Kate Smith-Stroh is working to earn her LPGA Tour card this week at the Final Qualifying portion of 2024 LPGA Q-Series, and through four rounds in Lower Alabama, she is well on her way to doing just that on Monday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail – Magnolia Grove.

The Minnesota native is currently in a tie for 17th after 72 holes, sitting at 7-under overall after posting rounds of 69-71-67-72 on the Crossings and Falls Courses at the 36-hole tournament venue. She got off to a strong start on Thursday, carding a bogey-free, 2-under 69 on the Falls Course to kick off her second career appearance at Final Qualifying. Smith-Stroh then made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on day two in Mobile, Ala., but she ultimately bogeyed the final three holes of the Crossings Course to finish with a 1-under 71, a score that moved her to 3-under overall and left her in a tie for 17th through 36 holes.

“It's just sticking to my process every shot and not letting my decisions be made based off of circumstance or emotion, which is hard to do out here when so much is on the line,” said Smith-Stroh after the second round. “Then I try to focus on, as far as an outcome goal, trying to be more in contention. You don't have to fight for the 25th card. You can get the 10th card. So try to have a little bit more faith in myself to dig deeper and reach for a little bit better place at the end of the week.”

Round three saw the Epson Tour member fire her low round of the week on the Falls Course, as the 25-year-old recorded a 4-under 67 after making three bogeys and seven birdies, four of which came in a five-hole span from No. 4 to No. 8. Smith-Stroh again played the Crossings Course on Saturday at Final Qualifying, this time posting an even-par 72 with three birdies and three bogeys on her scorecard to remain at 7-under for the tournament, a performance that has her well inside the top-25 cutoff to earn LPGA Tour membership with one round to play at Magnolia Grove.

And while she is seemingly handling the pressure like a tried-and-true, battle-tested veteran, keeping her cool and grinding through every misstep, Smith-Stroh admits that it’s difficult to treat Final Qualifying just like any old regular Epson Tour event, particularly considering what’s on the line at the end of 90 holes.

“It’s so hard to think it's just another tournament,” Smith-Stroh said on day three. “We're playing for our dream of a lifetime, especially me not ever having any status. I know it's a big hump to get over, and I don't take it lightly, but it's also just a game, and we do it every day. It's a balance.”

But like many other Epson Tour members who are competing in Lower Alabama, Smith-Stroh had the gravity of this pivotal moment in her professional golf career put in perspective earlier this week after one of her fellow players shared some personal news on her social media channels.

Long-time LPGA and Epson Tour athlete Kim Kaufman announced on Tuesday, December 3, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer not long after the Epson Tour Championship in October, a revelation that explained why the 33-year-old had surprisingly pulled out of the field at Final Qualifying after earning an exemption via her finish in the Epson Tour’s season-long Race for the Card.

Tournament officials provided those competing this week in Mobile, Ala., with pink ribbons to wear in honor of Kaufman, offering players an opportunity to show their support for one of their own during what has certainly been a challenging time for the South Dakota native. Smith-Stroh didn’t hesitate to pick up one of those pins, having known and admired Kim for quite some time.

“I hope we can do as much as we can to support her right now,” Smith-Stroh shared. “I have kind of a special relationship with her because, growing up in Minnesota, she was like my hero growing up. So, being able to compete with her out here and just see her talent and strength up close, we just wish her the best. She makes the Tour a better place, so we can't wait for her to be back.”

The 72-hole cut was made after Sunday play at Final Qualifying, with 67 players set to compete on Monday at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove. Twenty-nine of those athletes are currently within the top-25 and ties cutoff to earn LPGA Tour status for the 2025 season, and Smith-Stroh counts herself among that bunch, as hungry as ever to find herself among the game’s greatest talents next year as an LPGA Tour rookie.

But with a lot of golf left to play, Smith-Stroh will be working to recreate her efforts over the last four days in the fifth and final round, knowing that if she can hold steady and get to double-digits under par on Monday in Mobile, Ala., she will have more than a good shot at making her lifelong dreams come true after a gritty week at LPGA Final Qualifying.

Kate Smith-Stroh Searching for LPGA Tour Card With One Round Left at Final Qualifying

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