LPGA officially rolls out direct pathway for top female amateurs

The LPGA has officially rolled out plans for a program that will provide top amateurs a direct path to membership.

The LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, or LEAP, will launch next year and is modeled after the PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program. Like Accelerated, players who reach a 20-point threshold by achieving certain elite benchmarks will be able to activate up to a year and a half of exempt LPGA status.

The big difference from the men, however, is that players don’t have to be in college, only amateur, and they can start earning points at any time. There will be a rolling period that includes the current year and three previous years, so starting Jan. 1, players will be able to count points earned in 2025 plus anything accrued since Jan. 1, 2022.

GolfChannel.com first reported last week that this program was coming down the pipeline. Also reported was another ranking, like the regular PGA Tour University system, which would dole out Epson Tour cards to top college seniors. The LPGA didn’t announce such a program on Wednesday, but it did say that it was continuing to work on other pathways and would announce details when ready.

“LEAP represents an important next step in expanding global pathways to the LPGA Tour for the world’s top amateur athletes,” said LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “LEAP aims to identify and reward the most elite amateurs from all backgrounds. Through extensive research and analysis, we have identified achievements that indicate future success on the LPGA Tour and have built a point system that will provide top athletes worldwide with a streamlined opportunity to pursue their dreams and compete at the highest level.”

Among the accomplishments that earn players LEAP points: Winning the McCormack medal (4); reaching No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (3); and capturing top tournaments such as the NCAA Championship, Augusta National Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur (2 each).

When the LPGA told its members during a player meeting last week ahead of The Annika driven by Gainbridge in Belleair, Florida, it noted that just three players would’ve reached 20 points in the past 12 years – Lydia Ko, Leona Maguire and Rose Zhang. Currently, world No. 1 amateur Lottie Woad, a junior at Florida State, leads the way with 16 points.

Here is a full breakdown of how players can earn points:

WAGR RANK
Awarded based on career-best mark, and only once

• 3 points – No. 1

• 2 points – Nos. 2-3

• 1 point – Nos. 4-5

LPGA FINISHES
Players can only earn one of these achievements per finish (for example: A T-25 at a major is worth just two points as players don’t also get the made-cut point; same for a T-10 in a regular event, which is worth two points, not three total)

• 2 points – Top 25 and ties in a major

• 2 points – Top 10 and ties in an official event

• 1 point – Made cut in a major

• 1 point – Top 40 and ties in an official event

AMATEUR WINS

• 2 points each – U.S. Women’s Amateur, Women’s British Amateur, European Ladies Amateur, Augusta National Women’s Amateur, World Amateur Team Championship (medalist), NCAA Division I Championship (medalist)

• 1 point each – U.S. Girls’ Junior, Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, Women’s Amateur Latin America

AWARDS

• 4 points – McCormack Medal

• 2 points each – Annika Award, WGCA Player of the Year

• 1 point each – AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Juli Inkster Award (D-I)

TEAM APPEARANCES

Per LEAP rules, if Woad, or anyone else, reaches 20 points prior to July 1 of a calendar year, they have three options (while assuming they meet all LPGA eligibility requirements, including a minimum age of 18 years old – though, like Lydia Ko, such a rule can be petitioned):

• Accept LPGA membership immediately and through the end of the current season

• Defer LPGA membership until July 1 and gain eligibility through the end of the following season

• Defer LPGA membership until the following season and gain eligibility for that season only

If a player was to earn their 20 points after July 1, they would have two options:

If the LPGA has multiple LEAP graduates at any given time, the player who reached 20 points first will be prioritized higher. The LPGA did not say where LEAP grads would be categorized on its priority list.

Here is a look at the current amateurs with multiple points earned since Jan. 1, 2022:

Upon hearing details of LEAP, at least a few college coaches were concerned that the program would increase the LPGA’s ability to poach top talent from the NCAA game, though it’s also worth noting that several avenues to earn points are only available to players in college. Coaches also stressed the still glaring need of incentivizing players to play all four years; three top-10 amateurs, all seniors, turned pro last Friday in order to compete in the upcoming LPGA final qualifying, leaving their teams midseason – a trend that plagued top college programs for years.

“It’s a start,” said one coach. “It’s all about having a place to play without dealing with Q-School.”

Added another coach: “Their two big changes as of recently have hurt us even more: Have to turn pro before Q-Series, and no LPGA Tour U.”

For now, at least.