Highly rated Perth golfer Hannah Green has announced she will join the professional circuit after rising quickly through the amateur ranks.
Green will tee up at the second stage of the LPGA Tour's qualifying school in Florida from October 20, having skipped the first stage as a top-400 player.
The 19-year-old who was runner-up to world No. 1 Lydia Ko in last year's New Zealand Open, finished 20th in February's Australian Open and was the best-performed Australian at the Ladies Masters.
"Doing well in those events showed me I was closer to making the transition than I'd previously thought, so it's time," she said on Wednesday.
"I need to go and compete at that level and test myself against the world's best players more regularly.
"I'll obviously be nervous about it, but now I think I won't be intimidated and that's going to be really important to my golf."
Golf Australia high performance director Brad James said Green had shown the workrate and professionalism needed to take her game to the next level.
"She's been getting better every year and last year was her coming-out time to say, within herself, `I do belong at the next level'," James said.
"When she had those great results in those four pro events, it was a great sign that she was ready to take that next step ... that she's actually very good in her own right.
"Around her, we all knew. But I don't think she knew. Now she has that inner self belief, it's made all the difference. "
Green collected 19 birdies at the Australian Open in Adelaide, matching the tally of Ko who was runner-up at the tournament to Haru Nomura.
A six-time Western Australian state team representative, Green is expected to become a member of Golf Australia's rookie squad in 2017.
