Why did LPGA give rare age waiver to teen phenom Gianna Clemente? Real reason explored

Gianna Clemente receives a rare waiver from the LPGA Tour to compete on the circuit if she manages to earn her card. She is still not 18; however, if next month through the LPGA Q-Series she could earn the card to play on the circuit, she can professionally compete in the league.

The LPGA Tour only allowed women above the age of 18 to play professionally on the circuit; however, considering the exceptional performances she had on the LPGA Tour as an amateur, Clemente was granted the age waiver.

LPGA Tour commissioner Craig Kessler opened up about the rare waiver given to Gianna Clemente in a state release by the circuit. He praised the young budding golfer for her game and sent his best wishes for her for the final qualifying event.

"With 10 starts on the LPGA Tour over the past three years,” he said (via Golf Digest). “Gianna is a great example of a young player who continues to push herself to compete at the highest level, and we’re excited to see what she accomplishes as she works to earn her spot on the LPGA Tour. "We congratulate Gianna on her tremendous success as an amateur and wish her all the best in Final Qualifying as she pursues her dreams in professional golf," he added.

Gianna Clemente had played a few professional tournaments as an amateur this season on the LPGA Tour, and it would be interesting if she could manage to secure her card and next will be able to make her debut on the circuit as a pro.

Prior to this, the LPGA Tour has given such a waiver in 2023 to Chiara Noja and Liqui Zeng. The last stage of the LPGA Tour qualifying series is scheduled Dec. 5 to 8 in Mobile.

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Gianna Clemente reflects on her wish to play professionally

In an interview with Golf Channel on Wednesday, Gianna Clemente opened up about her decision to play professionally. She shared her excitement to play in the Q-School and was hoping to earn the card.

“It’s been such a long time coming,” she said (via Golf Digest). “Obviously, I took my time making this decision. I took a couple college visits, but I’ve wanted to play professional golf my whole life. I’m thrilled to be able to go compete at Q-School for my LPGA Tour card.”

Earlier this year, Gianna Clemente had played at the Kroger Queen City Championship, a professional tournament, but she struggled and failed to make the cut. She then played at the Honda LPGA Thailand and settled also 30th place, followed by her 71st finish at the Chevron Championship. She also played at the Amundi Evian Championship and was the runner-up at the Guardian Championship this year.

Edited by Ankita Yadav