After two weeks on the west coast to begin the Epson Tour season, the future stars of the LPGA Tour are ready to tee off at the sixth-annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic at Lake Wales Country Club. Practice rounds begin on Tuesday, March 18 with the first-round of the 54-hole stroke play tournament scheduled for Friday, March 21.

The stellar field of 144 professionals will aim for their share of the $125,000 purse, the fourth largest on Tour this season. The winner will take home $18,750 and take a significant step towards an LPGA Tour card for the 2015 season. There will be a cut after 36 holes.

The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic is the first of four consecutive Epson Tour events in the state of Florida. From March 28-30, the Tour moves to Longwood for the IOA Golf Classic. In late April, the Epson Tour heads to Sarasota for the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay (April 25-27). The Florida swing concludes the following week, May 2-4, in Fort Myers at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial.

The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic moves from Lake Region Yacht & Country Club to Lake Wales Country Club. Last year, Melissa Eaton fired a final-round 72 to snag her first career Epson Tour victory. Eaton is in the field aiming to defend her crown.

“I’m very excited to try and defend (my win from last year),” said Melissa Eaton. “Unfortunately, it’s a new golf course so I kind of have to start all over again preparation wise because it’s obviously different from the last course, but I am very excited.”

Eaton is currently 18th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list after two events in 2014. She finished T12 at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club and T24 at the Volvik Championship.

The former LSU golfer is carrying over the momentum she had from a near top-10 finish on the Epson Tour in 2013. She finished 13th on the money list with three top-10 results.

“I had a phenomenal year last year and I was really close week in and week out and I think I saw a lot of positives,” said Eaton. “Ultimately not getting my LPGA Tour card pushes me to improve and I’m going into this year with a lot more confidence based on the results I had last year.”

Challenging Eaton this week will be 16 players representing the Sunshine State. Below is a list of players that hail from Florida in the field.

Madison Pressel – Boca Raton
Stefanie Sherlock – Tampa
Jackie Stoelting – Vero Beach
Jessy Tang – Daytona Beach
Carlie Yadloczky – Casselberry
Jessica Alexander – Riverview
Taylor Collins – Fort Lauderdale
Lindy Duncan – Plantation
Emily Flanigan Motta – Windermere
Catherine O’Donnell – Ponte Vedra
Haley Millsap – Pace
Megan McChrystal – Stuart
Stefanie Kenoyer – Lighthouse Point
Daniela Iacobelli – Viera
Ginger Howard – Bradenton
Michelle Shin – Cape Coral

Eaton set to defend at the Florida's Natural Charity Classic

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