Photo: Epson Tour

Maddie Szeryk’s LPGA Tour dreams are alive, thanks to a final-round 2-under 70 yesterday at the tour’s Q-School qualifying stage.

With rounds of 73-70-71-70–284 (-4) at Plantation G&CC in Venice, Fla., the Londoner jumped from T49 to a T31 finish. The Top 35 and ties advance to the final stage of Q-School.

Here’s the LPGA Tour’s news release:

Rhodes and Cernousek Share Medalist Honors at the 2024 LPGA Q-Series Qualifying Stage

The 2024 Qualifying Stage of LPGA Q-Series has officially come to a close, with 43 athletes advancing to Final Qualifying, all with a chance to earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. Amateurs led the way heading into the final round at Plantation Golf and Country Club, and while one of them stayed at the top, a new face on the professional scene joined her.

Mimi Rhodes and amateur Adela Cernousek ultimately shared medalist honors at Qualifying in Venice, Fla., with the pair finishing the 72-hole event tied at 14-under.

Rhodes started the day seven shots back of the leaders, looking to make a run at the top of the leaderboard despite only needing to finish inside the top 35 to advance. The England native began the final round in a tie for ninth, after posting three straight under-par rounds. The final day was no different, with Rhodes carding five birdies in her opening nine holes to turn in 31 at 5-under for the day. The birdies continued on the back nine, with the 22-year-old making three more on the last nine holes and adding one bogey to finish out Qualifying with a 7-under 65.

“I woke up today and actually my goal was 8-under, so I was a bit disappointed not to get eight-under, but I’m so happy with my game and with how I’m putting,” said Rhodes after her final round. “Everything with my game, it was just really solid. I’m just super happy.”

Cernousek has had her name near the top of the leaderboard for most of the week, with her second-round 66 vaulting her up the leaderboard earlier in the week. She followed it with another 66 in her third round, to sit three shots back of the lead with heading into the last day. In her final round, Cernousek was bogey-free through 13 holes, putting three circles on her card along the way. A bogey on No. 14 would be the first of two she made on Friday, but Cernousek added another birdie to her card on No. 16 before her second bogey on 17. The Frenchwoman does not plan to turn professional before Final Qualifying, so she will finish her senior year at Texas A&M University before making a decision about her future.

“I think I’m going back to school and staying amateur. I think that’s the plan,” Cernousek said. “I’m just going to go back to work, and I’m playing a tournament literally on Monday with my school. I’m really happy, and of course that brings confidence, but I still got to work.”

Rounding out the top five are Melanie Green, Zoe Antoinette Campos and Bi Shin finishing T3, T3, and solo fifth, respectively. The Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series will be held at Magnolia Grove Golf Club from December 5-9. The top-25 competitors and ties at the conclusion of Final Qualifying will earn their LPGA Tour cards for the 2025 season.

OF NOTE

43 competitors are eligible to advance to LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying
12 different countries are represented in the 43 players (England, France, United States, Republic of Korea, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Thailand, Canada, Japan, People’s Rep. of China, and Spain)
Five amateurs finished T31 or better: Adela Cernousek (-14, T1), Zoe Antoinette Campos (-13, T3), Caroline Canales (-9, T12), Julia Lopez Ramierz (-5, T23) and Catie Craig (-4, T31)
The biggest movers of the final day included Tristyn Stasi (T75 to T18), Caroline Canales (T62 to T12), Gina Kim (T49 to T18) and Pinyada Kuvanun (T62 to T23)
Yeji Kwon (-10, T10) is the youngest player to make it through to Final Qualifying through Qualifying at 18 years, 7 months and 28 days
Sarah White (-5, T23) qualified for Final Qualifying in the same week her brother, Brett, was co-medalist at the PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry’s First Stage site at Magnolia Grove

FINAL-QUALIFYING INFORMATION

Tournament Rounds: December 5-9, 2024
Rain Date: December 10, 2024
Magnolia Grove Golf Club (Crossings and Falls courses); Mobile, Alabama
The deadline for amateurs to clarify their professional status to compete in Final Qualifying is Nov. 15, 2024
The field for Final Qualifying will be finalized upon the conclusion of the Ladies European Tour’s Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open de Espana
Media Contacts: epsontourcomms@lpga.com, communications@lpga.com

WHO GETS STATUS:

To be eligible to become an Epson Tour or LPGA Tour Member, athletes must successfully advance from Pre-Qualifying by finishing in the top 95 players plus ties over the 72-hole tournament, which qualifies them to compete in the “Qualifying” stage of Q-Series.

Those who complete the 72-hole Qualifying tournament and finish in the top 35 and ties will advance to Final Qualifying. Those who complete all four rounds of the Qualifying tournament but do not advance to Final Qualifying will receive Epson Tour status based on their finish.

At Final Qualifying in December, the top 25 finishers and ties will earn 2025 LPGA Tour status, while all players who complete at least four rounds will secure 2025 Epson Tour status.