After eight grueling rounds in LPGA Q-School final stage, Ines Laklalech finished tied 12th, safely inside the mark to secure a LPGA Tour card after rounds of 70, 72, 71, 68, 68, 67, 66, 73 for a 144 hole total of 19 under.
But if that isn’t impressive enough, her journey to how she made it to where she is today is remarkable.
The now 25-year-old, who is from Casablanca, first heard about golf when she was just 10 and her father had a lesson at the local golf course Royal Golf d’Anfa. She then practiced all summer long to try and hit the ball as far as she could.
As she got better and having only played the game for three months, she managed to get into the boys’ group and was able to hold her own and beat them. Igniting her competitive side in the sport.
Ines then joined the Moroccan national team aged 12 and competed in the African Championship and twice in the World Amateur Championship before heading to the states to study at Wake Forest. After struggling in the college system she left and went to the UK to study Management Science at UCL in London, during that time Ines had stopped playing golf and when she returned home to Morocco after graduating the then new Technical Director in the Moroccan golf Federation saw her playing golf and persuaded her to get back into the game.
Just 12 months ago, still as an amateur, she entered the Ladies European Tour Q-School and finished T15 at La Manga Club earning herself playing privileges for the following season. Her decision was then made to turn pro and made her professional debut at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International back in March earlier this year.
A first victory would soon come at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France in September becoming the first Moroccan, first Arab and first North African woman to win a Ladies European Tour title. Eventually finishing the Race to Costa del Sol Ranking in 21st and now an LPGA Tour card holder Ines will be competing with the best female professional golfers in the world.
South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu, currently No. 50 in the Rolex Rankings, topped the field at 29 under, two strokes ahead of American Bailey Tardy.
The top 20 players and ties earn category 14 status on the LPGA, while those who finished 21-45 and ties earned category 15 status. Players who finished outside the top 45 and completed all four rounds before the cut earned Epson Tour status for 2023.
