Gianna Clemente had one goal going into the 2025 LPGA Qualifying Series last season: earn Epson Tour membership.

But when she advanced through Qualifying after finishing in a tie for 39th at Plantation Golf and Country Club, earning both the Epson Tour status she was seeking and a spot in the field at Final Qualifying, the 17-year-old was faced with a choice.

Turn professional and chase the opportunity of a lifetime, or remain amateur and put her dreams of an LPGA Tour card on hold?

The decision seemed pretty easy for Clemente to make, as she wasted no time shrugging off her amateur moniker and signing up for the professional ranks, more than ready to give her lifelong goal a real shot in Lower Alabama.

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After Clemente was ultimately granted the under-18 waiver she requested from LPGA Tour commissioner Craig Kessler to compete in the last stage of Qualifying School, and not knowing exactly what to expect from her first berth in the grind of a tournament, Clemente rocked up to RTJ Golf Trail – Magnolia Grove this past December with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Playing with house money, Clemente put herself right around the top-25 cut line ahead of the final round despite dealing with brutally frigid and wet conditions that caused numerous weather delays and darkness suspensions throughout the week of the tournament. But even in the face of all of those difficulties, Clemente looked as poised as a grizzled, old veteran coming down the stretch on the final day, primed to secure an LPGA Tour card in her first attempt at traversing the grind that is Q-Series.

But a late double bogey on the ninth hole of the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove dropped the 17-year-old outside the top 25 on the leaderboard, a group of athletes who solidified their LPGA Tour status for 2026 by finishing at 5-under or better. And when the proverbial smoke eventually cleared at the end of the day, the teenager’s 2-under total saw her finish three strokes off that pace, a disappointing result for sure for Clemente, even though the entire experience felt like a bonus to begin with.

Ever the fierce competitor, Clemente surely took some time to be frustrated, to question the mistake that led to that closing double, to wonder what she could have done differently. At the end of the day, though, the teenage pro couldn’t beat herself up too badly. She met her goal and the original intention behind her Q-Series berth, securing a place to play in her inaugural professional season, something that can be quite a tall order for young athletes just starting out.

The Epson Tour season doesn’t begin for a few more weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Clemente from seeking competitive opportunity elsewhere. The 17-year-old is making her second start in the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club’s Old Course, having first played in the LPGA Tour event as an amateur in 2025, what was Clemente’s first experience ever teeing it up in Asia.

Clemente is competing as one of 12 sponsor invitations this week, a slate of athletes that also includes major champions like Danielle Kang and Yuka Saso. And even though the Tour’s annual stop in Thailand will mark the first time she walks alongside LPGA Tour members inside the ropes as a professional herself, the level-headed Clemente isn’t too flustered when it comes to her latest appearance on the biggest stage in the women’s game.

“It doesn’t feel super different, but I’m just thrilled to be back here,” Clemente said. “I think this is a perfect place to start it off. Super grateful to Honda for giving this exemption again. This is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. I’m just thrilled to start it off this way, and having my dad on the bag as well. We’re just going to have a good week.”

The 2025 Honda LPGA Thailand saw a then 16-year-old Clemente tie for 30th, a performance that earned the Floridian a point in the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, a Tour program that provides elite amateur athletes a road to the LPGA via a points system that’s weighted based on accomplishment.

That T30 showing is still Clemente’s career-best finish on the LPGA Tour, a result she hopes to improve upon as soon as possible, and while it’s a positive experience on which she will certainly be leaning at the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club, Clemente says that she is in a vastly different headspace in 2026 than she was last season in Thailand.

“I think a lot has changed for sure. Last year at this time, I was still trying to make the decision of whether I was going to go to college or not, and it was a pretty stressful time for me,” Clemente said. “I think now that I finally made the decision, and that's over with, it's a lot less stressful, and there's a lot more happiness. I'm thrilled to be back and thrilled with the decision I made, and just happy to play this event and also start my Epson Tour season.”

With her newfound career starting to take off and with a new season on deck, has come a new look for the young talent, with Clemente recently sharing on her social media platforms that she is now sponsored by Nike, joining professional golfers like 16-time LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda, 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy and four-time major winner Scottie Scheffler as a Nike Athlete.

Clemente already had plenty of familiarity with the brand, as she was involved in Nike’s junior program as an amateur golfer, but it’s still a pinch-me moment for the soon-to-be 18-year-old, who has dreams of being the best of the best in women’s golf someday.

“I hope I'm that successful in the future, but I’m just sticking to my process, and hopefully, that will come about eventually, but I got an amazing team around me, and then to add Nike to that team as well is really cool. I'm just happy to be a part of it,” said Clemente. “I was able to go to Portland and go to headquarters a couple of weeks ago, and it was the most amazing weekend. I’m super excited to be a Nike athlete and join the family.”

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After the Honda LPGA Thailand concludes, Clemente is set to begin her rookie year on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA at the Atlantic Beach Classic in early March as a 2026 Epson Tour rookie.

And even though there are sure to be some nerves percolating as it pertains to the start of her life as a full-time professional athlete, Clemente can glean a lot of confidence from her previous experiences teeing it up alongside the world’s best athletes, the success she had in a couple of Epson Tour starts in 2025, particularly her runner-up performance at the Guardian Championship, and the way she hung tough and pushed through at Final Qualifying just a couple of months ago.

“I'm really looking forward to it, and really happy about it,” Clemente said. “I was pretty happy with the way I played at Q-School. Sucks to come up short to get LPGA status a little bit, but that was my goal, to play on Epson this season, and I'm glad we accomplished that. I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's gonna be fun.”

Gianna Clemente “Thrilled” to Jumpstart First Pro Season in Thailand, Join Nike Family

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