Mirabel Ting punched her ticket to LPGA Final Qualifying on Saturday, co-medaling with Japan’s Kokona Sakurai at the qualifying stage of LPGA Q-Series at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.
Ting, the former Florida State standout who turned pro this summer after winning the Annika Award as a junior, opened the 72-hole event in 7-under 65 – and on the three-year anniversary of her father’s death – before finishing the week at 14 under. Thomas Ting died of a heart attack on Oct. 15, 2022, during Ting’s freshman year at Augusta University.
“I think the first word would be he’s actually really proud,” Ting said afterward. “But at the same time, he would be saying to me, ‘Keep working hard, and the journey is still really far ahead, so keep your head high and continue doing what you’re doing, and you’ll be fine.’”
Another feel-good anniversary story was Kim Kaufman, who tied for 29th to advance by two shots. Kaufman, 34, had to withdraw from last year’s Q-Series after being diagnosed with breast cancer, coincidentally on Oct. 18. She underwent a lumpectomy last November before undergoing chemotherapy starting in January. She finished her treatments in early June and has since been deemed cancer-free.
“I came in with the goal of committing to every shot, really focusing on the process, not getting caught up in the leaderboard and the scores, and honestly, I had not looked at a leaderboard until we were on the 18th green here,” Kaufman said. “Did that well, and I think it paid off.”
Several notables finished at 3 under, just a shot above the cut line, including 17-year-old Gianna Clemente, reigning Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ Carla Bernat Escuder, recent U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up Brooke Biermann and current Oregon sophomore Suvichaya Vinijchaitham.
Vinijchaitham is one of four active college players who advanced to the final stage of Q-Series, which will take place Dec. 4-8 over 90 holes in Mobile, Alabama. The others are North Carolina senior Megan Streicher, SMU senior Emily Odwin and FGCU senior Jordan Fischer. Amateurs must declare professional by Nov. 14 to participate in final qualifying, otherwise they can remain amateur and defer their Epson Tour status.
Among the others moving on are Kaleiya Romero, the older sister of top-ranked amateur Kiara Romero; recent Wake Forest graduate Carolina Chacarra; and former UCLA standout Zoe Campos, who turned pro early last winter after qualifying to final stage.
Maria Fassi and Yusang Hou were among those to end up a shot short, at 2 under. Monet Chun, Sadie Englemann, Vivian Hou, Lauryn Nguyen, Latanna Stone and Louise Rydqvist also didn’t advance, same with current collegians Emma Bunch of New Mexico State, Texas’ Cindy Hsu, Auburn’s Katie Cranston, and Eastern Michigan twins Jasmine and Jenae Leovao.
