Carolina López Chacarra and Carla Bernat have advanced past the second stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School, known as the Q Series. It was held from Wednesday to Saturday at the Plantation Golf & Country Club in Florida.
The disappointment came for Teresa Toscano, the third Spanish player in the competition. The Andalusian missed out by just one stroke after a dramatic final round, finishing with a double bogey on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th. It was the final straw in a season where few things have gone in favour of the player from Huelva.
A total of 196 players participated in this second stage of the American School. It was played over four rounds without a cut on two different courses at the Plantation complex, the Bobcat course and the Panther course. The top 45 and ties advanced to the final. In other words, it was a very demanding cut, with less than one in four participants progressing.
Carolina achieved the goal with significant ease. She finished in 18th place with four very solid rounds of 70, 72, 69, and 70 strokes, ending with a total of -7. Her qualification was never really in danger, although the key was breaking 70 strokes after the third round. She is one of the ten amateurs who have managed to pass this stage of the Q Series.
Carla, on the other hand, had to endure a bit more to get into the Final of the School. Remember that the player from Castellón had to pass the first stage, while Carolina was exempt and entered directly into this second stage. Bernat, champion of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, submitted four scorecards of 72, 67, 75, and 71 (total of -3). In her case, that second day of 67 strokes was obviously the definitive springboard to get into the Final. She then managed to endure on Friday and Saturday to stay just within the cut line. She finished with three very valuable pars on holes 16, 17, and 18.
The only negative news was for Teresa Toscano. The player from Huelva was among the top 45 and ties after two very good opening rounds of 70 and 68 strokes. She then managed the situation well, delivering a solid third round of 73 strokes. Even on the final day, it seemed she had it under control. With two holes to go, she was at -5, comfortably within the cut which ultimately was -3. However, that abrupt finish with a double bogey and a bogey left her out. She will have category in 2026 on the Epson Tour.
The winners of this second stage of the Q Series were Japan’s Kokona Sakurai and Malaysia’s Mirabel Ting.
The final of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School will be held from December 4 to 8 in Alabama, at the Robert Trent Jones complex, on the Fall and Crossings courses. It will be five days of competition with a cut after the fourth round. The top 25 and ties will earn the LPGA Tour card. Those who play at least four rounds will receive full category on the Epson Tour.
