LPGA Tour player of year contest between Lewis and Park tightens up

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For so much of the summer, Stacy Lewis was poised to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to win LPGA Tour player of the year.

Not so fast.

Inbee Park won the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, and then two weeks later was on the cusp of another win in the Sunrise Taiwan Championship until Suzann Pettersen ran her down on the final day to win.

Even so, the runner-up finish was enough to get Park to within 28 points of Lewis. Wins are worth 30 points, with 12 points for second, nine for third, on down to one point for 10th place.

Lewis, who has three wins and three second-place finishes this year, and Park are each playing the LPGA Tour's final three tournaments -- the Mizuno Classic in Japan, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico and the season-ending Titleholders in Naples, Fla.

Betsy King in 1993 is the last American to win the LPGA Tour money title, though that appears to be out of reach for Lewis. Park's late run has put the South Korean atop the money list by just over $533,000, though the Titleholders pays $500,000 to the winner.