In Europe, Miyazato’s title needs an asterisk

ORLANDO, Florida - If ever an award in golf needed an asterisk, it would be for Ai Miyazato winning the Ladies European Tour money list.

She played in only two tournaments - both part of the LPGA Tour schedule - winning the Evian Masters and missing the cut at the Women’s British Open. Because the Evian Masters purse dwarfs everything else on the LET, the Japanese star earned $487,500, which easily beat out Melissa Reid and Carolina Hedwall.

Reid won twice in 19 starts on the European tour, while Hedwall won four times in her 20 tournaments.

“To be honest I have mixed feelings because I’m receiving the award from just winning one event on the LET,’’ Miyazato said. “But I’ve never won the money title on any tour, so I’m really happy.’’

The LET does not require a minimum number of tournaments to be a member, and that’s where it gets really curious.

Yani Tseng chose not to become an LET member this year, or she would have easily won the money title. Tseng, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, won four of the five tournaments she played on the European schedule.

Tseng won the Women’s Australian Open and the Australian Masters to start the year.

She captured her second straight Women’s British Open at Carnoustie, and then won a fourth LET event at the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China. Had she been an LET member, she would have won the money title by about $160,000.

Tseng won the LPGA Tour money list with $2.9 million, more than the next two players behind her.

Ernie Huang, her agent in California, said Tseng was automatically eligible to become an LET member when she won the Women’s British Open last year.

“She elected not to be a member,’’ he said. “Somehow, she feels she doesn’t want to be a member there. Maybe down the road she will.’’

Luke Donald became the first male to win the money title on the European and American tours in the same season, though both tours require a minimum number of starts - 15 for the PGA Tour, 13 for the European Tour.

If not for the minimum requirement in Europe, Tiger Woods would have won its money list five times.

That the LET does not require a minimum for its members makes the money title somewhat of a farce.

AP