LONGWOOD, FLORIDA, October 10, 2016 - The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, has reached the finale of the 2016 season, the Epson Tour Championship presented by IOA, at Alaqua Country Club from Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, October 16. The Tour announced on Saturday a venue change due to Hurricane Matthew and the ensuing course conditions at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.

The Epson Tour Championship presented by IOA features a field of 108 professionals competing for a total purse of $200,000 and a winner’s payout of $30,000. At the conclusion of the tournament, the top 10 money earners on the final Volvik Race for the Card money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2017
season.

All four rounds will begin at 8:00 a.m. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties following second-round play on Friday, October 14. All four rounds will use a split-tee start and the final-round is expected to conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Based on maximum earnings of $30,000, there are 23 players that have a chance at earning an LPGA Tour card this week. Therese O’Hara, who ranks 23rd on the money list, would increase her total to $65,930 with a win, which is slightly higher than the current number ten.

As is detailed below, the chase for a spot in the top 10 is most compelling between spots seven and 14. No. 7, Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, is just $4,770 in front of No. 11 Laura Gonzalez Escallon, who is just $995 behind No. 10 Erica Popson. Further, No. 12 Nelly Korda, the younger sister of 4-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda, is only $1,080 outside the top 10.

Current Volvik Race for the Card Money List Top 15
1. Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) - $156,184
2. Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach, Florida) - $95,146
3. Ally McDonald (Fulton, Mississippi) - $91,125
4. Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok, Thailand) - $82,991
5. Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Arizona) - $74,757
6. Marissa Steen (West Chester, Ohio) - $72,496
7. Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (Thailand) - $68,760
8. Peiyun Chien (Chinese Taipei) - $67,577
9. Clariss Guce (Artesia, California) - $65,334
10. Erica Popson (Davenport, Florida) - $64,985
11. Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium) - $63,990
12. Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Florida) - $63,905
13. Augusta James (Bath, Ontario) - $60,321
14. Sophia Popov (Heidelberg, Germany) - $58,892
15. Pavarisa Yoktuan (Thailand) - $51,183

The Tour has determined that the top four players on the current Volvik Race for the Card money list have secured their LPGA Tour cards. Therefore, six spots are up for grabs this week at the Epson Tour Championship.

The field for the Epson Tour Championship features players from the United States and 24 countries around the globe.

It’s interesting to note that the winner of the Epson Tour Championship has not finished inside the top 10 each of the last three years. Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (20th), Marita Engzelius (15th) and Megan McChrystal (18th) each won the Epson Tour Championship, but did not finish with enough money to earn a Tour card. The last player to win the Tour Championship and earn a spot in the final top 10 was Daniela Iacobelli in 2012.

Alaqua Country Club is a par-71 and will play 6,117 yards, the second shortest course of the season (Capital Hills at Albany, 6,080).

HURRICANE MATTHEW LEADS TO CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES: It’s been an interesting last week plus for the Epson Tour as Hurricane Matthew made it’s way up Central Florida and the coast. Last week’s IOA Golf Classic, which was scheduled for Alaqua Country Club, was cancelled on Thursday morning. Then, on Saturday evening, the Tour announced that the final event was moving from Daytona Beach to Longwood, Florida.

Although it hasn’t been easy for players or Tour staff members, everyone is dealing with the circumstances as best they can.

Brittany Benvenuto, who ranks 17th on the money list, drove to Atlanta to stay with friends once she found out the IOA Golf Classic was cancelled.

“It has been kind of frustrating with the uncertainty of everything, but it’s been a great practice in just staying in the moment and being at peace with whatever decisions were made,” said Bevenuto. “I got to spend time with friends, play some golf and just relax.”

Benvenuto, who has stayed with LPGA employees in the past in Daytona, was sad to see the tournament unable to return.

“It is tough to watch what happened in Daytona Beach,” said Benvenuto. “It’s a real bummer we didn’t get to go back there this year. My hosts in Daytona are on vacation so I’m having to find new housing for this coming week. There were some logistics to figure out, but I’m happy to be playing our Tour Championship.”

Dana Finkelstein, who ranks 5th on the money list, moved from her hotel to a host family with some of her fellow Tour professionals before the storm hit.

“It’s never an easy decision to cancel an event and it’s devastating what happended in the Daytona area, but we are really lucky as a Tour to have Alaqua Country Club step up and host our Tour Championship,” said Finkelstein, who won the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes earlier in the year. “I was lucky enough to get two practice rounds in last week before the hurricane hit so I feel prepared to play this week. I’m just happy to get outdoors again because it has been a lot of eating and card playing over the last three days.”

Marissa Steen, who ranks sixth on the money list, left Orlando to stay with friends in Sarasota before the hurricane hit.

“It is of course not ideal, but I used the circumstances to rejuvenate for the final event of the season,” said Steen, a 3-time winner on Tour. “I feel fortunate that Alaqua is willing to host the Epson Tour Championship so all of us players are able to finish out our season on a positive note.”

The reality for many like Sophia Popov, who is 14th on the money list, is that instead of two events remaining to earn money, there is just one event left.

