Years away from competitive golf usually come with a cost, and it’s not just the performance. Every LPGA golfer needs to maintain their card through annual contests actively. Primarily, it’s just the top 100 on the CME Globe points standings who get a full exemption card. But a unique LPGA policy has allowed Austin Ernst to be back unscathed despite a close to three-year hiatus from professional golf.

“I’m still competitive enough that I’d like to try to win tournaments,” Ernst told Golfweek. “Fields are deeper than when I was playing, but I still believe in my ability.”

Austin Ernst has won the 2014 Portland Classic, the 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, and the 2021 LPGA Drive On Championship before going on the break. She can make a comeback despite the hiatus because the LPGA grants extensions of Tour status for medical and maternity leaves. This allows players to retain priority list positions upon return without losing membership benefits.

A combination of these leaves has helped the 3x LPGA winner preserve her full status, who is all set to make a comeback at the 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

The last full season she played was in 2021, when she got 21 starts. She made the cut in 17, rose to the top 10 in three, and won the 2021 LPGA Drive On Championship. Then, in 2022, she had 6 starts through April and went on medical leave after that due to bone spurs. Her neck issue surfaced at the 2022 Lotte Championship. It was a pain-free Round 1, but the nerve pain post-dinner led to a 3 a.m. withdrawal. Even the doctors were shocked to find out that she had bone spurs.

“I didn’t think people under 60 got bone spurs,” Ernst opened up. “They can’t really tell me why it happened.”

As she slowly recovered, Austin Ernst was back on the course in 2023.

But she could only compete in two events before her maternity leave. She played the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June 2023. Her child, Charlie, was born on December 14, 2023, and she didn’t play in 2024 and 2025.

During this hiatus, she also completed her degree and got a job.

The LPGA has flexible rules, allowing golfers up to 2-years after childbirth. So, Austin Ernst is still eligible to play on the LPGA in 2026. She holds No. 33 on the 2026 LPGA Priority List draft (category 1 marked with an *). The American professional will make a comeback at the Tour of Champions, an event she also played in 2022.

Besides the TOC, Ernst plans to play around 10 events in 2026, eyeing at least two major championships (Chevron and Evian). She also plans to bring her little one to events that don’t require taking a flight. And as she mentioned, she is all set to compete against the deeper field, which now includes elites like Nelly Korda, Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull, and many others.

Meanwhile, Ernst isn’t the only one who has made a comeback from a long hiatus with this policy.

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LPGA stars who leveraged the LPGA’s maternity policy

Many other LPGA stars have leveraged this flexibility in the LPGA’s maternity policy. One of the most popular names would be Jessica Korda.

Korda took a break from professional golf as part of maternity leave. The 6x LPGA winner gave birth to her child, Greyson, in February 2024. However, she didn’t make a comeback in 2024 or 2025. Reportedly, Jessica Korda is eyeing a full-time comeback on the LPGA Tour in 2026.

Just like Austin Ernst, the 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion, Sophia Popov also extended her medical leave into maternity after her 2022 pregnancy announcement. She was back in 2024, when she had 17 starts. But then she lost status because of an LPGA maternity leave error in 2025. This move received backlash, and Popov was allowed to continue playing on the tour.

Brittany Altomare, 2020 winner, returned in 2025 at Honda LPGA Thailand. She was on a maternity break and gave birth to her son Wyatt in March 2024. She didn’t compete in 2024 and 2025 and returned for the first competitive action post-maternity at the 2025 Honda LPGA Thailand.

Now, Austin Ernst’s return shows how LPGA policies can keep careers intact through injury, motherhood, and time away from competition. As more players balance golf with major life changes, her case highlights how the Tour’s rules continue to shape who gets a second chance.