The LPGA has formally introduced its new rookie class to the world. I give them a world of credit for fighting their way onto the LPGA so much sooner than I expected. But now the challenge really starts! Only 12 of them will have the opportunity to get the same number of starts as their more experienced peers on the LPGA and only a few of their 16 peers will even get enough starts to give themselves a chance to improve their standing on the Priority Status List to the point where they can seriously compete to finish in the top 100 on the money list. Given how few members of the Class of 2013 will be on the LPGA full-time in 2014 (5 made it through the Symetra Tour and Q-School eyes of the needle, while 9 made it via the LPGA money list top 100--another 3 will have limited starts), it's all too easy to imagine a much smaller Class of 2014 in 2015.
But it's the holiday season, so let's celebrate instead of worry. Without further ado, here's how the 28 members of the LPGA Class of 2014 got their cards!
Category 7: Non-Member Win
Lydia Ko, Canadian Women's Open champion
Category 9: Top 10 LPGA Symetra Tour
Giulia Molinaro, 2nd, 2013 money list
Category 12: Top 20 Q-School
Jaye Marie Green, -29, 1st
Mi Rim Lee, -19, 2nd
Amy Anderson, -14, 4th
Jennifer Kirby, -12, 5th
Megan Grehan, -10, T7
Xiyu Lin, -8, T9
Line Vedel, -8, T9
Erica Popson, -8, T9
Kelly Tan, -7, T13
Paula Reto, -7, T13
Category 17: Nos. 21-45 Q-School Category
Megan McChrystal, -6, T19 [lost in playoff for 19th and 20th spots in Category 12]
Yueer Cindy Feng, -4, T23
Kim Kaufman, -4, T23
Joanna Klatten, -3, T29
Anya Alvarez, -3, T29
Caroline Westrup, -2, T32
Emma Jandel, -2, T32
Dottie Ardina, -2, T32
Lindy Duncan, -1, T38
Natalie Sheary, -1, T38
Stacey Keating, -1, T38
Jackie Stoelting, -1, T38
Kristie Smith, -1, T38
Brittany Altomare, E, T44
Marta Silva, E, T44
Dani Holmqvist, E, T44
6 comments:
Bruce,
I think you left off a category 12 rookie. Erica Popson, should make the count 28.
Thanks, Tony, you're right!
Interesting that only 1 player from the Symetra top 10 is a true rookie.
I hear that the first event of the season in the Bahamas will be skipped by a lot of the big name players, but the field size is only going to be 108 or so because of the short days. So a lot of the lower ranked players who might have gotten in probably won't.
I think we're going to see that trend of very few newbies making the top 10 on the Symetra Tour continue, as more super-talented players who happened to not have a fantastic week during Q-School (no matter how short or long they've been LPGA members) will be looking to win their cards back that route.
Too bad they're thinking such a small field for the kickoff event of 2014. Maybe they could just play faster?
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