THE WOODLANDS, Texas — In sports, everyone loves an underdog. But when it comes to golf, everyone loves a journeyman.

Maybe it's because we can relate to that type of player who grinds day after day, round after round, trying like hell to make it to the big leagues. It could be because we had major-championship-sized dreams that always felt out of reach no matter how low our scores were. Maybe it's because we know what it's like to get kicked in the gut a few times in life and have had to claw our way back from the brink, telling ourselves that no matter what, we can never ever give up.

So, when you look at the leaderboard of The Chevron Championship before the final round begins on Sunday in The Woodlands, Texas, consider learning the story of Lindy Duncan.

Duncan had plenty of collegiate pedigree coming out of Duke University as a four-time All-American, three-time ACC Player of the Year and PING NGCA National Player of the Year, and much was expected from her in the professional ranks. But while she joined the LPGA Tour in 2014, Duncan only made one start as a rookie and then skipped the 2015 season entirely, finally playing her first full year on the LPGA Tour in 2016.

Her first few seasons didn't give Duncan any trouble, as she easily kept her card year after year. However, it was 2021 that saw things start to get challenging.

She only missed six cuts that season, not a terrible performance on paper, but Duncan wound up finishing eight spots outside the top-100 cutoff in the Race to the CME Globe, ultimately losing her full LPGA Tour status. She then made the trip to Alabama for the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series that December, and while she had hung tough through the first seven days of competition, it was a final-round 76 that shattered Duncan's hopes of improving the limited status she already had for the 2022 season on the LPGA Tour.

It was quite a setback for Duncan, who then decided to try her hand on the Epson Tour instead of just hoping for spots in LPGA Tour events to open. The now 34-year-old LPGA veteran readily admits that it took a lot for her not to give up on professional golf completely that year while she was trying to earn back her card.

"The year that I spent playing Epson, I pretty much decided this is not what I want to do," Duncan said. "This didn't feel like my game. I just didn't feel like myself. There were definitely many moments where I was thinking of a future without playing. But what kept me in it was, I still just love it. I still love the tournaments, and I still feel like my game was in there. I was just like, 'Where are you?'

"But through some work, I started to see little bits here and there, and then putting rounds together, I just kept believing in myself."

That self-belief helped Duncan keep the faith when she once again found herself at Final Qualifying in 2022. That year, though, she managed to finish inside the top 45 and ties cut line in Lower Alabama. That performance didn't improve her status too terribly much, however, as Duncan only moved up one category on the 2023 LPGA Priority List, but it, at the very least, gave her something positive to which she could cling as she turned her attention to the 2023 LPGA Tour season.

Still in a bit of a tough spot as far as starts were concerned, Duncan did as much as she could with the limited amount of tournaments that she had access to that year, ultimately earning back her full status after finishing 92nd in the 2023 Race to the CME Globe at the end of the season, what was a relief of a season-long result.

Fortunately for Duncan, it's been fairly smooth sailing since then. She played in 20 events last year on the LPGA Tour and made 12 cuts, and even though Duncan didn't qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, a 90th-place finish in the Race to the CME Globe saw her maintain full status for the 2025 LPGA Tour season, further helping to put the woes of a few years ago well behind her.

Ahead of The Chevron Championship, the 34-year-old had already collected two top-15 finishes in 2025 – tying for 12th at the Blue Bay LPGA and coming in fifth at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass, the latter of which was her best result on Tour since she was solo third at the 2023 Dana Open in Sylvania, Ohio.

Duncan did miss the cut last week at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, but her game clearly wasn't too far off, as, after posting scores of 72-66-70 throughout this week in The Woodlands, Texas, she finds herself just one stroke off the lead at 8-under total with 18 holes remaining at the year's first major championship.

This is her 10th time sitting within five of the lead entering a final round of an LPGA Tour event, but Duncan has never found herself in this position at a major tournament, let alone one that has as much significance to the LPGA's 75-year history as The Chevron Championship.

For some, this would be a terrifying position in which to be, particularly if you don't often find yourself contending for major titles. But for Duncan, this is what it's all about.

"I'm living my dream right now," she said late Saturday afternoon after playing in the final group during round three alongside Yan Liu and Mao Saigo. "It's different than how you imagine. You're doing the exact same thing. It's just there are so many more people, and there are cameras everywhere. But it's really fun, and you definitely feel the vibes and the energy from all the people out there watching and supporting us."

Sunday will see Duncan try to become the oldest Rolex First-Time Winner on Tour since Jodi Ewart Shadoff picked up her first and only LPGA victory at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship back in 2022. Considering how consistent she has been throughout the week at The Club at Carlton Woods, a venue that can be pretty volatile depending upon the conditions, the one-stroke deficit she needs to make up on the final day of The Chevron Championship should be easily surmountable.

But regardless of whether or not Duncan is the one taking the famous leap into the lake left of the 18th green after being crowned an LPGA Tour champion for the first time in her lengthy career on Sunday afternoon, this has already been a life-changing performance from the 34-year-old, one for which she will forever be grateful.

"I think no matter what happens, this is a huge moment for me in my golf career to play in the final group of a major and to play bogey-free on a tough day," Duncan said. "I'll remember that for a long time. Tomorrow, there are so many things out of my control, and if I can play my game, maybe I'll have a chance.

"The ultimate goal is to be there with a chance on Sunday. So to be in the final group, you're just right there."

Lindy Duncan "Living the Dream" at The Chevron Championship

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