This LPGA rookie shot rounds of 61, 62 in Thailand but failed to earn a spot in HSBC field
Honda LPGA Thailand winner Angel Yin first heard about hotshot LPGA rookie Akie Iwai and her twin sister at the pro-am party in Pattaya. By week's end, Yin was deeply familiar with the JLPGA star, who opened with a 62 in Thailand and closed with a 61 to lose to Yin by one stroke.
Despite that impressive showing, however, Iwai didn't earn a spot in this week's HSBC Women's World Championship field in Singapore. The top-10 rule doesn't apply in Thailand because it's not a standard priority list event. In other words, there's no cut.
What's more, because Iwai played the week on a sponsor exemption, she didn't earn CME points for the effort. She would've had to win to have those points count. The 22-year-old would've earned 320 points for solo second.
Iwai missed the cut in her first start to the season at the Founders Cup and has zero points on the year. The CME points list is used to determine playing status and entry into events, such as the CME Group Tour Championship.
And while she does get to keep the paycheck of $158,182, it doesn't count as official money.
As Golf Channel's Tom Abbott tweeted, "Tough school."
How about Japan’s Akie Iwai, she shot rounds of 61 & 62 last week and didn’t win - because the @LPGA doesn’t have a top 10 rule for these events she doesn’t get into Singapore. She was a sponsor invite last week so she doesn’t even earn any CME Globe Points. Tough school.
— Tom Abbott (@TomAbbottGC) February 24, 2025
A six-time winner in Japan, Iwai tied for fifth last December at the final stage of LPGA Qualifying to earn her card. Twin sister Chisato finished second that week. Chisato is a seven-time winner on the JLPGA.
The Iwai twins are next entered to play the Ford Championship in Arizona in a month's time.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: LPGA rookie shoots 61, 62 to earn payday but not spot in next event
