Lorna McClymont set to turn professional after securing LET status for 2025

Lorna McClymont is set to turn professional after signing off her eye-catching year on a high to secure a Category 16 card for the 2025 Ladies European Tour.

The Milngavie member, who helped GB&I win a thrilling Curtis Cup contest at Sunningdale in September, had entered the circuit’s Lalla Aicha Qualifying School in Morocco as an amateur to keep her options open for next year.

Lorna McClymont pictured in action during the LET’s Lalla Aicha Q-School in Morocco | Tristan Jones / LET

But, after giving a great account of herself over nine rounds split over two stages, she will now be embarking on a new career in the paid ranks.

“Yeah, I think I will be,” replied McClymont after carding a closing 68 at Al Maaden Golf in Marrakech to finish joint-33rd on seven under in the final stage to being asked if this meant she intended to turn pro.

The top 20 and ties secured full cards for the 2025 campaign, but the next best thing represents a good starting point for McClymont as a professional.

She will hopefully secure some main tour starts and, if not, will have a good category on the circuit’s Access Series.

“I am pretty chuffed,” admitted the University of Stirling graduate of her fortnight’s work in Morocco, where she’d already come through a pre-qualifying stage. “It shows me I can do it. It is definitely a good confidence boost.

“Going into it I knew it was going to be a long couple of weeks and I just had to be patient. Yeah, it’s been fun and the pre-qualifying allowed me to get used to the grass and conditions out here.”

McClymont, who followed an opening 74 with rounds of 72-70–72 to make a 72-hole cut, closed with her best round of the week after signing for seven birdies and two bogeys.

“At the start of the day, if someone had given me that I’d have been happy with it,” she admitted. “But I still felt I left shots out there but that’s been the story of the week.

“Honestly, my game has not been the best. I struggled a bit and need to sharpen up on quite a lot of areas. But it was good to get the result I did under the circumstances.”

Asked what she was looking forward to most about her new challenge, the 2024 R&A Women’s Amateur Championship runner-up said with a smile: “Just realising that I get to play golf now and do what I love is a good feeling.”

Jane Turner, the only other Scot to make it through to the final round, will have a Category 19 card next year after finishing joint-69th on five over.