Sarah Kemp fighting hard to retain LPGA Tour status

Sarah Kemp has work to do in order to retain full LPGA Tour playing privileges next season but this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati in Ohio has given her hope of doing just that.

The New South Welshwoman finds herself in a share of 4th place and three from the leader, Jeongeun Lee6 at the halfway stage of the US$1.75 million event.

Kemp has just one top ten to her name in 2022, has missed two of her last three cuts and is currently in 100th place in the Race to the Globe rankings so if she can capitalise on her fine start here, it will play a key role in retaining the right to play the LPGA Tour again in 2023.

“I played really solid again, especially on the front,” said Kemp. “I started to get a little tired. I said to Lisa kind of with about five or six to play, I feel myself getting a little tired.

“I left a couple putts out there and had the bogey on 17. We said at the beginning of the day, let’s get to double digits, so I’m not really disappointed at all. Goal ticked.

“I sort of need a good week. I hate saying that word, but…Well, I don’t need it this week, but I need one in the next sort of four or five events. It would be great to have it this week, but I’m not putting too much pressure on myself because I feel like I’m playing good.

“If it doesn’t happen this week I’ve got some good chances coming up. I was speaking to my coach, John Serhan, in Australia, and I told him, I’m not panicking because I’m playing great. So, he knows.

“I call him when I’m not playing well and I feel like I really need some help, but I actually feel like I’m — I know where the ball is going to go, and so that’s really a nice place to be.”

“Yeah, kind of keep doing the same thing as I have the first two days, and, yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”

Hannah Green is some six shots behind Kemp and in a share of 26th.

Of the other Australians, Minjee Lee, Sarah Jane Smith and LPGA Tour rookie, Karis Davidson, missed the cut. Lee was unable to fully recover from her opening round of 76 and the leader of the Race to the Globe missed her first weekend of the year.

Lee also withdrew from the recent CP Women’s Open in Canada.