Oklahoma native Kendall Dye earns LPGA Tour card

NORMAN, Okla. — Former University of Oklahoma golfer Kendall Dye punched her ticket to the 2015 LPGA Tour on Sunday after tying for 21st place at the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. The showing wrapped up a stellar season in which she finished in the top 10 of the Symetra Tour’s 2014 money list.

Dye shot a 284 (-4) at the four-day, 72-hole tournament and joined Audra Burks, Michele Vinieratos, Isabelle Beisiegel and Lisa Meldrum as the only Sooners to ever reach the LPGA Tour.

“I’m still a little in shock and disbelief I think,” Dye said. “I still don’t believe it. I can’t wait to finally get back home and realize what I’ve done and recount the whole year. It’s been five long years but I really worked hard and I did it my way.”

Only 10 golfers from the Symetra Tour reach the LPGA Tour based on season winnings. Dye earned $47,684 in 2014, which is $21,427 more than she earned during the 2013 season.

The Edmond, Okla., native led the tour with 199 birdies and was the model of consistency during the 2014 season, missing only one cut and recording eight top-10 finishes. She picked up her only win of the season at the IOA Golf Classic and rode that momentum to her tour card.

“I told myself these 20 events this year were my ‘Q-School’ and boy was it a long but fun year,” Dye said. “I’m going to work extremely hard this fall to prepare for next season. I’m so proud to represent OU on the LPGA.”

Dye golfed at Oklahoma from the 2006 through 2009 seasons and was the 2009 Big 12 individual co-champion. The two-time first-team All-Big 12 honoree won three tournaments as a Sooner and ranks eighth in school history in career scoring average vs. par (+4.36). She qualified as an individual for the 2009 NCAA Championships.