Garvey one step away from LPGA Tour card

By Neville Idour

Canterbury professional Amelia Garvey is just one step away from securing her card for the LPGA Tour.

After a season on the LPGA’s development Epson Tour she came close to avoiding the qualifying series by one place at season’s end. So she was faced with going through qualifying series two and three.

According to caddie Jamie Tipper they were both dreading playing the two courses in Venice, Florida, as two years ago she missed the top 40 to progress to final qualifying stage three.

With lots of water, creeks and out of bounds the two courses are tight and not ideal for long hitters. With that in mind they decided two iron would be the go to tee shot as it is easier to hit straight — and so it proved.

A solid par first round on the harder Bobcat course was a good score despite a double bogey from a ball that went in the water.

Caption: Canterbury professional Amelia Garvey who this month faces the marathon final step to qualify for the LPGA Tour in the United States.

In rounds two and three she again found water for a double bogey during each round. Despite that she shot three under par and four under par to sit nicely in the top 10 on seven under par. Her short game and putting were right on song so she was well placed leading into the final round and a top 40 place looked fairly safe.

However Garvey got off to a bad start with a bogey on the third hole, a par five, followed by another bogey. Then she found the water off the tee leading to another double bogey.

Four over par through seven holes she had plunged down the leaderboard and the pressure was intense. With Tipper’s encouragement, calm, good breathing skills and sticking to the right processes took over.

On the ninth hole, a par five, the tide was turned with a 270-metre drive down the middle of a fairway with water the full length on the right. Her second found a bunker but a great shot to three feet produced a birdie. On the back nine Garvey was at her best hitting two iron off each tee but one. With great putting producing several birdies to be four shots inside the top 40, she played for a safe bogey on No 18 to finish inside the top 15 in the field of 189.

On reflection a water hazard and double bogey each round highlights how well she played apart from those holes, which produced pretty much the only dropped shots of the week.

So next it is just one more step to gaining her LPGA Tour card. That step is stage three of the qualifying series.

Played over a marathon six rounds it is probably the most testing challenge in all of golf with so much at stake. Stage three will be played at the Magnolia Grove complex in Alabama, with two magnificent Robert Trent Jones golf courses. These courses are very highly rated and popular and have hosted LPGA and Korn Ferry tour championships. Tipper says “they are picturesque golf courses with big oak trees, nothing is tricked up so good golf should prevail. These courses will suit Amelia as they will play long at this time of the year. “

Stage three starts on November 30 and Garvey will return home to spend time with childhood coach Ryan Lumsden who she hasn’t seen for three years because of restrictions with covid 19. She will be working hard at Clearwater in Christchurch preparing for stage three.

Mid-month she heads back to Alabama in time to begin final preparations. The top 45 finishers in the field of 110 will get their 2024 LPGA card. The top 20 will get the best status and be able to play all events. Those that finish 21st-45th will still get a good category into several events. However good early performances in the first quarter of the season when there is a reshuffle could lead to a better category.