Arejola storms back with 67, vaults to joint 44th in LPGA Q-School
MANILA, Philippines — Tomi Arejola turned her LPGA Q-Series Qualifying Stage campaign around in spectacular fashion, firing a scorching five-under 67 at Panther to vault from joint 151st into a share of 44th after 36 holes Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida.
Written off after squandering a promising start with a faltering finish at Bobcat for a 77, Arejola found her rhythm at Panther, producing the kind of round that could revive her bid for a coveted spot in the Final Q-Series.
Starting on No. 10, the 25-year-old campaigner immediately set the tone, birdying two of her first four holes. She absorbed a setback with a bogey on No. 14 but quickly regained momentum with another birdie on the 16th, making the turn with a strong two-under 34.
Arejola then turned up the heat on the front nine, birdying three of her first four holes before picking up another stroke on the par-3 sixth to offset a bogey on the preceding hole. She closed with a three-under 33 for a 67 that brought her two-round total to even-par 144.
It was a stirring recovery for Arejola, who played college golf at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Campbell University, and is now looking to sustain that momentum in Thursday's third round. She is scheduled to tee off at Panther at 7:54 a.m. on No. 10, hoping to match or even surpass her second-round brilliance.
While Arejola made a dramatic leap up the leaderboard, the other Filipinas seeking to advance struggled to make significant gains.
Dottie Ardina, who salvaged an even-par 72 at Bobcat, slipped with a 73 at Panther to drop from joint 40th to a share of 63rd on 145.
Also starting on No. 10, Ardina parred her first four holes but stumbled with two bogeys over the next five. She failed to make up much ground on the inward nine despite several missed birdie opportunities, managing just one birdie on No. 8 to close with a 38 after an opening 35.
The two-time Olympian and ICTSI-backed standout now faces the task of mounting a strong third-round charge, also at Panther, to get back inside the projected qualifying cut.
Bianca Pagdanganan likewise struggled to recover from her opening 75 at Bobcat, carding a 74 at Panther for a 149 total and a share of 125th. Although still mathematically in the hunt with 36 holes remaining, the power-hitting ace, whose campaign is also backed by the world’s leading port operator, faces a considerable deficit in her bid to break into the advancing group.
Pagdanganan opened with a bogey but bounced back with a birdie on the next hole, only to give back strokes on Nos. 5 and 7. After another uneven stretch, she sparked a late rally with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, but surrendered two strokes on No. 16 before closing with a birdie-bogey finish.
Abby Arevalo also showed some improvement, rallying with a 74 after an opening 81. However, her 155 aggregate left her tied for 182nd, well outside the projected qualifying mark.
Only the top 55 players and ties from the 198-player field after four rounds will advance to the Final Q-Series, set November 19-23 at the RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama.
The 90-hole Final Stage, which features a cut after 72 holes, will determine the recipients of LPGA Tour cards for the 2027 season. The top 25 finishers and ties will earn LPGA Tour membership, while all players completing the full 90 holes will secure Epson Tour status for next year, preserving another pathway to the LPGA Tour.
- Latest
- Trending
