The amateur (pictured) made two birdies and two bogeys in round 1.

The top 90 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to stage II of the three-stage qualifying process. At stage III, the top 20 performers will earn full status on the 2018 LPGA Tour.

Also on Thursday, Natalie Vivaldi, who started her college career at the University of Colorado, fired a 1-under-par 71, carding five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. She shares 43rd place.

Former University of Denver golfer Mariell Bruun opened with a 73, good for 113th place.

Regina Plasencia started with a 7-under-par 65 to grab the round-1 lead.

The field will be cut to the top 125 players and ties after 54 holes.

Here are the scores of the players with strong Colorado connections:

43. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 71
79. Emily Gilbreth of Denver 72
113. Former DU golfer Mariell Bruun 73
148. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 74
181. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 75
220. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76
313. CU golfer Brittany Fan 80
346. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 83

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

The past champion of the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open stands at 2-over-par 218 in stage II of LPGA Q-school in Venice, Fla. The top 80 finishers and ties — out of the original field of 193 — after Sunday’s final round will advance to the final stage of qualifying, set for Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Huffer (pictured), the 2008 CWGA Player of the Year, made three birdies and three bogeys in Saturday’s third round. She’s one of five players with strong Colorado ties who are in the top 80 going into the final round.

Former University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman is in 17th place at 1-over 217, while former University of Denver golfer Ellie Givens and former Buff Emily Childs are 54th at 222, and ex-DU golfer Katie Kempter is 75th at 224.

Here are the scores and positions for all the players with strong Colorado connections:

17. Former DU golfer Jenny Coleman 71-71-75–217
22. Becca Huffer of Denver 74-72-72–218
54. Former DU golfer Ellie Givens 68-75-79–222
54. Former CU golfer Emily Childs 71-76-75–222
75. Former DU golfer Katie Kempter 73-72-79–224
103. Former DU golfer Tonje Daffinrud 74-75-78–227
103. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 77-77-73–227
120. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 72-76-81–229
164. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 74-81-78–233
192. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 81-80-82–243

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Former University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim (pictured) continued to set the pace for the eight players with strong Colorado connections as she sits in 15th place through Saturday’s third round in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

The 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion shot a 2-under-par 70 at the Arnold Palmer Course despite a double bogey on her 16th hole. Kim, who competed on the LPGA Tour in 2011, carded five birdies on the day. She’s four strokes out of the lead going into the final day.

Also surviving the 54-hole cut to the top 130 and ties — out of the starting field of 347 — were former University of Colorado golfer Alexis Keating and former Colorado State player Betsy Kelly. Keating finds herself in 97th place at 220 after a 76 Saturday, while Kelly is in 109th place at 221 following a third-round 72.

Meanwhile, seeing their bids end for 2017 LPGA Tour cards were five local players who missed the cut on Saturday: Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs (228), former Coloradan Paige Spiranac (228), Lindsay McGetrick of Highlands Ranch (228), former DU golfer Isabel Southard (234) and former CU player Jamie Oleksiew (239).

The scores and positions of players with strong Colorado connections competing in Rancho Mirage:

15. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 68-74-70–212
97. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 70-74-76–220
109. Former CSU golfer Betsy Kelly 75-74-72–221

Missed 54-Hole Cut
214. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 73-77-78–228
214. 2015 CWGA Match Play champion Paige Spiranac 73-77-78–228
214. Lindsay McGetrick of Highlands Ranch 76-76-76–228
274. Former DU golfer Isabel Southard 79-78-77–234
311. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 79-77-83–239

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Colorado-based fans of big-time women’s golf have had the opportunity to see LPGA Tour events up close and in person twice in the last three years and three times since 2005.

In the coming week, several Coloradans would like nothing more than to join the big show and be inside the ropes in 2014.

The third and final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying for this year will be held Wednesday through Sunday (Dec. 4-8) in Daytona Beach, Fla. A field of 153 players will tee it up on two courses, with the top 20 finishers after five rounds earning Category 12 status on the 2014 LPGA Tour, and the next 25 and ties gaining conditional status.

The field will be cut to the low 70 and ties after four rounds, with all those who make the cut being guaranteed of at least Symetra Tour status in 2014.

