BATON ROUGE — Former LSU golfer Meredith Duncan knows exactly where she will be playing her professional golf in 2006 as a fully exempt member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association after earning her spot through Q-school on Sunday.
Duncan finished 13th in the 90-hole competition over the Legends and Champions Courses in Daytona Beach shooting an even par total of 360 to earn $1,650 from the purse of $50,000, but more importantly a return to the LPGA tour after a year away. The former United States Women’s Amateur Champion and collegiate All-American shot rounds of 69-76-74-71-70 to make the cut by three shots.
A total of 24 players earned exempt status for 2006 and it came down to a seven for three playoff for the final cards for next year’s tour.
“I don’t think I was 100 percent mentally prepared for the (2004),” Duncan told The Shreveport Times after her final round. “This year, after playing the Futures Tour, I missed three cuts all year — I played really consistent. I’m a lot better suited to the LPGA Tour now. I think I know now what it takes to be consistent — that’s what it takes to be a factor on the LPGA Tour.”
Duncan finished 150th on the 2004 money list with around $16,000 in earnings. Duncan last year on the low-money SBC Futures tour made 15-of-18 cuts and won $12,000 to finish 35th on the money list.
Duncan played at LSU from 1999-2002, helping the LSU team to three straight NCAA appearances and finishes of 10th in 1999 and 2000 and 12th in 2001. She appeared in the 2002 tournament as an individual qualifier and is one of just two LSU women’s golfers to appear in four NCAA Championships. She finished in a tie for seventh at the 2000 Championships, following a 10-over 82 in the first round by playing the last 54 holes in 2-under par.
Duncan had 21 top 10 finishes, three tournament wins and is the all-time career LSU stroke average leader at 75.01 strokes per round.