Epson Tour’s season-ending Daytona Beach Invitational Presented by Embry-Riddle set for LPGA International

The Epson Tour – Road to the LPGA, kicked off its 32^nd year this March in Florida, and after a season filled with dramatic finishes and an ever changing Volvik Race for the Card, it returns to the Sunshine State for the season finale.

The Tour will end its season for the first time at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. on the grounds of LPGA Headquarters. The Daytona Beach Invitational Presented by Embry-Riddle, set for September 24-30, will be the last chance for players to break into the top-10 spots on the money list and earn a winning spot in the Volvik Race for the Card. The top-10 players on the season-ending money list will receive exempt status for the 2013 on the LPGA Tour.

The field of 120 players will be vying for a total purse of $125,000, tied for the second largest purse this year on Tour and the highest in the event’s four-year history. A tournament cut will be made after 36 holes to the low 70 scores and ties.

All 20 players in the Volvik top-20 rankings will be contending to improve their season earnings one last time. Only $670 dollars currently separate No. 10 Sara-Maude Juneau and No. 11 Jaclyn Sweeney.

Players in the current top 10 in the Volvik Race for the Card rankings set to play are No. 1 Paola Moreno, No. 2 Esther Choe, No. 3 Victoria Elizabeth, No. 4 Thidapa Suwannapura, No. 5 Mi Hyang Lee, No. 6 Julia Boland, No. 7 Jenny Gleason, No. 8 Jenny Suh, No. 9 Nicole Smith and No. 10. Sara-Maude Juneau.

Several players have already seen success at the event in years past, and this year the tournament will welcome back three past champions. Leah Wigger (2008), Misun Cho (2009) and Kristie Smith (2010) have all came out on top in Daytona Beach once before in their careers and each of them have a victory on Tour this season. Smith holds the 54-hole scoring record when she posted a 12-under par 204 over three rounds and claimed her first-career victory in 2010.

Exemptions have been awarded to Bea Serra (Barcelona, Spain) and Moriya Jutanugarn (Bangkok, Thailand) to compete this week. Serra, a senior captain on the Embry-Riddle women’s golf team, was selected through a series of team qualifying. Jutanugarn received a spot in the field by winning the South Atlantic Ladies Amateur Championship (SALLY) back in January. The Thai teen has played well at LPGA International and recently captured the First Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament earlier this month.

During tournament week this year, the first pro-am will take place Wednesday, September 26^th at 8:00 a.m. and the Michelob Ultra “A Swing for Success” Pro-Am will be held Thursday, September 27^th at 10:00 a.m.

General admission for the tournament is $10 per day at the gate, $25 for all three. Kids 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Saturday will serve as “Family Day Presented by the Daytona News-Journal" which allows free admission to families with the presentation of the promo ad found in the News-Journal.

Road to the LPGA Ends in Daytona Beach, Ten LPGA Tour Cards to be Awarded

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