The 2019 AGC Women's Player of the Year: Jennifer Chang
- John McGillen/USC Athletics photo
After a year of college wins, high finishes, and a successful run through LPGA Tour Qualifying,
Jennifer Chang (Cary, N.C.) is the 2019 AmateurGolf.com Women's Player of the Year.
The AmateurGolf.com Women's Player of the Year is awarded based on a point system earned through performance in major women's amateur events throughout the course of the year. This year, the 20-year-old Chang topped a deep field of players from around the world before turning professional late in the year.
AmateurGolf.com
Players of the Year
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The one word that can describe Chang's year more than any other is
consistent. She was constantly at or near the top of the leaderboard, both in her college and summer amateur tournaments.
Chang won two college tournaments for USC in the spring: the Clover Cup and the NCAA Women's West Regional where she shot 11-under 205. She was also 4th at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge and PING/ASU Invitational, and 6th in the Pac 12 Championship.
The awards came to Chang once the college season ended. She was a 2019 WGCA All-American first team selection, the first USC Trojan in five years so honored. Chang was also an All-Pac-12 first team pick for the second straight year and an Annika Award and WGCA Player-of-the-Year finalist.
She started the summer by winning her U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier, and then making the cut in the championship at the Country Club of Charleston.
She went on to finish as the runner-up in the Canadian Amateur and finished as a quarterfinalist in the North & South Amateur. She entered LPGA Tour School Qualifying as an amateur and finished T21 to advance to the Second Stage.
This fall she finished 8th and 3rd in her two college events, and then continued LPGA Tour School Qualifying, finishing tied 19th in Second Stage and tied for 9th in the difficult 8-round marathon Final Stage in Pinehurst.
Related: After 8 round qualifying marathon, 4 amateurs get LPGA Tour cards
Like many before her, she then faced the difficult decision whether to finish out her college season or turn pro immediately. But she had her mind made up and turned pro immediately, and will join the LPGA Tour when the season starts in 2020.
Final Women's POY Points Standings, 2019
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Finishing as the runner-up in the Player-of-the-Year points race was Andrea Lee (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) who, representing Stanford University, had a very similar year to Chang and also got her LPGA Tour card for 2020. In fact, the top 4 in the standings (and 6 of the top 10) are all professionals as the year ends. No. 3 Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland), the U.S. Amateur runner-up and Lee's college teammate, also progressed through LPGA Tour School and No. 4 Maria Fassi (Mexico) already had LPGA Tour status from last year's qualifying, but deferred turning pro to finish her college career at Arkansas, which she capped off by winning the NCAA Championship. No. 8 Sierra Brooks (Sorrento, Fla.) also turned pro after earning her Tour card through LPGA Qualifying School.
Gabriela Ruffels, the U.S. Amateur champion from Australia, was 6th in the tight final standings.
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Women's Rankings |
Complete 2019 Points List (1098 players)