Nelly Korda was announced as the Rolex Player of the Year earlier this week, and the finality of the 2024 LPGA Tour season has really started to hit home. As the Tour returns to the United States after the fall Asia events, only two regular-season tournaments remain to earn Race to the CME Globe points. Korda already capturing Player of the Year honors is a blatant reminder that time is running out.
Playing in the CME Group Tour Championship can be career-changing. Amy Yang won the trophy a year ago and built on that momentum this season, a year that saw her secure her first major victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship this past summer. First place at the season-ending tournament wins $4 million, and the total purse for the CME Group Tour Championship is $11 million. So, many in the field of 120 players at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei have a lot to play for.
This is the 12th edition of the event and the first time it will be played in the fall. Not only does the new date make sense from a travel point of view, but the average winning score at the LOTTE Championship over the past two editions is 12-under. Our host venue, Hoakalei Country Club, was designed by Ernie Els in 2009, and the par-72 facility stretches to 6,536 yards. When we first saw this venue in 2022, many may have thought that scores would be lower, but major champion Hyo Joo Kim won that year’s tournament at just 11 under.
Kim is one of many in the field this week who sits right on the top-60 bubble in the Race to the CME Globe and is currently ranked 61st in points and 20th in the world. When Kim won the LOTTE Championship, she did so by leaning on her ball striking, gaining nearly 15 strokes (14.8) on the field tee to green. That’s the first key this week. When the trade winds begin to blow, you must know where your golf ball is going.
Hoakalei Country Club has 14 holes where water comes into play and 112 bunkers scattered across 18 holes. Mao Saigo, Gaby Lopez and Brooke Henderson lead the field in strokes gained ball striking. Lopez is another on the Race to the CME Globe points list looking to improve her position, as she is currently right at 60th. Considering her great history playing in Florida, finishing at the CME Group Tour Championship could provide an incredible close to an average year for the Mexico native.
Par-4 scoring has a strong correlation to success at Hoakalei Country Club. Five players in each of the last two top 10s at the LOTTE Championship were also inside the top 10 in par-4 scoring for the week. Two of the favorites, Ayaka Furue and Saigo, are ranked highest in the field in that metric but don’t forget about Lopez again. She is ranked 15th on Tour and third in this field for her scoring ability on the par 4s. That’s an edge that will surely count when it comes to the weekend.
The LOTTE Championship creates great theater because the conditions can get crazy in the afternoon. When those trade winds get going, players are forced to scramble. Look across the rankings and compare strokes gained around the green, scrambling, bogey avoidance, and sand-save percentage to find the best short-game stars. Jin Young Ko, Yuna Nishimura and Kim lead that list. Even though Kim is 61st and Nishimura is 67th on the season-long points list, each could really gain on this field with their short game.
It takes a lot to win this week in Hawaii. You can see by the well-rounded skill set featured for the contenders. The last two years at Hoakalei Country Club have been really entertaining. Grace Kim won in 2023 at 12-under after surviving a three-way, sudden-death playoff. The points conversation is real, and those names mentioned above who are lingering around the top 60 have a great chance to secure their spot in the CME Group Tour Championship come the end of the week in Hawaii.
A little extra motivation can be the edge a player needs to break through. Check out the Race to the CME Globe points list to find your own picks for the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei. Write them down and see how they do. By correctly breaking down the course and analyzing the field, we can always have an opportunity to contend and win.
