The LPGA has formally rolled out plans for a program that may present high amateurs a direct path to membership.
The LPGA Elite Newbie Pathway, or LEAP, will launch subsequent 12 months and is modeled after the PGA Tour College’s Accelerated program. Like Accelerated, gamers who attain a 20-point threshold by attaining sure elite benchmarks will have the ability to activate as much as a 12 months and a half of exempt LPGA standing.
The massive distinction from the boys, nevertheless, is that gamers don’t need to be in faculty, solely beginner, and so they can begin incomes factors at any time. There shall be a rolling interval that features the present 12 months and three earlier years, so beginning Jan. 1, gamers will have the ability to depend factors earned in 2025 plus something accrued since Jan. 1, 2022.
GolfChannel.com first reported final week that this program was coming down the pipeline. Additionally reported was one other rating, just like the common PGA Tour College system, which might dole out Epson Tour playing cards to high faculty seniors. The LPGA didn’t announce such a program on Wednesday, however it did say that it was persevering with to work on different pathways and would announce particulars when prepared.
“LEAP represents an essential subsequent step in increasing world pathways to the LPGA Tour for the world’s high beginner athletes,” mentioned LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “LEAP goals to establish and reward probably the most elite amateurs from all backgrounds. By intensive analysis and evaluation, we’ve recognized achievements that point out future success on the LPGA Tour and have constructed some extent system that may present high athletes worldwide with a streamlined alternative to pursue their goals and compete on the highest degree.”
Among the many accomplishments that earn gamers LEAP factors: Profitable the McCormack medal (4); reaching No. 1 within the World Newbie Golf Rating (3); and capturing high tournaments such because the NCAA Championship, Augusta Nationwide Ladies’s Newbie and U.S. Ladies’s Newbie (2 every).
When the LPGA advised its members throughout a participant assembly final week forward of The Annika pushed by Gainbridge in Belleair, Florida, it famous that simply three gamers would’ve reached 20 factors prior to now 12 years – Lydia Ko, Leona Maguire and Rose Zhang. At present, world No. 1 beginner Lottie Woad, a junior at Florida State, leads the way in which with 16 factors.
Here’s a full breakdown of how gamers can earn factors:
WAGR RANK
Awarded based mostly on career-best mark, and solely as soon as
- 3 factors – No. 1
- 2 factors – Nos. 2-3
- 1 level – Nos. 4-5
LPGA FINISHES
Gamers can solely earn considered one of these achievements per end (for instance: A T-25 at a significant is value simply two factors as gamers don’t additionally get the made-cut level; similar for a T-10 in a daily occasion, which is value two factors, not three whole)
- 2 factors – High 25 and ties in a significant
- 2 factors – High 10 and ties in an official occasion
- 1 level – Made lower in a significant
- 1 level – High 40 and ties in an official occasion
AMATEUR WINS
- 2 factors every – U.S. Ladies’s Newbie, Ladies’s British Newbie, European Girls Newbie, Augusta Nationwide Ladies’s Newbie, World Newbie Group Championship (medalist), NCAA Division I Championship (medalist)
- 1 level every – U.S. Ladies’ Junior, Ladies’s Newbie Asia-Pacific, Ladies’s Newbie Latin America
AWARDS
- 4 factors – McCormack Medal
- 2 factors every – Annika Award, WGCA Participant of the Yr
- 1 level every – AJGA Rolex Junior Participant of the Yr, Juli Inkster Award (D-I)
TEAM APPEARANCES
- 2 factors – Curtis Cup
- 1 level – Arnold Palmer Cup
Per LEAP guidelines, if Woad, or anybody else, reaches 20 factors previous to July 1 of a calendar 12 months, they’ve three choices (whereas assuming they meet all LPGA eligibility necessities, together with a minimal age of 18 years previous – although, like Lydia Ko, such a rule could be petitioned):
- Settle for LPGA membership instantly and thru the tip of the present season
- Defer LPGA membership till July 1 and achieve eligibility by the tip of the next season
- Defer LPGA membership till the next season and achieve eligibility for that season solely
If a participant was to earn their 20 factors after July 1, they might have two choices:
- Settle for LPGA membership instantly and achieve eligibility by the tip of the next season
- Defer LPGA membership till the next season and achieve eligibility for that season solely
If the LPGA has a number of LEAP graduates at any given time, the participant who reached 20 factors first shall be prioritized larger. The LPGA didn’t say the place LEAP grads could be categorized on its precedence record.
Here’s a take a look at the present amateurs with a number of factors earned since Jan. 1, 2022:
- Lottie Woad – 16 (2024 McCormack Medal (4); WAGR No. 1 (3); 2024 ANWA (2); 2024 Chevron top-25 (2); 2024 AIG Ladies’s Open top-25 (2); 2024 Curtis Cup (2); 2023 Palmer Cup (1))
- Anna Davis – 7
- Jasmine Koo – 6
- Megan Schofill – 6
- Rianne Malixi – 5
- Catherine Park – 5
- Hannah Darling – 5
- Louise Rydqvist – 5
- Megha Ganne – 3
- Mirabel Ting – 3
- Maria Jose Marin – 3
- Kiara Romero – 2
Upon listening to particulars of LEAP, a minimum of just a few faculty coaches had been involved that this system would improve the LPGA’s capacity to poach high expertise from the NCAA sport, although it’s additionally value noting that a number of avenues to earn factors are solely out there to gamers in faculty. Coaches additionally careworn the nonetheless evident want of incentivizing gamers to play all 4 years; three top-10 amateurs, all seniors, turned professional final Friday as a way to compete within the upcoming LPGA ultimate qualifying, leaving their groups midseason – a pattern that plagued high faculty packages for years.
“It’s a begin,” mentioned one coach. “It’s all about having a spot to play with out coping with Q-College.”
Added one other coach: “Their two large adjustments as of not too long ago have harm us much more: Have to show professional earlier than Q-Sequence, and no LPGA Tour U.”
For now, a minimum of.
