The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship will be a bit bigger in 2020.
The LPGA announced on Thursday that this year’s field will include the top 70 from the Race to the CME Globe points standings, an increase of 10 spots. In addition, two sponsor exemptions will be given out. The 72-hole tournament will not have a cut and will offer a purse of $3 million. The winner will receive a check of $1.1 million, the highest first-place check on the LPGA.
“The 2020 LPGA Tour season has certainly faced its challenges, and thanks to incredible partners like CME Group, we have been able to stage competitive opportunities for our players,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan in a statement. “Terry Duffy and his team are among the greatest ambassadors for women’s golf, and we are incredibly appreciative that they have remained with us through this season. The LPGA and CME Group intend to return the Tour Championship back to its original format in 2021.”
Last year’s field played for a $5 million purse and a record $1.5 million payout to winner Sei Young Kim. This year’s event has been pushed back from its traditional week before Thanksgiving date and will now take place Dec. 17-20 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. The first three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel, and Sunday’s round will be on NBC.
“We are extremely proud to continue our long-standing relationship with the LPGA Tour, which supports female athletes while also elevating the sport of women’s golf,” said Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and CEO. “Through the CME Group Tour Championship, we are also very proud to continue our support of St. Jude Children’s Hospital – where no family ever receives a bill because all they should worry about is helping their child live. We believe this year’s Tour Championship will provide an exciting finish to one the most uncertain years in history.”
Following this week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, there are six events left on the LPGA schedule, including two majors.
Race to the CME Globe points standings
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | Danielle Kang | 1589 |
| 2 | Inbee Park | 1235 |
| 3 | Minjee Lee | 949 |
| 4 | Austin Ernst | 892 |
| 5 | Nelly Korda | 848 |
| 6 | Stacy Lewis | 845 |
| 7 | Nasa Hataoka | 830 |
| 8 | Georgia Hall | 773 |
| 9 | Celine Boutier | 756 |
| 10 | Jasmine Suwannapura | 747 |
| 11 | Jodi Ewart Shadoff | 688 |
| 12 | Lydia Ko | 676 |
| 13 | Madelene Sagstrom | 673 |
| 14 | Mirim Lee | 645 |
| 15 | Cheyenne Knight | 641 |
| 16 | Hee Young Park | 589 |
| 17 | Brooke M. Henderson | 588 |
| 18 | Gaby Lopez | 585 |
| 19 | Amy Olson | 569 |
| 20 | Anna Nordqvist | 552 |
| 21 | Yu Liu | 532 |
| 22 | Moriya Jutanugarn | 528 |
| 22 | Ashleigh Buhai | 528 |
| 24 | Azahara Munoz | 512 |
| 25 | Caroline Masson | 477 |
| 26 | Yealimi Noh | 442 |
| 27 | Cydney Clanton | 437 |
| 28 | Perrine Delacour | 427 |
| 29 | Angela Stanford | 420 |
| 30 | Jennifer Song | 417 |
| 31 | Marina Alex | 401 |
| 32 | Lexi Thompson | 394 |
| 33 | Carlota Ciganda | 381 |
| 34 | Sei Young Kim | 376 |
| 35 | Xiyu Lin | 373 |
| 36 | Lizette Salas | 368 |
| 37 | Andrea Lee | 362 |
| 38 | In Gee Chun | 361 |
| 39 | Kelly Tan | 358 |
| 40 | Christina Kim | 350 |
| 41 | Brittany Altomare | 347 |
| 42 | Mi Hyang Lee | 345 |
| 43 | So Yeon Ryu | 337 |
| 44 | Mel Reid | 333 |
| 45 | Kristen Gillman | 329 |
| 46 | Ally McDonald | 327 |
| 47 | Hannah Green | 314 |
| 48 | Emma Talley | 312 |
| 49 | Amy Yang | 311 |
| 50 | Alena Sharp | 306 |
