Hurricane Milton Forces LPGA to Make Big Changes as Florida Still Gets Haunted Memories From Helene’s Catastrophic Damages

Breaking news golf fans! Just as the golf community was beginning to recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Augusta National Golf Club and other golf courses, another powerful storm is again threatening the region. Hurricane Milton is a Category 5 hurricane and is a new threat to the residents of Florida, as it is barreling towards Florida’s Gulf Coast. As a result of that, the upcoming qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series has been postponed, which was originally scheduled for October 13-18, 2024, at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.

The official account of LPGA took it to X to express their concerns and inform the fans about the update. “Due to the potential impacts of Hurricane Milton and with the safety of athletes, caddies, staff, volunteers, and the local community as our top priority, we have postponed the Qualifying Stage of LPGA Q-Series, originally scheduled for October 13–18, 2024, at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. Updates will be announced following a thorough assessment of conditions after the storm passes”, read the post.

Florida’s storm-battered Gulf Coast is in a frantic Monday rush as workers scrambled to clear debris from Hurricane Helene, which struck two weeks ago, while highways were jammed with people fleeing ahead of Category 5 Hurricane Milton. This hurricane is forecasted to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region on Wednesday. This area hasn’t experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane in over a century.

Hurricane Milton’s impact on players

The 2024 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells concluded on October 6, finalizing the top 35 in the Race for the Card. As expected, the top 15 athletes secured LPGA Tour Membership for the 2025 season, with the top 10 earning Category 9 status on the 2025 LPGA Priority List. Athletes finishing 11-15 earned status in a lower category.

However, the momentum is now disrupted due to Hurricane Milton. The storm’s impact has forced the postponement of the Qualifying Stage of the LPGA Q-Series, originally scheduled for October 13-18 in Venice, Florida. Seiko Epson Corporation will still cover the entry fee for the Final Qualifying portion for athletes finishing 11-35. Some of these players are Ana Belac, Pornanong Phatlum,  Daniela Iacobelli and Miranda Wang.

The LPGA Q-Series will resume once the storm passes. Final Qualifying is still scheduled for December 5-9 in Mobile, Alabama. The delay may impact athletes’ preparation and strategy, but the LPGA remains committed to ensuring a fair and safe qualifying process. Our prayers are with the people suffering in Florida.