Almost five years after the launch of the PGA Tour University, which offers a formal pathway for the best men’s collegiate players to enter the professional ranks, the LPGA is reportedly about to announce a similar scheme.
Per the Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, the LPGA’s version will feature two programs allowing college players and amateurs a clear pathway to the professional game, with an announcement expected before the LPGA Tour season finale the CME Group Tour Championship.
One program is expected to work similarly to the PGA Tour Accelerated program, which offers chances for junior, sophomore and freshman players to earn PGA Tour membership via a points system.
One key difference with the LPGA program is it will be open to all amateurs regardless of whether they are in college or not, with players able to earn points towards LPGA membership over a three-year rolling period that can start before the player embarks on their college career.
The other program would work in a similar way to PGA Tour University, which is open to players in the final two years of college and ranks players based on their average performance in eligible tournaments.
PGA Tour University currently sees the top 25 eligible players in the rankings earn status on either the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour Americas, but there is no confirmation over how many seniors would earn status via the LPGA’s program.
Currently, the top player in the PGA Tour University rankings after the men’s NCAA Division I Championship in May earns a PGA Tour card, with Michael Thorbjornsen the recipient in 2024. However, per the report, it is not believed the top player in the LPGA version would earn an LPGA Tour card, but rather an Epson Tour card.
That would align with the original PGA Tour University set-up, which handed a Korn Ferry Tour card to the No.1 player before changing in 2023, when Ludvig Aberg became the first player to earn a PGA Tour card via PGA Tour University.
The reported move comes after criticism of the current LPGA system, which offers college players eligibility to the second stage of Q-school. However, those who progress to December’s final stage currently need to turn professional before competing in it.
That has led to some college players leaving their programs midway through the school year. One example came recently, when Texas A&M’s Adela Cernousek and UCLA’s Zoe Campos faced big decisions when both advanced to the final stage of LPGA Tour Q-Series.
Ultimately, Cernousek chose to complete her senior year, while Campos turned pro for the chance of an LPGA Tour card, with a place on the Epson Tour in 2025 already guaranteed.
