LPGA Senior Vice President of Tournament Operations Thomas Tangtiphaiboontana joins Golf Central to discuss the league’s Collegiate Advancement Pathway, explaining why it was created and the purpose it will serve. #Golf #GolfCentral #GolfChannel
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LPGA’s Collegiate Advancement Pathway gives chance to college golfers | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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TOUR’S SCHOOL CARD TO THE ACCELERATED PROGRAM TOO. DILIP KNOWLES IS THE OTHER PLAYER. >> SPEAKING OF THE AMATEUR GAME, LPGA TODAY ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF THE LPGA COLLEGIATE ADVANCEMENT PATHWAY, A PROGRAM THAT CREATES A DIRECT ROUTE TO THE TOP COLLEGE GOLFERS TO IMMEDIATELY GAIN ACCESS TO THE EPSOM TOUR. THE TOP 10 PLAYERS IN THE RANKINGS WILL EARN VARIOUS DEGREES OF STATUS ON THE TOUR. IN MANY WAYS, IT IS SIMILAR AS THE PGA TOUR UNIVERSITY PROGRAM. TO BE ELIGIBLE, PLAYERS MUST INCLUDE FOUR YEARS OF COMPETITION, FOUR YEARS OF ACADEMICS WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF COMPETITION. THE RANKINGS MUST BE BASED ON A TWO YEAR CYCLE WHICH WILL INCLUDE RESULTS FROM COLLEGIATE TO NON-COLLEGIATE EVENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE RANKINGS SYSTEM WILL BE RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR. >> WE HAVE A PLEASURE TO WELCOME SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF LPGA TOUR OPERATIONS TO GOLF CENTRAL. THOMAS, HOW LONG HAS THE CREATION OF THIS PROGRAM BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT? >> WE WANTED TO HAVE A NECESSARY CONVERSATION AND THE RESEARCH IN HAND TO HELP GUIDE US IN BUILDING UP THIS PROGRAM. I AM OUT HERE TODAY. IT OBVIOUSLY COINCIDES WITH BEING AHEAD OF IT SO WE CAN START AWARDING CARDS STARTING IN MAY 2026. >> THE TOUR ALREADY OFFERS THE LPGA ELITE AMATEUR PATHWAY OR THE ELITE PROGRAM. WHY DID YOU FEEL LIKE THIS ADDITIONAL PATHWAY WAS NECESSARY? HOW DO THEY DIFFER? >> WITH THE PROGRAM, WHEN WE CREATED THAT, WE BASICALLY LOOKED AT THE MAKEUP OF THE LPGA TOUR. 44% OF THE TOP 80 PLAYERS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS PLAYED COLLEGE GOLF. WHEN WE CREATED THIS, IT WAS MORE OF A GLOBAL PATHWAY, NOT NECESSARILY A COLLEGIATE PATHWAY. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE EPSOM TOUR MEMBERSHIP, THE NUMBERS ARE LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN THE TOP 80%, 82% PLAYED COLLEGE GOLF AND OF THOSE WHO PLAYED COLLEGE GOLF, IT IS 3.79 YEARS. COLLEGE GRADUATES MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF THE EPSOM TOUR MEMBERSHIP SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS VITAL TO CREATE A DIRECT PATHWAY FOR THESE COLLEGE PLAYERS TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE EPSOM TOUR. >> THAT ANSWERS THE NEXT QUESTION I WANT TO ASK YOU. WOULD YOU THINK THE PRIMARY BENEFACTORS OF THIS NEW PROGRAM WILL BE? >> PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY WHO IS IN DIVISION I COLLEGE. I KNOW THAT THE DECISION TO TURN PRO EARLY WILL ALWAYS EXIST. WILL THERE BE PLAYERS WHO TURN PRO EARLY? ABSOLUTELY. THIS PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR PLAYERS WHERE IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL TO DEVELOP ONE MORE YEAR, YOU HAVE A CLEAR PATHWAY TO PROFESSIONAL GOLF AND HAVING A PLACE TO PLAY FOR A YEAR AND A HALF ON THE EPSON TOUR. >> IS THIS NEW PATHWAY AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE DEPTH OF WOMEN’S COLLEGIATE GOLF TODAY? >> YES. ABSOLUTELY. WITH THE EPSON TOUR, THE TEAM HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF GROWING THAT TOUR, BUILDING UP THE PURSES. WE HAVE SEEN THE TALENT LEVEL COME THROUGH EPSON INCREASE AND IMPROVE EVERY SINGLE YEAR, HENCE WHY WE WENT FROM 10 TO 50 LPGA TOUR CARDS ON EPSOM LAST YEAR AND NOW BUILDING THE PATHWAY WITH THE COLLEGIATE SENIORS, IT WILL MAKE IT EVEN STRONGER. >> IN SOME WAYS, THIS SEEMS SIMILAR TO THE LPGA TOUR UNIVERSITY BUT IN SOME WORKINGS, THEY ARE OFFERED IT IMMEDIATELY. WHY IS IT THAT THE TOP PLAYER IN THE COLLEGIATE EVENT IS NOT OFFERED A MEMBERSHIP ON THE LPGA TOUR INSTEAD OF THE FINAL QUALIFYING? >> WHEN I LOOK AT THE DATA, WE KNOW THAT LPGA CARDS ARE VERY VALUABLE. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE LPGA AND EPSON TOUR MEMBERS WHEN PRESENTING AND GIVING CARDS AWAY. THAT IS WHAT WE DO, MAKING SURE EVERYONE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH US. I FEEL STRONGLY AND CONFIDENT THAT HAVING THIS IN PLACE, IT IS GOING TO BASICALLY SET THE FOUNDATION TO GROW THE EPSON TOUR, THE LPGA TOUR AND WOMEN’S GOLF AND AS WE SEE THE UPCOMING CLASSES COME THROUGH, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE WILL EXPAND AND HELP THE CARDS THROUGH
