With the Thanksgiving break upon us and the end of the calendar year approaching, here are 12 things that the Epson Tour is thankful for in 2016.

Epson – No place else to start this list than Epson, the company based in Bellevue, Washington that has believed in the Tour since the end of 2011 and is providing an increasingly more lucrative stage for rising stars to compete. Think about this fact – in 2012 the leading money earner on the Tour earned $55,690. Madelene Sagstrom pocketed over $100,000 more than that this past season. Epson introduced a “purse matching program” in 2015 that helped many tournaments raise their purse. The total purse for the season doubled from 2013 to 2016 and is expected to continue its ascension in 2017. The best news of all came in early 2016 when Epson announced an extension of its title sponsorship through the 2021 season.
Jim Medford and the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic – In 2013, the largest purse on the Epson Tour was $150,000. The Tour met Jim and Denise Medford, owners of Stoney Point Golf Club in Greenwood, S.C. and they immediately were sold on the value of hosting a Epson Tour event. The first year of the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic was 2014 and it became the first $200,000 purse on Tour. Fast forward to today and there are five $200,000. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Tom Walsh and the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge in South Dakota. In 2015, they increased their purse to $210,000, becoming the largest on Tour before Greenwood countered to $250,000. Jim and Tom have enjoyed this friendly rivalry and both have helped to raise the bar. You would think it is only a matter of time before the first $300,000 purse comes along.
Potawatomi nation tribes – In 2011, the Tour first introduced the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan. The tournament became the first of many Potawatomi nation tribes to sponsor Epson Tour tournaments. Now, there are four Potawatomi nation casinos that sponsor events: Four Winds Invitational, FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, Island Resort Championship and PHC Classic. All four events are played at top notch golf courses and provide first class hospitality for the players and staff. When the Tour analyzes player year-end surveys, those four events are always near the top in many categories.
Tullymore Golf Resort – Epson Tour Chief Business Officer Mike Nichols had a goal four years ago to add LPGA-like golf courses and there are many that could probably fit in No. 4 like Mystic Creek in El Dorado, Arkansas (home of Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout), but we have to give a shoutout to Tullymore Golf Resort, home of the Tullymore Classic. Golf.com just put out their list of “Top 100 Courses You Can Play, 2016-17” and Tullymore Golf Resort made the list.
Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation raising over $1 million – The 2017 season will mark the ninth year of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. What is most impressive about the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic is how much the tournament has raised for the Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation, which provides grants to local charities in Polk County. The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic has raised over $1 million dollars through the tournament – incredible. It might be even more meaningful that all the money stays local. Approximately 100 charities benefit annually.
Watching recent Epson names enjoy success on LPGA – Sometimes the narrative that is attached to the Epson Tour is that success on the Epson Tour doesn’t translate into success on the LPGA. While that is sometimes the case, there are many examples to explain a different narrative. Think about it this way, does every MLB call up from the minor leagues turn into a perennial all-star? Of course not. Brooke Henderson didn’t finish in the top 10, but you can’t argue the fact that the Epson Tour had an impact on her development as a player. Her win at the Four Winds Invitational in 2015 was a huge springboard. The 2015 Epson Player of the Year, Annie Park, had two top 10’s on the LPGA this year. Lee Lopez – another grad – had four top 30 results and easily kept her card for 2017. Did you see the year Jodi Ewart Shadoff had on the LPGA this year? She is someone that many of us are really proud of. She played in 24 Epson Tour events between 2010 and 2011 and finished 32nd on the LPGA money list this year with three top 10’s. Su Oh is another 2015 Epson Tour player that performed really well in 2016 on the LPGA. In just 22 starts, she finished 50th on the money list with a pair of top 10 results.
Players from all over the world believing in the Tour – In the last month, Madelene Sagstrom has done interviews with approximately ten different media outlets in Sweden. She is just one example of the Epson Tour growing in popularity as a place to compete and reach the LPGA around the world. LPGA boss Mike Whan gloats about the global nature of the LPGA all the time and the same can now be said for the Epson Tour. Of the top 10 this year, five nations are represented (Sweden, U.S., Thailand, Belgium and Taiwan). If you look at the top 15, add the Philippines, Canada and Germany. If you look at the top 30, add Denmark, Columbia and Australia.
30 Year Commitments from two tournaments – This day and age, what’s fresh and new carries such a large value. However, there are two tournaments on the schedule that deserve to be celebrated as much as any new event because they have supported the Tour for 30+ plus years. The Decatur-Forsyth Classic in Decatur, Illinois and the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills in Albany, New York have both gone through name and sponsor changes, but the communities have remained so loyal to the young stars. The Tour first started playing in Decatur all the way back in 1985. That’s the same year Dottie Pepper won the Albany-Colonie Chamber Open in Schenectady. In 2016, both tournaments increased their purses so even after 30+ years, the tournament organizers in both towns are still trying to push the envelope.
City of Rochester – LPGA / Epson Tour – The LPGA had this long-standing tradition of hosting one of the premier domestic events in Rochester, New York for 38 years. For many in the town, it ended in the blink of an eye when the Tour introduced the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and there was a void. Enter Mike Vadala and his passion for the Epson Tour and women’s golf in general. He had a long friendship with the late great Danielle Downey and wanted to host a tournament in her honor. This past year, his committee put on the 2nd Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic at Brook Lea and it was a major success. The event has quickly become a favorite among players because it features a $200,000 purse and because the hospitality and community support is incredible. That town just loves professional women’s golf – no other way to slice it.
IOA and John Ritenour – There is a reason why John and Valli Ritenour of IOA (Insurance Office of America) were presented with the Eloise Trainor Award at the end of the season. They stepped up when Hurricane Matthew threatened to wipe away the Epson Tour Championship and allowed the Tour to change the venue to Alaqua Country Club in the Orlando area. In 2016, IOA was the only partner outside of the entitlement partner (Epson) to sponsor two tournaments – they became the title sponsor of the IOA Championship at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in 2016. If you spend anytime around John, it’s clear that like many other tournament sponsors, he is so invested in seeing the players and Tour succeed.
Nancy Lopez – Everyone reading this probably knows the contributions that Nancy Lopez continues to have on the game well after her playing years. I’m not sure everyone knows the impact she has on the Epson Tour. This year, Nancy was at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic. She is so approachable with the young players and has a sincere desire to answer questions and be a resource. Epson Tour professional Portland Rosen posted on Instagram after playing with Lopez in Fort Myers and said “well that was the coolest and most memorable final-round of golf ever :) playing with the one and only NANCY LOPEZ!! You were such a pleasure to be with.” Rosen is one of many players that Lopez has taken under her wing.
Garden City, first to go back-to-back – Who would have thought that the first city to ever host back-to-back major professional golf tournaments for one tour would be Garden City, Kansas? Even after an unforeseen fungus at one of the courses forced the Tour to play both events at Buffalo Dunes, it was deemed a great two weeks. All the tournament organizers and members of the community appeared proud to have pulled it off. It took an army of volunteers, caddies and host families to provide the necessary amenities for the two weeks. It was also a critical junction of the year with $250,000 on the line over the two weeks. Ask Dana Finkelstein if she is thankful for Garden City. She picked up her first win and that went a long way to earning an LPGA card.

We’re just thankful this holiday season. Here is wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving break!

12 Things we are Thankful for in 2016

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