Four players with strong Colorado ties will be in the field: Kelly Jacques, who grew up in Longmont; Dawn Shockley, who grew up in Estes Park; Ashley Tait (pictured above), who grew up in Littleton; and Stephanie Sherlock, who, like Shockley, is a former University of Denver golfer. Also competing is Birdie Kim, who won the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club just south of Denver.

Two of the four local players have held LPGA Tour cards. Sherlock just completed her third straight year on the circuit, but she made just five cuts in 2012 and ’13 combined. She had a solid rookie campaign in 2011, surviving five cuts and earning almost $38,000.

And Jacques (pictured at left) was a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2013, but only competed in five events because of her conditional-status finish in last year’s Q-school. (She tied for 17th place, but lost out in a playoff.) In her five LPGA Tour events, she made one cut, finishing 58th in the Marathon Classic.

Meanwhile, Shockley and Tait made it to the final stage of Q-school by virute of top-80 finishes in stage II, which featured 194 players. Shockley placed 45th in that tournament, while Tait was 56th.

Shockley, winner of the 2009 NCAA East Regional title while at DU, has split her time between the Ladies European Tour and the U.S.-based Symetra Tour the last couple of years.

Jacques and Tait had stellar records in junior golf in Colorado a decade ago. Jacques won two 5A state high school titles while at Skyline, and swept the major CWGA junior championships in 2002. Tait claimed three 4A state high school titles at Mullen, and won the 2003 CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play.

Among the other players in the LPGA qualifying tournament field this week are North Dakota State graduate Amy Anderson, the all-time victory leader in women’s college golf with 20, and Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece. Anderson won the second stage qualifying tournament by six strokes.
 

Q-school, that is.

After a few weeks off since the initial stages of qualifying for the 2014 LPGA Tour and Web.com Tour, things heat up again starting Tuesday.

The LPGA Tour is at stage II of the three-stage qualifying process, with a single tournament set for this week — Tuesday through Friday — in Venice, Fla.

The Web.com Tour, now the top U.S.-based men’s tour that still features a Q-school, completed pre-qualifying tournaments late in the summer and now is ready for the “first stage” of the three remaining.

In both cases, numerous golfers who made a name for themselves in Colorado are pursuing their dreams of reaching some of the top levels of competitive golf.

Here is what’s upcoming this week, with the local players in the field:

LPGA Stage II Oct. 8-11 in Venice, Fla. — A total of 195 players will take part in this 72-hole, no-cut event. After four rounds, the top 80 finishers and ties will advance to the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying, set for Dec. 4-8 in Daytona, Beach, Fla.

Players with significant Colorado ties in the field are Ashley Tait of Littleton (pictured above), Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, and former University of Colorado golfers Jessica Wallace, Alex Stewart and Emily Childs. Childs and Stewart, who each played just one season at CU, competed in the stage I qualifying tournament to earn a berth in this week’s event.

As for the first stage of Web.com Tour Q-school, it’s being contested at a dozen sites over the next three weeks. The fields for later in the month haven’t yet be announced, but this week’s are finalized. Likewise to be determined is the exact number of players from each site that will advance to stage 2, but a total more than 20 is expected.

The second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school will be held at six sites in mid-November, while the final stage is Dec. 12-17 in La Quinta, Calif. The top 45 finishers and ties in La Quinta will receive priority status on the 2014 Web.com Tour, with the other finalists being conditionally exempt.

Here are the players with strong Colorado ties scheduled to compete in 72-hole first-stage tournaments this week, Tuesday through Friday:

Maricopa, Ariz. Oct. 8-11 — Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs, Jim Knous of Basalt, former Colorado Springs resident Justin Spray, former CSU golfer Kirby Pettitt, former Castle Rock resident Jamie Marshall.

Lantana, Texas Oct. 8-11 — Riley Arp of Fort Collins, James Love of Denver, former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz.

Vero Beach, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Kevin Kring.

Lakeland, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Jason Burstyn.
 

This week, eight golfers with significant Colorado ties hope to take the next step on the path to fulfilling their LPGA Tour dreams. The second of three stages of Tour qualifying will take place Tuesday through Friday (Oct. 9-12) in Venice, Fla.

A total of 157 players are in the stage II field, and the top 70 and ties after four rounds — with no cut — will advance to the final stage. That final qualifying tournament, set for Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in Daytona Beach, Fla., will determine the players who earn LPGA Tour cards for 2013.

