8 Women Golfers Qualify for 2027 Major Championship

Eight golf professionals just punched their tickets to compete alongside the world's best players at a major championship next year.

The LPGA Professionals Championship wrapped up at Hermitage Golf Course near Nashville, where teaching pros competed for something special: exemptions into the 2027 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Maryland. The top eight finishers in the Championship division earned their place in one of women's golf's biggest events.

Sandra Changkija of Orlando led the pack with an impressive 6-under par performance across three rounds. The two-time PGA Women's Professional Player of the Year jumped to the lead after round one and never let go. This will mark her 14th appearance at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship when she tees off next year.

Joining Changkija are Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth from Jacksonville, Kimberly Paez from Frisco, Leslie Cloots from Raleigh, Nicole Felce from Clearwater, Taylor Collins from Fort Lauderdale, Allie Knight from Knoxville, and Alexandra White from Lancaster. Six of these qualifiers hold dual LPGA-PGA membership, while two are exclusively PGA members.

The tournament also crowned champions in three other divisions. Lisa DePaulo of Austin fought through a four-hole playoff to claim her second Senior division title, sinking a birdie on the final hole after last year's playoff heartbreak.

Barbara Bunkowsky of West Palm Beach dominated the Super Senior division (ages 62 and up) in her first attempt, shooting a tournament-best 5-under 67 in the final round. She admitted she'd been struggling with her game recently and couldn't remember the last time she shot under par before this victory.

Why This Inspires

These aren't tour players with endless practice time. They're teaching professionals who spend their days coaching students and running golf programs at clubs across the country. Many work with beginners and juniors, inspiring the next generation while maintaining their own competitive edge.

The fact that they can balance full-time teaching careers with training hard enough to compete in a major championship shows what's possible when passion meets dedication. Their students get to watch their coaches qualify for events they see on television, proving that excellence doesn't have an expiration date.

Next summer at Congressional Country Club, these eight women will compete against the world's top-ranked players in front of national television audiences. They earned it through grit, consistency, and refusing to let their competitive fire dim.