A field of 99 golfers will play at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama this week to compete for a spot on the LPGA Tour as part of the final qualifying round of Q-School, which takes place between 5-9 December.
Despite its name, there’s no schooling on this LPGA program. Golfers who sign up for Q-School, also known as the Q-Series, face three intensive qualifying stages to prove they deserve a spot on the tour. It’s a gruelling five days of competition – five rounds played on two golf courses and that doesn’t include the practice rounds!
Q-Series is the entry point for both amateur and professional golfers who want to pursue a career in golf, said Jody Brothers, chief business and operations officer of the Epson Tour. “You start with Q-Series, you prove yourself, you get slotted into the LPGA if you perform the best or Epson if you perform well, but don’t quite make it all the way to the LPGA.”
How Does Q-School Work?
To compete in the first stage of Q-School, known as “pre-qualifying,” amateurs and new professionals will need a handicap of four or less on courses with an average length of 6,200 yards. This year, pre-qualifying took place over four days on three different golf courses in California. The top 95 players advanced to the next stage and received partial status to the Epson Tour.
The next stage, known as “qualifying,” includes players from pre-qualifying and has exemptions for LPGA players outside the top 150, Epson Tour players ranked from 36-125 as well as for players in top positions across other well-known ranking systems and amateur tours. This year, 35 players advanced to the final qualifying, while the remainder gained Epson Tour status.
The “final qualifying” stage includes the players from the prior stage and has exemptions for LPGA players ranked from 101-150, Epson Tour players ranked 11-35, LET players ranked 1-10 as well as players in top positions across other well-known ranking systems and amateur tours. After five gruelling rounds on two courses, the top 25 players, including ties, will earn LPGA status, while the remainder earn status to the Epson Tour.
Azahara Munoz is amongst the 99 vying for an LPGA Tour card
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Is The Epson Tour Or Q-School ‘The Road To The LPGA’?
The LPGA recently reduced the number of cards earned through Q-School, from 45 to 25, and increased those given via the Epson Tour, from 10 to 15, with the goal of rewarding “full-season performance while…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly…