History Made

At the onset of the eight-round LPGA Q-Series, Klara Spilkova had one goal: to gain LPGA Tour status for 2019. 144 holes later, over two weeks of competition against 100 other top players, she did that and then some.

The Czech native and KPMG brand ambassador shot a dazzling -11 over eight rounds, finishing fourth in the two-week tournament and cementing her status as a rookie to watch on the LPGA Tour in the upcoming 2019 season.

Spilkova was dominant from the start at the Q-Series, racing out to a four-shot lead at 13-under par after the tournament’s first four rounds. Despite tough conditions down the stretch, Spilkova played steady golf to hold her position near the top of the leaderboard.

“For me, the main thing was to come out here and get my card,” Spilkova said. 

Spilkova turned professional in 2011 at age 16 and has spent the first seven years of her career playing on the Ladies European Tour, highlighted by a victory at the 2017 Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. In addition to her play on the LET, Spilkova represented the Czech Republic in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and has competed in 16 LPGA tournaments, including three consecutive appearances at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Playing on the LPGA Tour full-time has always been a goal for Spilkova, and she is excited for the opportunity in 2019.

“The (Ladies European Tour) is an amazing tour and I’ve really enjoyed my time over there,” Spiklova said. “But I think it’s time for me to move on and I think I’m ready for (the LPGA Tour).”

Klara will join other KPMG brand ambassadors on the LPGA Tour including Stacy Lewis and Mariah Stackhouse.

Congratulations Klara on an outstanding performance and best of luck on the LPGA Tour in 2019!