That’s because Gianna Clemente, the 17-year-old from Estero, Florida, has chosen to turn professional and compete for an LPGA card at next month’s LPGA Final Qualifying.
Golf Channel’s Grant Boone reported last month that the LPGA had approved a waiver for Clemente, who doesn’t turn 18 until March 28. Clemente completed the second phase of the LPGA’s Q-School on this track last month.
“It took so long,” Clemente told Golf Channel on Wednesday Golf today. “Obviously, I took my time making this decision. I’ve taken a few college visits, but I’ve wanted to play professional golf my whole life. I’m thrilled to be competing for my LPGA tour card at Q-School.”
While she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at age 11, Clemente burst onto the national scene in 2022 when, at age 14, she became the youngest player ever to qualify for three consecutive LPGA events on Monday. She teamed with Aver Zweig to win the 2023 US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, while also capturing the Sally and Girl’s Junior PGA that year. She finished fifth at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, in which she competed three times, and later that year was named AJGA’s Rolex Junior Player of the Year.
She has already made 10 LPGA starts in her career, and of her five professional starts this year, Clemente finished tied for 30the at the Honda LPGA Thailand and recently lost in a play-off at the Epson Tour’s Guardian Championship.
Clemente is also a member of the U.S. National Development Team and reached No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and she turns pro at No. 26 in the world and the No. 2 junior overall in the Universal Golf Ranking, behind only Asterisk Talley.
Clemente visited three schools – Oregon, Arizona State and Auburn – but ultimately decided to follow the path of four of the top six Americans in the Rolex Rankings, including Nelly Korda and Angel Yin.
“Everyone’s path is different,” Clemente said. “There are many ways to get on the LPGA tour. For me, golf is the only thing I’ve ever really wanted to do. … I see no reason to postpone it now.”
The final phase of Q-School will take place December 4-8 at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama. The top 25 finishers and ties earn full LPGA status, while all players who qualify for the 90-hole tournament are guaranteed Epson Tour cards. Clemente told Golfweek that her father, Patrick, will be her full-time caddie.
All amateurs have until November 14 to indicate whether they want to turn pro and participate in the final qualifier, or postpone their Epson status until after the NCAA golf season. Sophomore Suvichaya Vinijchaitham of Oregon is the most notable of four college players who qualified for the final phase; the others are North Carolina senior Megan Streicher, SMU senior Emily Odwin and FGCU senior Jordan Fischer.
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