MOBILE, Ala. — Not often do you see a professional golfer go from almost no status on the Epson Tour to an LPGA Tour member within a calendar year, but 2024 Epson Tour rookie Hailee Cooper has the chance to do exactly that this week in Mobile, Ala.

With Final Qualifying of 2024 LPGA Q-Series starting this Thursday, Cooper will be vying for one of 25 available LPGA Tour cards after coming off a wild rookie season on the Epson Tour. There will be 99 athletes competing for the 25 cards, with former LPGA Tour winners, 2024 Epson Tour winners and even LPGA Tour major winners all looking to secure status for the 2025 season.

However, Cooper has already far surpassed what she thought was possible for this season. She is entering Final Qualifying week with low expectations, but that doesn’t mean she’s here just for fun. Cooper wants to compete alongside the world’s best next year and has a chance to do just that if she can string together five solid rounds.

“I have no expectations for this week, but I still want to get my LPGA card, obviously,” explained Cooper. “My goal for the year was to get in the top 80 to get status for the Epson Tour next year. But I did better than that, so I'm here, which is great. I wasn’t expecting to be here, but it's really cool.”

The 24-year-old got into her first Epson Tour event after winning the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour’s L’Auberge Lake Charles Championship, which guaranteed her a berth.

Cooper’s year boiled down to a four-foot putt to make the cut in her first Epson Tour start at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. With a make, she would be reshuffled up the 2024 Epson Tour Priority List and earn more starts. But if she missed, Cooper would be back to where she started the season, unlikely to get into any more Epson Tour events.

Cooper ultimately holed it and finished T58 for the week. But even though she wasn’t near the top of the leaderboard, her performance was still good enough to earn points for the upcoming reshuffle.

“I feel like I shouldn't be here,” said Cooper. “I had a four-footer to make the cut at my first Epson in California. And I was like, I have to make this, and basically, it makes my whole season. I made it, and that was a big confidence boost. I got into more events, and it was just really cool. I don't know how it even happened.”

The Texas A&M University grad ended up playing in 12 Epson Tour events during her 2024 campaign, making the cut in all but one tournament. Cooper added a runner-up finish to her resume at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, the second-to-last event of the season. The finish moved her into contention to make it to the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series with another strong finish at the Epson Tour Championship presented by Indian Wells. She went on to tie for eighth in California, moving her to No. 32 in the Race for the Card and securing her spot in Final Qualifying.

Cooper was actually in contention to win the Epson Tour Championship at one point, opening the event with a round of 64. A win could have moved her into the top 15 and secured her card, but she ultimately fell just short.

But in true Hailee Cooper fashion, she enters this week in Mobile, Ala., with a smile and a positive attitude as she looks to join the biggest tour in women’s golf next year.

“This season was all timing,” said Cooper. “I played well at the very end to put myself in the top 35, and I had a chance for an LPGA card at the last event, and I didn't win, but I really wasn't upset. I played well. I did what I could.”

Cooper tees off for her first of five rounds at Final Qualifying at 9:42 local time as she looks to wrap up her miraculous 2024 season with a 2025 LPGA Tour card.

Hailee Cooper’s Rollercoaster of a Season Concludes at LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying

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