DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, October 2, 2017 - The Epson Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, is in Daytona Beach for the final event of the 2017 season. The top 10 money-earners at the end of the Epson Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour cards for the 2018 season.

The Epson Tour Championship is a 72-hole tournament that starts on Thursday, October 5 and concludes on Sunday, October 8. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties following second-round play on Friday, October 6.

After 21 events in 14 states around the country, the top 108 rising stars in women’s golf are at LPGA International to vie for a share of the $200,000 purse and the winner’s payout of $30,000. The field includes players from the United States and 23 countries around the globe.

Play will start at 8:00 a.m. all four rounds. The final-round will be broadcast on Facebook Live from 1:00-3:00 p.m. with host Amy Rogers and analyst Gail Graham, a two-time LPGA Tour winner.

The battle to get into the top 10 will be as fierce as ever. While the top 10 has created more separation from the rest than in years past, everyone in the top 23 still has a mathematical chance to finish inside the top 10. If No. 23 on the money list, Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.), wins the $30,000 she would move to $61,914, which is $114 more than No. 10, Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.), has currently earned. Talley is $7,639 in front of No. 11 Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador).

The Epson Tour Championship is the sixth event in a row for the Tour. The grueling stretch started in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 31.

As you would expect, the field is incredibly strong with all the top players fighting for a spot in the top 10 or a chance to skip Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament (top 15 after the top 10 excluding LPGA Tour members). The top 23, all with a fighter’s chance to make the top 10, are in the field. In fact, the top 30 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list are all in the field.

Additionally, there are 26 current LPGA Tour members in the field.

There are also nine players in the field from Florida: Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne), August Kim (Saint Augustine), Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa), Alexandra Newell (Tampa), Catherine O’Donnell (Ponte Vedra), Erica Popson (Davenport), Madison Pressel (Boca Raton), Sierra Sims (Tampa) and Carlie Yadloczky (Casselberry).

The Epson Tour has played the Tour Championship at LPGA International since 2012. Daniela Iacobelli won the inaugural event at LPGA International to earn her Tour card. She is back in the field this week. Megan McChrystal won in 2013, Marita Engzelius won in 2014 and Sherman Santiwiwatthanphong won in 2015. Nicole Broch Larsen won the Tour Championship in 2016, which was played at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood due to Hurricane Matthew.

WHO’S LOCKED FOR THE LPGA

The Epson Tour has determined that the top five on the Volvik Race for the Card money list - No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen and No. 5 Erynne Lee - have already secured their LPGA Tour cards for 2018. Regardless of what they do this week, they are safe to finish in the top 10.

Here is information on all five.

Benyapa Niphatsophon, 20, Bangkok, Thailand - She finished in the top 10 in 11 of 19 starts with five second place finishes. She has not won this season, which makes her position atop of the money list even more impressive. Niphatsophon has five second place finishes and ranks second on Tour with a 69.933 scoring average. Her nickname is “Gift”.

Celine Boutier, 23, Montrouge, France - She won two of the biggest purses on Tour this year - the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge. She is as consistent as they come and has made the cut in 18 of 19 starts. She was the 2013-14 WGCA National Player of the Year at Duke.

Hannah Green, 20, Perth, Australia - She captured her third victory on Monday at the IOA Golf Classic and also won the Sara Bay Classic and the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout. She has 11 top 10 finishes. Green has become good friends with Karrie Webb and grew up playing junior golf with Minjee Lee. She finished second to Lydia Ko at the 2015 New Zealand Women’s Open.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 22, Copenhagen, Denmark - She won her third tournament in just her 11th start of the season. Koerstz Madsen played in three LPGA events this year through her Battlefield Promotion. She won on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2016 and represented Denmark at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Erynne Lee, 24, Silverdale, Washington - She won twice this year at the Donald Ross Centennial Classic and the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship and has six top 10 finishes. She won her first event on the Epson Tour to start the 2016 season, but did not win again until the middle of this year. She didn’t notch a top 10 finish in the first seven events and then dad, Brian, came out on her bag and things changed for the better. Lee’s mom passed away in 2011 while she was a freshman at UCLA.

11-23 HAVE A CHANCE AT A TOUR CARD

Every year, someone from outside the top 10 jumps into the top 10 at the final event. There are 13 players currently outside the top 10 that have a chance to spoil the party for someone inside the top 10.

Here is a look at what players 11 through 23 must do to have a chance. The projections are based on solo finishes and a cut of exactly 60 players. It also assumes that players in the top 10 don’t earn money.