The number of exemptions available hasn’t been set, but last year the top 40 finishers and ties in stage III earned some status on the LPGA Tour.

The eight local players vying to advance to the final stage are Kelly Jacques (pictured) of Longmont, Dawn Shockley of Denver, Ashley Tait of Littleton and Kristin Walla of Aspen, along with former University of Denver golfers Katie Kempter and Sue Kim (Shockley is also a former Pioneer), and ex-University of Colorado players Emily Talley and Jessica Wallace.

The group includes two 2012 U.S. Women’s Open qualifiers (Kim, who made the cut, and Jacques), three top-10 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open finishers this year (Jacques, Kempter and Tait; champion Joy Trotter of Chino Hills, Calif., is also entered), and two former CWGA Stroke or Match Play champs (Tait and Walla). In addition, Kempter earned a spot on the 2010 LPGA Tour, but lost her card after that year.

Jacques and Talley have already survived one stage of LPGA Tour qualifying this year, finishing 18th and 30th, respectively, last month to advance. Jacques has posted three top-20 finishes on the Symetra Tour since Aug. 1, while Talley won the California Women’s (Amateur) Championship over the summer just before turning pro.

Kim, who played golf at DU for just one semester before going pro, recorded four top-10 finishes on the Symetra Tour this year. And Kempter recently placed a season-best fourth in the Symetra Tour’s 2012 finale.

Shockley was exempt this year on both the Ladies European Tour and the Symetra Tour. She had a fourth-place showing in the spring in a Symetra event, but she’s made only two cuts on the LET this year.
 

David Duval knows more about being the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world than he does about PGA Tour qualifying. After all, he’s played in only three Q-school tournaments in his life, while he spent about 3 1/2 months in 1999 atop the World Golf Rankings.

Yet the golfer who resides in Cherry Hills Village recently hit the nail right on the head with his take on Q-school.

“It’s people’s livelihoods, the dreams they’re trying to pursue,” Duval said after his runner-up finish in a second-stage tournament of Tour qualifying in mid-November. “I know I’m going to be able to play regardless (of the outcome), and it’s still stressful for me. People who haven’t been out (on Tour) and don’t have that kind of history or record behind them, (the pressure) is exponential.”

By virtue of his stellar play during his 20s — when he won 13 times on Tour, including a British Open — Duval will get to play plenty of Tour events next year no matter how he performs this week in the final stage of Tour qualifying. The 108-hole tournament, where 173 competitors will try to finish among the top 25 players and ties in order to earn their 2012 PGA Tour cards, will be held Wednesday through next Monday (Nov. 30-Dec. 5) in La Quinta, Calif. Those who don’t qualify for the PGA Tour will have at least some Nationwide Tour status next year.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, 142 golfers will be vying for LPGA Tour playing privileges at the final stage of that circuit’s qualifying, which is scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday (Nov. 30-Dec. 4) in Daytona Beach, Fla. The top 40 finishers and ties will gain 2012 LPGA Tour status.

While Duval doesn’t have to sweat bullets over the final outcome of Q-school, the stakes are much higher for most players. In fact, the results could be life-changing.

A total of 11 players — seven women and four men — with significant Colorado ties will be competing in their respective final-stage tournaments. On the men’s side, joining Duval will be Shane Bertsch of Parker (pictured above), Andrew Svoboda of Golden and former University of Denver golfer James Love.

At the LPGA tournament, in the field will be Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, Ashley Tait of Littleton, Kristin Walla of Aspen, part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker and former DU golfers Stephanie Sherlock, Kimberly Kim and Sue Kim (Shockley also played for DU).

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the players with local ties:

— Shane Bertsch of Parker. A veteran of 155 PGA Tour events — and winner of two Nationwide Tour tournaments — Bertsch faces a crucial week at Q-school. If he fails to finish in the top 25, he’ll need to earn $241,285 in his next Tour event in order to keep his fully-exempt status. That’s because he’s been playing on a medical extension, having started 2011 needing to make $729,869 in 21 tournaments to remain fully exempt. Bertsch played 20 Tour events this year, making $488,584.

