Caroline Inglis played the first two days at The Annika with good friend Elizabeth Szokol, who retired after missing the cut Friday at Pelican Golf Club. Szokol was emotional, but so, too, was Inglis.
“We were all just like crying and hugging each other,” Inglis said.
Two days later, it was Inglis’ turn to say goodbye.
Inglis, a 31-year-old from Portland, Oregon, shot 5-over 75 Sunday to cap a solo 69th finish in her last LPGA start. She will move into a role with the Oregon Golf Association.
“My body is getting old, ready to be done, is the main reason,” Inglis said, “and then once I kind of started considering it, I got offered a job. … I’m excited. I get to help out a little bit with the junior golfers and then do a little bit of like work with fundraising and stuff like that, so I think it’ll be a good transition. Still in golf but being able to give back and entering kind of the corporate world, which is a little bit terrifying, but we’ll see.”
Inglis starred as a high-schooler in Eugene, winning three individual state championships, then went on to win a Pac-12 individual title at the University of Oregon, the first Duck to ever do so. She turned pro in 2016 and immediately got through Q-School, but back injuries have limited her during her LPGA career. After finishing a career-best 79th in points in 2018, she had back surgery and missed the entire 2019 season.
Her back started to act up again back in July, which got Inglis thinking about next steps.
“I think this is a door I need to step through,” Inglis said. “Like I think it’s time. It felt right. I definitely feel at peace with it and good about it now.”
