The path to an LPGA card through Q-School will change in 2018, with the organization maneuvering the event's final stage to become longer.
Commissioner Mike Whan announced the Q-School changes at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
While the LPGA will continue to host first- and second-stage rounds of Q-School, the final round will change from a five-round sprint to a pair of four-round tournaments in the same city in consecutive weeks. The location of the tournaments will be announced soon. For the field of 108 in the final series, the cumulative score in the eight rounds will determine 40 to 50 LPGA Tour cards for the following season.
The Q-School final series field will be comprised of:
- the top 23-33 players from Q-School second stage
- players finishing 101st to 150th on the LPGA money list
- players finishing 31st to 50th on the Symetra Tour money list
- up to 10 players from among the top 75 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings who don’t have LPGA membership
- the top five in the Golfweek Sagarin college rankings
The number of players advancing from second stage are based on how many players from the final two categories choose to enter the Q-School finals events.
Currently, 45 players receive LPGA status through Q-School, with the top 20 in priority category 12 and the next 25 players in category 16, with the latter subject to in-season reshuffles.
