Kay takes a professional dive

Promising Queenslander Becky Kay has taken the professional dive.

Kay, 20, advised the ALPG this week that she would join the pay-for-play ranks that had successfully reached the second phase of the Q-school of the LPGA Tour.

That result guarantees the Gold Coaster at least the status of Symetra Tour for the 2020 season, with the prospect of higher awards if it can negotiate the second and then the final qualification phase in October.

Kay said she was "super excited about this next chapter" of her golf career to start.

"I have had a pretty successful amateur career and am very grateful to everyone who helped me get that far, but I feel that I am ready to jump into the deep," Kay said.

"I feel like it was a long time ago … since I was 13 in Golf Australia and the Queensland Academy of Sport programs & # 39; s and I have had so much support that made these goals achievable.

"I have been very lucky to have had experience in professional events with the help of both Golf Australia and the ALPG and I think the time is now ripe.

"I really want to thank everyone at Golf Australia and QAS for their support over the past seven or eight years.

"I see this as just the beginning."

Kay, a member of Coolangatta Tweed Heads, has had a very successful domestic amateur career, representing Australia 12 times and was unbeaten in the preliminaries as part of the successful Queensland women's team in the 2016 Australian Interstate Series.

She also received the Karrie Webb Series scholarship in each of the last three years, and became the first woman to earn that prize three times.

"Representing Australia is a huge buzz, an absolute highlight. Every time I have done it, it is just as exciting as the last one," Kay said.

"Meeting Karrie is just incredible and I can't be more thankful."

ALPG CEO Karen Lunn was pleased to accept Kay's nomination for membership.

"I have known Becky for a number of years now and she is the latest in a long line of incredibly talented and well-certified young female players, including Minjee Lee, Su Oh and Hannah Green, to take the leap to professional golf," Lunn called .

"Becky has shown in the past five years through her performance in ALPG events that she has the game to succeed, and many wise heads who have watched her progress feel that she has the talent and the X factor needed to to succeed at the highest level.

"All those involved with ALPG will do everything to support Becky and her team during the transition."