Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
LPGA International, Jones Course
Daytona Beach, Florida
September 15, 2014
Storylines

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., September 15, 2014 – The Epson Tour, the Road to the LPGA, closes the 2014 season this week with the Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at LPGA International, Jones Course. The 72-hole event begins on Thursday, September 18 and concludes on Sunday, September 21.

The 120-player field is competing for a total purse of $150,000, the second largest on Tour this year. The winner will receive $22,500 while second place will earn $14,088.

Most importantly, ten LPGA Tour cards will be handed out following the completion of the event to the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

The Epson Tour season started on February 21 in Mesa, Arizona at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. Six months, 19 events and 209 days will have passed when Thursday’s first round begins in Daytona Beach.

The 20 total events are the most on Tour in 13 years. Players are competing this year for $2.25 million, the largest total purse in Tour history.

There are 39 players that have a chance at an LPGA Tour card this week. If Ashley Tait, who ranks 39th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with $17,276, wins the event her total earnings would jump to $39,776, which is more than current No. 10 Veronica Felibert ($39,479).

DRAMA, 4 TOUR CARDS UP FOR GRABS: Based on the current money list and the $150,000 total purse, players one through six on the money list have secured their LPGA Tour cards for the 2015 season. However, players seven through ten have work to do this week in Daytona Beach. Mallory Blackwelder and Veronica Felibert, No. 9 and No. 10 respectively, are separated by just $8. Sara-Maude Juneau, No. 11 on the money list, is just $2,941 outside of the top-10

Current 1-6 (Secure)		Current 7-10 (Not Safe)
1. Marissa Steen	$75,348	7. Jackie Stoelting	$48,580
2. Min Seo Kwak	$68,552	8. Kendall Dye	$46,032
3. Sadena Parks	$55,232	9. Mallory Blackwelder	$39,487
4. Min Lee	$53,487	10. Veronica Felibert	$39,479
5. Wei-Ling Hsu	$53,004
6. Cindy Feng	$51,992

PROJECTIONS FOR 11-20: Here is a look at what 11-20 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list have to do in order to have a chance to move into the top-10. These are projected final earnings based on missed cuts (no additional earnings) by the top-10 and everyone else in front of the player.

Player	Earnings	Minimum Finish	Projected Final Earnings
11. Sara-Maude Juneau	$36,538	11th ($2,995)	$39,533
12. Lee Lopez	$36,115	9th ($3,531)	$39,646
13. Lindy Duncan	$36,063	9th ($3,531)	$39,594
14. Brittany Altomare	$33,864	5th ($6,435)	$40,299
15. Demi Runas	$33,223	5th ($6,435)	$39,658
16. Emily Talley	$32,747	4th ($7,963)	$40,710
17. Nicole Vandermade	$31,896	4th ($7,963)	$39,859
18. Olivia Jordan-Higgins	$30,887	3rd ($10,255)	$41,142
19. Laura Gonzalez-Escallon	$28,983	2nd ($14,088)	$43,071
20. Madison Pressel	$27,909	2nd ($14,088)	$41,997

Players 21 through 39 must win the event ($22,500) in order to have a chance to get inside the top-10. A second place finish would not be enough for No. 21 Maude-Aimee Leblanc ($25,229).

STOELTING HAS ONE OF MOST CONSISTENT YEARS: Jackie Stoelting hasn’t secured her LPGA Tour yet, but she has already pieced together one of the more consistent years in Tour history. Without the benefit of a win, she has accumulated $48,580.

The last player to earn more money without a win was Gerina Mendoza in 2010 ($53,408).

Stoelting has six top-10 finishes and has made the cut in 17 of 18 events played. She has finished inside the top-20 eleven times.

Since her first year (2010), she has dropped her scoring average from 74.94 to 71.83, which ranks eighth on Tour.

