After multiple delays and a rescheduled round, the LPGA Q Series is finally through 72 holes and the cut has been made to the top 60 and tied. While many names stand out at the top of the leaderboard, one player in particular is LPGA Tour veteran and 2023 Epson Tour member Cydney Clanton. So far at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove, the North Carolina native has carded four rounds of par or better and is currently tied for 15th at 11 under.
Before hitting the LPGA Q-Series in Mobile, Ala., the 2023 season was a good one for Clanton, who earned an Epson Tour victory at the Guardian Championship and finished the season tied for 31st in the Race for the Card. However, there was one thing Clanton decided to do that not many others would.
Instead of playing in the Epson Tour Championship and trying for a spot in the Race for the Card top 10, which would require her to win, the Auburn University alum traveled to Texas to play in The Ascendant LPGA to benefit America’s Volunteers at LPGA Tour. That start, along with another at The ANNIKA with Gainbridge at Pelican, put Clanton in a comfortable position heading into the LPGA Q Series.
“I got to play in Tampa a few weeks ago, which was a blessing. Instead of having seven weeks off in a row, I had four weeks off and then two weeks off. I was really able to stay focused,” Clanton said. “It’s hard to turn off your brain for a few weeks and turn it back on. I’m very grateful to get into Tampa and play really well in Tampa.
“I got to feel all the emotions you’re going to feel out here. There’s nothing like Q-School. I tell players all the time, players who are blessed to never have to come back, it’s a different animal when you’re playing for a living. In the end, it is what it is. You either have your card or you don’t. It’s just a different kind of pressure. So, I’m grateful that I’m playing well. I wish I wasn’t here, but I’m where I am and I’m looking forward to the next couple of days.”
Part of her decision not to play in the Epson Tour Championship, knowing she was safely in the top 35, also meant her LPGA Q-Series fee was covered by Seiko Epson Corporation. Having seen the tour grow since the organization came on board as a partner, Clanton recognizes the impact Epson is having and knows the future of the tour is in good hands.
“There’s just a misconception around the world of what female players get versus male players. This is a really expensive week. They cut it down from eight rounds to six rounds from two locations, but the $2,500 entry fee paid is a boon, one, financially, and, two, it gives you the ability to hire a checker, which I think is really important out here Clanton said. “You need someone on your bag who has been there, done it and understands the emotions, the mental and physical makeup of it. Epson has done an amazing job with this tour and is setting up players for the future.”
With just two rounds left to play, Clanton has committed to securing her LPGA Tour membership for 2024. The 34-year-old has been on the pro golf roller coaster for 11 years, and although he questions whether or not he should get off at times, he’s ready to continue the course next season. With a positive mindset and dedication to clear the final 36 holes, Clanton could regain her LPGA Tour card and chase her second career win in 2024.
“There have been different times in my career where I’ve questioned whether I’m where I’m supposed to be. Last year was one of them,” Clanton said. “It is extremely difficult to lose your card. I’m not a young chick anymore, and a lot of the girls who play well are in their low 20s and now I’m in my 30s.
“So I think after this year and being able to go out and win again (on the Epson Tour), being able to play well in the tournaments that I played in on the LPGA, it was just another reminder that I’m where I’m supposed to be. The goal is to regain full status, and that’s why I’m here and that’s the goal.”