Thompson leads LPGA finale

Lexi Thompson tees off during the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship golf tournament, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Naples, Fla. (Andrew West/The News-Press via AP)
Lexi Thompson tees off during the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship golf tournament, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Naples, Fla. (Andrew West/The News-Press via AP)

NAPLES, Fla.-Lexi Thompson has control of the CME Group Tour Championship, and Ariya Jutanugarn is in control of just about everything else.

Thompson's 4-under 68 on Saturday pushed her to 16 under after three rounds of the LPGA's season-ending event. She moved three shots clear of Nelly Korda and six ahead of Carlota Ciganda at Tiburon Golf Club. Korda shot her second consecutive 67 to get to 13 under, and Ciganda grinded out a 69 to get to 10 under for the week.

Thompson has been nearly flawless this week. Her only dropped shot of the tournament came Saturday when she made bogey at the par-4 fourth hole, then put together five birdies over the rest of her round.

"Golf is all about momentum," Thompson said.

Right now, she has an abundance of that going for her. For the week, she has 14 birdies, one eagle and the one bogey. She's been calm and collected with her newly purchased Havanese Poodle around this week, finding a rhythm with an old putter and having her brother Curtis as her caddie.

If Thompson hangs on Sunday, she'll have her first win of the season.

If Jutanugarn keeps things together, she'll leave with plenty of prizes as well.

Jutanugarn will start her final round 10 shots back but leading the projected Race to the CME Globe standings and in position to claim the $1 million bonus for winning the LPGA's season-long points race-which would be her second in three years. Jutanugarn already has clinched player of the year and is nearly mathematically assured of winning the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on tour.

The Vare Trophy isn't hers yet, but it would take the most improbable of outcomes for that to slip away from Jutanugarn in the final round of the season. The two closest players to Jutanugarn in the season scoring standings are Minjee Lee and Jin Young Ko; either of them would have to beat the world's No. 1 player by about 30 strokes on Sunday to pass her in the Vare race.

Korda had an eventful day with more birdies than pars-8-7-but with three bogeys as well. So Yeon Ru (69 for the third straight day) and Marina Alex (71) are tied for fourth at 9 under, and Lydia Ko shot a bogey-free 68 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth at 8 under with Brittany Lincicome (73).

First-round leader Amy Olson made three double-bogeys on her way to a 76, leaving her in a tie for 16th and 11 shots off Thompson's lead.

 

CME Group Tour

Championship Scores

 

Saturday

At Tiburon Golf Club

Naples, Fla.

Purse: $2.5 million

Yardage: 6,556; Par: 72

Third Round

Lexi Thompson    65-67-68-200

Nelly Korda    69-67-67-203

Carlota Ciganda    66-71-69-206

So Yeon Ryu    69-69-69-207

Marina Alex    69-67-71-207

Lydia Ko    69-71-68-208

Brittany Lincicome    64-71-73-208

Sei Young Kim    69-72-68-209

Gaby Lopez    71-69-69-209

Megan Khang    71-67-71-209

Charley Hull    69-68-72-209

Ariya Jutanugarn    70-71-69-210

Mi Hyang Lee    70-70-70-210

Nasa Hataoka    64-76-70-210

Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras    67-70-73-210

Brooke M. Henderson    73-69-69-211

Jessica Korda    69-69-73-211

Amy Olson    63-72-76-211

Anna Nordqvist    70-71-71-212

Danielle Kang    69-72-71-212

Lizette Salas    69-71-72-212

Sung Hyun Park    71-73-69-213

Brittany Altomare    73-73-68-214

Tiffany Joh    71-72-71-214

Azahara Munoz    72-69-73-214

Yu Liu    68-72-74-214

Annie Park    74-74-67-215

Haeji Kang    70-76-69-215

Aditi Ashok    72-73-70-215

Jane Park    72-72-71-215

Hee Young Park    69-74-72-215

Katherine Kirk    70-72-73-215

Su Oh    71-75-70-216

Mo Martin    74-71-71-216

Moriya Jutanugarn    72-71-73-216

Austin Ernst    70-72-74-216

Eun-Hee Ji    71-77-69-217

Sakura Yokomine    72-72-73-217

Pornanong Phatlum    73-70-74-217

Chella Choi    69-74-74-217

Maria Torres    73-74-71-218

Angel Yin    71-76-71-218

Thidapa Suwannapura    73-73-72-218

Mirim Lee    72-74-72-218

Jenny Shin    72-73-73-218

Emma Talley    70-75-73-218

Georgia Hall    71-72-75-218

Caroline Masson    71-72-75-218

Wei-Ling Hsu    72-70-76-218

Cristie Kerr    69-70-79-218

Dani Holmqvist    70-76-73-219

Peiyun Chien    73-72-74-219

Minjee Lee    70-75-74-219

Hannah Green    73-71-75-219

Ashleigh Buhai    69-71-79-219

Wichanee Meechai    74-74-72-220

Celine Boutier    74-74-72-220

Ayako Uehara    74-73-73-220

Lindy Duncan    67-79-74-220

Jeong Eun Lee    71-73-76-220

Jaye Marie Green    69-75-76-220

Jodi Ewart Shadoff    70-73-77-220

Mariajo Uribe    71-74-76-221

Ryann O'Toole    72-79-71-222

Sarah Jane Smith    70-80-72-222

Bronte Law    69-79-74-222

In Gee Chun    72-74-76-222

Ally McDonald    73-72-77-222

Jacqui Concolino    76-75-72-223

Jin Young Ko    78-72-73-223

Pernilla Lindberg    75-77-73-225

Mariah Stackhouse    76-75-78-229

Upcoming Events