“This is not easy, especially because I was thinking with two events to go, I have a good shot at reaching the top ten,” said Popov. “Now it’s time to change my mindset a little. The top 10 is not impossible, so I’ll just have to give it my best.”

IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR; FROM OUTSIDE THE TOP 10 TO AN LPGA CARD: It seems to happen every single season. Someone from outside the top 10 heading into the final event, jumps into the top 10 to earn an LPGA Tour card. Of course, that also means that someone inside the top 10 falls out.

In 2015, Brianna Do moved from 12th to 3rd with a solo second place finish at the Epson Tour Championship to earn her LPGA Tour card. In 2014, Demi Runas finished in a tie for second at the championship to move from 15th to ninth.

The Tour didn’t start awarding ten cards until the 2008 season. The ten cards weren’t full exempt Tour cards until the 2012 season. Below is a look at who has moved into the top 10 at the final event.

2015: Brianna Do (12th to 3rd)
2014: Demi Runas (15th to 9th)
2013: Perrine Delacour (20th to 8th)
2012: Daniela Iacobelli (22nd to 5th) - Iacobelli won the Epson Tour Championship
2011: Jenny Gleason (11th to 9th)
2010: Hannah Jun (12th to 9th)
2009: Song Yi Choi (11th to 5th)
2008: Sophia Sheridan (12th to 9th)

MINIMUM FINISH REQUIRED FOR 11-23: Here is a look at the minimum finishes required for those on the outside looking in to possibly earn a card. Keep in mind that these don’t take into account where others finish in front of them. Also, No. 10 on the money list has earned $64,985.

Player/Rank
Current Money Minimum Finish Final Money
#11 Laura Gonzalez Escallon
$63,990 48th
$64,991
#12 Nelly Korda
$63,905 45th
$65,000
#13 Augusta James
$60,321 9th
$65,192
#14 Sophia Popov
$58,892 7th
$65,022
#15 Pavarisa Yoktuan
$51,183 3rd
$65,285
#16 Erynne Lee
$50,267 2nd
$69,630
#17 Brittany Benvenuto
$49,631 2nd
$68,994
#18 Natalie Sheary
$42,134 Win
$72,134
#19 Jessica Wallace
$40,963 Win
$70,963
#20 Paola Moreno
$38,284 Win
$68,284
#21 Dottie Ardina
$38,195 Win
$68,125
#22 Shannon Fish
$36,102 Win
$66,102
#23 Therese O’Hara
$35,930 Win
$65,930

SEASON-ENDING AWARDS UP FOR GRABS, SOME SECURED: The top honor for any Tour or league in the world, PGA and LPGA included, is the player of the year and that has already been wrapped up. Madelene Sagstrom, who has three wins and 11 top 10 finishes, has secured the Epson Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year awards.

Sagstrom has completely shattered the single-season earnings record with $156,184 in just 14 starts. For perspective, she has earned $61,038 more than anyone else on Tour. Many believe that her season stacks up with the greatest in Tour history. Below is a look at some of the great seasons in Epson Tour history.

• Grace Park (1999) - 5 wins, 9 top 10’s in ten starts
• Lorena Ochoa (2002) - 3 wins, 8 top’s in ten starts
• Inbee Park (2006) - 0 wins, 11 top 10’s in 17 starts
• Vicky Hurst (2008) - 4 wins, 9 top 10’s in 13 starts
• Mo Martin (2011) - 1 win, 11 top 10’s in 16 starts

Sagstrom will also win the Epson Swift Award, which is given to the player that ends up on top of the Volvik Race for the Card money list. Sagstrom will win $1,500 for the award plus have the chance to make a $1,000 donation in her name to the charity of her choice.

Other awards that will be handed out this week include the ANNIKA Academy Elite Athlete Award, the Epson Rising Star Award, which is given to the player that makes the biggest jump on the money list from last year to this year and the Penske Awards, which honor the top driving distance and accuracy players on Tour. The winners of the end-of-season awards will be announced as the week progresses and on Sunday.

OF NOTE
• There are eight players from the state of Florida in the Epson Tour Championship: Madison Pressel (Boca Raton), Ginger Howard (Bradenton), Nelly Korda (Bradenton), Erica Popson (Davenport), Jessy Tang (Daytona Beach), Megan McChrystal (Stuart), Casey Kennedy (Venice) and Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach).
• 16 different players have won the 21 events this year on Tour. There are four players that have won
multiple times (Madelene Sagstrom, Jackie Stoelting, Clariss Guce and Laura Gonzalez Escallon).
• Mariah Stackhouse, a former national champion at Stanford and a global ambassador for KPMG, is a sponsor exemption in the Epson Tour Championship.
• There is one former UCF Knights golfer in the field - Jessy Tang - who played for the Knights from 2007-2009.
• There are two 2016 Olympians in the field - Nicole Broch Larsen (Denmark) and Stephanie Meadow
(Ireland). Larsen has the highest Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking in the field at No. 85.

Epson Tour Championship Top Storylines

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