Latest news with #LCAP
NBC Sports
02-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
With LCAP, college seniors will have another pathway to pro status, just not LPGA yet
The LPGA is expanding the pathway to the Epson Tour for top college players. The tour announced Wednesday the LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway, or LCAP, a program that beginning next summer will award 10 graduating seniors with some form of Epson Tour status and Q-School exemptions. LCAP resembles the regular PGA Tour University program, which doles out varying statuses under the PGA Tour umbrella to 25 graduates. It also comes on the heels of last year's announcement of the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, which was designed to award LPGA cards to top amateurs who achieve certain benchmarks, like the PGA Tour U's Accelerated program. Florida State senior Lottie Woad is currently at 18 of the required 20 points to become LEAP's first alumnus. As for LCAP, the LPGA's SVP of tour operations, Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, told that the tour is still finalizing its ranking system, which will include both college and non-college events recognized by the World Amateur Golf Ranking and feature a two-year cycle concluding with the NCAA Championship of a player's senior year. Without knowing the exact formula, it's tough to project who will debut atop the first points list later this year, though rising seniors Megha Ganne (Stanford), Catherine Park (USC) and Kary Hollenbaugh (Ohio State) should all rank fairly high. The top finisher in LCAP each season will receive full Epson Tour status (Category D) for the remainder of that season and the following season, plus an exemption to the LPGA's final qualifying stage, formerly known as Q-Series. Nos. 2-5 will receive the same Epson perks, though will be exempt into LPGA qualifying, which is now the second stage of the tour's Q-School. Nos. 6-10 will earn a season and a half of Category L status on Epson and an exemption into LPGA qualifying. According to Tangtiphaiboontana, Nos. 6-10 are prioritized below the reshuffle category, though those players should get into all events that pull from the priority list that initial summer. In creating the program, Tangtiphaiboontana said the looked at recent data that showed that while 44% of the top 80 players on the LPGA the past four years played college golf, 82% of the top 80 players on Epson during that time frame were college products. Most of those players stayed four years, too. Most recently, LSU's Ingrid Lindblad, who won 15 times as a Tiger and capped her career by winning the 2024 Annika Award, made nine starts on Epson last summer, winning once and posting four other top-10s to finish sixth in points and earn one of 15 LPGA cards, up from the 10 that were awarded between 2008 and 2023. Lindblad has since won on the LPGA as a rookie. 'We view Epson Tour as the main pathway to the LPGA,' Tangtiphaiboontana said. 'It's gotten stronger and stronger each year due to the good work on the Epson side of increasing purses. We've seen that when players play on Epson, they see sustained success on the LPGA. … This was wanting to create a program for those players who have the body of work to have assurances that when they come on tour, they have a place to play without having to go through Q-School. 'Are players still going to make a decision on their own to leave school early? Absolutely. But having this in place, it gives players an extra option to return to school, develop another year, I can have a guaranteed place to play for a year and a half on the Epson Tour when I finish school.' When PGA Tour U was first rolled out for the 2020-21 season, there were only five Korn Ferry Tour cards handed out. Those benefits have since increased exponentially with the No. 1 player now earning PGA Tour status for a season and a half. Tangtiphaiboontana knows college players and coaches will still be clamoring for at least one LPGA card up for grabs through LCAP, and he wouldn't rule that out down the road, though any such adjustments would need buy-in from LPGA membership, which gave the green light to LEAP last year. 'This is just a foundation for building a pathway, and we want to see how this grows and look at the classes that come out,' he said. 'If it warrants us giving out an LPGA card, we will absolutely do that.'
