Notable players missing from this week’s CME Group Tour Championship field

NAPLES, Fla. — While nine players are making their debut at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, there’s still plenty of talk about who didn’t make the field.

Throughout the season, players earn points toward the Race to CME Globe, which is used not only to determine the field at Tiburon Golf Club but also to determine what kind of status – if any – players have for the next season.

The top 60 players and ties after The Annika driven by Gainbridge event qualified for the Tour Championship, which features a $7 million purse and $2 million payout to the winner.

Here’s a list of notable names whose seasons have ended early:

70. Emily Kristine Pedersen

Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark plays her shot from the 11th tee during the final round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 12, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Despite holding the 54-hole lead at The Annika last week, Pedersen couldn’t hang on to qualify for the season-ender.

75. In Gee Chun

In Gee Chun of South Korea plays her shot from the 11th tee during the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 10, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

After finishing ninth on the CME points last season and winning her third major title, Chun posted only one top 10 in all of 2023.

76. Maria Fassi

Maria Fassi of Mexico plays her shot from the third tee during the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 10, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

It looked like Fassi might make a late charge after a T-8 in Japan, but the mountain proved too much.

79. Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson of the United States reads the second green during the final round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 12, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Thompson misses the CME for the first time after a shocking first half of 2023. She ended the season with three top-10 finishes, but the positive surge came too late.

82. Moriya Jutanugarn

Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays her shot from the 14th tee during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

An unusually lackluster year for the elder Jutanugarn sister. The normally consistent Thai player posted only one top-10 finish all season.

83. Hinako Shibuno

Hinako Shibuno of Japan plays her shot from the fifth tee during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Three missed cuts midseason sent the “Smiling Cinderella” in a bad direction. The former British Open champ ranks 92nd on tour in greens in regulation.

86. Stacy Lewis

Stacy Lewis of the United States walks to the seventh tee during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

It proved too hard for Lewis to balance Solheim Cup captaincy with her own game. As the season came to an end, Lewis was simply happy to have a few weeks at home to get to work.

90. Marina Alex

Marina Alex of the United States walks across the 13th green during the first round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 09, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Six consecutive missed cuts toward the end of summer proved too much to overcome for Alex, who ranks 99th in putts per green in regulation.

100. Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko of New Zealand plays her shot from the 11th tee during the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club on November 10, 2023, in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Ko’s struggles were the most shocking development of the season after such a sterling 2022. Like Thompson, Ko found something toward the end of the season but ran out of time to qualify for Naples.