Germany’s Aline Krauter blitzed the field on day one of week two of LPGA Q-Series, carding a bogey-free 10-under, 62 on Thursday at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Ala. Starting on 10, the 22-year-old kicked off the round by making three birdies in her first four holes, including back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13. Krauter went back-to-back two more times throughout her round, birdieing the 16th and 17th as well as the 6th and 7th on her closing nine, and ended her day with a final birdie on the par-5, 9th. It’s the first time since 2013 that a round of 62 or better has been shot in any portion of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament - Jaye Marie Green shot 62 in the first round of Stage III at LPGA International that year - and the score has propelled Krauter from T41 to T2 with three rounds remaining in Lower Alabama.
“I think it's super important to hit small areas on the green, and I think I did that super well today. I actually really like that. I like focusing on one spot and hitting it right there rather than like, oh, let's aim middle of the green. I think that really suits my eye. It was good off the tee today, too, so I really liked the tee shots,” said Krauter, who hasn’t made a bogey in her last 39 holes. “I think my game is great for sure. It's definitely better than it was last week. I think last week was a little more up-and-down and fluctuating, so to see come together a little bit this week is great.”
After a stellar career at Stanford University and after helping the Cardinals to a national title in May, Krauter turned professional in August. She made her first pro start on the LPGA Tour at the Dana Open presented by Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, utilizing the sponsor’s exemption traditionally given to a member of the team that wins the NCAA DI Women's Golf Championship, and she ultimately finished in a tie for 29th. Though she did play in the Amundi Evian Championship as an amateur, Krauter had only one other professional appearance on Tour this season, the Pelican Women’s Championship where she finished T55. She made four appearances on the LPGA Tour in 2021 as an am, missing the cut all four times. While her experience on Tour might be limited, in the brief amount of time she’s spent among the world’s best, Krauter has been able to learn plenty and it’s those lessons that are helping her through the grind that is LPGA Q-Series. Now sitting well inside the top five and primed to earn a coveted LPGA Tour card, the soon-to-be 23-year-old is feeling plenty of confidence as she sets her sights on the next 54 holes in Dothan.
“Patience is the biggest thing. I think sometimes it's hard for me to stay patient, especially last week. Nothing dropped last week. But to see everything pretty much drop today, except for one probably, is great,” Krauter said. “I'm super confident going into the next three rounds, but I think I'm going to try and keep everything the same. Not going to try and change anything, try and hit it closer, or do any of that. Just playing my game.”
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