Golf is known for its strict rules and regulations. No matter the situation, a golfer has to follow the rules set by the officials. However, there are rare instances in which exemptions are granted. For instance, the PGA Tour made a unique sponsor exception solely for the legendary Tiger Woods, based on his exceptional lifetime achievement of 82 titles. Similarly, Annika Sorenstam played in the 2023 US Open despite retiring from professional golf. Gianna Clemente is getting one such waiver for joining the LPGA Tour before turning 18. This is something that even the 7x major winner Inbee Park was denied.

Grant Boone from Golf Channel shared an X post about the LPGA Q School Qualifying Stage. Firing rounds of 73-72-70-70, Clemente finished T39. Thus, she moves to the final stage. However, she is only 17, and the minimum age for LPGA membership is 18 years. Boone also wrote that, “The LPGA has approved her age waiver so the 17 year old will be allowed to play the tour if she makes it through Final Qualifying.”

Gianna Clemente is lucky to get the waiver because even a 21x LPGA star didn’t get it. According to Golf Digest, Inbee Park appealed for a similar exemption in 2005. She was in her senior year at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Park, 17, appealed for a waiver, but the LPGA denied it. Therefore, she had to join the Duramed Futures Tour, where the age minimum is 17 years. She finished third on the 2006 Future Tour money list to get the LPGA Tour card for 2007. Since her debut in 2007, Inbee Park has won 21 titles, recorded 188 top-10 finishes, 190 top-25 finishes, and earned $18.3 million in official career earnings.

One of the reasons why Clemente is getting the waiver could be that she is very close to turning 18. Her birthday is on March 18, 2026. If she turns pro and plays on the LPGA Tour in 2026, she will only be a few months away from her 18th birthday. While Gianna Clemente receives a waiver, it will still be difficult for her to earn an LPGA Tour card. She needs to finish the final stage in the top 25 or in a tie to get the card and the exemption.

Clemente started playing golf at the age of 5. She accommodated year-round practice through homeschooling. Thanks to all the practice, she has over 130 tournament wins. She was the third-youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur and has participated as a 14-year-old Monday qualifier in LPGA events in 2022. “I remember how scared I was to be around those girls,” Clemente told Golfweek of her early LPGA starts, “…and now that I have a little bit more experience, I feel a lot more confident walking into those events.”

In 2023, she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball and represented the U.S. in junior team events. She considered college golf but opted to turn professional early, influenced by her T-30 finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand 2025.

Gianna Clemente is not the only one to receive such a waiver, as a few others have also received this special treatment.

Other golfers who played the LPGA Q School final stage when they were 17

Morgan Pressel was granted an age waiver at 17 in 2005. This allowed her to join the LPGA before turning 18 after she had impressive amateur results and support from the commissioner. Initially, former commissioner Ty Votaw rejected Pressel’s plea in June 2005. But only a week after the rejection, Pressel finished runner-up at the US Women’s Open. She dominated the field and won the U.S. Women’s Amateur that year. Thus, she requested the LPGA to reconsider her plea, and the new commissioner, Carolyn Bivens, accepted it.

Aree Song similarly received an age waiver to join the LPGA at 17 after graduating high school. Canadian LPGA star Brooke Henderson, who played alongside elite golfers Charley Hull and Lydia Ko at the International Crown, also received an exception in 2015. LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan first denied Henderson’s plea. She said that only Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson have received the exception, and that too because they had already won an LPGA title. Then, 17-year-old Henderson won the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic to get an exemption.

While Gianna Clemente has already received a waiver for the LPGA Tour card, she still has to perform well to leverage the exemption. The final stage is set for Dec. 4 to Dec. 8, 2025. If she finishes in the top 25 or ties, fans will see her play in LPGA events in 2026.