Since 1999 (Highest Earnings Without Win)

Gerina Mendoza (2010) - $53,408
In-bee Park (2006) - $49,079
Jackie Stoelting (2014) - $48,580
Jane Rah (2011) - $46,669

Stoelting has 17 career top-10 finishes including three second-place results.

BIG JUMPS LAST TWO YEARS: This year marks the third year in a row that the last event of the year will take place at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. Each of the last two years, a player outside the top-10 entering the event has used a strong finish to get their LPGA Tour card.

Last year, Perrine Delacour finished in solo second at 11-under 277 and went from 20th to eighth to get her Tour card.

In 2012, Daniela Iacobelli, who is in the field this week, won and vaulted from 22nd to fifth to get her Tour card.

In fact, in each of the last seven years, a player from outside the top-10 has moved into the top-10 after the final event of the year. The last time a player outside the top-10 was not able to jump into the top-10 after the final event was 2006.

EXPECT LOW NUMBERS THIS WEEK: Low numbers will be a must this week in order to win the Epson Tour Championship. Last year, Megan McChrystal carded a four-day total of 13-under 275 to win the event. In 2012, Daniela Iacobelli won with a three-day total of 11-under 205.

The low round of the tournament last year was a 7-under 65 in the third round by P.K. Kongkraphan.

STEEN CAN BREAK EPSON TOUR EARNINGS RECORD: If Marissa Steen wins the Epson Tour Championship, she will set the all-time (34 years) Epson Tour single-season earnings mark currently held by Cindy LaCrosse, who earned $94,578 in 2010.

The winner’s payout of $22,500, would put Steen at $97,848.

Current Top-8 in Single-Season Earnings

Cindy LaCrosse (2010) - $94,578
Vicky Hurt (2008) - $93,107
Mina Harigae (2009) - $88,386
Beth Bauer (2001) - $81,529
Kim Mindy (2008) - $79,270
Jean Reynolds (2009) - $76,647
Song-Hee Kim (2006) - $76,287
Marissa Steen (2014) - $75,348

If Steen wins, it would be her fourth win of the season. Beth Bauer in 2001 is the last Epson Tour player to win four events in a season.

Steen became the ninth player to win three or more times in a single-season when she won the Eagle Classic in Richmond. She has ten top-10 finishes and ranks first in scoring average (71.116), first in greens in regulation (80%) and 11th in driving accuracy (82%).

EPSON TOUR PRODUCES BIGGER EARNINGS IN 2014: In 2013, no player earned $50,000. P.K. Kongkraphan led the Tour in earnings with $47,283. This year, six players have already eclipsed $50,000 and all six will play on the LPGA Tour next year. The last time that the Epson Tour had six players earn $50,000 in a single-season was 2010.

If one more player can get over $50,000, it will be the first time since at least 1999 that seven players earned over $50,000 in a season. Stoelting is the closest with $48,580.

EPSON PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE: The player that earns the most money at the end of the season is honored as the Epson Player of the Year. Although No. 1 Marissa Steen ($75,348) is in the driver’s seat, the award is still up for grabs.

If Steen misses the cut and doesn’t earn money, Min Seo Kwak ($68,552) would jump her with a solo fourth place finish or better. If Kwak wins the event, she will be the Epson Player of the Year even if Steen finishes second.

Sadena Parks, No. 3 on the money list ($55,232), and Min Lee, No. 4 ($53,487) both must win the event in order to jump Steen.

The Epson Player of the Year wins $3,500 plus a $1,000 donation in their name to the charity of the player’s choice.

EPSON RISING STAR AWARD: The Epson Rising Star Award is given annually to the player that makes the biggest jump on the money list from one year to the next.

The Epson Rising Star receives $3,500 and a $1,000 donation in their name to the charity of the player’s choice.

Below is a look at six top candidates to win the award.

