Forty-five young women earned LPGA Tour cards for 2015 at Q-School that concluded on Sunday.
Alison Lee and Minjee Lee both finished at 10-under-par for the five rounds and share medalist honors.
Alison Lee entered the tournament as a sophomore member of the UCLA Women’s Golf Team, but she will now become a full-time golf professional.
“I have a lot of mixed emotions,” said Lee. “When I made my par putt and realized I got my LPGA Tour card I was just filled with joy and when I got off and thought about what it meant to be professional I thought about my team and my school and my coaches and it made me sad. I get to start a new chapter in my life and hopefully it will be great and I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Minjee Lee was the top-ranked woman amateur in the world before she decided to turn professional in September. She is just 18 years old and is from Perth, Australia.
She said of the stress of Q-School,
“I am definitely relieved after this week and I never want to do Q-School again.”
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, sister to LPGA Tour member Moriya, shot 67-71 on the weekend to finish at nine-under-par and one shot behind the leaders.
Ryan O’Toole, a former U.S. Solheim Cup team member, will be back on the tour full time.
One of the more noticeable names earning full playing privileges for next year is Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger. Cheyenne won the 2011 ACC Championship and won on the Ladies European Tour (LET) at the 2014 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters in February. Coincidentally, Minjee Lee, finished runner-up to Woods in that event.
Other prominent names to earn conditional status on the LPGA Tour for next season are Charley Hull and Stephanie Meadow.
Hull has been one of the leading ladies on the LET for the past two seasons. Meadow made a splash at the U.S. Women’s Open in June finishing third, behind Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis, in her first start as a professional.
With these ladies added to the wealth of aggressive young stars on the LPGA Tour, the established veterans will need to bring their A-game to every event to maintain their world ranking and status.