The 2016CME Group Tour Championship was the sixth CME GroupTour Championship, a women's professional golf tournament and the season-ending event on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. It was played at the Gold Course of Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida. The CME Group Tour Championship marked the end of the season-long "Race to the CME Globe" in 2016. Each player's season-long "Race to the CME Globe" points was reset before the tournament based on their position in the points list. "Championship points" were awarded to the top 40 players in the CME Group Tour Championship which were added to their "reset points" to determine the overall winner of the "Race to the CME Globe". The event was televised by Golf Channel Thursday through Saturday on a 2-hour delay, and ABC Sunday live.
Format
Qualification
Called the "CME Group Titleholders" for its first three editions, qualification for the tournament changed for 2014. Previously, the top three finishers in each tournament, not previously qualified, earned entry to the tournament. For 2014 the field was determined by a season-long points race, the "Race to the CME Globe". All players making the cut in a tournament earned points, with 500 points going to the winner. The five major championships had a higher points distribution, with 625 points to the winner. No-cut tournaments only awarded points to the top 40 finishers. Only LPGA members were eligible to earn points. The top 72 players on the "Race to the CME Globe" points list gained entry into the CME Group Titleholders Championship as well as any tournament winners, whether or not an LPGA member, not in the top 72.
Each player's "Race to the CME Globe" points were "reset" before the tournament based on their position in the "Race to the CME Globe" points list. The leader was given 5,000 points, the player in second place 4,500 down to 10 points for the player in 72nd place.
"Championship points" were awarded to the top 40 players in the CME Group Tour Championship which were added to their "reset points" to determine the overall winner. The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship received 3,500 points, the second place player 2,400 down to 210 points for the player finishing in 40th place. The effect of the points system was that the top three players in the reset points list prior to the Championship were guaranteed to win the "Race to the CME Globe" by winning the Championship. The top nine in the reset points list had a chance of winning the Race depending on the performances of other players.
Place
Player
Country
Reset points
Championship points
Final points
1
Ariya Jutanugarn
5,000
1,800
6,800
2
Lydia Ko
4,500
550
5,050
3
Brooke Henderson
4,000
370
4,370
4
Charley Hull
420
3,500
3,920
5
Jang Ha-na
3,600
0
3,600
6
Kim Sei-young
3,200
370
3,570
7
Shanshan Feng
2,800
750
3,550
8
Ryu So-yeon
840
2,400
3,240
9
Chun In-gee
2,000
1,000
3,000
10
Minjee Lee
2,400
450
2,850
Bonus
The winner of the "Race to the CME Globe" in 2016, Ariya Jutanugarn, received a $1 million bonus that did not count toward official money list, while Lydia Ko in second place and Brooke Henderson in third place received $150,000 and $100,000, respectively.
