Helen Briem at the helm: 31 players brave Q-school drama for LPGA status

The LPGA Tour Qualifying School ended with a thrilling finale in Alabama and gave 31 players the tour pass for 2026. After a marathon marked by capricious weather, cold and frost, which shortened the test originally scheduled for 90 holes to 72 holes, 20-year-old German Helen Briem secured first place. A total of 31 players — the top 25 and matches in five under par — achieved the coveted full status (category 15) for the coming season on the world's most important women's tour. Die LPGA Tour can look forward to a mix of international up-and-coming elite and well-known veterans.

The winner: Helen Briem as rookie on the LPGA Tour

Helen Briem (Stuttgart) crowned her week on RTJ Trail's Magnolia Grove in Mobile with a final 68 round on the Crossings Course. With an overall score of 13 under par, the 20-year-old was one shot ahead of South Korean Soo Bin Joo. The young German, who had just arrived in Spain from the Ladies European Tour (LET), was overwhelmed. “I'm a bit lost for words at the moment. I went into this week without great expectations,” Briem told the LPGA Tour. “But all in all, I'm really happy to be able to play on the LPGA next year, and that's really cool. ”

With a height of 1.90 meters and an impressive average swing speed of 105 mph, Briem is considered one of the greatest talents in women's golf. She was already the first German in over 100 years of history to win the R&A Girls' Amateur and triumphed in her debut as a professional at LET in 2024. The Stuttgart-based woman also handled the weather-related delays professionally. She referred to similar experiences at LET: “You can never be prepared for something like this, but I mean, once you've done it once, you can do it twice. You simply have to know what works and what doesn't. ”

Triple German success and strong European women

From a German perspective, the LPGA Q-School's success was threefold: Polly Mack (Berlin) also made the leap into the LPGA Tour 2026. Mack, known as one of the most far-reaching players on the tour, showed a fabulous 64 round on the final day — the best of the day — and thus jumped to a divided 10th place (-8). “You always know that the final stage is going to be exhausting, the weather is bad, it's raining, it's getting cold, everything just happens,” explained Mack. “But I've learned a lot over the years, which has helped me to stay mentally involved and to know: The birdies are coming. ”

In addition to Briem and Mack, Isi Gabsa will also return to the LPGA Tour. The 30-year-old from Munich played on the LPGA Tour for the first time in 2019 and just made it into the top 25 this time in a split 24th.

The Ladies European Tour also sends a strong group of players, including Swiss Chiara Tamburlini (T15), Irish Lauren Walsh (T17) and Frenchwoman Nastasia Nadaud (T10). All three were in the top 10 of the LET Order of Merit in 2025.

Veterans and comebacks

The LPGA Qualifying School also served as a venue for emotional comebacks. Veterans such as American Ryann O'Toole (38), who was the best US qualifier in a divided third place (-11), secured their status. O'Toole, who won the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open in 2021, fought back after a difficult season. “It's stressful, it's drudgery, it's mentally and emotionally exhausting,” O'Toole summed up the hardships of the week.

Major winner Hinako Shibuno (Japan, T24) also returned successfully, securing her status after a close finish with a score of -5 under par. Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff (T24) and Swede Frida Kinhult (T17) will also be on the tour in 2026.

A total of 18 of the 31 female qualifiers will have the status of LPGA Tour Rookie in 2026 and thus rejuvenate the tour. The remaining players, who finished all four rounds but did not finish in the top 25, receive the status for the subordinate Epson Tour.

These players have qualified for the LPGA Tour 2026