LPGA Tour
TITLEHOLDERS
Site: Naples, Fla.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: TwinEagles Club, Eagle Course (6,529 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $500,000.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.).
Last year: South Korea’s Hee Young Park won the season-ending event at Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla. Paula Creamer and Sandra Gal tied for second, two strokes.
Last week: Cristie Kerr won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico for her first tour victory in more than two years and 15th overall. Stacy Lewis tied for fourth to wrap up the player of the year award.
Notes: Lewis is the first American player of the year since Beth Daniel in 1994. The Texan leads the tour with four victories. ... Inbee Park leads the money list with $2,266,638 and the Vare Trophy standings with an adjusted scoring average of 70.1975. Lewis is second on the money list with $1,863,956. Jiyai Shin is second in the Vare race at 70.2459, and Lewis is third at 70.2584.
European Tour/ Asian Tour
HONG KONG OPEN
Site: Hong Kong.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Hong Kong Golf Club (6,734 yards, par 70).
Purse: $2 million. Winner’s share: $333,330.
Television: Golf Channel (Wednesday-Saturday, 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m.).
Last year: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy rallied to win, holing out from a greenside bunker on the final hole for a 5-under 65 and a two-stroke victory.
Last week: Italian teen Matteo Manassero won the Singapore Open, beating South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen with an eagle on the third hole of a playoff. The top-ranked McIlroy finished third to wrap up the European Tour money title. McIlroy joined Luke Donald as the only players to top the PGA Tour and European money lists in the same season. Donald accomplished the feat last year.
Notes: McIlroy is in the field along with Manassero, Matt Kuchar, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Paul Casey, Y.E. Yang, Michael Campbell and John Daly. McIlroy was second in the event in 2008 and 2009 and sixth in 2010. ... The European Tour finale is next week in Dubai.
European Tour/Sunshine Tour
SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN
Site: Ekurhuleni, South Africa.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate (7,761 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.27 million. Winner’s share: $201,090.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 6-10 a.m.).
Last year: South Africa’s Hennie Otto closed with an even-par 72 for a one-stroke victory over Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger at Serengeti.
Notes: South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Tim Clarke, Branden Grace and Otto are in the field along with Germany’s Martin Kaymer. Grace has four European Tour victories this year. ... First played in 1893, the tournament is the second oldest national championship behind the British Open (1860). ... Gary Player won a record 13 times, the first in 1956 and last in 1981. ... Jack Nicklaus designed the course.
PGA Tour of Australasia
AUSTRALIAN MASTERS
Site: Melbourne, Australia.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Kingston Heath Golf Club (7,116 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.04 million. Winner’s share: $187,395.
Television: Golf Channel (Wednesday-Saturday, 5:30-10:30 p.m.).
Last year: England’s Ian Poulter won at Victoria Golf Club, beating Australia’s Marcus Fraser by three strokes.
Last event: Australian teen Oliver Goss won the Western Australia Open on Oct. 28 at Royal Perth, beating fellow amateur Brady Watt on the fifth hole of a playoff.
Notes: Poulter and fellow European Ryder Cup player Graeme McDowell are in the field along with Australians Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Craig Parry and the 18-year-old Goss.
All Times PST
