Blumenherst Takes Top Spot At Q-School

Amanda Blumenherst finished at -9, two shots ahead of Marianne Skarpnord and Katie Kempter, to earn medal honors at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.  All three players will be LPGA rookies in 2010, having earned their first Tour cards.  2006 ADT Championship winner Julieta Granada finished in fourth place to retain her card.

You can see the final results here but here are some of the highlights.  Christi Cano and Il Hee Lee tied for 20^th place and went to playoff holes for the final Category 11 spot.  Lee birdied the third playoff hole to earn that position.  There was also a tie for 30^th place between Gerina Mendoza and Libby Smith.  Mendoza won that tiebreaker as she scored one stroke better than Smith during the final round.  There were no ties to be broken for 40^th place as only three players tied for 38^th.  Among the other players finishing in the Top 20 and earning Category 11 status for 2010 are veteran Nicole Jeray, LET and former European Solheim Cup members Iben Tinning, Gwladys Nocera and Tania Elosegui.  Amateur Cathryn Bristow and LPGA vets Jamie Hullett and Diana D'Alessio are among the group earning Category 16 status by finishing 21-30.  Meredith Duncan, Pornanong Phatlum, Kim Welch and Mallory Blackwelder grabbed the bottom rungs of the Priority ladder (31-40) and will be in Category 20 next year.  Nocera moved into the Top 20 on the final day with a 69 while Jessica Shepley posted 69 to climb into the Top 40.

Nikki Garrett was tied for the lead at -6 after two rounds but couldn't hold on.  A third-round 78 dropped her to T7 and her fourth-round 71 left her at T15 but she collapsed to a 79 today and missed the Top 40 by two shots.  Izzy Beisiegel, Sung Ah Yim, Lehua Wise and Dewi Claire Schreefel all started the last day in, but shot their way out.  Also missing out completely were Lisa Strom, Charlotte Mayorkas, Virada Nirapathpongporn and Tiffany Joh.  Janell Howland, Malinda Johnson, Brandi Jackson, Sophia Sheridan and Dorothy Delasin missed the cut after Round Four.

I'll have my updated Priority list posted sometime tomorrow.