— David Duval of Cherry Hills Village. Because he finished outside of the top 150 on the Tour money list this year (152nd), Duval had to go to the second stage of Tour qualifying for the first time this fall. His previous two trips to Q-school, in 1993 and 2009, he went straight to the third and final stage of qualifying. Based on what happened in 2010 after he failed to regain his fully-exempt status, Duval could look forward to getting in more than 20 events next year even if he failed to finish in the top 25 at Q-school.

In any case, Duval knows that if he does come up short, it’s easier to get sponsor exemptions into tournaments after having given his best shot in qualifying.

“It’s an easier thing to ask for help when you’ve tried to help yourself,” said Duval, who turned 40 this month.

— Former DU golfer James Love. Love has never earned a PGA or Nationwide Tour card before this year, so being guaranteed Nationwide status is already a breakthrough for the winner of the 2009 Canadian Tour Championship.

— Andrew Svoboda of Golden. The former St. John’s golfer has been a full-time player on the Nationwide Tour the last two years, but the 32-year-old never has had his PGA Tour card.

As for the local contestants in the finals of LPGA Tour qualifying:

— Former DU golfer Stephanie Sherlock (pictured at left). Sherlock had the most successful season of any of the LPGA players with Colorado connections. In fact, she’s the only who survived a cut on Tour in 2011. Sherlock made five cuts in a dozen LPGA events and finished 101st on the Tour’s money list. She placed 14th in the final stage of LPGA qualifying last year to earn her Tour card.

— Former DU golfer Dawn Shockley. The longtime Coloradan almost earned her 2012 LPGA Tour card through her performance on the Futures Tour this year, but fell just short, finishing 13th on the money list. Now she gets another shot.

— Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim. The former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had a tough rookie season on the LPGA Tour, missing the cut in all seven of her 2007 Tour events. The former teen phenom finished 14th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in 2011.

— Former DU golfer Sue Kim. Kim only spent one semester at DU, but she finished 50th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor, and the Canadian placed 42nd in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying to get to this point.

— Kristin Walla of Aspen. The 2008 CWGA Match Play champion made it to the finals by finishing 15th in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying.

— Ashley Tait of Littleton. Tait, winner of the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play title, advanced to the Q-school finals by finishing 55th in the second stage tournament.

— Part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker. Whitaker, a two-time CWGA Match Play champion, missed the cut in all seven of her LPGA Tour events during her rookie season. She finished 22nd in the final stage of Tour qualifying last year.

At the LPGA finals this year, after four rounds the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties, all of whom at least will qualify for the Symetra Tour (formerly known as the Futures Tour).
 

David Duval knows more about being the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world than he does about PGA Tour qualifying. After all, he’s played in only three Q-school tournaments in his life, while he spent about 3 1/2 months in 1999 atop the World Golf Rankings.

Yet the golfer who resides in Cherry Hills Village recently hit the nail right on the head with his take on Q-school.

“It’s people’s livelihoods, the dreams they’re trying to pursue,” Duval said after his runner-up finish in a second-stage tournament of Tour qualifying in mid-November. “I know I’m going to be able to play regardless (of the outcome), and it’s still stressful for me. People who haven’t been out (on Tour) and don’t have that kind of history or record behind them, (the pressure) is exponential.”

By virtue of his stellar play during his 20s — when he won 13 times on Tour, including a British Open — Duval will get to play plenty of Tour events next year no matter how he performs this week in the final stage of Tour qualifying. The 108-hole tournament, where 173 competitors will try to finish among the top 25 players and ties in order to earn their 2012 PGA Tour cards, will be held Wednesday through next Monday (Nov. 30-Dec. 5) in La Quinta, Calif. Those who don’t qualify for the PGA Tour will have at least some Nationwide Tour status next year.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, 142 golfers will be vying for LPGA Tour playing privileges at the final stage of that circuit’s qualifying, which is scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday (Nov. 30-Dec. 4) in Daytona Beach, Fla. The top 40 finishers and ties will gain 2012 LPGA Tour status.

While Duval doesn’t have to sweat bullets over the final outcome of Q-school, the stakes are much higher for most players. In fact, the results could be life-changing.

A total of 11 players — seven women and four men — with significant Colorado ties will be competing in their respective final-stage tournaments. On the men’s side, joining Duval will be Shane Bertsch of Parker, Andrew Svoboda of Golden and former University of Denver golfer James Love.

