Thursday October 07, 2010, 01:47 AM

World number one Ai Miyazato will try to gain ground on South Korean money leader Jiyai Shin and claim a sixth title this year when the Navistar LPGA Classic starts on Thursday.

Miyazato and world number three Cristie Kerr of the United States are playing in the 1.3 million-dollar event, the start of a six-week LPGA trek to two US events plus Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Mexico.

"Right now it might be a little bit more difficult. Situations are constantly changing," Miyazato said. "The top-5 players are very close and in contention all the time."

Shin, the Korean who sets the pace at 1.46 million dollars, and Yani Tseng of Taiwan, the world number two who ranks second with 1.42 million dollars this season, are both taking the week off. So is US star Michelle Wie.

That opens the door for Miyazato, who has 1.37 million dollars in 16 events this season.

"I'm really having fun so far," Miyazato said. "(The top ranking) is a good motivation for me, but I really don't think about it at the moment. I just try to play my best until the end of the season."

Miyazato has ruled the rankings for seven weeks and also stands second in the Player of the Year race. The last Japanese player to claim the money title and top player honors was Ayako Okamoto in 1987.

There will be a new champion of the event as Mexico's Lorena Ochoa, the 2008 and 2009 winner, retired last May.

© 2010 AFP/sid