Q School Explainer

Q SCHOOL SEASON IS HERE

Yes its that time of the year again when all those who haven’t quite secured their playing rights for next season have to sign up to Q School on their respective tours or on a tour they’re aspiring to play on and hope they have the best few weeks of their playing lives. Each tour has a different format but basically its cutthroat and brutal. And even then getting membership of a Tour doesn’t always guarantee starts in tournaments. Most Q School qualifiers find themselves in quite a low category often with limited starts.

There are different entry levels for all players depending on how they finished this season in their respective Order of Merit, their OWGR (men), Rolex ranking (women) or amateur ranking. Some players have to start at the very beginning, usually a pre-qualifying stage while some are exempt into the final qualifying tournament.

The LPGA has three stages of qualifying.

Pre-Qualifying over 54 holes (Sept 24-26) at three sites – California, Texas and Florida, followed by

Qualifying Stage over 72 holes (Oct 15-18) at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Florida and finishes with

Final Stage (Dec 4-8) over NINETY holes at Magnolia Grove GC in Alabama. Top 25 and ties get an LPGA card for next season.

Ozzies trying out this year:

Pre-Qualifying Stage

• Jennifer Elliot, Texas T4 – Q
• Lion Higo, Florida T23 - Q
• Sarah Yamiki Branch, Texas - Cut
• Grace Williams (a), Texas– Cut
• Caitlin Peirce entered Texas – no result.

Qualifying Stage

1. Jennifer Elliot T22 – Q
2. Jes Whitting T60
3. Lion Hugo T81
4. Su Oh T128
5. Amelia Garvey (NZ) T124
6. Sarah Kemp T137

Wishing Jennifer Elliot al the best as she progresses to Final Qualifying stage in Alabama later this year. If Jennifer completes the first 4 of 6 rounds, she will guarantee a minimum of Epson Tour status in category C which will get her lots of starts. Those who do not progress still get Epson Tour status but at category I which will only get limited starts.

The Ladies European Tour (LET) is similarly brutal with two stages of qualifying.

Pre-Qualifying over 54 holes played at 4 sites in Marrakech, Morrocco(Dec 10-12). With a maximum of 312 entrants only about 22 from each course will progress to Final Qualifying.

Final Qualifying is also in Marrakech over NINETY holes played 16-20 December. A good Christmas present for those top 20 who earn LET playing status for 2026.

Ozzies teeing it up in LET qualifying this year:

Pre-Qualifying

1. June Song
2. Claire Shin
3. Grace Williams
4. Elmay viking
5. Rebekah Blackwell-chin (a) (NZ)

Final Qualifying

Entries close 9 November so as we publish there are no Ozzies entered into Final Qualifying. Much will depend on how players end up after their regular seasons finish.For those playing LET this season and who finish outside top 70 on the Order of Merit then qualifying through Q School can get better status for 2026 and potentially entry into more tournaments.

PGA Tour qualifying is technically the ‘Q School presented by Korn Ferry’, this qualifying path leads to only FIVE PGA tour cards. There are benefits for those outside the top 5 but it’s a long pathway for only 5 cards. Other benefits for high finishers (outside top 5) include membership on PGA Tour Americas and Korn Ferry Tour membership

Pre-Qualifying held over 54 holes on various dates in September at 8 sites across the country. Approximately 40 players from each course (317 in total) qualified to progress to First Stage.

First Stage is held over 72 holes at 14 sites on various dates in October across the USA. Approximately 20 payers from each First Stage tournament will advance to Second Stage.

Second Stage is held over 72 Holes at five sites Dec 2-5.

Final Stage is another 72 holes over 2 sites in Florida Dec 11-14.

So if you start at Pre-Qualifying and get through to Final Stage you have to play 270 holes of golf to try and earn 1 of 5 PGA Tour cards.

Ozzies trying to get through this year are:

First Qualifying Stage

• Maverick Antcliffe Sand, Creek Station Kansas – T4 Q
• Travis Smyth, Wilderness Ridge CC – 1st Q
• Grant Booth, UNM Championship Course NM – T13 Q
• Kevin Yuan, UNM Championship Course NM – T13 Q

Sid Nadimpalli, Southern Dunes GC Arizona – 22nd

• Charlie Hillier, Sand Creek Station Kansas – T25
• Harrison Crowe, Wilderness Ridge CC - T48
• Ryan Ruffles, UNM Championship Course NM – T30
• Jasper Stubbs, Ocala CC Florida T38

The DP World Tour is similarly brutal where if you make it to Final Stage you get to play a further ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT holes of stroke play and the top 20 getDP World Tour playing rights.

First Stage of DP World Tour Q School is held over 72 holes at 10 sites across Europe. Approximately 20 players from each site advance to Second Stage.

Second Stage is over 72 holes at four sites in Spain (Oct 30-Nov 2) and

Final Stage is again in Spain over 108 holes (Nov 7-12)

Ozzies trying to get through this year:

First stage

• Connor McKinney Hulencourt W2 T5 Q
• Thomas Power Horan HelencourtW1 30th
• Brady Watt The Players Club 41st
• Billy Dowling Huddersfield 55th
• Doug Klein 49 Northumberland Golf Club
• Andrew Lautee 50 Northumberland Golf Club
• Matias Sanchez 23 Donnington Grove Golf Club

So Connor McKinney progresses to Second Stage starting 30 October.

The Asian Tour Q school starts in October with 6 sites running 72 hole First Stage events in Morrocco (Oct 21-24), California (Nov 4-7), and 4in Thailand (Dec 2-5). Those who progress then play Final Stage over 72 holes at Lake View Resort & GC, Hua Hin, Thailand from Dec 17-21.

Ozzies entered so far for Asian Tour Q School below: Entries for the Thailand events are still open.

Jay Mackenzie -California

Ben Henkel – California

Connor McDade – California

Kuangyu Chen – California

Josh Armstrong - California

Tyler Hodge (NZ) - Morrocco

Shaun Campbell (NZ) - California

It’s a long and challenging route to get playing status via Q School. And often the playing status awarded to successful competitors is pretty average and playing opportunities are limited. This means that there is extra pressure on when players actually get an entry into a tournament and early season success is critical as this means that a player can get entry into tournaments via the current season Order of Merit and not have to rely on their Q school status.

So heaps of luck to all our Ozzie and Kiwi players teeing it up and all the Q Schools across the world. We will keep the results updated as the Q School season progresses.