Meet the 2016 LPGA Rookie Class

Ssu Chia Cheng - The 18-year-old from Taiwan won her first Ladies European Tour event as an amateur at 17. In her 2015 rookie season on the LET, she finished 14th on the Order of Merit. She has made nine career starts on the LPGA with her best finish a tie for 15th at the 2014 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship. She won four TLPGA events as an amateur. Her nickname is Scarlett.

In Gee Chun – She won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open in her debut in the major in record setting fashion, tying the lowest 72-hole score of 8-under (Annika Sorenstam in 1996 and Juli Inkster in 1999). Chun decided to join the LPGA after the win and deferred her membership to 2016. She is currently No. 9 in the world according to the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Chun swept all five awards on the KLPGA this year – player of the year, money leader, wins leader, lowest scoring average and best player, as voted by the writers.

Holly Clyburn – After a disappointing 2014 Qualifying Tournament in which was disqualified due to a scoring tent error, Clyburn closed strong and finished T15 to earn an LPGA card for the first time. Clyburn currently ranks 16th on the Ladies European Tour money list and is No. 90 in the world. She represented Great Britain on the 2012 GB&I Curtis Cup team. She finished 7th on the LET money list as a rookie in 2013.

Hannah Collier – The Alabama native finished T43 to earn LPGA Tour membership in category 17. Collier recently completed her rookie season on the Epson Tour where she played in 18 events. Her best finish was a tie for 15th at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills. Collier was part of a national championship team (2012) and SEC championship team (2013) at Alabama.  She won the 2009 Alabama 6A state championship. An interesting fact about Collier is that she plays basketball and Frisbee left-handed. She does everything else right-handed.

Ginger Howard – On her fifth attempt at Qualifying Tournament, 21-year-old Ginger Howard finished T43 to earn status for the first time. Howard has played on the Epson Tour since 2012 and has five career top 10 finishes including a second place finish in 2012. She was part of the victories Junior Ryder Cup team in 2011. She has a miniature long-haired dachshund named “putter”.

Jaclyn Jansen – The Effingham, Illinois native turned professional in 2013 and played on the Epson Tour each of the last three years. Her best result is a third place finish in 2014. She won three tournaments while competing at Baylor and posted eight top 10 results. She was named 2012 NGCA All-West Region Team.  Jansen was a volunteer assistant at Baylor while competing on the Epson Tour. She has three dogs at home and grew up wanting to become a veterinarian.

Megan Khang – The Rockland, Mass. native, who recently turned professional, had an incredible run over three stages of Qualifying Tournament. She finished 2nd at Stage I, 3rd at Stage II and T6 at Final Stage. In 2015, Khang was the low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open and helped Team U.S. win the Junior Solheim Cup. Khang was the No. 8 amateur in the world before turning professional. She has competed in the USGA U.S. Girls’ Championship for seven years. She also Monday Qualified for the Kingsmill Championship in 2015 and made the cut.

Lee Lopez – The Whittier, California native finished sixth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list on the Epson Tour in her second season to earn LPGA membership. She posted nine top 10 finishes in 2015 and 14 in two seasons. Lopez qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2015 and finished T20. She also made a hole-in-one in the third round that was the top play on Sportscenter. Lopez played college golf at Long Beach State and UCLA where she was a First-Team All-American in 2011-12. Lopez won the 2009 L.A. City Women’s Championship.

Gaby Lopez – The Mexico City, Mexico native was the runner-up at the 2015 NCAA national championships. In her first LPGA Qualifying Tournament, she finished T10 and then accepted membership. She won three times at the University of Arkansas and finished 6th at the World Amateur Championship. Lopez won the Mexican Amateur Championship in 2013. Her home course is Club de Golf Mexico, the same as Alejandra Llaneza, who earned her 2016 status through the Epson Tour. If she wasn’t a professional golfer, she would be a professional tennis player.

Ally McDonald – The Fulton, Miss. native and recent Mississippi State graduate finished T22 at Final Stage and advanced through all three stages of Q-School. She played on the 2014 U.S. Curtis Cup team and was a two-time First-Team All-American at Mississippi State. She earned a sponsor exemption into the 2015 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout on the Epson Tour and finished second. She lists Stacy Lewis as her favorite LPGA and Meg Mallon as the celebrity she knows.

Wichanee Meechai – The Bangkok, Thailand native was one stroke from joining the playoff for category 12 status, but still earned category 17 status in her first Qualifying Tournament. Meechai has one win on the CLPGA, one win on the Taiwan LPGA and two wins on the Thai LPGA. Meechai said that her dream foresome would be Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy and Yani Tseng.

Grace Na – The Alameda, Calif. native was under-par four of the five days of Final Stage to finish T2. She finished second at Stage II of Qualifying Tournament. Na played in 12 events in her rookie season on the Epson Tour. Na had a sensational career at Pepperdine – where she was a four-time All-American and four-time WCC Player of the Year. She ended her career first all-time in scoring average (72.88). Na’s favorite LPGA is NY Choi and said she wants to one day be a broadcaster. Her dream foresome is Stephen Curry – from her favorite NBA team the Warriors – Tiger Woods and Se Ri Pak.

Benyapa Niphatsophon – Niphotsophon, whose nickname is “gift”, earned one of the final two spots in category 12 in a playoff. Niphotsophon recently started working with former LPGA player Aree Song. She finished fifth amongst amateurs on the Thai LPGA “amateur rankings”. Her favorite LPGA Tour player is Lydia Ko and she lists her favorite sports team as Manchester United.

