Song Ga-eun Leads JLPGA Tour QT by 2 Strokes
Ahn Shin-ae 17th in Seed Rankings, Lee Ji-hee 30th
Top 35 in Qualifying Tournament Granted First Half Season Seeds
Song Ga-eun, the Rookie of the Year from the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, passed the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour qualifying with top honors.
On the 1st, at the final stage of the JLPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT) held over 4 rounds at Katsuragi Golf Club (par 72) in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, she shot 5 under par to finish first by 2 strokes (9 under par 279). Starting from a tie for 9th place, 5 strokes behind, Song Ga-eun recorded 5 birdies without any bogeys. She debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2021 and has won 2 tournaments in total. This season, she participated in the JLPGA pro test, passed the first stage of Q-School, and advanced to the final round. Through this tournament, Song Ga-eun verified her skills and assessed her performance.
Ahn Shin-ae secured her tour card by finishing tied for 15th place (2 under par 286), ranking 17th in the seed order. After winning 3 times on the KLPGA Tour, she challenged the Japanese circuit in 2017. Although she played until 2019, she failed to achieve good results and lost her tour card. Breaking a 3-year hiatus, she competed in the QT and showcased her abilities. Ahn Shin-ae said, "I think I achieved better results than expected. I will work harder next year and show my progress." Lee Ji-hee, who has accumulated 23 wins on the JLPGA Tour, also finished tied for 24th place (even par 288), ranking 30th in the seed order. The JLPGA Tour grants tour cards for the first half of next year to the top 35 players in this tournament.
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