Ingrid Lindblad goes from tracking stolen suitcase with police to leading Q-School

Ingrid Lindblad had an eventful start to Stage II of LPGA Q-School.

The LSU fifth-year senior flew into Orlando, Florida, last Saturday to meet her instructor before driving the two and a half hours to Venice for the 72-hole qualifying tournament, which began Tuesday at Plantation Golf and Country Club. While she was waiting for her connecting flight in Atlanta, Lindblad noticed via her Apple AirTag, which was placed inside her suitcase, that her luggage had been put on an earlier flight. When she landed in Orlando, her AirTag was on the move … out of the airport.

“I started the week filing two police reports,” said Lindblad, who went with police Saturday to the location where her AirTag was last tracked.

No luck.

Luckily, though, Lindblad still had her golf clubs.

She also was afforded $250 to replace her missing suitcase and wardrobe at Walmart and Target.

Now, through 36 holes, she’s four shots clear of the field.

Lindblad backed up an opening 5-under 67 with a 6-under 66 on Thursday to move to 11 under, where the Swedish standout is four shots ahead of second-place Pinyada Kuvanun of Thailand.

“My assistant coach, Alexis Rather, she was just [telling me], ‘Keep your feet where you are. Don’t try to be somewhere else,’” Lindblad said. “I texted her after the round and I said, ‘Hey, my feet were on the ground in Venice today.’”

No swing thoughts.

No worrying about her stolen luggage.

Just concerned with playing good golf and securing her Epson Tour status for next summer. Should Lindblad advance through to Q-Series as one of the top 40 finishers and ties, she’d have to turn professional, but she can also remain amateur and defer any status she receives, which is what she’s planning on doing to take one last crack at leading the Tigers to an NCAA title.

“College, it’s like such a safe place, like everything is set up for you, and just I feel like coming out when you’re done with college, like you know you have somewhere to play,” Lindblad said of the benefits to this current system. “I’m very happy that I’m able to play Stage II and just feel like I have somewhere to play when I’m done in college.”

Lindblad is one of 22 current college players competing this week. USC’s Amari Avery, Florida State’s Charlotte Heath and Texas A&M’s Jennie Park are among those other top collegians, and Golf Channel has been told that all three aren’t planning on turning pro to play Q-Series.

Duke’s Anne Chen is solo third at 6 under; Nebraska’s Kelli Ann Strand and Georgia’s Napat Lertsadwattana are both T-13; Clemson’s Savannah Grewal, Oregon’s Minori Nagano and Tulsa’s Lilly Thomas are all T-23; Oregon’s Briana Chacon and Colorado’s Sabrina Iqbal are T-30; and Oklahoma State’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Furman’s Anna Morgan and UTSA’s Camryn Carreon are T-36.