LONGWOOD, FLORIDA, October 11, 2016 - The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, is two days away from the start of the Epson Tour Championship presented by IOA at Alaqua Country Club.

The field of 108 professionals will compete for a $200,000 total tournament purse. There are 23 players with a chance to end the year in the top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to earn LPGA Tour membership for 2017.

#18 NATALIE SHEARY CONFIDENT, HAS CHEYENNE WOODS’ CADDY: Natalie Sheary (West Hartford, Connecticut) needs a win this week in order to have a chance at an LPGA Tour card and she’s confident in her preparation.

“It’s a huge week obviously and with a $200,000 purse, it is anyone’s ballgame,” said Sheary, after playing nine holes on Tuesday. “To have it on a course that a lot of us have already prepped on for a few days is really comforting. We were prepped to play this golf course last week.”

Sheary was also very thankful to IOA and Alaqua Country Club for hosting the Tour finale.

“It’s really good that we were able to find a place to play,” said Sheary. “A lot of us were worried that we were going to lose the final event. It’s nice that Alaqua and IOA were able to take us on such short notice and host such a big tournament. I was watching the news and all I saw was bad things in Daytona and I saw the Web.Com Tour cancelled and I was just thinking please don’t let it happen to us.”

Alaqua Country Club may favor Sheary, who leads the Tour in driving accuracy at 89%.

“It’s a tighter golf course than LPGA International in Daytona Beach and you have to be more accurate off the tee,” said Sheary. “But it also plays at a length that allows a lot of people in so again it makes this event really interesting.”

Sheary picked up her first win earlier this year at the W.B. Mason Championship and has had the best year of her career. She hopes to punctuate it with an LPGA Tour card.

“I approach this week like I’m going to win it,” said Sheary. “I stayed here all week, even with the hurricane, and I was fully prepped to play this golf course the first time and I was bummed. I feel ready and I don’t feel like I am scrambling.”

“I want to finish strong so all that work goes for something good,” said Sheary. “A win here would mean everything.”

Sheary’s caddy this week is Reynolds Robinson, who is the full-time caddy for Cheyenne Woods on the LPGA. Sheary and Woods both went to college at Wake Forest.

THREE+ COULD SET PREVIOUS EARNINGS RECORD: Entering the 2016 season, the 35-year single-season earnings record was $94,578 set by Cindy LaCrosse in 2010. This year, Madelene
Sagstrom broke that mark in seven starts and has since re-wrote the record books with $156,154. Jackie Stoelting became the 2nd player in Tour history to cross $95,000 with her top 10 at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout.

Ally McDonald, who has earned $91,125, could be a third player to eclipse the previous earnings record. If she finishes 13th or better, she will pass LaCrosse’s total from 2010. Don’t forget about Wichanee Meechai, who has earned $82,991 this year. If she finishes third or better, she will also pass LaCrosse.

Epson Tour Championship Presented by IOA Tuesday Pre-Tournament Notes

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