The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, returns to Florida for the final two events of the year. After eight months of competition that spanned 14 states and 21 events, the Tour will play the IOA Golf Classic at Alaqua Country Club this week and then the Epson Tour Championship at LPGA International in Daytona Beach next week to determine which ten players will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2017 season.

The IOA Golf Classic is a 54-hole tournament that begins on Friday, October 7 and concludes on Sunday, October 9. The field of 106 professionals and two amateurs from the United States and 25 countries around the globe will compete for a total tournament purse of $100,000. The winner, excluding the amateurs, will earn $15,000. With two events left in the season, each dollar is so important for those trying to fit into the top 10.

Play will begin at 8:00 a.m. all three days of the tournament. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties after second-round play. The final-round will finish at approximately 4:45 p.m. and the trophy ceremony will follow on the 18th green.

The top 10 on the final Volvik Race for the Card money list after the final round in Daytona Beach will earn LPGA membership for 2017.

Currently, No. 9 on the money list Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.) has just a $5,013 cushion over No. 13

Augusta James (Bath, Ontario). Further, No. 10 Erica Popson (Davenport, Fla.) is just $995 in front of No. 11 Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium).

Although there are no guarantees, the top six on the money list are sitting in great position to earn an LPGA Tour card.

1. Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) - $156,184

2. Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach, Fla.) - $95, 146

3. Ally McDonald (Fulton, Miss.) - $91,125

4. Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok, Thailand) - $82,991

5. Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Ariz.) - $74,757

6. Marissa Steen (West Chester, Ohio) - $72.496

It appears that the majority of the drama will come for spots seven through ten on the money list.

7. Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (Thailand) - $68,760

8. Peiyun Chien (Chinese Taipei) - $67,577

9. Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.) - $65,334

10. Erica Popson (Davenport, Fla.) - $64,985

11. Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium) - $63,990

12. Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.) - $63,905

13. Augusta James (Bath, Ontario) - $60,321

14. Sophia Popov (Heidelberg, Germany) - $58,892

There are still plenty of other players that can move into contention this week at the IOA Golf Classic with a win or a high finish especially because the Epson Tour Championship carries a $30,000 winner’s payout.

Eight of the top 10 on the money list are in the IOA Golf Classic. No. 1 Madelene Sagstrom, who wrapped up Epson Player of the Year honors on Sunday with her third win at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout and No. 3 Ally McDonald, who has seven top 10 finishes are not in the field. Of the top 20 on the money list, 18 are in the IOA Golf Classic.

Due to the LPGA now playing limited field events in Asia, there are 34 LPGA Tour members that are in the field this week including 4-time winner Lorie Kane. There are three players in the field that have won an LPGA event: Silvia Cavalleri (2007 Corona Championship) and Charlotta Sorenstam (2000 Standard Register PING) are the other two.

This is the third year the Tour has played at Alaqua Country Club. In 2014, Kendall Dye picked up her first professional win. In 2015, Jackie Stoelting earned her second career win. Both Dye and Stoelting are in the field this week. The first year of the IOA Golf Classic (2013) was played at Innisbrook and Katy Harris won by one shot.

Alaqua Country Club will play as a par-71 at 6,117 yards.

DEFENDING IOA GOLF CLASSIC CHAMP READY FOR RETURN TO LPGA
Jackie Stoelting was lights out last year at Alaqua Country Club with three rounds of 4-under, 67 to win by two shots at 12-under, 201. Last year, Stoelting came back to the Epson Tour after a full year on the LPGA. This year, she has played the full season on the Epson Tour and ranks second on the money list with two victories and seven total top 10 finishes.

Stoelting has 27 career top 10 finishes on the Epson Tour and four total wins.

This will be the second time that Stoelting has defended a title. Last week, she finished T8 while defending her 2015 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout championship.

PLENTY OF FLORIDA CONNECTIONS INCLUDING A UCF KNIGHTS GOLFER
Each year, IOA extends one of its sponsor exemptions to a current player on the UCF women’s golf team. This year, Ashley Holder of Orlando (Lake Nona High School), got an invitation for a second straight year. Holder, a senior for the Knights, had a fantastic junior year. She was named to the American Athletic All-Conference team for a third-straight season and led the Knights for a third-straight season with a scoring average of 72.6.

“I’m so excited to play in my 2nd IOA Classic,” said Holder. “Last year’s experience was great and really gave me a lot of confidence and reassurance that I can play at the next level. I’m very grateful to IOA for the invitation.”

Holder qualified this summer to compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. She finished T39 in stroke play and advanced to the Round of 64 where she lost to Alabama star, Cheyenne Knight.

Holder had a great final two days at the IOA Golf Classic last year with back-to-back 68’s to finish in a tie for 20th at 4-under, 209.

The second sponsor exemption is Mika Liu, who also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship this summer and actually had the first-round lead. Liu, who plays at the IMG Academy, also qualified for the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open. She committed to play college golf at Stanford in 2015.

Other area players include Jessy Tang, who played college golf at UCF from 2007-2009. Tang’s rookie year on Tour was 2009. She has two career top 10 finishes on the Epson Tour. Kaitlyn Price, who was named to the American Athletic All-Conference team following her senior season at UCF in 2014, is first on the alternate list and has a good chance to squeeze into the field.

There are a total of 10 Floridians that will tee it up this week at Alaqua Country Club: Ginger Howard

(Bradenton), Nelly Korda (Bradenton), Ericka Schneider (Bradenton), Carlie Yadloczky (Casselberry), Erica Popson (Davenport), Jessy Tang (Daytona Beach), Megan McChrystal (Stuart), Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa), Casey Kennedy (Venice) and Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach).

THERE IS A SORENSTAM IN THE FIELD
Charlotta Sorenstam, the younger sister of Annika, is in the IOA Golf Classic on a sponsors exemption. Charlotta was in the field last year, but had to pull out due to injury early in the week.

Charlotta had a lot of her own playing success on the LPGA Tour during her career. She won the 2000 Standard Register PING and totaled 23 top 10 finishes. Of course, Annika is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game with 72 career LPGA wins.

WHO’S HOT NEAR THE TOP
Augusta James only moved from 14th to 13th on the money list with her tie for second, but the $8,257 in prize money brought her closer to the top 10. James has finished inside the top 10 seven times this season including in back-to-back events.

Marissa Steen, No. 6 on the money list, is coming off a T4 finish last week in Arkansas. She has four top 10 finishes since the end of July. She finished T10 in 2014 at Alaqua Country Club.

OF NOTE

There are two 2016 Olympians that will tee it up: Stephanie Meadow (Ireland) and Alejandra Llaneza (Mexico). There was originally going to be three Olympians, but Laetitia Beck (Israel) withdrew over the weekend.
Four players that finished T10 or better last year at the IOA Golf Classic earned their Tour cards (Brianna Do, Daniela Iacobelli, Dani Holmqvist and Lee Lopez).
No. 9 and No. 11 on the money list - Clariss Guce and Laura Gonzalez Escallon - each have two wins this season and both are in danger of not earning a Tour card. It’s an example of how competitive the Tour is this season.

IOA Golf Classic Top Storylines

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