Auckland’s Fiona Xu will join newly anointed Hall of Famer Lydia Ko on the LPGA Tour, after qualifying through the second-tier Epson Tour.
Xu, 20, has finished eighth in the ‘Race for the Card’ during her first year on the tour, with the top 15 earning promotion to the bigtime.
Playing out of the Titirangi club, she graduated from an outstanding amateur career that saw her capture the 2020 NZ championship and 2023 Australian title. The last Kiwi to achieve that was Ko herself in 2012.
Her world amateur ranking reached a high of 13th, but after helping New Zealand to ninth at last year’s world team championships, where she finished tied for fourth individually, she turned professional.
Her first year on the Epson Tour produced her first pro victory at the Copper Rock Championship in May, where her 22-under 194 was a record score for 54 holes on the tour. Xu had two other top-five finishes, including runner-up at the IOA Championship, and made 13 cuts of 17 starts, earning US$90,470 (NZ$148,000).
“I’m super excited,” she said. “You know, it’s been my goal to finish top 10 and make it to LPGA next year, so I’m really happy.”
