4 LPGAers Break the $1M Barrier in Season Winnings at Evian; Races for POY, Vare Trophy Tight, Too

The LPGA has just updated its money list and here's what it looks like at the top as we head toward the LPGA's final major of 2010, the Women's British Open:

1. Ji-Yai Shin $1.17M (1 win in 11 starts)
2. Suzann Pettersen $1.05M (0 wins in 11 starts)
3. Ai Miyazato $1.02M (4 wins in 12 starts)
4. Na Yeon Choi $1.02M (1 win in 13 starts)
5. Cristie Kerr $.98M (2 wins in 11 starts, 1 major)
6. Song-Hee Kim $.85M (0 wins in 13 starts)
7. Ya Ni Tseng $.71M (1 win in 11 starts, 1 major)
8. Paula Creamer $.66M (1 win in 6 starts, 1 major)
9. Inbee Park $.54M (0 wins in 12 starts)
10. Sun Young Yoo $.52M (1 win in 13 starts)

So it should come as no surprise that the Player of the Year Race is tightening up:

1. Ai Miyazato 138
2. Cristie Kerr 121
3. Ji-Yai Shin 105
4. Suzann Pettersen 96
5. Na Yeon Choi 93
6. Ya Ni Tseng 86
7. Song-Hee Kim 84
8. Paula Creamer 64
9. In-Kyung Kim 49
10. Inbee Park 44

Players can get Hall of Fame points not only by winning tournaments and majors, but by winning the race for Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy. That last one is based on scoring average--here are the top 10 in that category after Evian:

1. Song-Hee Kim 69.78
2. Suzann Pettersen 69.87
3. Cristie Kerr 70.03
4. Na Yeon Choi 70.09
5. Ji-Yai Shin 70.26
6. Ya Ni Tseng 70.47
7. Ai Miyazato 70.59
8. Azahara Munoz 70.71
9. Karrie Webb 70.79
T10. In-Kyung Kim, Inbee Park 70.86

With 11 events remaining on the LPGA schedule, anything can happen!

[Update 1 (5:47 pm): Randall Mell was reporting earlier that Shin's win vaults her to #1 on the Rolex Rankings tomorrow.]

[Update 2 (7/26/10, 1:09 am): See if you can spot the factual errors in Randall Mell's excellent piece on the battle for #1 on the LPGA. Happy Fan at Seoul Sisters.com was the 1st I know of to catch 1. I found another. OK, no more hints.]

[Update 3 (11:00 am): Be sure to cast your vote in Brent Kelley's poll on who will win the Women's British Open.]

[Update 4 (11:04 am): Neat predictions from Mike Southern as to how the Rolex Rankings will look this am. Time to go check.]