were then awarded to the top 40 players in the CME Group Tour Championship which were added to their "reset points" to determine the overall winner of the "Race to the CME Globe".
The title sponsor is the CME Group, a financial securities corporation based in Chicago. LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan announced on March 7, 2011, that CME had signed a three-year contract to sponsor the tournament. CME had previous experience hosting pro-am events with LPGA players.[5]
The first tournament was played in November 2011 at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, which had hosted the 2010 LPGA Tour Championship. In 2012, the tournament moved to the Eagle Course of the TwinEagles Club, in Naples, Florida.[1] For 2013 and 2014 it was again played in Naples but at the Gold Course of the Tiburón Golf Club.
The 2011 winner earned $500,000, a full one-third of the $1.5 million purse. The first-place money was the second highest in women's golf, exceeded only by the U.S. Women's Open. Most events on the LPGA Tour have a standard schedule for distribution of the purse, with a winner's share of 15%. The 2010 LPGA Tour Championship had the same purse of $1.5 million, with a winner's share of $225,000 but it was a 120-player event rather than the limited field of the 2011 event.[6] The purse was raised to $2 million in 2013, with a 35% winner's share of $700,000, the highest of the year.[7] For 2014 the purse was maintained at $2 million but, with the introduction of the "Race to the CME Globe", the winner's share was reduced to one-quarter at $500,000, second only to the U.S. Women's Open.[3]
Tournament names
- 2011–13: CME Group Titleholders
- 2014–present: CME Group Tour Championship
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Course | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Nov 17–20 | Charley Hull | England | 67-70-66-66=269 | −19 | 2 strokes |  Ryu So-yeon | Tiburón Golf Club, Gold Course | 2,000,000 | 500,000 |
| 2015 | Nov 19–22 | Cristie Kerr |  United States | 68-69-66-68=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Jang Ha-na Gerina Piller | Tiburón Golf Club, Gold Course | 2,000,000 | 500,000 |
| 2014 | Nov 20–23 | Lydia Ko |  New Zealand | 71-71-68-68=278 | −10 | Playoff |  Carlota Ciganda Julieta Granada | Tiburón Golf Club, Gold Course | 2,000,000 | 500,000 |
| 2013 | Nov 21–24 | Shanshan Feng |  China | 66-74-67-66=273 | −15 | 1 stroke | Gerina Piller | Tiburón Golf Club, Gold Course | 2,000,000 | 700,000 |
| 2012 | Nov 15–18 | Na Yeon Choi | South Korea | 67-68-69-70=274 | −14 | 2 strokes | So Yeon Ryu | TwinEagles Club, Eagle Course | 1,500,000 | 500,000 |
| 2011 | Nov 17–20 | Hee Young Park | South Korea | 71-69-69-70=279 | −9 | 2 strokes |  Sandra Gal Paula Creamer | Grand Cypress G.C. (N/S) | 1,500,000 | 500,000 |
Race to the CME Globe winners
| Year | Player | Country | Points | Runner-up | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ariya Jutanugarn |  Thailand | 6,800 | Lydia Ko | 5,050 |
| 2015 | Lydia Ko (2) | New Zealand | 6,000 | Inbee Park | 5,700 |
| 2014 | Lydia Ko | New Zealand | 7,500 | Stacy Lewis | 5,650 |
References
- 1 2 "CME Group Titleholders Course Info". LPGA. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- ↑ "Final results: CME Group Titleholders". ESPN. November 23, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- 1 2 "LPGA Launches Inaugural "Race to the CME Globe"". LPGA. January 8, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ "LPGA Tour goes to points race". ESPN. Associated Press. January 8, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ "CME Group to sponsor LPGA Season-Ending Titleholders tournament". LPGA. March 7, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ↑ "2010 LPGA Tour Championship - results". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ↑ Voepel, Mechelle (November 24, 2013). "Shanshan Feng enjoys big payday". ESPNW. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- Coverage on LPGA Tour's official site
- Tiburón Golf Club − official site
- TwinEagles Club − (2012 host)
- Grand Cypress Golf Club − (2011 host)
Coordinates: 26°14′53″N 81°45′54″W / 26.248°N 81.765°W