Players from 12 countries will join established Aussie professionals and aspiring amateurs when WPGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School tees off at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club on Monday morning.

With the 2025 WPGA Tour season to begin at the inaugural Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee at Royal Fremantle Golf Club from January 9-12, a field of 53 players will end 2024 seeking to secure status for the year ahead.

Those who finish inside the top 10 at the completion of the two-round Qualifying School will be all but guaranteed entry into all events in 2025, including the three tournaments co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour.

It is why those such as Amelia Mehmet-Grohn, Sarah Yamaki Branch and Stef Hall have gone back to school seeking to enhance their Category and why standout amateurs Belinda Ji (New South Wales, pictured), Abbie Teasdale (Western Australia) and Michelle Bang (New South Wales) are chasing status before launching their professional careers.

With more than $3 million in prize money on offer over 12 events between January and April, it has also drawn an international contingent boasting players from the United States, Korea, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Japan.

Given the success of Malaysia’s Ashley Lau in 2024, the WPGA Tour is proving to be an effective launchpad for those at the start of their careers.

“Ashley finished second at Q School in January last year and by August she had won the Vic Open and represented her country at the Olympic Games,” said WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO, Karen Lunn.

“With the depth we are seeing develop among the Aussie girls, the inclusion of international players further elevates the WPGA Tour of Australasia as a genuine pathway to the very top of women’s golf.

“I’m really excited to see how Belinda Ji, Abbie Teasdale and Michelle Bang all perform, too.

“All are outstanding amateurs who could really come to the fore this season.”

Given the quick turnaround before the first event of 2025 at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, Lunn was also grateful to Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club for making the West Course available for two days over the holiday period.

“This is the third year in a row we have held Q School at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club and the WPGA has a long and proud history at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads,” said Lunn.

“This is obviously a very busy time for the club so we’re particularly grateful to the club this year for allowing us to use the West Course.

“The course is always presented in fantastic condition, club officials and management do everything they can to assist and the members get right behind it.

“We saw last year the quality of players on show and I expect the standard of golf over the next two days to be equally as good.”

Round 1 tees off at 7:30am on Monday morning with the final group to begin their round at 10:37am.

Round 1 draw  

Photo: Brett Costello