WA’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard is targeting a breakthrough year after earning playing rights on the Ladies European Tour.
Although she missed out on fully exempt status on the European circuit by a single stroke at Qualifying School in December, the 23-year-old Gosnells product will still have plenty of opportunities to make a name for herself.
Hinson-Tolchard (pictured above) is guaranteed more than a dozen starts on tour in 2025 and a fast start to her season could open the door to further opportunities, including the lucrative Aramco series and the two Europe-based Major championships.
Although a rookie on the LET, Hinson-Tolchard played half a season on the US Epson Tour in 2024 after graduating from Oklahoma State University as one of the most successful golfers in her college’s history.
While she didn’t earn enough ranking points to keep her Epson Tour playing card, Hinson-Tolchard says the experience will hold her in good stead for what she hopes will be a breakthrough year in her fledgling career.
“It was a big jump going from college life into tour life. It’s a lot lonelier out on tour, so it’s been a bit of an adjustment trying to find a different routine and keep myself motivated,” she told GolfWA.
“Coming through LET Q-School has really set me up for the rest of this year. It’s settling knowing that I’ve got somewhere to play and I’m definitely a lot happier with where I’m at at right now. It’s going to be a new experience and I’m excited for it.”
Seeking work/life balance
Hinson-Tolchard’s finishing position at LET Q-School brought with it the bonus of full status on the WPGA Tour of Australasia, meaning she’s eligible to tee it up in the two tours’ trio of big-money co-sanctioned tournaments in March.
Between them, the Australian WPGA Championship, Australian Women’s Classic and NSW Women’s Open offer a combined prize fund of $1.6m – eye-catching sums that can easily make or break a season.
Before that, Hinson-Tolchard will make her LET debut at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco from February 3-6 and will head back to Africa to contest two events in South Africa in April – experiences she is greatly looking forward to.
“I’m so excited to travel around Africa and Europe,” she said. “To see new places and play different golf courses is really motivating and I’ve got a lot of friends on the tour to help me settle in.
“Kirsten Rudgeley is a good friend and Kelsey Bennett just got her LET status as well, so I’m not going to be short of people I know, which is great.”
The relative proximity of Western Australia to Europe and Africa is another bonus for Hinson-Tolchard, affording her opportunities to return home between blocks of events.
“The hardest part for me about playing on tour in the US was that I was there constantly with no real opportunities to get away,” she explained. “The fact that I’ll be able to come to and from home a lot more from the LET is so good.
“I’m playing the tournament in Morocco, then I come back home. I play the east coast Australia events, then come back home, then South Africa and back home. That’s going to help a lot.”
Hinson-Tolchard even hopes that younger sister Jorja – a former WA junior state representative herself – will be able to assume bag duties during breaks in her study.
“If Jorja gets some time off university, I’ll get her to hopefully come over and caddy for me as well. We were a pretty good team at LET Q-School and I’m sure we’ll be a good team out on tour as well.”
Maddison (right) had younger sister Jorja on the bag at LET Q-School
Images: Getty Images/Ladies European Tour
Keep up with the latest WA golf news news via the GolfWA news section and our Facebook and Insta accounts. You can also subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter here.
