HALFWAY THERE: 72 HOLES REMAIN FOR Q-SERIES

Halfway through the inaugural Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, exactly 45 players sit at 6-over par or better with 72 holes remaining as competition shifts from Pinehurst No. 6 to Pinehurst No. 7.

At the completion of Q-Series, a minimum of the top-45 finishers and ties will receive LPGA Membership in Category 14 on the LPGA Priority List. In addition, a $150,000 purse will be distributed among the group in relation to finish. Meanwhile, the remaining competitors will earn Epson Tour Membership in Category C on the Epson Tour Priority List.

What started out as a 102-player field has dwindled to 101 following the withdrawal of Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Florida). The remaining 100 players are gearing up to chase outright leader Klara Spilková (Prague, Czech Republic). An eight-year Ladies European Tour veteran, Spilková holds a four-shot advantage at 13-under par overall.

“I’m pretty excited, played a practice round yesterday and the course is beautiful,” said Spilková, who recorded an eagle, 15 birdies and four bogeys over the first four rounds. “It’s a bit different—up and down, hilly and some elevation—but really nice. The greens are smaller and have more slopes. It’s going to be fun.”

Featured inside the current top-45 and ties group is 18 of the 37 players in the field who finished from No. 101-150 on the current-year LPGA official money list, as well as 10 of the 19 players from No. 11-30 on the current-year Epson Tour Official Money List. Furthermore, the lone invitee from the top-75 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in Jeongeun Lee6 (Gyeonggi-Do, Republic of Korea) and three of the top-five collegiate players in the country according to Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings are on the right side of the cut for LPGA membership at the midway point.

With the second half of Q-Series set to begin tomorrow, 72-hole leader Spilková looks at it as a continuation of where she left off instead of wiping the slate clean and starting over.

“I will try my best, hit as many fairways and greens as I can, and two-putt,” Spilková said laughingly. “That has been my goal for three weeks to be honest, and not putting any pressure on myself.”

Action gets underway at 7:50 a.m. ET in each of the final four rounds. Players were re-paired after 72 holes and will stay with the same group for the fifth and sixth round on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The low score wave goes off in the afternoon of round five and morning of round six. Meanwhile, the high score wave follows the same method, only opposite the low score. Competitors will also be re-paired after the sixth and seventh rounds, with high scores going off first in rounds seven and eight, and the leaders heading onto the course last.

WHO’S IN THE FIELD

One member from the top-75 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings: Jeongeun Lee6
19 players from Nos. 11-30 and ties on the Epson Tour official money list
40 players who advanced from Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament
37 players who finished from Nos. 101-150 on the current-year LPGA official money list
Top-5 collegiate players in the country according to Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings: Lauren Stephenson, Lilia Vu, Maria Fassi, Patty Tavatanakit, Jennifer Kupcho

NORTH CAROLINA CONNECTIONS:

Lori Beth Adams (from Burlington and attended University of North Carolina Wilmington), Cydney Clanton (from Concord), Allison Emrey (from Charlotte and attended Wake Forest University), Katherine Perry (from Cary and attended the University of North Carolina), Maia Schechter (from Chapel Hill and attended the University of North Carolina), Laura Wearn (from Charlotte)

PAST AMERICAN SOLHEIM CUP PARTICIPANTS:

Kristy McPherson (2009), Alison Lee (2015)

PAST EUROPEAN SOLHEIM CUP PARTICIPANTS:

Mel Reid (2011, 2015, 2017), Emily K. Pedersen (2017)

PAST USA CURTIS CUP PARTICIPANTS:

Cydney Clanton (2010), Stephanie Kono (2010), Kyung Kim (2014), Alison Lee (2014), Erynne Lee (2014), Bailey Tardy (2016), Kristen Gillman (2018), Lauren Stephenson (2018), Lilia Vu (2018)

PAST GB&I CURTIS CUP PARTICIPANTS:

Mel Reid (2006), Amy Boulden (2012), Gemma Dryburgh (2014)

PAST USGA CHAMPIONS:

Julieta Granada (2004 Girls’ Junior), Doris Chen (2010 Girls’ Junior), Kyung Kim (2012 Women’s Amateur Public Links), Kristen Gillman (2014 and 2018 Women’s Amateur), Eun Jeong Seong (2015, 2016 Girls’ Junior; 2016 Women’s Amateur), Taylor Totland (2017 Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Q-SERIES

Individuals will compete in a 144-hole stroke play format over two, four-day tournaments for a purse of $150,000
The top-45 finishers and ties receiving LPGA membership in Category 14 on the LPGA Priority List and remaining competitors earning Epson Tour status.
An amateur competitor earning LPGA status may defer her acceptance of LPGA membership until July 1 the following year. If she does not accept LPGA membership by July 1, she will forfeit her qualification status and no longer be eligible for membership.
Players are re-paired after 72 holes and will stay in the same groups for the fifth and sixth rounds at Pinehurst No. 7 with the low scores in the afternoon wave for round five and in the morning for round six.

FORMAT

101 players; 144 holes, stroke play; no cut
First Week: George and Tom Fazio-designed Pinehurst Course No. 6 from Oct. 24-27
Second Week: Rees Jones-designed Pinehurst Course No. 7 from Oct. 31-Nov. 3

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Spilkova Leads at Halfway Mark of Inaugural LPGA Q-Series

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