Bregman, Strom Tied for Lead after 3 Rounds in LPGA Stage I Qualifying

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Linnea Strom, an All-American from Sweden who will be a junior at Arizona State University this fall, may wiind up with options other than college golf for 2018. She shot a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday in the third round of Stage I of LPGA Tour Qualifying. As a result, she is tied for first, along with Stacy Bregman. Both have 54-hole totals of 205 (minus 11).

Bregman, a 31-year-old from South Africa and a veteran of the Ladies European Tour, shot a third-round 68.

There are more than 350 players competing on three courses -- the Dinah Shore course, Arnold Palmer course and Gary Player course -- this week. They are trying for the 90 spots available in Stage II of the LPGA Q-School. That will be played Oct. 18-22 in Venice, Fla.   

Strom is still an amateur -- and is ranked No. 12 in the world. She claimed the winning point for Arizona State this spring when the Sun Devils won the 2017 NCAA women's golf championship. But if she gets through all three stages of LPGA Q-School, she would be eligible to play on the LPGA Tour next year. 

She and Bregman are one stroke ahead of two players tied for third, Soo Jin Lee and Janie Jackson. There is a four-way tie for fifth. 

Everyone in the tournament played each of the three courses during the first three days. On Saturday, the field was cut to 125. It took a score of 220 (4 over) to get through to the final round.

Among the casualties was Casey Danielson, the Stanford All-American from Osceola, Wis. The former four-time Wisconsin state high school champion shot 76 in the third round, which put her at 221, and that was one stroke too many. 

LPGA Tour Qualifying

Stage 1

At Dinah Shore Course, Par 72 (Mission Hills Country Club)

At Arnold Palmer Course, Par 72 (Mission Hills Country Club)

At Gary Player Course, Par 72 (Westin Resort)

Rancho Mirage, Calif. 

Third-round results (the top 90 finishers and ties will advance to Stage II of the LPGA Q-School in Venice, Fla., Oct. 18-22)

T1. Linnea Strom (A)                  69-69-67--205

T1. Stacy Bregman                    69-68-68--205

T3. Janie Jackson                     71-64-71--206

T3. Soo Jin Lee                         66-71-69--206

T5. Rino Kotake                        66-69-72--207

T5. Lindsay Gahm                    68-70-69--207

T5. Pajaree Anannarukarn       71-69-67--207

T5. Haley Mills                          68-73-66--207

Missed 54-hole cut -- top 125 and ties (220)

T144. Casey Danielson          73-72-76--221

T249. Katie Detlefsen             80-74-74--228

T262. Brenna Lervick (A)       76-77-76--229

T350. Sara Detlefsen              81-79-88--248