DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 18, 2010 - The top-five ranked players in the world - No. 1 Ai Miyazato, No. 2 Cristie Kerr, No. 3 Jiyai Shin, No. 4 Yani Tseng and No. 5 Suzann Pettersen - will compete head-to-head for the first time this week since they last met more than a month ago at the P&G NW Arkansas Championship Presented by Walmart.
As the LPGA moves east for the inaugural playing of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, the question remains, "Who is the No. 1 female golfer on the planet?" Rolex Rankings No. 2 Cristie Kerr nearly reclaimed the coveted No. 1 position in each of her last two starts. One shaved shot in either tournament could have place Kerr at the head of the class.
The race to be Rolex Rankings No. 1 ignited in May following the retirement of Lorena Ochoa and has sizzled with three players from three different countries - American Kerr, Japan's Miyazato and South Korean Shin - taking turns as the top player in the world. Two more players - Taiwan's Tseng and Norwegian Pettersen - have challenged for the No. 1 spot on a weekly basis and remain in the mix to hold the top spot at season's end.
Only 0.54 average points separates the current Rolex Rankings No. 1 Miyazato from No. 5 Pettersen. No. 6 Na Yeon Choi sits a little less than a full point behind Pettersen. The remaining five events on the 2010 schedule will determine which players--if any--can make the necessary jump to topple Miyazato from the top.
Michell Wie is #7 in the rankings.
