The road to the LPGA is a grueling grind, but Springfield’s own Reagan Zibilski is already proving she belongs. Fresh off an incredible pro debut that included a spectacular sixth-place finish, the former local standout joined us on The Starting Lineup to recap her whirlwind week, life on the road, and the hilarious saga of a “lost” championship trophy. Presented by Play It Again Sports, we dive deep into what it takes to transition from the college ranks at Arkansas to chasing down a tour card on the Epson Tour.

Navigating the Pro Transition and Epson Tour Life

We talked to Reagan about the immediate cultural shift when stepping onto a professional tour. With fields stacking up to 160 players weekly, she describes it as a bit of deja vu—reigniting old rivalries and friendships from her early amateur days. While being a rookie means dealing with less-than-ideal tee times and missing out on Pro-Ams, Zibilski isn’t sweating the small stuff. She’s already exempt past the first stage of LPGA-Q School and is laser-focused on locking down a top-15 finish in the season points standings to automatically secure her LPGA tour card.

Pure Driving Power and Throwing Darts

If you looked at the stat sheet from her opening weekend, you’d think she was a seasoned veteran. Reagan averaged a booming 258 yards off the tee—including a massive 300-yard bomb on the 14th hole during her second round. But it wasn’t just the distance that turned heads; she hit an incredible 31 out of 36 greens in regulation. As we noted on the air, if you keep hitting greens at that clip, you’re going to cash some serious checks out there where tournament winners take home around $30,000.

Dad on the Bag and a “Lost” State Trophy

One of our favorite parts of the conversation centered around family. Reagan’s dad is serving as her “co-pilot” and caddy for this opening three-week northern swing, which heads next to Harbor Springs, Michigan. She credits their deep comfortability and shared mental wiring for her early rhythm on the course.

Before heading north, however, Reagan had to resolve a minor crisis regarding the Missouri Women’s Amateur Championship trophy. After keeping it at her house for the last year following her state title win, a frantic search ensued at Hickory Hills Country Club before it was successfully delivered to Columbia Country Club just in time for this week’s tournament!

Cheering on the Next Generation at Mizzou

Though she’s busy building her own professional legacy, Zibilski is keeping a close eye on local talent, specifically her long-time Hickory Hills practicing partner, Page Bowman. Bowman is set to kick off her collegiate career at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) this fall. Reagan praised Paige as the most hardworking “grinder” she’s ever seen and expressed immense excitement for her future leading the Tigers.