The LPGA Tour’s regular season is near its end, and the anticipation is thick in the air. Starting tomorrow, the CME Group Tour Championship with a massive $11 million prize pool will declare this season’s best player on November 24. When that is done, the quest for the 2025 season will start. 

As per the rule, the top 100 players on the Race to the CME Globe points list will retain their cards for the upcoming season. The top 80 in this 100 will receive the best available status. So what happens to golfers ranked over 100? Do they get to play next year or not? Well, they do, but it depends on their zeal. 

In December, the players finishing over 100 will compete in the Q-Series taking place at the Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama. If they qualify, they will be able to retain their cards. Losing their LPGA Tour membership will result in limited playing opportunities and reduced sponsorship and exposure. Impressively, there’s a new twist in the Q-Series as well that was announced by the Tour earlier this year. 

What changes did the LPGA Tour make to its card allocation for 2025?

The LPGA Q-Series has revamped its format to reward full-season performance. The aim is to provide more opportunities for Epson Tour members and aspiring women’s golfers. “Changing the Q-Series aligns with our mission to identify the best players and provide opportunities for talented athletes,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. The Q-Series has been revamped, with only the top 25 finishers and ties now receiving LPGA Tour cards in Category 14 down from 45. 

Talking about the same, Marcoux Samaan said, “This change aims to reward full-season performance while also giving the world’s rising talent an opportunity to compete for coveted LPGA Tour status.”

The Epson Tour’s Race for the Card provides aspiring women golfers now with a better shot at reaching the world’s premier professional tour. The top 10 finishers will still earn fully exempt LPGA Tour cards. But here’s the exciting part: five more golfers will receive LPGA status in Category 15. This marks the first expansion since 2007, opening more doors for talented women golfers to shine on the biggest stage.

“We are thrilled to announce the news of expanded access to the LPGA for Epson Tour Members at the end of the upcoming season. We annually review the performance data of our recent graduates, and the additional access substantiates that Epson Tour athletes are arriving to the LPGA ready to perform at the highest stage,” said the Epson Tour’s Chief Business and Operations Officer, Jody Brothers, about the change.

The top 10 finishers will still secure Category 9 status on the LPGA’s 2025 priority list. Meanwhile, golfers finishing 11th to 15th will earn Category 15 status, alternating with LPGA members ranked 101-125 on the Race to CME Globe Points List. 

What do you think about the LPGA Tour’s approach to the relegation system? Is it doing justice to the golfers who are over 100 in the Race to CME Globe standings? Let us know in the comments below.