'Hell Race'... 'LPGA Tour Q Series to be Held'

6th Round Held on the 30th at Magnolia Grove
Top 20 Qualify for Regular Tour, 21st-45th Conditional
Korean Players Im Jinhee, Seong Yujin, Lee Somi, Hong Jeongmin Participate

The U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour is facing a "race from hell."

The LPGA Tour will conclude the 2023 season with the CME Group Tour Championship (total prize money of $7 million), ending on the 19th (local time) at the Tiburon Golf Club Gold Course (par 72, 6,556 yards) in Naples, Florida. Players who did not achieve the expected results this year will enter the final qualifying (Q) series, which determines entry into the regular tour and the Epson (second-tier) tour. It will be held from the 30th (local time) at the Magnolia Grove Golf Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Mobile, Alabama.

‘KLPGA multiple winner’ Im Jin-hee is set to compete in the final stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series, aiming to enter the U.S. stage next year.

The Q Series is the third and final stage of Q School, which decides entry into the LPGA Tour and Epson Tour. The first stage of Q School was held in August, and the second in October. The final third stage includes players ranked 101st to 150th in the LPGA Tour CME Globe Race, 11th to 35th in the Epson Tour, the top 10 in the Ladies European Tour (LET), and those who passed the second stage of Q School. After the Q Series ends, the top 20 players earn LPGA Tour playing privileges. Players ranked 21st to 45th receive conditional LPGA Tour status and Epson Tour eligibility. Those who do not make the top 45 will compete on the Epson Tour.

The LPGA Tour changed the Q Series format starting this year. It was reduced from 8 rounds (144 holes) to 6 rounds (108 holes), cutting 2 rounds. The "cut-off" is determined after 4 rounds (72 holes). From 2018 through last year, the Q Series was a grueling 8-round event held over two weeks at two golf courses, with 4 rounds each week. Before 2018, it was conducted over 5 rounds (90 holes). Tammy Tangtipiboon, Senior Vice President of Operations, explained, "Based on player feedback and analysis of past LPGA Q Series results, we concluded that 6 rounds are appropriate."

Yoo Hae-ran received the Rookie of the Year award this year after finishing first in the final stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series last year.

Korea has performed well historically in the Q Series. Seven players, including Park Seri, Kim In-kyung, Choi Hye-jung, Song Ah-ri, Lee Jeong-eun 6, Anna Lin, and Yoo Hae-ran, have graduated as medalists. In particular, Yoo Hae-ran secured the Rookie of the Year award this season with one win and six top-10 finishes. This year, strong players are also competing. Lim Jin-hee, who won the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour season finale SK Shielders·SK Telecom Open on the 13th and became the leading winner with four victories, will participate. She expressed her ambition, saying, "Nothing is impossible. I will challenge for the world No. 1 ranking."

This year's "Match Queen" Sung Yoo-jin is also a strong favorite for the medalist spot. She secured a spot in the final stage by finishing tied for 4th in the second stage of Q School last month. Sung Yoo-jin has three career wins on the KLPGA Tour. She finished runner-up after a playoff at the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship in April as an invited player. She skipped the KLPGA Tour finale to focus entirely on this final qualifying event. Lee So-mi, who has five domestic wins, champion Hong Jeong-min with one win, and promising rookie Shin-bi are all aiming for next year's regular tour tickets.