Park In-bee holds narrow lead in women's golf rankings

South Korean LPGA Tour star Park In-bee barely retained the No. 1 spot in the latest women's world golf rankings released on Tuesday.

Park remained the top female golfer for the 59th week with 9.58 points, with Stacy Lewis of the United States right behind at 9.36 points.

Lewis could have claimed the No. 1 ranking by finishing in sole possession of third place or higher last weekend at the Airbus LPGA Classic in Mobile, Alabama. Park missed the cut at the same tournament. Lewis had been in third by herself after three rounds but ended up in a tie for 10th place.

Lewis still ate into Park's lead. Before the Alabama tournament, Park had led Lewis 9.95 points to 9.57 points.

Park first rose to No. 1 on April 15 last year, displacing Lewis, who had been No. 1 for the four previous weeks.

Park captured six tournaments, including three majors, in 2013, but has yet to find the winner's circle on the LPGA Tour in 2014. Park did win an event on the Ladies European Tour in March.

In the world rankings, players earn points from tournaments over a rolling 104-week period, and points are weighted more heavily over the most recent 13 weeks.

So far this season, Lewis has posted nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts, including a win at the North Texas LPGA Shootout in the first week of May. She is leading the tour in money, scoring average and the points race for the year-end Player of the Year honors.

Park has had six top-10s in nine starts so far in 2014.

South Korea had four players in the top 10 for most of last year, but the total has dwindled to two this year, with Park at No. 1 and Ryu So-yeon at No. 8. (Yonhap)