Walsh rallies as Byrne fades in LPGA Tour Q-School bid
Lauren Walsh fired a superb five under 67 to keep her hopes alive at LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying as Sara Byrne suffered a major reverse in Alabama.
Tied for 79th on six over after two rounds in the race to make the top 25 and ties after five rounds, Castlewarden star Walsh turned in one under on the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove before making four birdies in her first five holes on the front nine.
A homeward nine of 32 gave the Kildare talent a bogey-free 67, catapulting her to tied 48th on one-over.
She’s just three strokes outside the top 25 who will be awarded cards after five rounds and two shots inside the top 65 and ties who will make the 72-hole cut tonight.
But if it was a memorable day for Walsh, it was one to forget for Douglas talent Byrne, who shot an eight over 79 on the Falls Course to fall from 30th to 92nd in the 99-strong field.
Starting on the back nine, Byrne birdied the 10th to move to one under for the week.
But she double bogeyed the 16th and bogeyed the 17th and 18th before making bogeys at three of her first five holes after the turn.
She got a shot back at the short sixth but she double bogeyed the eighth and bogeyed the ninth to sign for a 79 that left her tied for 92nd on eight over, leaving her five shots outside the projected cut line.
Walsh and Byrne are already guaranteed cards on the LPGA’s second-tier Epson Tour in 2025.
But while Walsh already has a strong Ladies European Tour card, Byrne must head to the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage in Morocco later this month to try to secure status on the European circuit.
With just two rounds to go in Alabama, China’s Yu Liu heads the field by four shots on 14-under after 54 holes.
Liu had an up-and-down day on the Falls Course at Magnolia Grove but carded a level par 71 to remain in front.
“The last two days have pretty much been autopilot mode,” she said. “Like, I didn't really have to think anything. Everything would just fall into place and it's got a nice flow to it.
“But today, I think if anything, I just struggled with my putting. I couldn't get the speed right on the first few holes and missed a lot of short putts today, which was pretty detrimental.”
LPGA Tour rookie Gigi Stoll carded a six-under 65 to share second place on 10-under with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Chisato Iwai and European Tour winners Manon De Roey and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard.
LPGA Tour winner Azahara Munoz shot a third-round 66 to slide inside the bubble on three under as she bids to regain her card.