RANKING	PLAYER	MONEY EARNED	MINIMUM FINISH	NEW TOTAL
11	Daniela Darquea	$54,161	5th ($8,857)	$63,018 (10th)
12	Sophia Popov	$49,507	3rd ($14,102)	$63,609 (9th)
13	Kendall Dye	$48,087	3rd ($14,102)	$62,189 (10th)
14	Paola Moreno	$45,591	2nd ($19,363)	$64,954 (9th)
15	Elizabeth Szokol	$45,058	2nd ($19,363)	$64,421 (9th)
16	Ruixin Liu	$37,329	Win ($30,000)	$67,329 (9th)
17	Kim Welch	$37,975	Win ($30,000)	$67,975 (9th)
18	Daniela Iacobelli	$35,607	Win ($30,000)	$65,607 (9th)
19	Caroline Inglis	$34,754	Win ($30,000)	$64,754 (9th)
20	Allison Emrey	$32,908	Win ($30,000)	$62,908 (10th)
21	Brittany Marchand	$32,638	Win ($30,000)	$62,638 (10th)
22	Liv Cheng	$31,965	Win ($30,000)	$61,965 (10th)
23	Laura Wearn	$31,914	Win ($30,000)	$61,314 (10th)

HISTORY MADE WITH THREE PLAYERS OVER $100K

For the first time in the 37-year history of the Epson Tour, three players have earned over $100,000 in a single-season. Niphatsophon ($109,736), Boutier ($108,690) and Green ($105,054) have all crossed six-figures. There are five other players that have a chance to cross $100,000 this week.

Niphatsophon, Boutier and Green are just the third, fourth and fifth players in the history of the Tour to earn at least $100,000. In 2016, Madelene Sagstrom ($167,064) and Ally McDonald ($110,359) became the first two.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE IS ONE TO FOLLOW

The coveted Epson Player of the Year award, given annually to the player that finishes atop the money list, is down to four. No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon has earned $1,046 more than No. 2 Boutier. No. 3 Green is just $4,682 short of Niphatsophon. No. 4 Koerstz Madsen can only win the Epson Player of the Year award with a win. She is $22,363 behind Niphatsophon.

If Niphatsophon happens to miss the cut, Boutier can surpass her with a 46th place finish.

Niphatsophon has only missed one cut this season.

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon	$109,736
2. Celine Boutier	$108,690
3. Hannah Green	$105,054
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen	$87,272

GAELLE TRUET ROOKIE OF THE YEAR IS DOWN TO THREE

While Niphatsophon is a first-year Epson Tour player, she played on the LPGA in 2016 and is not technically a Epson Tour rookie. Therefore, Celine Boutier is in the driver’s seat to win the Gaelle Truet Rookie of the year. Hannah Green is just $3,636 behind Boutier. Nanna Koerstz Madsen is in the mix, but she must win in order to have any chance.

2. Celine Boutier	$108,690
3. Hannah Green	$105,054
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen	$87,272

Rookies have been a major story this season on the Epson Tour. There are currently five rookies in the top 10 and nine of the top 20 are rookies. The rookie class has accounted for 11 wins.

FORMER DAYTONA STATE GOLFER TIFFANY CHAN HAVING SOLID ROOKIE YEAR

Tiffany Chan, No. 28 on the money list, can’t get her LPGA Tour card this week, but she can finish off a very solid rookie season on Tour in a familiar spot. Chan started her college career at Daytona State in 2014 and won back-to-back NJCAA individual national titles. She won 15 times in two years and was ‘inducted into the Daytona State Hall of Fame in 2015.

Chan transferred to USC and finished her career with the Trojans in 2017. She has four top 10 finishes in 12 starts since joining the Tour in June.

Chan represented Hong Kong at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

HISTORY SAYS SOMEONE WILL FALL OUT

Every year dating back to 2008, someone from outside the top 10 has jumped into the top 10 at the final event of the year.

2016: Laura Gonzalez Escallon (11th to 5th) and Nelly Korda (12th to 9th)

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)

Last year, Gonzalez Escallon and Korda had strong finishes at the Epson Tour Championship to supplant players that were in the top 10 at the start of the week. Gonzalez Escallon finished third while Korda finished T6 and it came down to the very last round of the season as Gonzalez Escallon shot a 67 and Korda carded a 66.

THINGS GOING ON AT THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

There is a ton to keep an eye on this week at the Epson Tour Championship. Here are a few of note.

Erynne Lee will be a guest on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive on Tuesday at 8:40 a.m. live from the Orlando studios. Co-host Damon Hack, a fellow UCLA graduate, will interivew Lee about her season and get her thoughts on heading to the LPGA in 2018.
Golf Channel co-host Charlie Rymer will emcee the pairings party at the Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday night in the 500 Club. Bailey Mosier of Golf Channel will emcee the Card Ceremony on Sunday at LPGA International.
There is a junior clinic on Saturday at 11 a.m. at LPGA International.
All the proceeds from the Monday-after Michelob Ultra Swing for Success charity tournament will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Volusia and Flagler county (Oct. 9).

OF NOTE

The last player to win four times in a single-season was Vicky Hurst in 2008. Green and Koerstz Madsen each have three wins entering the Tour Championship.
There are seven countries currently represented in the top 10. For perspective, there were only four countries represented in the final top 10 last year.
There are four players in the top 10 representing the United States. For comparison, in 2010, eight of the final top 10 were from the U.S. The Tour has become much more global in the last seven years.

Top Storylines for the Epson Tour Championship

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