The true magnitude of what she’d achieved probably wouldn’t sink in for a few days, but Lauren Walsh couldn’t hide her delight at earning a first LPGA Tour card over a gruelling final examination at Q-School.
“I am absolutely over the moon,” she enthused. “It is an absolute dream come true to get my LPGA Tour card.
“I’ve been working towards this since my amateur days, you know. Shane [O’Grady, Walsh’s coach] and I have talked about it for years – the LPGA is the ultimate top of the pyramid.”
It was never going to be easy, but she had to put in a strong finish to the LET just to gain access to the LPGA’s Q-Series Final Stage, and she secured 10th place on the LET Order of Merit, earning the final invitation to tee it up at the crucial examination.
Then, after making the transatlantic trip, weather conditions severely hampered the tournament, and numerous, lengthy suspensions of play meant the event initially slated for 90 holes was reduced to 72. This made the task all the tougher as she’d gotten off to a sluggish start and carded a two-over-par 74 in round one at Magnolia Grove in Alabama, but she kept faith and the quality golf she knew was in there started to emerge.
“It wasn’t the best of starts,” she conceded, “but I knew I was hitting the ball really well all week. And, you know, my coach Shane flew over for the practice days, so I was really appreciative of the support from him – not just this week, but in general – and I knew my game was there.
“I just needed to stay patient. I knew the putts would drop eventually and coming down the stretch today, they really did.
“I’m very, very proud of myself, and as I said earlier, absolutely delighted.”
Walsh entered the final day’s play at -2, two shots outside the qualification mark after responding to her 74 with rounds of 70, 69, and having covered the first seven holes of the fourth and now final round in one-under thanks to a birdie on the final hole before play was halted for darkness.
After another delay due to to frost the following morning, she came out and played her final 11 holes in four-under, making birdies on 11, 13, 16 and 17 to end up with a shot to spare when all was said and done.
“I figured -5 would be the number,” she said. “So, you know, I got to -5 when I rolled in a really good putt on 16 and then knew I was on the number – I knew two pars would probably do it coming in, but I was able to hit a nice shot into 15 feet on 17 and rolled that in to give myself a bit of a cushion coming up the last.”
As any pro who’s experienced it will attest, the final stretch of a Q-School week is tantamount to torture, and Walsh admitted that the pressure was on a different level.
“It’s a completely different type of pressure,” she said. “Playing those last 11 holes today, knowing had to go out and shoot three-under, but, I think my caddie Gary [Du Plooy] and I just stayed in a really good mental place.
“We knew putts were going to drop, it was going to happen. I was playing really well.”
It’s the culmination of a year that’s taken her to 17 different countries, to tee it up in 25 different events, but the payoff at the end has made it all worthwhile and more. Thoughts of where and when she’ll be playing next year will have to wait – all she knows for sure is that she’ll be focusing primarily on the LPGA Tour and competing against the very best that the women’s game has to offer on a regular basis.
The magnitude of what she’s achieved will probably set in when she starts house hunting in the United States, but for now, she can’t wait to get home and share the celebrations with her family, friends and all those who have supported her in her journey thus far.
“Honestly, just want to celebrate this now, and go home and see my family,” she said. “It’s been such a team effort from everyone so I’m really excited to celebrate this with them.
“As for next year? I’ll start planning next year when it comes.”
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