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LPGA launches new college program that provides direct route to Epson Tour
There's now an easier way for the best collegiate players to enter the professional game. On Wednesday, the LPGA rolled out its new LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP), a program that creates a direct route to the Epson Tour. The top 10 players in the new LCAP rankings – which will include Division I college tournaments as well as non-collegiate events recognized by the World Amateur Golf Ranking – will receive Epson Tour status as well as exemptions through the tour's LPGA Qualifying series. The new system will save players thousands in LPGA Q-School fees and could encourage some to stay in school longer. The new program places an emphasis on academic requirements. To be eligible for LCAP, players must meet one of the following criteria: Option A: Exhaust four seasons of competition as defined by NCAA B: Complete four years of collegiate academics, including a minimum of two seasons C: Provide documented intent and evidence of early graduation, including a minimum of twoseasons of competition. Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, the LPGA's SVP of tour operations, said that in creating the new program, the tour analyzed the makeup of the Epson Tour and found that 82 percent of the top 80 over the past four years played college golf. And of those 82 percent, they averaged 3.79 years at school. The new LCAP ranking system will debut sometime later this year, and the top 10 will be determined following the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA Championship. Players who wish to be eligible for the LCAP must submit an application by July 22 at noon ET. The tour outlined the following benefits for those who finish in the top 10:No. 1• Epson Tour Priority List status in Category D for the remainder of the 2026 season and the following season (2027).• Exemption to Final Qualifying Stage of the 2026 LPGA Q-Series, providing the opportunity to improve Nos. 2–5• Epson Tour Priority List status in Category D for the remainder of the 2026 season and the following season (2027).• Exemption to Qualifying Stage (formerly Stage 2) of 2026 LPGA Q-Series. Nos. 6–10• Epson Tour Priority List status in Category L for the remainder of the 2026 season and the following season (2027).• Exemption to Qualifying Stage of 2026 LPGA Q-Series. Tangtiphaiboontana said that Category D and Category L status for this year would've gotten players into all remaining priority events of the season (10 events) following NCAAs, excluding the last three tournaments of the season, which are filled via the Race for the Card points system. Players could be eligible for those events as well, based on performance. Last fall, the tour launched its LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, which provides top amateur female golfers a way to get on the LPGA starting in 2025. No. 1-ranked Lottie Woad is well on her way to becoming the first to earn a card.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nextworld Shatters the Status Quo with Disruptive, Transparent Pricing for Enterprise Platform Software
Bold new pricing model eliminates complexity, empowers businesses to build without limits—and at a fraction of the cost of legacy platforms. DENVER, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextworld, the visionary force behind the next generation of enterprise software, today announced a radical new pricing strategy designed to dismantle the opaque, fine-print consumption models that dominate the low-code application platform (LCAP) market. With two straightforward tiers—Starter and Unlimited—Nextworld delivers unmatched value, simplicity, and scalability, proving that enterprise-grade innovation shouldn't come with exploitative pricing. The end of pricing games Other platforms bury customers in labyrinthine pricing structures: per-user, per-app fees, hidden add-ons, and punitive scaling costs. Nextworld flips the script. Starter Package ($50,000 annually): 25 internal users, unlimited app building, and core capabilities—no surprises. Unlimited Package ($150,000 annually): Unlimited users, ability to build unlimited apps, and no arbitrary barriers to growth. "We've heard loud and clear from platform customers frustrated by the complexity and cost of per-user, per-app, and per-object pricing," said Konrad Rogers, President and COO of Nextworld. "We believe customers shouldn't be penalized for actually using and relying on our platform. This new pricing model reflects our commitment to transparency, fairness, and real value. We've listened—and we're delivering what the market deserves." Nextworld's pricing isn't just different—it's disruptive by design: Unmatched ROI: More value at a fraction of competitor costs. Radical simplicity: No convoluted tiers, no predatory per-user fees. Fearless scaling: Grow freely without fear of budget blowouts. Nextworld's message is clear: The era of exploitative software pricing is over. Learn more at About Nextworld Nextworld is redefining enterprise software with an AI-powered platform that empowers businesses to build, adapt, and scale without limits. By combining cutting-edge technology with uncompromising value, the Nextworld Platform is the antidote to stagnant legacy systems—and the key to the future of work. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nextworld Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio
