(Emma Talley Twitter Photo)
When Emma Talley wasn’t competing on the Symetra Tour last year or the LPGA Tour this year, she has honed her skills at the Shoal Creek course near Birmingham, Alabama. The former NCAA champion went to school at the University of Alabama in nearby Tuscaloosa.
Now, Talley will have a chance to play on an LPGA Tour major tournament on the course she knows like the back of her hand.
The Princeton native shot a 2-under score over 36 holes Monday at the Dunwoody Country Club in Georgia and defeated two other golfers on the first playoff hole to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open that will be played later this month at the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club.
Because Talley is an LPGA rookie and had no exemptions, she had to finish in the top four of a qualifying sectional. She has qualified for the US Open in the past, making the cut and finishing 46th as an amateur in 2012.
In order for Talley to receive an exemption for the 2019 US Open, she will need to win a tournament this year or finish in the top 50 on the LPGA money list. Talley currently sits in 44th place on the 2018 money list.
The US Open is one of five major championships on the LPGA Tour and will be played May 31-June 3. The $5 million purse is the largest on the LPGA Tour this year.
