Tjan Tames the Storm at Santa Lucia for Her First Professional Title and a CLPGA Start

4 days ago

3 min read

NXXT WOMEN'S PRO TOUR · CHAMPION

One Storm. One Breakthrough.

36 holes. 35-mph gusts. A Nicklaus test that gave back nothing.

TICKET PUNCHED CLPGA Tour Championship · Mission Hills Golf Club, Haikou, China · Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings event

Indonesia's Michela Tjan outlasts a demanding Nicklaus test and 35-mph winds to win the NXXT Women's CLPGA Qualifier and earn a world-ranked start in China.

By NXXT Golf · October 26, 2026

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - October 26, 2026

Santa Lucia River Club is a demanding Jack Nicklaus design at the best of times. Trouble waits off the tee, the greens are small and well guarded, and the margin for error is close to none. This week the course had help. Heavy rain saturated the property and washed out Sunday's play entirely, forcing the NXXT Women's CLPGA Qualifier to be shortened to 36 holes, and the final round was contested in winds gusting past 35 miles per hour. The scores told the story of the test. So did the champion.

Eight Birdies and a Seven-Shot Cushion

Michela Tjan handled it better than anyone. She opened with a 68, the low round of the championship, and led the field with eight birdies for the week, building a seven-shot cushion after the opening round. When the wind arrived on the final day, she did not need to chase anything. She steadied herself, posted a 149 total (+5), and held on to win by two for her first professional victory.

Alcantara Refuses to Fold

Amelie Alcantara made the charge of the day. Seven back after round one, she fought through the same punishing conditions and climbed to within two of the lead before falling just short at 151 (+7). Taylor Oberparleiter was the low amateur and finished third at 153 (+9).

Final Leaderboard (Top 5)

Michela Tjan (Indonesia) · 68-81 · 149 (+5)
Amelie Alcantara (USA) · 75-76 · 151 (+7)
Taylor Oberparleiter (a) (USA) · 76-77 · 153 (+9)
Alexis Phadungmartvorakul (USA) · 79-75 · 154 (+10)
Sarah Rincones (USA) · 78-79 · 157 (+13)

A World-Ranked Reward

As champion, Tjan earns one of NXXT's CLPGA (China LPGA Tour) exemptions: a start in the CLPGA Tour Championship, the tour's season-ending event, at Mission Hills Golf Club in Haikou, China. The CLPGA is a Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings tour, making it a genuine world-ranked start and a significant step on Tjan's professional path.

The 19th Breakthrough

The win puts Tjan in notable company. She becomes the 19th player to earn her first professional victory on the NXXT Women's Pro Tour, a pathway whose alumni include current LPGA Tour players and former NXXT champions Nataliya Guseva, a three-time NXXT winner, along with Laney Frye, Polly Mack and Annabelle Pancake. Santa Lucia marks the beginning of that same climb for Tjan.

"These are the weeks that define a professional. Michela handled brutally challenging conditions on a difficult, challenging Nicklaus design and came out on top, and she earned a world-ranked start in China for it. That is exactly the pathway we built this tour to create."

Stuart McKinnon, President and CEO of NXXT Golf

Next on the NXXT Women's Pro Tour

The NXXT Women's Pro Tour season continues through the winter and concludes at the LONGBRIDGE Cup Championship at Aileron Golf Club in March 2027.

About NXXT Golf

NXXT Golf delivers elite women's professional and developmental golf through an integrated competitive pathway. Its platform includes the NXXT Women's Pro Tour, defining the path to the LPGA and Epson Tour; the NXXT Faldo Junior Tour, the Official North American Tour Partner of the Faldo Series; and the NXXT Battle League. Through elite events, strategic partnerships, and innovative formats, NXXT creates meaningful opportunities for players to advance to the highest levels of the game.