Lalla Aicha Tour School PQ A: Race to LET 2014 continues in Rabat

Leigh Whittaker. Credits: M. Mustapha Benabdelkrim

The first of three events which make up the Lalla Aicha Tour School Pre-Qualifying have finished, but the action is not over yet at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, as the other two Pre qualifier events will start shortly from 5th to 8th December.

Lalla Aicha Tour School Pre-Qualifying A started on the 28th November and has finished today after four complete rounds, 72 holes and good weather conditions. A total of 41 players from 15 different countries came to play on the championship Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam with all sharing the same goal: to finish within the top 18. 

Germany´s Leigh Whittaker has become the first winner with total of 300 shots (+8) followed by England´s Hannah Ralph (306 shots).

“I was not really nervous as I had enough shots going in to it…Not as much as last year when I played for the first time Qualifying School. I played decent, just one birdie and 3 bogeys, no mistakes,” Leigh said of the final round.

When asked about the whole week in general she replied: “My goal when I came here was to end top 5 and I just wanted to stay with every shot, and do my very best with everything. It was a fun week, the course played really long and I did not expect that the scores were that high after the first round, I did not expect that +3 was tied for fourth. I have just stayed really patient with everything. I am really short, so I did a lot of good “up&downs” and 26 putts. The key of this week has been my driver, which is very precise, but I am really good with shots into the green. I think my shots into the green have been the key. These greens are really tough.”  

The successful players who have qualified today to advance to 2014 Lalla Aicha Tour School Final Qualifying in Marrakech are following. Among them, there are four amateurs. Regarding the nationalities, the majority of these players are from France (6 players total)  and England (4 players), but we could also players from New Zealand, Colombia and Philipinnes.

Find complete leader board and final results here: http://www.letscoring.com/leaderboard/67945

Another 91 players, will attend Lalla Aicha Tour School Pre-Qualifiers B and C from 5th -8th December. They will be playing on either the Red or Blue Courses at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam:

–  List of entries Pre-Qualifier B: http://www.letscoring.com/entries/67946

–  List of entries Pre-Qualifier C: http://www.letscoring.com/entries/67947

A percentage from each qualifier field (to be announced after the last player in each qualifier has teed off for her first round) will advance to Final Qualifying and join the players who have already advanced from Pre-Qualifier A. In addition, the Final Qualifier field will included LET and LETAS members exempt from pre-qualifying plus any amateur entered from the top 25 of the Women’s World Amateur Rankings at the close of entries. Stay tuned for a new exciting week and to meet the future stars of the Ladies European Tour.

2014 Lalla Aicha Tour School Final Qualifying will take place in Marrakech from 14 to 18th December and will be played over five rounds, with the field split in two playing the first four rounds over the Samanah and Al Maaden courses alternately on 14th-17th December.

After a cut to the top 60 players and ties, the final round will be played at Samanah on 18th December. The top 30 and ties will be offered category 8a membership, securing playing privileges to the majority of tournaments on the 2014 Ladies European Tour.