Su Oh – The Melbourne, Australia native, who won the RACV Australian Ladies Masters on the LET in February of 2015, finished T32 to earn category 17 status. Oh, an Australia National Team member, played 12 events in her rookie season on the Epson Tour and posted three top 10 results. She helped Team Australia win the 2014 Espirito Santo Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championships in Japan. Current LPGA Tour player Minjee Lee was also on the team. Oh lists fellow Aussie Karrie Webb as her favorite LPGA player.

Annie Park – The Levittown, New York native dominated the Epson Tour in 2015 with three wins and four total top 10’s in 11 starts. Park was the Epson Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year. Park led the Tour in scoring average and finished second in greens in regulation. Park won the 2013 NCAA individual national title while at USC. Park won the 2012 Nassau Boys High School Championship by six shots.

Ashlan Ramsey – The Milledgeville, Georgia native flourished in the final round with a 5-under 67 to shoot from T24 to a tie for eighth. Ramsey played in ten events on the Epson Tour in 2015 with her best finish coming at the Tullymore Classic (T11). She also won the Georgia Women’s Open in 2015. Ramsey played one year of college golf at Clemson where she won twice and earned a spot on the 2014 Curtis Cup team. Ramsey was the runner up at the 2012 U.S. Pub Links.

Marion Ricordeau – The Bayonne, France native finished T26 at Final Stage in her first attempt at Qualifying Tournament. She turned professional in 2011 and has played on the Ladies European Tour since. Her best finish was a runner-up at the 2014 Xiamen Open. She won a LET Access Series event in 2012. She lists So Yeon Ryu as her favorite LPGA golfer.

Cyna Rodriguez – The Manila, Philippines native become the first the Philippines to earn a full card at Qualifying Tournament since Jennifer Rosales in 1999. She finished T4 and was one of only three players that posted five straight rounds under par. Rodriguez is a three-time Order of Merit winner on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. She played three years of college golf at USC. She works with a charity called Chosen Children Village, an orphanage for the physically and mentally challenged children in the Philippines.

Rachel Rohanna – Rohanna finished tenth on the Epson Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card money list to earn LPGA membership for the first time. She won the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay and had five additional top 10 finishes. Rohanna was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten performer at Ohio State. She was an Agribusiness major and helps her husband farmin Waynesburg, Pa. She purchased a new heifer with her winnings from the Guardian Retirement Championship. Rohanna comes from a golfing family. Her grandfather, Dick Schwartz, is a golf professional and her coach. Her grandmother was the head coach at Youngstown State, where her sister now plays. Her cousin, Robert, plays on the Latino America Tour.

Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong – The Thailand native won the Epson Tour Championship in October and ended her season by earning conditional LPGA Tour status. In 14 Epson Tour events, she finished 20th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. She also played on the Thailand LPGA in 2014 and 2015. Santiwiwatthanaphong’s favorite sports team is Manchester United.

Bertine Strauss – The South African and recent University of Texas graduate advanced through all three stages of Qualifying Tournament and finished T15 at Final Stage. Strauss won medalist honors at Stage II.  She was the 2015 Big 12 Golfer of the Year with six top 10 finishes as a senior. Strauss was also First-Team All-Big 12 as a junior. She was a South African National Team Member and won the South African Junior Girls Championship in 2007, 2008 and 2009. She lists the “biggest celebrity she knows” as fellow former Texas golfer Jordan Spieth.

Budsabakorn Sukapan – The 18-year-old from Thailand has two international victories – Srixon Ladies Open and CTBC Ladies Open – and now will play on the LPGA after finishing T2 at Final Stage with three rounds of 70 or lower. Sukapan, who goes by Nook, played in three events on the Thai LPGA in 2015 and finished 20th on the Order of Merit. She finished second at the Thailand Ladies Masters, just two shots behind Pornanong Phatlum.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay – The Quebec, Canada native finished T36 at Final Stage to earn LPGA membership in category 17. Tanguay was a Epson Tour rookie in 2015 and played in 17 events and finished 37th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. Tanguay played college golf at the University of Oklahoma where she finished her career with the second best scoring average in school history. Tanguay was an Honorable Mention All-American as a senior in 2014. She also finished runner up at the Canadian Junior and Canadian Amateur. Tanguay lists Paula Creamer as her favorite LPGA Tour player and lists practicing yoga as an off course hobby.

Prima Thammaraks – The Bangkok, Thailand native earned category 17 status by finishing T26 in her second attempt at LPGA Qualifying Tournament. Thammaraks played on the CLPGA and the Thai LPGA this year. She played college golf at Iowa State where her career scoring average is third all-time. She was honored as the Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year following the 2013-14 season. Thammaraks said her dream job outside of golf is in animation because of her love for Disney movies growing her. She was an Art and Design major at Iowa State.

Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras – The Roi-et, Thailand native is the youngest player in the rookie class. In her first Qualifying Tournament, she finished T15 to earn full membership. She played in five Thai LPGA events in 2015 and ranked 13th on the Order of Merit. Thanapolboonyaras also plays badminton during the off-season.

Pavarisa Yoktuan – The Thailand native finished T32 at Final Stage to earn membership in her second crack at Qualifying Tournament. Yoktuan, a three-time winner on the Thai LPGA, turned professional in 2012. She finished second on the Thai LPGA Order of Merit in 2015. She also won a tournament in China on the CLPGA in 2014.  She says her favorite golf moment was watching Pornanong Phatlum win the Dubai Ladies Masters. She is very superstitious. She practices with odd numbered clubs before her rounds on odd numbered rounds (1/3) and even numbered clubs on even numbered rounds (2/4). Her favorite LPGA golfer is Suzann Pettersen.

Jiayai Zhou – The Dalian, China native finished T26 in her first Qualifying Tournament to earn category 17 membership. She turned professional in 2015 and played on the CLPGA. Off the golf course, Zhou enjoys roller-skating, swimming and singing.