She may have golfing royalty roots, but Cheyenne Woods was just another worker grinding through the grueling LPGA qualifying school on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Tiger Woods’ niece -- who earned her first professional victory last month on the same Champions and Legends courses in play this week -- an opening 5-under 77 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., left her far south of the top 70 and ties who will qualify for the next test in October after Wednesday’s 18 holes.
Rough Start For Cheyenne Woods At LPGA Q-School
Cheyenne Woods hopes for a vintage Tiger-like second round at LPGA qualifying school.
“Maybe I felt a little pressure,” Woods told Golfweek’s Beth Ann Baldry about her first attempt to earn her LPGA Tour card. “It’s Q-School. There’s a lot riding on this.”
Woods, who will make her first start in the LPGA’s developmental league, the Symetra Tour, next week, was at a loss to explain how the play that produced the 67-68-69 sequence she posted in her SunCoast Ladies Series win could plummet so dramatically.
“I just couldn’t get in a rhythm today,” Woods, who went out in 38 and shot a 39 on her back nine, told Baldry.
Woods headed into the second round 12 shots off the pace of leader Rachel Rohanna of Ohio State.
This week’s qualifiers will advance to the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., for the October 9-12 second stage. The top 70 and ties emerging from that contest will move on to the third and final stage of Q-School. LPGA International will once again host the 90-hole marathon between November 28 and December 2.
