Four rounds down at 2021 LPGA Q-Series, four rounds to go.
LET member Pauline Roussin-Bouchard from France, winner of the Didriksons Skafto Open in August, sat atop the leaderboard at -19 heading into LPGA Q-Series Week Two.
Roussin-Bouchard, who earned medallist honours at Stage II in October, returned four rounds in the 60s and heads to the second week of Q-Series in a prime position to earn LPGA Tour status for 2022.
“We had a couple wedges into the green and I ended up being very close to the pin with wedges, and even with longer irons,” said Roussin-Bouchard. “The course fitted my game obviously, but my game was very good as a whole.”
Fellow LET member Stephanie Kyriacou from Australia shot the round of the week on Sunday, carding seven birdies and an eagle on Crossings Course’s No. 16 at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, for a 9-under 63. “I think everything just clicked,” said Kyriacou, who turned professional after winning the LET’s 2020 Australian Ladies Classic Bonville as a 19-year-old amateur and who followed up with her second victory in the 2021 Big Green Egg Open in the Netherlands. “Over the last couple days some things were working and some things weren’t, and then today they just both were in sync. Lots of confidence now.”
Kyriacou jumped into a tie for fourth, alongside her close friend Atthaya Thititul, who won the LET’s 2021 Race to Costa del Sol, Rookie of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year titles. Like Kyriacou, Thitikul was victorious on the LET as an amateur, winning her home country’s Ladies European Thailand Championship in 2017 and 2019. The 18-year-old Thai phenom shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday, saying that she was playing it a little safe this week to ensure making it through the first cut.
“Every day here I play really good. All four rounds have been really good rounds for me,” said Thitikul, “But it’s just not good with putting a little bit because like the greens are pretty tricky here as well. And same like today. I put myself really safe, really safe position for putting.”
A total of 74 players made the cut at +1 and advanced to the second week of LPGA Q-Series, being held at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Alabama. LPGA Q-Series is composed of two 72-hole stroke-play events held on consecutive weeks, with scores cumulative over the two weeks. The 2020 competition was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are eight LET winners, who are members, in this week’s field: Pauline Roussin Bouchard (-19), Steph Kyriacou and Atthaya Thitikul (-13), Emily K. Pedersen (-6), Nicole Broch Estrup (-5), Anne van Dam (-4), Meghan MacLaren (-3), and Klara Spilkova (+1).
They are joined by fellow LET members Gemma Dryburgh (-9), Isi Gabsa (-8), Sanna Nuutinen (-3), Olivia Cowan (Even) and Kim Metraux (+1).
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
This is the second of two 72-hole, stroke-play events held on consecutive weeks, with scores cumulative over the two weeks; a cut was made after the first week to the low 70 players and ties. 74 players made the cut at +1 to advance to the second week.
HIGHLAND OAKS COMPETITION FORMAT
- Hybrid 18 holes of Highland (nine holes) and Marshwood (nine holes) courses, split tee start
- Rounds 5-8: Repair by score each day
WHAT THE PLAYERS RECEIVE
Players finishing Nos. 1-45 and ties will receive 2022 LPGA Tour status; players finishing outside the top 20 and ties will also receive 2022 Symetra Tour status
HIGHLANDS COURSE WHITELINE PAR AND YARDAGE, NOS. 1-9 (subject to change)
36 – 3,332/3,176 yards
MARSHWOOD COURSE WHITELINE PAR AND YARDAGE, NOS. 10-18 (subject to change)
36 – 3,345/3,180 yards
TOTAL HYBRID YARDAGE (subject to change)
36-36—72, 6,677/6,356 yards
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