Lexi Thompson hasn’t qualified for the big event yet.
Neither has Natalie Gulbis, Christina Kim or Laura Davies.
There is a game within the game this week at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The drama building there will go beyond who wins Sunday. It extends to who will win the battles for the final qualifying spots into the Sybase Match Play Championship, the LPGA’s next event (May 17-20).
While 48 Sybase spots were locked up off the top of the priority list following the 2011 season, 14 spots are open via the Mobile LPGA Classic. The final two spots in the 64-player field will be awarded as sponsor exemptions.
After the last putt drops in Mobile Sunday, the top 12 players on the 2012 money list who are not already qualified for Sybase will get an invite. Those 12 spots are currently held down by So Yeon Ryu, Jenny Shin, Jessica Korda, Caroline Hedwall, Julieta Granda, Karine Sjodin, Eun-Hee Ji, Mina Harigae, Jodi Ewart, Gulbis, Haeji Kang and Amanda Blumenherst.
Also, the top two players on the leaderboard through 36 holes who are not already qualified for Sybase will get an invite.
Thompson is currently 19th among players who haven’t yet qualified for the Sybase, but her position might be moot. If Thompson qualifies for Sybase, she’ll have a teenager’s conflict. She’s scheduled to go to her prom on the weekend of Sybase. Also, Juli Inkster is qualified for Sybase, but she is injured and may not be able to play. If she doesn’t play, Paige Mackenzie will earn the spot off the 2012 priority list.
Here’s the top 48 already qualified:
1. Yani Tseng
2. Cristie Kerr
3. Na Yeon Choi
4. Stacy Lewis
5. Suzann Pettersen
6. Brittany Lincicome
7. Angela Stanford
8. Ai Miyazato
9. Paula Creamer
10. Amy Yang
11. I.K. Kim
12. Hee Young Park
13. Morgan Pressel
14. Karrie Webb
15. Jiyai Shin
16. Catriona Matthew
17. Maria Hjorth
18. Michelle Wie
19. Brittany Lang
20. Sandra Gal
21. Hee Kyung Seo
22. Mika Miyazato
23. Anna Nordqvist
24. Azahara Munoz
25. Sun Young Yoo
26. Karine Icher
27. Sophie Gustafson
28. Se Ri Pak
29. Meena Lee
30. Karen Stupples
31. Katie Futcher
32. Inbee Park
33. Shanshan Feng
34. Song-Hee Kim
35. Momoko Ueda
36. Chelle Choi
37. Juli Inkster
38. Candie Kung
39. Mindy Kim
40. Jimin Kang
41. Hee-Won Han
42. Tiffany Joh
43. Jeong Jang
44. Amy Hung
45. Beatriz Recari
46. Wendy Ward
47. Vicky Hurst
48. Ryann O’Toole