Pack Your Lunchboxes. Q-School has Begun!

It’s finally here. It’s the moment that Morgan Pressel has been waiting for since first qualifying for the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open at the tender age of 12 years old. Only five years later it’s time to qualify for the LPGA Tour!

Morgan will be among a field of 193 golfers vying for the chance to win the sectional qualifier which will eventually catapult her into the Professional Ladies Golf Association. It’s Morgan’s tournament to win or lose and I think she’s got a good chance of winding up on top.

On the tenth tee of the “Dinah” course at 7:37 am this morning unknowns Julie Turner and Ria Quiazon knew what it felt like to be in the spotlight as they teed off with an amateur who has already played and almost won on the LPGA tour this year. At only seventeen Morgan Pressel has already had a solid year’s worth of experience both on the amateur circuit winning the 105th U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament and on the professional circuit with a near victory at the U.S. Women’s Open. A spectacular sand save by Birdie Kim stopped Morgan from achieving her first win on the LPGA tour before taking her lumps at Q-School.

The Palmer and Dinah Shore Courses at Mission Hills Country Club are the first leg of the two-part sectional qualifier for the LPGA tour. Each entrant had to go through the same application process. A downloadable application had to be filled out and returned along with a check for $3,500. That seems a bit expensive to me but that’s the deal, take it or leave it, and NO personal chcks accepted.

A second sectional qualifier will take place at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in the beginning of October. The top thirty golfers from these two sectional qualifiers (including ties) will move on to the final stage of the competition. Another ten finalists from the Futures Tour will also have an opportunity to advance to the LPGA. The big event will be held at LPGA International on both the Legends and Champions Courses. Where the sectionals are 72-hole events the finals are 90-hole, five-day trials which take place on both courses through the first 72 holes and completes at the Legends course for the final eighteen. Only the best 70 golfers will play at the Legends course.

Shortly after Pressel took to the course Ai Miyazato headed to the first tee along with her group. The 19-year-old Miyazato is another golfer who could pose a threat to Pressel. In Japan Ai is a well respected superstar. Miyazato won her first tournament in her fourth start after turning pro and became the youngest golfer to win on the LPGA of Japan Tour. She had a total of four international wins in 2004 and made over $1 million.

The LPGA prides itself on its international flavor and the diverse groups in this week’s competition prove that theory. Twenty-four countries are represented in these sectionals with Korea being a major force having ten golfers in the field. Of course the United States is represented as well with 32 states having a golfing presence.

There are only twenty amateurs in the field, the most well-known of them being Pressel.

IF having the winning score in Q-School is any indication of future prowess in the LPGA then just take a look at last year’s winner Paula Creamer. Since last year the Pink Panther is on the verge of superstardom. She has already won several events on the LPGA tour and has admirably defended the honor of the United States at this year’s Solheim Cup. I would say that Creamer and her wholesome, apple-pie look is on her way to mega-advertising contracts. If this year is any indication of her future on the Tour she may also overtake Annika Sorenstam on the official money list. Since Annika won last week at the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic she now leads Paula by a solid $600K but the season is not quite over.

With the possibility of Morgan Pressel entering the professional circuit the 2006 LPGA tour season is sure to be exciting. I can’t wait to see a duel between Pressel and Creamer. Both are outspoken and dedicated to making women’s golf a sport which everyone will want to watch.

And what about Michelle Wie? Is Wie thinking about entering Q-School? As her father said, “She did not express any interest in filing an early petition for Q-school. We don’t want to file a petition, because she can turn professional any time.” Wie’s ultimate dream since she was 12-years old was to play in the Masters. The only real way she can do that is to stay and amateur and either win the U.S. Men’s Amateur Publinks or play in the finals of the US Men’s Amateur. As Wie put it, “I want to be known as (someone) that changed the world and changed how people think.” So instead it’s off to tenth grade for the almost-16-year old Hawaiian sensation. Alhough Michelle will attend the World Match Play Championships in three weeks I bet we’ll also see Michelle at the start of the PGA Tour season kicking off the Sony Open.