Updated October 2, 2026 — Pre-Qualifying complete: 104 players advanced from three sites, including at least nine amateurs. The Qualifying Stage is next, Oct. 13–16 at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Florida.
Welcome to AmateurGolf.com’s complete guide to the 2026 LPGA Qualifying Series (Q-Series) — the three-stage pathway that decides who earns LPGA Tour status for 2027 and who heads to the Epson Tour instead. It began in late September at three regional Pre-Qualifying sites and ends with Final Qualifying at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama, November 19–23.
Bookmark this page. We’ll update it after every stage with results, cut lines, advancing players, and the amateurs making noise along the way — just as we did with our 2025 Q-Series hub. Following the men’s side too? See our 2026 PGA TOUR Q-School tracker and 2026 DP World Tour Q-School tracker.
🏆 What’s at Stake at the 2026 Q-Series
The top 25 finishers and ties at Final Qualifying earn LPGA Tour status for the 2027 season, with priority set by finish position. That number was trimmed from 45 to 25 two years ago, when the LPGA shifted more cards to the Epson Tour money list — so the margin for error at Magnolia Grove is thinner than it has ever been.
Nobody who reaches the final two stages leaves empty-handed, though:
- Final Qualifying: every player who completes at least four rounds earns 2027 Epson Tour status according to finish. A $150,000 purse is paid to everyone who makes the cut after round four.
- Qualifying Stage: players who complete all 72 holes in Venice but miss the number advancing to Final Qualifying still earn 2027 Epson Tour status according to finish.
- Pre-Qualifying: advancement only. Players who miss the cut at Pre-Qualifying earn no 2027 status of any kind.
📖 How the Q-Series Works: The Three Stages Explained
Pre-Qualifying (late September, three sites) — The entry point for players without exempt status. 54 holes of stroke play with a cut to the low 65 and ties after 36 holes. The number advancing from each site is set by field size, and the “plus-16 rule” applies: a score of 16-over or higher in either of the first two rounds means automatic withdrawal. Open to amateurs and professionals with a Handicap Index of 2.0 or better or a world ranking (WAGR or Rolex Rankings).
Qualifying Stage (Oct. 13–16, Venice, Fla.) — 72 holes of stroke play with no cut; everyone plays two rounds each on Plantation Golf & Country Club’s Bobcat and Panther courses. Walking is required. The 104 Pre-Qualifying graduates join players exempt directly into this stage (recent college standouts, Epson Tour members, and LPGA members looking to improve their status). The number advancing to Final Qualifying is announced before the first round; last year it was the top 45 and ties.
Final Qualifying (Nov. 19–23, Mobile, Ala.) — 90 holes of stroke play with a cut after round four. Players rotate two rounds each over Magnolia Grove’s Falls and Crossings courses before a fifth and final round on the Crossings. Final Qualifying is open to professionals only: any amateur who advances from Venice must declare professional status by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, November 6 to take her spot, and players must be 18 by January 1, 2027 to advance.
📅 2026 LPGA Q-Series Schedule
| Stage | Dates | Format & Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Qualifying | Late September | 54 holes — Indian Wells G&CC (Calif.), LPGA International (Daytona Beach, Fla.), TPC Houston (Sugar Land, Texas) | Complete — 104 advance |
| Qualifying Stage | Oct. 13–16 | 72 holes, no cut — Plantation G&CC (Bobcat & Panther), Venice, Fla. | Leaderboard |
| Final Qualifying | Nov. 19–23 | 90 holes, cut after 72 — RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove (Falls & Crossings), Mobile, Ala. | Leaderboard |
👀 Who’s Chasing a Card — and the Amateur Question
The Q-Series field is really three fields in one. Exempt professionals — LPGA members outside the top 100 on the points list, Epson Tour members just short of the automatic cards, and Ladies European Tour players — enter at the Qualifying Stage or Final Qualifying. Recent college graduates who turned pro over the summer typically start in Venice. And every year a group of amateurs works through from Pre-Qualifying, as Megan Streicher and Emma Kaisa Bunch did when they medaled at their 2025 Pre-Qualifying sites.
For amateurs the Q-Series carries a decision no other qualifier does. Advance through Venice and you have earned a spot at Final Qualifying — but you can only take it by turning professional, giving up remaining college eligibility and amateur status in the process. Decline, and you keep your amateur career but the status you earned stays on the table. We’ll track every amateur in every field right here, and note who makes the leap.
🚦 Stage-by-Stage Tracker
Results, cut lines, and advancing players are posted below as each stage completes. Leaderboard links go to full scoring.
Pre-Qualifying — Complete (104 advance)
| Site | Medalist | Score | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Wells Golf & Country Club (Indian Wells, Calif.) | Tiffany Le, Covina, Calif. | 15-under 201 (67-67-67) | Top 40 and ties |
| LPGA International (Daytona Beach, Fla.) | Achiraya Sriwong, Thailand | 16-under 200 | Top 34 and ties |
| TPC Houston (Sugar Land, Texas) | Alison Muirhead, Scotland, and Manassanan Chotikabhukkana (a), Thailand / Tennessee | 10-under 206 | Top 25 and ties |
Indian Wells: Tiffany Le, a 23-year-old former UCLA and UC Riverside player, posted three straight 5-under 67s to win by a comfortable margin. Japanese amateur Tsukiha Nakashima finished fifth, and Canada’s YounSoo (Julie) Ju advanced at T22.
