Jess Whitting turned professional in 2021 but the Australian may have just produced the best - and most timely - shot of her career to fully kickstart her journey to the LPGA Tour.
That was after Whitting, who turned 26 earlier in the week, made a hole-in-one at the par-three third during a WPGA Tour event in her native Australia.
The former University of South Florida golfer not only carded an ace, but also won a brand new BMW i4 eDrive 35 worth around $62,000. Whitting has the option to take the cash rather than the car, enabling her to continue her quest to reach the pinnacle of the women's game in 2024.
"It really does set up the rest of the year for me,” Whitting told the WPGA Tour following her round.
"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do this year. Whether I go back to the States and do the mini tour stuff so I can be prepared for Q School for LPGA. I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to stay home, really work on my game, go back just for Q School and then work from there.
"This car or the money is going to help me feel calm in being able to book flights, especially in this economy right now. I can hopefully feel calm about booking a flight to Stage Two with no worry.”
Last year, Whitting competed on the ANNIKA Women's All Pro Tour, a mini-tour that enables players to reach the Epson Tour, the official development tour for the LPGA Tour.
The 26-year-old recorded three top-five finishes in 2023 taking home $15,884.16 in prize money. Now, with just one shot at the Webex Players Series event at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, the Australian has nearly quadrupled her winnings from last season alone.
Whitting currently sits T34 in the tournament heading into the final round and said she had never seen her previous two hole-in-ones go in. "I kept saying to people, the next time I make a hole-in-one it's going to be when there's a car,” she joked.
