After a rough season on the LPGA, Italy’s Roberta Liti started off hot at the second stage of LPGA Q-Series. The former Arizona State player opened with a 6-under 66 at Plantation Golf and Country Club’s Bobcat Course to take a one-stroke lead. Liti, 29, missed her last seven cuts on the LPGA in her first full season.
The top 35 and ties after four rounds of the no-cut event will move on to December’s Final Qualifying stage. Everyone who finishes 72 holes will earn Epson Tour stats for 2025. There are 195 players in this week’s field in Venice, Florida, playing over two courses.
Ireland’s Sara Byrne, who set a new program single-season scoring average (70.34) at Miami last spring, shot 67 on the Bobcat. Byrne went 2-0-3 at the Curtis Cup this summer to help lead Great Britain & Ireland to its first Curtis Cup victory since 2016.
UCLA senior Zoe Campos, who is playing this week as an amateur, is among those who opened with 68. Players must turn professional before competing in December’s Final Qualifying.
Other notables include former USC standout Amari Avery, who opened with a 69 on the Bobcat. Bobbi Stricker, daughter of PGA Tour and Champions player Steve Stricker, shot 77 on the Bobcat.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson carded 78 on the Panther Course. Davidson, who played men’s college golf at the Division II and III levels, advanced through the LPGA’s pre-qualifier by taking a share of 42nd.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Curtis Cup standout Sara Byrne, Zoe Campos and Amari Avery off to strong start at LPGA Qualifying