At the LPGA tournament, in the field will be Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, Ashley Tait of Littleton, Kristin Walla of Aspen, part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker and former DU golfers Stephanie Sherlock (pictured above), Kimberly Kim and Sue Kim (Shockley also played for DU).

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the players with local ties:

— David Duval of Cherry Hills Village. Because he finished outside of the top 150 on the Tour money list this year (152nd), Duval had to go to the second stage of Tour qualifying for the first time this fall. His previous two trips to Q-school, in 1993 and 2009, he went straight to the third and final stage of qualifying. Based on what happened in 2010 after he failed to regain his fully-exempt status, Duval could look forward to getting in more than 20 events next year even if he failed to finish in the top 25 at Q-school.

In any case, Duval knows that if he does come up short, it’s easier to get sponsor exemptions into tournaments after having given his best shot in qualifying.

“It’s an easier thing to ask for help when you’ve tried to help yourself,” said Duval, who turned 40 this month.

— Shane Bertsch of Parker. A veteran of 155 PGA Tour events — and winner of two Nationwide Tour tournaments — Bertsch faces a crucial week at Q-school. If he fails to finish in the top 25, he’ll need to earn $241,285 in his next Tour event in order to keep his fully-exempt status. That’s because he’s been playing on a medical extension, having started 2011 needing to make $729,869 in 21 tournaments to remain fully exempt. Bertsch played 20 Tour events this year, making $488,584.

— Former DU golfer James Love. Love has never earned a PGA or Nationwide Tour card before this year, so being guaranteed Nationwide status is already a breakthrough for the winner of the 2009 Canadian Tour Championship.

— Andrew Svoboda of Golden. The former St. John’s golfer has been a full-time player on the Nationwide Tour the last two years, but the 32-year-old never has had his PGA Tour card.

As for the local contestants in the finals of LPGA Tour qualifying:

— Former DU golfer Stephanie Sherlock. Sherlock had the most successful season of any of the LPGA players with Colorado connections. In fact, she’s the only who survived a cut on Tour in 2011. Sherlock made five cuts in a dozen LPGA events and finished 101st on the Tour’s money list. She placed 14th in the final stage of LPGA qualifying last year to earn her Tour card.

— Former DU golfer Dawn Shockley. The longtime Coloradan almost earned her 2012 LPGA Tour card through her performance on the Futures Tour this year, but fell just short, finishing 13th on the money list. Now she gets another shot.

— Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim. The former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had a tough rookie season on the LPGA Tour, missing the cut in all seven of her 2007 Tour events. The former teen phenom finished 14th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in 2011.

— Former DU golfer Sue Kim. Kim only spent one semester at DU, but she finished 50th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor, and the Canadian placed 42nd in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying to get to this point.

— Kristin Walla of Aspen. The 2008 CWGA Match Play champion made it to the finals by finishing 15th in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying.

— Ashley Tait of Littleton. Tait, winner of the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play title, advanced to the Q-school finals by finishing 55th in the second stage tournament.

— Part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker. Whitaker, a two-time CWGA Match Play champion, missed the cut in all seven of her LPGA Tour events during her rookie season. She finished 22nd in the final stage of Tour qualifying last year.

At the LPGA finals this year, after four rounds the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties, all of whom at least will qualify for the Symetra Tour (formerly known as the Futures Tour).
 

It’s very costly, and the chances for a big payoff are close to nil.

But it’s also the holy grail for golfers who aspire to be top-level playing professionals, so it’s no wonder why the Q-school process for the elite U.S.-based tours lasts for months on end.

This is the time of year when qualifying for those major tours gears up considerably, especially for the PGA and LPGA. The Champions Tour Q-school will get rolling next month. In each case, there’s no shortage of Coloradans involved.

Entry fees will put a dent in the wallet, running from roughly $2,500 to more than $5,000, depending on the tour and where a player starts in the process. And that doesn’t even count potentially thousands in travel and related expenses.

In addition, the odds are stacked heavily against most players, especially those who are forced to go through multiple stages of tournaments. At the end of the day, roughly 25-30 players will earn their 2012 playing privileges for the PGA Tour, with a similar number making the LPGA Tour. A dozen players gain some status on the Champions Tour, though only five are fully exempt.

Nevertheless, hopes are very high at this point, given that it’s early in the process.