| 51 | Katherine Kirk | 303 |
| 51 | Lindsey Weaver | 303 |
| 53 | Maria Fernanda Torres | 301 |
| 54 | Leona Maguire | 298 |
| 55 | Stephanie Meadow | 295 |
| 56 | Cristie Kerr | 288 |
| 57 | Linnea Strom | 277 |
| 58 | Anne van Dam | 272 |
| 59 | Pernilla Lindberg | 248 |
| 60 | Megan Khang | 247 |
| 61 | Maria Fassi | 241 |
| 62 | Jenny Shin | 229 |
| 63 | Yui Kawamoto | 228 |
| 64 | Annie Park | 224 |
| 65 | Sarah Schmelzel | 221 |
| 66 | Jessica Korda | 207 |
| 67 | Brittany Lang | 204 |
| 68 | Nanna Koerstz Madsen | 192 |
| 69 | Mariah Stackhouse | 187 |
| 70 | Ariya Jutanugarn | 185 |
| 71 | Charlotte Thomas | 183 |
| 72 | Patty Tavatanakit | 175 |
| 73 | Pajaree Anannarukarn | 171 |
| 74 | Angel Yin | 170 |
| 75 | Dottie Ardina | 163 |
| 76 | Robynn Ree | 157 |
| 77 | Klara Spilkova | 154 |
| 77 | Gemma Dryburgh | 154 |
| 79 | Lee-Anne Pace | 152 |
| 80 | Dana Finkelstein | 151 |
| 81 | Haru Nomura | 146 |
| 82 | Elizabeth Szokol | 145 |
| 83 | Morgan Pressel | 144 |
| 84 | Mina Harigae | 137 |
| 84 | Matilda Castren | 137 |
| 86 | Haeji Kang | 136 |
| 87 | Mi Jung Hur | 135 |
| 88 | Chella Choi | 133 |
| 88 | Peiyun Chien | 133 |
| 90 | Kendall Dye | 132 |
| 90 | Brittany Lincicome | 132 |
| 90 | Caroline Inglis | 132 |
| 93 | Eun-Hee Ji | 126 |
| 94 | Jennifer Kupcho | 124 |
| 94 | Nicole Broch Larsen | 124 |
| 96 | Charley Hull | 119 |
| 97 | Jing Yan | 118 |
| 98 | Dani Holmqvist | 106 |
| 99 | Sarah Kemp | 102 |
| 100 | Su Oh | 100 |
| 100 | Sarah Burnham | 100 |
| 102 | Albane Valenzuela | 98 |
| 102 | Bronte Law | 98 |
| 104 | Jeong Eun Lee | 95 |
| 105 | Lindy Duncan | 94 |
| 105 | Kim Kaufman | 94 |
| 107 | Alison Lee | 90 |
| 107 | Pornanong Phatlum | 90 |
| 109 | Lauren Stephenson | 86 |
| 110 | Wichanee Meechai | 81 |
| 110 | Haley Moore | 81 |
| 112 | Kristy McPherson | 80 |
| 113 | Paula Reto | 76 |
| 113 | Pavarisa Yoktuan | 76 |
| 113 | Esther Lee | 76 |
| 116 | Alana Uriell | 75 |
| 117 | Jiwon Jeon | 74 |
| 118 | Tiffany Joh | 71 |
| 119 | Jeongeun Lee6 | 67 |
| 120 | Jennifer Chang | 65 |
| 121 | Bianca Pagdanganan | 63 |
| 121 | Gerina Piller | 63 |
| 123 | Jillian Hollis | 62 |
| 124 | Jaye Marie Green | 60 |
| 125 | Isi Gabsa | 57 |
| 126 | Caroline Hedwall | 56 |
| 127 | Jane Park | 55 |
| 128 | Min Seo Kwak | 48 |
| 129 | Sophia Popov | 47 |
| 130 | Jenny Coleman | 45 |
| 131 | Jackie Stoelting | 43 |
| 131 | Ilhee Lee | 43 |
| 133 | Sung Hyun Park | 39 |
| 134 | Yujeong Son | 38 |
| 135 | Lee Lopez | 37 |
| 136 | Ssu-Chia Cheng | 36 |
| 137 | Suzuka Yamaguchi | 32 |
| 137 | Celine Herbin | 32 |
| 137 | Ruixin Liu | 32 |
| 140 | Kris Tamulis | 31 |
| 140 | Tiffany Chan | 31 |
| 142 | Mind Muangkhumsakul | 29 |
| 143 | Julieta Granada | 28 |
| 144 | Esther Henseleit | 27 |
| 145 | Sandra Gal | 26 |
| 145 | Mariajo Uribe | 26 |
| 147 | In Kyung Kim | 22 |
| 147 | Aditi Ashok | 22 |
| 149 | Linnea Johansson | 21 |
| 150 | Karine Icher | 20 |
| 150 | Mo Martin | 20 |
| 152 | Louise Ridderstrom | 18 |
| 152 | Youngin Chun | 18 |
| 154 | Ryann O’Toole | 17 |
| 155 | Ayako Uehara | 16 |
| 155 | Cheyenne Woods | 16 |
| 155 | Wei-Ling Hsu | 16 |
| 158 | Nuria Iturrioz | 15 |
| 158 | Catriona Matthew | 15 |
| 160 | Becky Morgan | 13 |
| 161 | Lauren Coughlin | 11 |
| 162 | Sakura Yokomine | 8 |
| 162 | Muni He | 8 |
| 164 | Clariss Guce | 7 |
| 164 | Katelyn Dambaugh | 7 |
| 166 | Marissa Steen | 4 |
| 167 | Daniela Darquea | 3 |
| 168 | Maia Schechter | 2 |
| 168 | Sarah Jane Smith | 2 |
| 170 | Na Yeon Choi | 1 |
| 170 | Juli Inkster | 1 |
| 170 | Beatriz Recari | 1 |
| 170 | Laetitia Beck | 1 |
| 170 | Giulia Molinaro | 1 |