Ayako Uehara to Roll Dice at CME Titleholders

Ayako Uehara sits at #50 on the JLPGA money list, about a third of a million yen ahead of Saiki Fujita, who is playing this week in the Daio Paper Elleair Ladies in a bid to make it into the top 50 and keep her card for 2014.  Despite her precarious position, Uehara has apparently decided that the chance to win LPGA Rookie of the Year at the CME Titleholders--she needs to win the tournament (and get some help from Caroline Masson and Moriya Jutanugarn) to do it--is more important to her than avoiding JLPGA Q-School or maintaining dual membership on the LPGA and JLPGA next season.  I say "apparently" because there are still 7 spots open in the DPE Ladies field.  We'll know for sure when the Titleholders pairings are announced.  But it would be a huge deal if Uehara followed in the footsteps of fellow Okinawans Ai Miyazato and Mika Miyazato and made the LPGA her sole home tour in 2014.  Stay tuned!