Roussin-Bouchard Wins Stage II of LPGA Q-School; Smith Misses Top 45 by 1

October 24, 2021 | 5 min.


VENICE, Fla. -- Pauline Roussin-Bouchard made five birdies and no bogeys at the Plantation Golf & Country Club's Panther Course on the way to a 67 in the first round of Stage II of the LPGA & Symetra Tour Qualifying Tournament last week. She was even better in her fourth round on Sunday at the PG&CC's Bobcat Course, where she made seven birdies and no bogeys. The resulting 65 gave her a 72-hole total of 269 (19 under par) and a five-stroke victory.

With that, 21-year-old former University of South Carolina All-American from Toulon, France, earned a place in the Final Stage of the LPGA Q-School, along with 44 others. The Final Stage will be an eight-round ordeal, Nov. 29 through Dec. 12, on the Robert Trent Jones Trail in Alabama.

After concluding her college career this spring, Roussin-Bouchard turned professional in August and won her second event as a pro, the Skafto Open, a tournament on the Ladies European Tour. In the process of winning there, she shot a second-round 60 (-9).

At Plantation G&CC, she was one stroke out of first place going into the final round, but took over the lead with birdies at the second and fourth holes, then began to distance herself from the field with consecutive birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth holes.

The former No. 1 amateur in the world made a bogey and two doubles in her second-round 70 at Bobcat. Other than that, she made only one bogey during the four rounds. 

Xiaowen Yin, a 16-year-old amateur from China, closed with a 67 at Bobcat and finished second with a 274 aggregate. She can not, however, advance to the Final Stage of Q-School -- because she isn't old enough.

Another amateur, Hyo Joon Jang of Korea, shot 65 on Sunday and tied for third at 275, along with 54-hole leader Ruoning Yin, who shot 72. Maddie Caldwell-Young was the highest American finisher, in fifth at 276, after a 69. 

The top 45 and ties advanced, and The Magic Number was 285. Except that two of the 47 players at 285 or better -- Xiaowen Yin and 17-year-old amateur Alexa Pano, who tied for 10th (279) -- are too young to be allowed to play in the Final Stage of Q-School, according to LPGA rules. The Symetra Tour is to the LPGA Tour what the Korn Ferry is to the PGA Tour (the highest minor league), and the minimum age for Symetra membership is 17. Yin will turn 17 in December; so she and Pano could both play on the Symetra Tour in 2022, if they decide to turn pro. 

Pano, who was born in Massachusetts but now lives in Florida, played in an event on the LPGA of Japan Tour when she was 11. She qualified for the U.S. Women's Open in 2019, when she was 15.

There was an 11-way tie for 37th at 285. Among those missing by a single stroke, in a seven-way tie for 48th, was Kate Smith, an MGA Women's Co-Player of Year in 2020. Smith, a former five-time Minnesota state high school champion (Class AA) from Detroit Lakes, started the final round just outside of the top 45, and a double bogey at Bobcat's seventh hole, a 369-yard par 4, didn't help her cause. She battled back, making four birdies in the last 11 holes, but her final-round 70 put her at 286.    

Smith, who played college golf at Nebraska and won the Big Ten Conference championship this spring with a final-round 64, shot a 68 at Panther in the first round of the Stage II tournament. But she was done in by a second-round 77 on Friday at Bobcat. Starting that round on the back nine, she bogeyed two of her first four holes (10 and 13). Birdies at the 14th and fourth holes got her back to even for the day, but she went bogey-triple-bogey on the sixth, seventh and eighth holes. 

Nevertheless, by virtue of making it to Stage II, Smith, 22, will have some status on the Symetra Tour next year.

Finishing one behind Smith in a tie for 55th was former Texas Tech All-American Kim Kaufman. The four-time South Dakota state high school champ from Clark was 3 over after two rounds (72-75), shot 70 and Sunday to end up at 287.

Besides Kate Smith, the other MGA Women's Co-Player of the Year in 2020 was Taylor Ledwein, a two-time Minnesota state Class AAA high school champion from New Prague. She finished at 295 and tied for 125th.


LPGA & Symetra Tour Qualifying Tournament

Stage II

At Plantation Golf & Country Club

Bobcat Course (par 72)

Panther Course (par 72)

Venice, Fla. 

Final results (the top 45 and ties advance to Stage III (the top 45 & ties advance to the LPGA Q-Series, Nov. 29-Dec. 12 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Traill in Alabama, with two exceptions. Xiaowen Yin, 16, and Alexa Pano, 17, are too young to advance. They will have status on the Symetra Tour, however. A player must be 17 years old to compete on the Symetra, as of Jan. 1, 2021. Yin, who finished second this week, will turn 17 in December. Pano tied for 10th.)


1. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, France          67-70-67-65--269 (-18)

2. Xiaowen Yin, China (A)                            72-69-66-67--274

T3. Hyo Joon Jang, Korea (A)                     70-71-69-65--275

T3. Ruoning Yin, China                                69-65-69-72--275

5. Maddi Caldwell-Young, USA                    71-66-70-69--276

What it took -- 285 (11-way tie for 37th)

T48. Kate Smith, Detroit Lakes                 68-77-71-70--286

T55. Kim Kaufman Clark, S.D.                 72-75-70-70--287

T125. Taylor Ledwein, New Prague         71-76-75-73--295



             

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