Here’s the rundown on the various tours, and which local players are competing in PGA and LPGA Tour qualifying tournaments this month.

PGA TOUR

There are four stages in Q-school, including Pre-Qualifying. In all, there will be 27 qualifying tournaments played — seven in Pre-Qualifying, 13 in First Stage, six in Second Stage, and one in the Final Stage. Pre-Qualifying runs Sept. 13-23, First Stage is Oct. 18-29, Second Stage Nov. 15-19 and Final Stage Nov. 30-Dec. 5. In that final stage, the top 25 finishers and ties earn 2012 PGA Tour cards, with the rest of the players receiving some level of Nationwide Tour status.

No players with major Colorado ties competed in the four Pre-Qualifying tournaments already held, but more than 10 will be involved in the coming week. The list includes the last two CGA Players of the Year, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora (2010, pictured above) and Steve Ziegler of Broomfield (2009). Wiebe has finished second and third in the last two HealthOne Colorado Opens, while Ziegler was sixth this year.

Here’s what’s coming up in PGA Tour Pre-Qualifying, where roughly half the field at each site advances to the First Stage:

— Sept. 21-23 in Dallas — Local participants: former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora.

— Sept. 21-23 in Nebraska City — Local participants: former CU golfer Justin Bardgett, Tommy Carpenter of Englewood, Tom Gempel of Parker, Grant Jackson of Aurora, Jonathan Shaver of Parker, Luke Symons of Aurora, Steve Ziegler of Broomfield.

— Sept. 21-23 in Maricopa, Ariz. — Local participants: Riley Arp of Fort Collins, Nicholas Hodge of Littleton.

First Stage sites include Kannapolis, N.C.; Lakeland, Fla.; McKinney, Texas; Dayton, Nev.; Kingwood, Texas; Auburn, Ala.; Pinehurst, N.C.; Lantana, Texas; St. Augustine, Fla.; Hollister, Calif.; Valdosta, Calif.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and Beaumont, Calif.

Second Stage will be held in Humble, Texas; Brooksville, Fla.; McKinney, Texas; Panama City Beach, Fla.; Murrieta, Calif.; and Plantation, Fla.

This year’s Final Stage is scheduled for La Quinta, Calif.

LPGA TOUR

LPGA Tour qualifying consists of three stages this year, and Futures Tour qualifying is now incorporated, instead of being separate, as in the past. The First Stage was July 26-29, the Second will be Sept. 27-30 in Venice, Fla., and the Final Stage is set for Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The number of 2012 LPGA cards available has yet to be determined, but last year the top 20 finishers in the Final Stage were fully exempt, with the next-best performers earning partial exemptions. The rest of the finishers in the Final Stage will earn some level of Futures Tour status.

Among the players already in the Final Stage is Coloradan Dawn Shockley, who earned her spot by finishing 13th on the 2011 Futures Tour money list. Also expected in the event are former University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim and part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker, who have LPGA Tour cards for 2011 but have yet to make a cut.

Here is what’s upcoming in the LPGA Tour qualifying process:

— Second Stage Sept. 27-30 in Venice, Fla. (the top 70 finishers and ties out of a field of about 240 advance to the Final Stage) — Local participants: former DU golfer Ellie Givens (competing as an amateur); Kelly Jacques of Longmont (pictured above); former DU golfer Katie Kempter, who played on the LPGA Tour in 2010; Ashley Tait of Littleton; Kristin Walla of Aspen; and CU golfer Jessica Wallace (competing as an amateur). Jacques, by the way, will be one of the contestants on Golf Channel’s Big Break Ireland. The taped program premieres Tuesday (Sept. 20) at 7 p.m. (MT)

— Final Stage Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

As in the past, there will be two stages of Champions Tour qualifying — the regionals and finals. Regional tournaments will be held Oct. 25-28 in Montgomery, Texas, and Oct. 26-29 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and Primm, Nev.

The top players will advance to the Final Stage Nov. 15-18 in Scottsdale, Ariz. There, out of a field of 78 contestants, the top five finishers will be fully exempt for 2012, with the next seven conditionally exempt.

As of earlier this month, HealthOne Colorado Senior Open champion R.W. Eaks, a Colorado Springs native, was deciding whether to enter the Final Stage, which will be played at his home course in Scottsdale. Eaks has won four times on the Champions Tour.