Tag: Alexandra Forsterling

A dozen LPGA rookies to watch in 2024, including Gabriela Ruffels, a 13-time winner from Japan and the first Russian member

A U.S. player hasn’t won the Rookie of the Year Award since Paula Creamer in 2005.

This year’s rookie class of 26 players represents 12 countries, highlighting the global nature of the LPGA.

One of the most well-known rookies of the 2024 class is former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels, who many thought would be a veteran by now were it not for a paperwork error. The Aussie topped the Epson Tour’s money list to earn her card.

There are plenty of players who have won multiple titles on their home tours in this year’s class, including a teen from China.

The Class of 2024 includes only five Americans: Gurleen Kaur, Auston Kim, Kaitlin Milligan, Malia Nam and Gigi Still. A U.S. player hasn’t won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award since Paula Creamer in 2005.

Here are a dozen LPGA rookies to keep an eye on in 2023:

Ladies European Tour Q-School grads include Gabriela Ruffels and a host of talented young players now eligible for the Solheim Cup

This year’s Solheim Cup in Spain requires that European players be members of the LET.

Not long after LPGA Q-Series wrapped up in December, another marathon Qualifying School took place in Spain at La Manga Club for the Ladies European Tour. For Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels, it marked a second chance at a tour card after she missed the registration deadline for the final stage of LPGA Q-Series.

Ruffels, the former USC standout and U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, finished eighth at LET Q-School to earn her card for the 2023 season. She’ll also have full status on the Epson Tour.

A pair of Germans topped the board after 90 holes as Polly Mack and Alexandra Försterling finished knotted at 15 under. Mack also tied for 15th at LPGA Q-Series earlier in the month to earn status for 2023.

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Another German player, Aline Krauter, tied for 17th to earn LET status after taking a share of third at LPGA Q-Series. Krauter played collegiate golf at Stanford alongside Albane Valenzuela, a Swiss player who now also has status on both the LPGA and LET. Valenzuela finished 68th on the CME points list in 2022 to retain a full LPGA card.

Other notables who earned LET cards include former UCLA standout Emma Spitz (T-6) and Scotland’s Louise Duncan (T-17).

A total of 24 players secured Category 12 membership for 2023 while 28 players clinched Category 16 membership.

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This year’s Solheim Cup in Spain requires that European players be members of the LET. In 2021, Matilda Castren memorably had to win on the LET to be eligible for Catriona Matthew’s team. She did so in dramatic fashion on home soil in Finland.

It’s possible that someone from this year’s LET Q-School could play her way onto Team Europe for the first time.

Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Masson, Caroline Hedwall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff all won LET Q-School before representing Europe on multiple occasions in the Solheim Cup.

The top two players from the LET Solheim Cup points ranking will qualify for the team along with the top six players from the Rolex Rankings who are not otherwise qualified. Suzann Pettersen will have four captain’s picks.

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Former Arizona State golfer Alexandra Forsterling named Golfweek’s 2022 Most Improved Player powered by Rapsodo

Forsterling rose from No. 103 to No. 5 in the rankings, a 95.15 percent improvement over her senior season.

With both a fall and spring season, college golfers have ample time and opportunities to improve their game and subsequently their ranking.

As men’s and women’s teams across the U.S. prepare for the start of the 2022-23 season, Golfweek has teamed up with Rapsodo to show just how much a player can improve over the course of a college golf season with the inaugural Most Improved Players powered by Rapsodo. The award winners were decided by using the Golfweek/Sagarin Women’s Collegiate Individual Rankings to determine which player improved the most by percentage from the 2020-21 season to the 2021-22 season.

Alexandra Forsterling had a great senior season at Arizona State that saw her rise from No. 103 to No. 5 in the rankings, a 95.15 percent improvement. The native of Berlin, Germany, recorded seven top-10 finishes and helped ASU advance to the NCAA Championship. She picked up one victory, coming at the PING/ASU Invitational and also finished second at the Match in the Desert. Forsterling tied for fifth at regionals and was named a Golfweek First Team All-American, recording a 71.56 scoring average.

More: 2021-22 College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo

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ANNIKA Award: Final watch list for 2021-22 women’s college golf season

Check out who’s in the running for player of the year in women’s college golf.

The postseason is underway in women’s golf, and after last week’s NCAA Regionals, the NCAA Div. I Women’s Golf Championship field is set for May 20-25 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

With the championship field set, the race for the ANNIKA Award is starting to heat up. A handful of players have made their case throughout the season as front-runners for the ANNIKA Award, which honors the player of the year in women’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.

The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the ANNIKA Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual

College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Alexandra Forsterling, Arizona State

“We really proved ourselves. We all knew that we could do it and we finally did it.”

Before competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Alexandra Forsterling beat out teammate Ashley Menne and UCLA’s Emma Spitz to claim the PING/ASU Invitational title by two shots at 9 under and claim player of the week honors.

“It’s always fun to win with the team. The girls played so great, and we had some awesome rounds the last few days,” said Forsterling. “But, winning by 15 shots is amazing. We really proved ourselves. We all knew that we could do it and we finally did it.”

Forsterling is the 17th Sun Devil to win the PING/ASU Invitational.

“What an outstanding performance by (Alexandra Forsterling),” head coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. “She remained calm under pressure and finished strong.”

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk

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