Kawinpakorn pursues LPGA dream at ‘Q-School’

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The most-decorated Kansas women’s golfer in school history Yupaporn “Mook” Kawinpakorn will take her first step toward being a part of the LPGA Tour on Thursday at Stage I of the LPGA and Symetra Tour Qualifying School on the Dinah Shore Course at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
 
Kawinpakorn’s threesome is slated to tee off from the 10th hole at 1:25 p.m. CT. The total stage consists of 72 holes of stroke-play competition with a cut made after the third round. Over the first three days of the event, the field will play one round each on Dinah Shore, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player courses with the final round played on the Dinah Shore Course.
 
“This is great for our program,” Kansas’ head women’s golf coach Erin O’Neil said. “To have someone to raise the bar across the board and see her continue at the next level. I also think this is great motivation for the girls that are here. There is also a recruiting benefit because it shows that players can improve at Kansas and get to the next level. I think it is great that Mook is there and continues to represent us even though she has graduated.”
 
In 2015-16, Kawinpakorn won a Kansas season-record five individual titles at the Schooner Classic (9/19-21), Chip-N Club Invitational (10/5-6), Palmetto Intercollegiate (10/25-27), DAC/SMU Invitational (4/1-2) and Red Raider Invitational (4/8-9). The Samutprakan, Thailand native claimed school records with an 18-hole score of 63 (-8) at the Schooner Classic and a 54-hole score of 209 (-7) at the Red Raider Invitational.
 
Including a tie for fifth at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, Kawinpakorn was named to a school-record four career All-Big 12 Tournament Teams. More impressively, the two-time All-Big 12 selection (2014 and 2016) broke the KU season scoring record all four years she was at KU with a 75.42 in 2012-13, 74.46 in 2013-14, 73.35 last season as a junior and 71.78 in 2015-16. Additionally, Kawinpakorn competed in an NCAA Regional each of the last three seasons and was a key contributor in KU’s team advancing to the NCAA Championship in 2014.
 
During her senior campaign, Kawinpakorn was named to her third-straight Academic All-Big 12 First Team while earning her bachelor’s degree in sport management with a minor in business from KU. She was also awarded the Marlene Mawson Exemplary Student-Athlete Award, which goes to a KU female student athlete that demonstrates hard work and consistent positive attitude as well as involvement in the community, and the Dr. Frederick Senior Scholar Athletes Award.
 
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.