The 2015 year is off to a great start for Cheyenne Woods, the niece of 14-time major champion Tiger Woods. Cheyenne, a determined athlete, often finds herself competing in a realm where her personal celebrity out-paces the success of her actual game. However, a few weeks back, on Sunday, December 7, she put her best effort forward and earned full 2015 LPGA Tour status. It was a first for her, after a tie for 11th at the final stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
“The LPGA has always been my dream so to know all the hard work has paid off is great,” Cheyenne Woods said, according to the LPGA Tour’s Twitter feed.
Upon learning of his niece’s success, Tiger Woods was happy for his half-brother Earl’s daughter and he later tweeted his congratulations:
“That’s awesome,” Tiger Woods said Sunday from the Hero World Challenge. “I knew she was right there, so I can’t wait to call her.”
After shooting 79 in the second of five rounds, Cheyenne Woods’ chances looked bleak. Her huge fan of followers were put on edge, wondering if things would turnaround. And, they actually did. The next three days she rebounded by shooting 67-71-70 to capture her ticket to the LPGA Tour.
It’s been an up-and-down struggle for Cheyenne. This past February the 24-year old won the 2014 Australian Ladies Masters and gained her exempt status on the Ladies European Tour for two years. Just a year ago, she missed the cut in the LPGA Tour’s qualifying tournament.
The top 20 finishers at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament earned a spot on the LPGA Tour for 2015, which will have 33 official events and a record total purse of $61.6 million.