LPGA International: 17-year-old Achiraya Sriwong, a four-time winner on the Thai LPGA Tour, 2026 APGC Junior champion and Augusta National Women’s Amateur alumna, led the week’s scoring at 16-under. Amateur Eila Galitsky was third. Canadians Taylor Kehoe (a, T7), Lauren Zaretsky (T9) and Victoria Zheng (a, T22) all moved on.
TPC Houston: Manassanan “Baibua” Chotikabhukkana, fresh off a Tennessee career that set the program record for rounds at par or better, opened with a 9-under 63 — the low round of the site — and shared medalist honors with Scotland’s Alison Muirhead. Amateur Marie Madsen was third; Hunter Nugent (T12) and Mary Parsons (T22) advanced for Canada.
Amateurs advancing to the Qualifying Stage (confirmed so far): Manassanan Chotikabhukkana, Eila Galitsky, Taylor Kehoe, Arianna Lau, Marie Madsen, Tsukiha Nakashima, Chloe Schiavone, Victoria Zheng, Donina Zhou. We’ll update this list once the full Qualifying Stage field is published.
Qualifying Stage (Oct. 13–16) — Plantation Golf & Country Club, Venice, Fla. | LEADERBOARD
Four rounds, two each on the Bobcat and Panther courses, no cut. The 104 Pre-Qualifying graduates are joined by the exempt entrants. The number advancing to Final Qualifying will be posted here once the LPGA confirms it before round one; in 2025 the top 45 and ties advanced at a cut line of 3-under.
Field, notable entrants, round-by-round leaders, and the full list of advancing players will be posted here during tournament week.
Final Qualifying (Nov. 19–23) — RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove, Mobile, Ala. | LEADERBOARD
Five rounds over the Falls and Crossings courses with a cut after 72 holes. The top 25 and ties on Monday, November 23 earn 2027 LPGA Tour cards; everyone who completes four rounds earns 2027 Epson Tour status.
Field, tee times, storylines, and round-by-round coverage will be posted here in November.
⏮️ What Happened Last Year: 2025 Q-Series Recap
Germany’s Helen Briem went 65-69-71-68 at Magnolia Grove to earn medalist honors at 13-under 273, one clear of Soo Bin Joo, with Ryann O’Toole, Jing Yan, Mohan Du and Perrine Delacour sharing third. Severe weather wiped out the third round and shortened Final Qualifying to 72 holes, and when it was over 31 players had earned 2026 LPGA Tour status on the top-25-and-ties line.
In Venice, Kokona Sakurai and Mirabel Ting shared Qualifying Stage medalist honors at 14-under 274, with Annie Kim third, and the top 45 and ties advanced. At Pre-Qualifying, amateurs Megan Streicher (Indian Wells, 16-under) and Emma Kaisa Bunch (Denton CC) won their sites outright. Our full 2025 coverage lives on the 2025 LPGA Q-Series hub; for the year before, see how Adela Cernousek and a wave of amateurs lit up the 2024 Qualifying Stage.
📜 Why the Q-Series Matters
For fans, it’s the most honest week in women’s professional golf: no appearance money, no sponsor invites, just a number on a board deciding whether you have a job next year. For the amateur game, it’s the bridge. The names atop college leaderboards and the world amateur rankings all summer show up in Venice every October — and a handful of them walk off the 72nd green facing the biggest decision of their careers.
❓ 2026 LPGA Q-Series FAQ
What is the LPGA Q-Series?
The LPGA Qualifying Series is the LPGA Tour’s annual three-stage qualifying tournament (Pre-Qualifying, Qualifying Stage, Final Qualifying). It determines LPGA Tour and Epson Tour status for the following season. In 2026 it runs from late September through November 23.
How many LPGA Tour cards are awarded?
The top 25 finishers and ties at Final Qualifying earn 2027 LPGA Tour status. Everyone who completes at least four rounds at Final Qualifying earns 2027 Epson Tour status.
Where and when is Final Qualifying?
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove (Falls and Crossings courses) in Mobile, Alabama, November 19–23, 2026.
Can amateurs play in the Q-Series?
Yes, through Pre-Qualifying and the Qualifying Stage. Final Qualifying is open to professionals only, so an amateur who advances from Venice must declare professional status (by 5 p.m. ET on November 6, 2026) to compete, and must be 18 by January 1, 2027.
How many players advance from the Qualifying Stage?
The LPGA announces the number before the first round. In 2025 the top 45 and ties advanced from Venice to Final Qualifying.
What does it cost to enter?
Pre-Qualifying is $3,000. Players advancing to the Qualifying Stage pay a further $3,500 (exempt entrants pay $4,500), and players who began at Pre-Qualifying owe nothing more for Final Qualifying. Exempt non-members entering at Final Qualifying pay $6,500; exempt LPGA, Epson Tour and LET members pay $3,000.
Where can I follow live scoring?
Live scoring for the Qualifying Stage and Final Qualifying is linked from the stage headings above and at live.lpgascoring.com. There is no live scoring at Pre-Qualifying; round scores are posted after play.
Compiled by AmateurGolf.com Staff — the leading source for amateur and professional golf coverage since 1999. This page is updated throughout the 2026 LPGA Q-Series.
