LIV cards for Samooja, Kozuma and Vincent as Walsh starts well at Q-School
Qualifiers Jinichiro Kozuma of Japan, Kalle Samooja of Finland and Kieran Vincent of Zimbabwe celebrate after the LIV Golf Promotions event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf
Finland’s Kalle Samooja, Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma and Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent came through the 36-hole final-day shootout to win their places alongside the likes of Jon Rahm in the LIV Golf League next season.
Samooja clinched victory in the LIV Golf Promotions Event on eight-under-par at Abu Dhabi Golf Club as he finished birdie-birdie to add a 71 to his morning 65.
He topped the leaderboard by one stroke from Kozuma, Vincent and England’s Laurie Canter, who played off for the last two spots.
It was Canter who agonisingly lost out after he three-putted the par-five18th for par, then made a double bogey at the second tie hole under lights, leaving him to settle for one of seven International Series exemptions.
“Once I came here, I knew this was the only thing I wanted to achieve,” said Samooja. "It’s a big step forward in my career.”
Vincent, who joins older brother Scott as a LIV Golf member, admitted: “I don't think the tears are doing it justice. Obviously watching my brother the whole year, seeing how life-changing it can be, I just hope that this propels my career to a whole new level.”
Meanwhile, Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh fired six birdies in a four-under 69 to make an ideal start to her quest for a Ladies European Tour card at the Lalla Aicha Q-School in Morocco.
The former Wake Forest star (24) needs to finish in the top 26 and ties after 54 holes at Noria Golf Club in Marrakech to join Olivia Mehaffey in the five-round Final Stage from Saturday.
Despite making a double-bogey six at her seventh hole, Walsh sits alone in second, two shots behind Scotland’s Alison Muirhead, as she chases her tour dream.
“I hit the ball well today, I just got caught in the rough once and made a double from there but having not competed in a couple of weeks that’s probably a little bit of competitive rustiness,” said Walsh, who clinched the winning point to give Wake Forest their first NCCA Division I Women’s title this year.
She failed to get through the first stage of the LPGA Q-School but recorded four top-10 finishes in her first seven starts since she turned professional in July with all four coming on the LET Access Series.
“For me securing an LET card would be a big goal for me and I think it’s an exciting time to be getting into the LET as the tour is growing and there’s such good opportunities,” Walsh said.
“The end goal for me is to win majors and have a career on the LPGA, but for now, LET is the right place for me. It would be so special to get a card; that’s the goal for this year, so to tick that off would be cool.”
Meanwhile, the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship is scheduled to resume at 9 am today after thunderstorms disrupted play at Leopard Creek.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen shared the lead on 16-under through seven holes, three ahead of Christiaan Bezuidenhout, when play was suspended for the day.
