BELLEAIR, Fla. — While the top of the leaderboard at the LPGA’s Pelican Women’s Championship featured a thrilling shootout between America’s best – Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson – the battle going on down the board had just as much at stake, maybe more.
Rookie Morgane Metraux came into the penultimate event of the season in the 101st place on the Race to CME Globe points list, one position outside of keeping her card. When asked whether she feels more pressure playing to win or keep her card, Metraux, who has won on both the LET and Epson Tour, didn’t hesitate.
“Playing to keep your job 100 percent,” said Metraux, who vaulted up the standings with a T-4 finish at Pelican. “The thing is for me, playing to win you already feel like you’re obviously playing really well if you’re in a position to win the tournament, so you can build confidence on that.
“If you’re playing to keep your job it means you haven’t done quite as good. So I think it’s more pressure. It’s like playing to make the cut on the last hole versus playing to win the tournament. They’re both pressure, but I think the pressure of making the cut is actually harder.”
Meanwhile, Gerina Mendoza was projected to finish 100th on the CME when she got to the difficult par-4 18th, but found the water and made double-bogey, dropping to No. 102.
LPGA cards weren’t the only thing on the line. Players were also vying to finish inside the top 63 of the points list to qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Only 60 qualify for the event, but three players – Jessica Korda, Linn Grant and Inbee Park – will not compete next week. The winner of the CME will earn a record $2 million.
Here’s a look at some of the highs and lows from a dramatic day in Belleaire, Florida (with final CME ranking):
85. Morgane Metraux
Metraux came into this this week No. 101 on the CME points list, one position outside of keeping her card. A closing 64 from the Swiss player moved her well inside the top 100 and out of Q-Series.
“I don’t really have words, to be honest,” said Metraux. “It’s just like just everything is a little bit overwhelming.”
Metraux went into the final round with an aggressive attitude, pushing herself to make birdies. The mindset paid off. She’ll travel to Spain next week for the LET finale while her sister, Kim, heads to the second stage of LPGA Q-School. Metraux’s father, Oliver, flew in from Saudi Arabia Sunday morning after caddying for Kim. He noted that last year Morgane went into the final event on the Epson Tour in 10th place on the money list. (The top 10 earn LPGA cards.) With everything on the line, she moved up to ninth.
“She loves pressure,” he said.
64. Jenny Shin
Jenny Shin has competed in every CME Group Tour Championship since 2011. A pair of bogeys on the closing holes, however, wiped out any chance she had to keep that streak alive. Shin said she felt the pressure that rookies feel this week, and it didn’t feel good. She missed the CME by one spot.
“I think it’s the talent level,” said Shin of why this year felt so difficult. “I’m not getting worse.”
Shin said her ball-striking this year is significantly better than it was six years ago when she won on the LPGA. Most of her disappointments this year, she said, can be chalked up to her mental game. Now 30 years old, Shin admitted that she hasn’t always made golf a priority, but this year, she wanted see how good she can be.
“I’m trying to prove something to myself,” said Shin, “and that never works out.”
62. Stacy Lewis
U.S. Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis came into the week in the 60th position on the CME list. The former No. 1 said she found something with her putting heading into next week. She also felt like she could be more aggressive over the ball, rather than play for a miss. Lewis double-bogeyed the last hole but still managed to hold onto the 62nd spot.
“I knew I had a pretty good shot at making it,” said Lewis, “but then I saw Matilda was playing good so then it kind of makes you pay attention a little bit more. I haven’t played very good, so I don’t really feel like I deserved it, but I’m excited to have another week because I felt like I actually did some good stuff this week, it’s just the golf course doesn’t always show it.”
65. Maria Fassi
Maria Fassi posted a career-best 62 to lead the Pelican after Day 1 and came into the final round one shot back. The former NCAA champ got off to a slow start with three bogeys on the front nine. The focus on the back nine turned from winning the event to qualifying for the CME. She needed to finish inside the top 6 at least to have a chance. Instead, Fassi bogeyed the last two holes to slip to 65th on the CME list.
Ariya Jutanugarn jumped up to take the last spot.
54. Matilda Castren
Matilda Castren entered the week No. 62 on the CME points list. The first Finnish player to win on the LPGA, Castren chased distance early in the season and struggled not only on the course, but with her mental outlook. After a top-10 finish in Japan and a closing 64 at the Pelican again to finish T-10, she’s now starting to find her stride.
“I’m not going to lie,” said Castren. “It’s been super-stressful. I’m just really happy about today. It could have gone anyway, and it went our way today.”
101. Dewi Weber
Dewi Weber came into the tournament 102 on the CME points list. After a strong par save on the challenging 18th, Weber walked out of the scoring tent greatly disappointed with her closing 70 and mostly thinking about the double-bogey she carded on the penultimate hole that will ultimately send her back to Q-Series.
“I think I needed a good round today and I kind of knew that,” said Weber, “and it was a bit of a guessing game where everybody else was. … Sorry, I’m a little pissed at myself because we think I had it at 17 and I didn’t know that; I thought I needed to go a lot lower than that and I did something dumb and I made double bogey. I’m pretty sure I didn’t make it, and I am really not looking forward to going to Alabama for two weeks again. It’s part of the game.”
