LPGA makes it easier to get tour starts
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) will now allow all non-members of the tour who finish in the top-10 at an event to tee it up at the tour’s next event without needing a sponsor’s exemption. Previously, the LPGA offered only two spots for top-10 finishers who were non-members.
This is basically a means of LPGA attracting top talent from places like Europe or Korea who can come over to play one event on a sponsor exemption and if they play well, continue to stay on the tour. If a top Korean star earns enough money to qualify for full playing rights the following year, through earnings from such starts, she then becomes a permanent member of the LPGA Tour.
Since the number of sponsor’s exemptions for non-members is limited to six per year, the top-10 rule creates more opportunities for up-and-coming golfers to compete and potentially earn a card without winning or having to go through the Q-Series.
The new rule is similar to the one the PGA Tour has. However, it only applies to standard events, which means Majors don’t count. Events that use qualifications beyond the priority list will also fall outside the rule.
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Photo – LPGA