Stacy Lewis thought her season was done after she pulled out of the Solheim Cup with a stress fracture in her rib. She didn’t think the CME Group Tour Championship was even a possibility given that, at the time, she was 54th on the field list and would miss the next six events.
Her caddie, Travis Wilson, called her last week after running all the numbers. Said he thought she’d remain in the top 60 and have a place in the field.
“What?” asked Lewis. “How is that possible?
Lewis, 34, has gone into the season-ender No. 1 in the Race to the Globe CME points list and now last at No. 60. But here’s the twist: For the first time, the 60th player in the field can win the largest check in women’s golf history just the same as the first. No more points reset. No limitations. It’s anyone’s game.
So how long has Lewis been practicing to win the $1.5 million?
“Uh, the last five days,” she said with a laugh.
It’s only been in the last two to three and a half weeks that Lewis finally felt pain-free in her day-to-day life.
“I just had to let the bone heal,” said Lewis, “so there’s not really anything you can do.”
The former World No. 1 took in two games of the World Series and flew to the Bahamas to support husband Gerrod Chadwell’s college event. Chadwell coaches the women’s golf team at Houston.
Part of the reason Lewis wants to play next week in Naples, Florida, is to set herself up in better position next year to get into the no-cut events in Thailand and Singapore. It’ll also give her a better idea of what to work on during the offseason.
“I don’t have very high expectations,” said Lewis, “and I don’t know how I will play. … But I’m tired of sitting around.”
.jpg?w=600)
