By Amy Rogers- LPGA
Michigan’s own Olivia Stoll will make her LPGA Tour debut at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give on Thursday. The native of Haslett, which is about an hour drive east of the Tour stop at Blythefield Country Club, earned a spot through the Monday qualifier to become one of just three amateurs to tee it up this week alongside the best in women’s golf.
“When I had the opportunity to play in the qualifier this year, I was like, ‘okay, this will be a real test,’” Stoll said while meeting with the media on Wednesday. “Everyone is like, ‘you can play, you’re good enough.’ I just never really believed it. Playing in the qualifier, halfway through I was like, ‘okay, maybe I could play pro golf. Maybe this is something I do want to do.’ So no, I never thought I would be here. But here we are.”
Stoll is the daughter of Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, the longtime head coach of the Michigan State women’s golf team. The coach was on-site to watch not just her daughter compete in the qualifier but to also support one of her players, Taylor Kehoe, who Stoll defeated in a 2-for-1 playoff to get into the field at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
“I’m still kind of in shock. You think of 30 pros, what are the chances it comes down to two amateurs that are going to qualify for this one spot?” Stacy told a local Grand Rapids television station after her daughter qualified. “I would say the nerves were pretty high. My stomach was probably a mess, but I’m so proud of Olivia and what she’s accomplished.”
While Stoll comes from a golf pedigree, her family owns three courses, her mom is in her 28th season at Michigan State, and her father, Jim, caddied at one point on the LPGA Tour, Olivia didn’t take up the game of golf until she was 15-years of age. That’s when she shifted her focus from volleyball to golf and played four years for Grand Valley State University where she enjoyed a breakout senior season in which she won twice and recorded four more top 3s. It was this success that spurred Stoll onto trying to qualify for the first time for the Meijer LPGA Classic.
“Going into this I didn’t think I really wanted to turn pro because I think the confidence, I didn’t
have it in my head,” Stoll said when asked about her future plans. “I’m going to enjoy this week and see what happens next. This could be a big turning point to push me the extra step to decide to turn pro.”
Stoll says her current plans for the summer include working at her parents’ golf course and also spending a stint working at another course in Naples.
But before she has to figure out whether those summer plans might also include preparing for a run at the LPGA Q-Series this fall, she’ll first have four days to test herself and her game against the best in the world at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Stoll has the advantage of having played Blythefield Country Club before, where she says she recorded her career best round, which has given her some positive energy heading into the weekend. But it will be a real role reversal for Stoll, who for years has attended the Meijer LPGA Classic to be the one playing alongside the likes of Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson, who she’s watched from afar.
“I always thought that was so cool. I was like, ‘wow, I cannot imagine being one of them with all these people watching and just hitting a good shot,’” Stoll said about competing this week on the LPGA Tour. “And now I’m going to be roles reversed hitting the shots. I think that will be pretty cool.”
