Hong Kong’s Olympic golf star Tiffany Chan faces final challenge as she aims to win place among professionals on LPGA Tour
The USC student has fought her way to the final stage of the gruelling qualifying competition
Hong Kong golfer Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching takes on the final stage of her gruelling bid to join the professional LPGA tour this week, hoping her familiarity with the courses can prove key.
Olympian Chan, 23, has already battled through the first two stages of the LPGA’s lengthy qualifying process, and joins a field of 157 players in the five-round final showdown in Florida.
The top 20 players after five rounds receive full tour cards, the next 25 partial cards. Those who make the cut for the final round earn a place on the second-tier Symetra Tour.
With players able to enter at different stages depending on their status, Chan is among only 36 who have fought all the way from the first stage in August to the final.
She is among only 10 amateurs in the field and faces a massive task to make it, but coach Brad Schadewitz hopes her familiarity with the Jones and Hill courses at LPGA International will help – she played them umpteen times as the golf club was her ‘home’ venue at junior college.
“It’s tough to make it,” admitted Schadewitz.