Catching Up With LPGA Tour Member Dori Carter

Dec. 20, 2011

By Kim Ling
Associate Athletics Media Relations Director

Growing up, former Ole Miss All-American Dori Carter watched players like Julie Inkster, Laura Diaz and Wendy Ward play on the LPGA Tour while dreaming of doing the same thing one day. This past year Carter was practicing on the same putting green as Inkster in her first year on the LPGA Tour.

From a volunteer at an LPGA event in her home state of Georgia to playing in the same tournaments, Carter has come full circle in her golfing career, and she's excited to be living out her dream.

"I used to go and volunteer for the LPGA event that was held in Atlanta. I got to see all these players when I was young," Carter said. "Even though some are maybe only 10 years older than me, I grew up watching them play-people like Julie Inkster, Wendy Ward, Laura Diaz and Pat Hurst. You go through that stage of 'wow I am sitting here and putting next to Julie Inkster, to realizing 'this is my competition.'"

Carter's road to the LPGA Tour didn't take too long. After graduating, she qualified to play on the LPGA Futures Tour, where she won the 2010 Pennsylvania Classic as a rookie on the developmental tour. Last fall in her first ever attempt at Q-School, Carter tied for 12th and earned her card.

"Last year was my first time [at Q-School], and I was thinking 'what do I have to lose; we'll just see how it goes,'" Carter said.

Carter played in 10 events in 2011 on the LPGA Tour and said the highlights included playing at some amazing venues.

"The golf courses we played were extremely nice. We played at some beautiful places. We played all over the country, where as the Futures Tour kind of stays in a certain region. We had first class treatment at every tournament. Anything you needed was taken care of."

Carter landed back in Q-school after finishing 128th on the LPGA's 2011 money list. The final stage is a 90-hole tournament on the Champions and Legends Courses at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

"I've already been on the LPGA Tour, so it would have been a big disappointment to have to go back to the Futures Tour. I wanted it more this year," said Carter on the difference in this year and last year playing Q-School. This year I went into it thinking 'I belong on the LPGA Tour so this is what I have to do. I have to knock it out.' This is what I want to do to play on the LPGA Tour. I went into it thinking 'you've done this before; you know what you have to do, just do it,'" Carter said.

Carter shot 74-71-71-73-68--357 and tied for fourth. "I was able to play pretty steady and then I had a really good round on the last day."

Next up for Carter is a trip overseas to Europe. She and several other qualifiers are headed to Spain in January for Ladies European Tour Qualifying School. Carter hopes to gain full status there to supplement her schedule in the States.

"I am not going over there to try and play full time on the LET. I am committed to the LPGA Tour, but having more events to play in, will help me in the long run get into a better rhythm for the entire season," Carter said.

The first stage is four rounds and then players have about six days off before the second stage, which is another four rounds. It all takes place at a golf resort in Murcia off the coast of Spain. The top 30 players get full status on the LET and if you advance to the second stage you get some status.

It will be a new experience for the Southern girl from Valdosta, Ga., whose previous trips outside the United States include Canada and Mexico.

"Obviously I'll be working mostly while I am there, but I think it will be fun. There are a lot of people from here going over there, so it will be good," Carter said. On if she knows any Spanish, Carter quipped "I took some Spanish in high school, but not at Ole Miss. I'll probably butcher it, but hopefully I'll survive. I need to do some serious brushing up; maybe I can do that on the long plane ride."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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