Jess Baker made it through the pressure of Ladies European Tour Qualifying School for a second time in December – securing her playing rights on the LET for 2026.
Jess – who also came through Q School in Morocco in 2024 – returned after playing a mixed schedule across the LET and LET Access Series in 2025. Having played 12 LET events and six Access Series events – in a season she described as “not easy” ahead of the trip to Morocco – Jess had to tee it up in the three-round pre-qualifier before the five-round Final Stage.
“As the season went on, it looked more and more likely that I’d be heading back to Q School, and then also back at the pre-qualifier,” said Jess. “It was disheartening, and certainly something I didn’t want to have to go through again, but I kept playing and tried to play well to end the season.
“Going to Q School was less stressful this time. I had a full season as a professional under by belt, and I knew what to expect. There were still some thoughts about what happens if it doesn’t go well, but the work I did in November with Chris [Paisley] on developing how I practise and transfer that to the golf course helped a lot.”
Jess progressed through the first three rounds with a second place finish at Fairmont Royal Palm, then teed it up at Final Stage – played at Al Maaden Golf Resort and Royal Golf Marrakech – where full LET cards (category 12) were on offer for the leading 20 players. Meanwhile, those who finished in places 21-50 would earn category 16 status for 2026 – the same status Jess held last season.
“The pre-qualifier went as well as it could have,” said Jess. “I really enjoyed the course and leading after the first round was great. Having dropped back on the final day and put myself under pressure in 2024, I didn’t want to do that again. I focused on staying positive and was proud of how I went out, played solid golf for three rounds, and finished second.
“Having Sean [Russell] caddying for me – and my dad out there – was great and kept me focused on the process.”
After a quick turnaround, Jess headed into Final Stage knowing she still needed a strong performance to secure her playing rights for 2026. With the event cut to four rounds following heavy rain on the first day, Jess posted scores of 70, 72, 72 and 69 to secure category 16 status. Her final round 69 saw her climb into a tie for 30th place – just three shots from securing full status – as Poland’s Dorota Zalewska topped the leaderboard with a 19 under-par total at Final Stage.
“It wasn’t easy to do, but I focused on playing golf and not on the outcome,” said Jess. “Starting at Al Maaden was good for me and I took momentum from there into the much tougher Royal Golf Marrakech.
“I played well in the first three rounds, and it was such a great feeling to shoot three under-par on the final day [at Royal Golf Marrakech] knowing I was playing for a card and was on the far tougher course for me.
“The way I finished – birdieing the 18th after hitting it to 6ft to move up to 30th – felt amazing. Heading into the last few holes, I had to stop myself from time travelling to the end of the round and I was so pleased with how I did that and was able to execute the shots.”
Jess will return to the LET in 2026 with the same category 16 status she held last season, but is four places higher within the category this year.
“I’m really excited to start the new season,” she added. “So many people on tour say the first year is the hardest. I’ll be better prepared for everything on and off the golf course this year. Being four places higher up category 16 will also help me focus on the LET and plan better. I learned taking last-minute call-ups into tournaments and rushing around the world didn’t give me the best chance to play well last season. I want to be smarter this year, prepare better with the help of Chris, and take the lessons from the 2025 season into 2026.”
Jess’ 2026 season will begin in March with three Sunshine Tour events in South Africa, then two weeks at home before she hopes to be back in South Africa for two weeks on the LET.
“My focus is on the LET in 2026,” she added. “I may play the odd Access Series event, particularly the ones in England, but I want to prioritise my starts and not be pulled around quite as much this season. I learned so much last year, and I want to use all that knowledge in 2026.”
