When the early signing period for the Class of 2026 begins next Wednesday, the top-ranked golfer in the class will not be signing.
That’s because Gianna Clemente, the 17-year-old from Estero, Florida, has opted to turn professional and compete for an LPGA card at LPGA Final Qualifying next month.
Golf Channel’s Grant Boone reported last month that the LPGA had approved a waiver for Clemente, who doesn’t turn 18 until March 28. Clemente advanced through the second stage of the LPGA’s Q-School last month on the number.
“It’s been such a long time coming,” Clemente told Golf Channel on Wednesday’s Golf Today. “Obviously, I took my time making this decision. I took a couple college visits, but I’ve wanted to play professional golf my whole life. I’m thrilled to be able to go compete at Q-School for my LPGA tour card.”
While she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at 11 years old, Clemente burst onto the national scene in 2022, when at age 14, she became the youngest player ever to Monday-qualify for three straight LPGA events. She teamed with Aver Zweig to win the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, while also capturing The Sally and Girl’s Junior PGA that year. She finished fifth at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which she competed in three times, and later that year was named the AJGA’s Rolex Junior Player of the Year.
She’s already made 10 career LPGA starts, and among her five pro starts this year, Clemente tied for 30th at the Honda LPGA Thailand and recently lost in a playoff at the Epson Tour’s Guardian Championship.
Also a member of the U.S. National Development Team, Clemente reached as high as No. 18 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and she turns pro at No. 26 in the world and the No. 2 junior overall in the Universal Golf Ranking, behind only Asterisk Talley.
Clemente visited three schools – Oregon, Arizona State and Auburn – though ultimately decided to follow the path taken by four of the top six Americans in the Rolex Rankings, including Nelly Korda and Angel Yin.
“Everybody’s path is different,” Clemente said. “There are lots of ways to get to the LPGA tour. For me, golf is the only thing I’ve ever really wanted. … I don’t see a reason to delay it now.”
The final stage of Q-School is set for Dec. 4-8 at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama. The top 25 finishers and ties earn full LPGA status, while all players who qualified for the 90-hole tournament are guaranteed Epson Tour cards. Clemente told Golfweek that her dad, Patrick, will serve as her full-time caddie.
All amateurs have until Nov. 14 to declare if they wish to turn pro to compete in final qualifying or defer their Epson status until after the NCAA golf season. Oregon sophomore Suvichaya Vinijchaitham is the most notable of four college players qualified for final stage; the others are North Carolina senior Megan Streicher, SMU senior Emily Odwin and FGCU senior Jordan Fischer.