Former Wolverine Wicks Qualifies for LPGA Tour
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Former University of Michigan women's golfer LeAnna Wicks(Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) earned a spot on the LPGA Tour for the 2007 season with her performance at the 2006 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, held Wednesday through Sunday (Nov. 29-Dec. 3).
Wicks tied for 52nd with a seven-over-par total of 367 (74-75-75-69-74) in the the 90-hole tournament, which was staged at LPGA International on the Champions and Legends courses. The 138 competitors played each course twice before Saturday's cut to the top 70 and ties, and the final round was played on the Legends course. The top 15 in the final standings earned non-exempt status for the 2007 LPGA season, and the next 35 (plus ties) received non-exempt (conditional) status.
Wicks has conditional status and, while she will not have the scheduling freedom that comes with exempt status, will have the opportunity to play in many of the tournaments on the LPGA Tour schedule in 2007. She also will be eligible to play in Monday qualifiers. Wicks is listed 33rd among the 41 non-exempt qualifiers from the final qualifying tournament.
Wicks earned a spot in the final qualifying tournament by shooting a seven-over 295 (73-73-76-73) and tying for 16th in the sectional qualifier held Oct. 3-6 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla. The top 30 (plus ties) from each of two sectional qualifiers earned spots in the final.
During her Michigan career, Wicks (1999-2002) played in 41 career tournaments and held a 79.65 career stroke average. She helped Michigan to back-to-back NCAA regional appearances in 2001 and 2002 and was part of the first U-M team to advance to the NCAA Championships, helping the Maize and Blue to a sixth-place regional finish and 17th place at NCAAs in 2002.
Throughout her career, Wicks helped the Wolverines to nine team titles and four runner-up finishes. She won the 2002 Hawkeye Invitational and was the runner-up at the 2002 Big Ten Championships as a senior. The 2001 U-M Women's Golf Progress Award winner had seven top-five finishes in her career and placed in the top 20 on 17 occasions. She is one of four players who share the school single-round record of 68.
LPGA Site | 2006 Qualifying Tournament
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