Player	‘13 Rank	‘13 Earned	‘14 Rank	‘14 Earned	Difference
Sadena Parks	99th	$3,600	3rd	$55,232	96
Mallory Blackwelder	95th	$3,866	9th	$39,487	86
Min Seo Kwak	68th	$6,847	2nd	$68,552	66
Hye-Min Kim	74th	$6,009	22nd	$24,852	52
Molly Aronsson	78th	$5,052	28th	$21,965	50
Nicole Vandermade	48th	$11,374	17th	$31,896	31

GAELLE TRUET ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RACE: The Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year award is given to the Epson Tour rookie that earns the most money.

With her win last week in Garden City, Min Lee ($53,487) jumped in front of Cindy Feng ($51,992), who is not playing this week.

Lee Lopez is currently third amongst rookies with $36,115. Lopez will need to win the event to jump Lee.

Demi Runas ($33,223) also has a chance to bump Lee with a win.

The award is named after Gaelle Truet, who played on the Duramed FUTURES Tour from 2004-2006 before she died tragically in a car accident.

14 PLAYERS FROM STATE OF FLORIDA: There are 14 players from the Sunshine State that will tee it up in the Epson Tour Championship this week.

The players from Florida are Carlie Yadloczky (Casselberry), Catherine O’Donnell (Ponte Vedra), Courtney Harter (Clearwater), Daniela Iacobelli (Viera), Ginger Howard (Bradenton), Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach), Jessica Alexander (Riverview), Jessy Tang (Orlando), Lauren Mielbrecht (Gulf Stream), Lindy Duncan (Plantation), Madison Pressel (Boca Raton), Michelle Shin (Cape Coral), Stefanie Kenoyer (Lighthouse Point) and Taylor Collins (Fort Lauderdale).

There are also three players from outside the state that went to college in Florida. Carolin Pinegger (Schladming, Austria) went to the University of Central Florida, Lacey Agnew (Jonesboro, Ga.) went to Florida State and Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) went to UCF.

THREE UCF KNIGHTS IN THE FIELD: Three players that played college golf at UCF are in the field. Carolin Pinegger, Jessy Tang and Stephanie Connelly will play less than an hour from where they went to college.

Pinegger, who is on the new Big Break Myrtle Beach, graduated from UCF in 2013 and was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team following the 2012 season. She was a team captain during her senior season. She ranks 137 on the Epson Tour money list.

Tang, who turned professional in 2009, recorded four top-20 finishes while at UCF and was named to the 2008 All-Conference USA Second Team. She finished in a tie for 11th at the ’08 Conference USA Championship. The 25-year-old ranks 119th on the money list with one top-10 finish this year.

Connelly, who graduated in 2009, won the NorthShore Shootout during her senior year at UCF. She was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team. Connelly ranks 81st on the money list with a tie for fifth at the Eagle Classic in Richmond.

FOUR PAST BIG BREAKERS WILL HAVE CHANCE AT LPGA CARD: Four players that have appeared as cast members of Golf Channel’s reality show Big Break have a chance to receive their LPGA Tour cards this week.

Sadena Parks, who appeared on this year’s Big Break Florida, is currently third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and has already secured an LPGA card for 2015.

Jackie Stoelting, who won Big Break Florida, is currently seventh on the money list and has a great chance to get her Tour card.

Mallory Blackwelder, who was a cast member on Big Break Ireland and Big Break NFL Puerto Rico, is ninth on the money list entering the finale.

Emily Talley, who was on Big Break Mexico and won Big Break NFL Puerto Rico, is 17th on the money list in need of a strong result to get her LPGA Tour card.

CHEYENNE WOODS BACK FROM EVIAN: Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, will be in the field for the final event of the year. She has played in 13 Epson Tour tournaments this year with 12 cuts made and one top-10 finish. She currently ranks 58th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Woods did not play in the two events in Kansas to prepare for the Evian Championship in France, the third LPGA Tour major that she has played in this year (U.S. Women’s Open and RICOH Women’s British Open).

Woods missed the cut at the Evian Championship by just two strokes.

Her best finish on the Epson Tour is a tie for fifth at the Decatur-Forsyth Classic.

Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Top Storylines

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