Rolex Player of the Year: Stacy Lewis will keep a wary eye on ambitious Park
South Korean Inbee Park, who has made no secret of her ambitions for the current season, will surely be on Stacy Lewis’s mind when she tees off at the upcoming Mizuno Classic, scheduled to
kick off from November 2-4, at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Japan.
Lewis and Park have grabbed the headlines lately as the two LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) giants are in an intense competition for Rolex Player of the Year.
Lewis, who currently stands at the second position in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, did not worry about Park trailing her until recently, as the South Korean star has now surged to the
fourth spot in world rankings thanks to two victories and a total of 11 top-10 finishes.
On the other hand, Rolex Player of the Year also paints a nearly identical picture, with Park now standing too close to Lewis.
Lewis has earned an overall 184 points on the back of 14 top-10s and three LPGA triumphs. While Park boasts a total of 156 points and is likely to add more in the coming tournaments.
The Mizuno Classic 2012 is going to give the two contenders plenty of opportunities to atone for their lapses. Although neither of them has won the prestigious tournament so far, Park appears
to be in a more crucial situation than her rival.
Park has performed well at the tournament, having recorded two top-10 finishes. But what has gripped fans’ attention is that if the South Korean prodigy wins this year, she can jump to the
top on the Rolex Player of the Year list.
Boosting her position on the Rolex Player of the Year List had not been on Park’s mind until she saw her stats swell following several strong finishes in the season—something the ambitious
golfer conceded to in her recent interview.
“Earlier in the season I really didn't think about (Player of the Year) much, but it's almost the end of the season and only three tournaments to go," Park said while speaking to the LPGA
Tour.
“And I think I have a good chance because I'm playing good and I have confidence. And these three tournaments - who knows what's going to happen? Just play tournament by tournament, shot
by shot and see if I can go close".
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