Each and every week, professional golfers sweat about making the cut and advancing to the weekend, which ultimately determines whether or not you get paid that week. With fierce competition on the Epson Tour, it’s not always an easy feat, but Robyn Choi made it look that way this season. The Australian played 21 of 22 tournaments on the 2023 schedule and made the cut in all of them, a pretty impressive feat considering the talent on the Epson Tour.
But, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to propel her into the Race for the Card top 10 and earn her LPGA Tour Membership for the 2024 season. Choi finished 12th on the Official Money List with $92,258 in season earnings – just over $3,000 short of 10th place. However, a finish in the top 35 guaranteed the 25-year-old automatic entry into LPGA Q-Series in Mobile, Ala., giving her one more chance at LPGA Tour Membership.
“It hurt when I finished 12th. At the end of the day, it was only a couple of shots if I added them up throughout the whole season,” said Choi. “But it is what it is, and it kicks me to try really hard here. Trying really hard in golf doesn’t help either, so I’m trying to balance that out. That’s the main key for me right now.”
And while that 12th-place finish stung in the moment, it ultimately put some money back in Choi’s pocket, something she’s now grateful for as the end of the year looms. Thanks to Seiko Epson Corporation, athletes who finished in between 11-35 on the Epson Tour’s Official Money List had their $2,500 fee covered by the Tour’s title sponsor, something that goes a long way for players like Choi.
“The entry fee this week isn’t cheap, although I didn’t miss a cut and was continuously making money out on the Epson Tour. I’m from Australia and go back and forth, so with flights and accommodations, it really builds up, especially for this week,” said Choi. “$2,500 is big money, and if I can save that, I’ll be grateful. I’m just thankful for the opportunity they’ve given us.”
As she prepares to tee it up at LPGA Q-Series this week, Choi is thinking hard about her game plan for the unique event that will see the field play 108 holes over six days. The Aussie will need to maintain her consistency throughout the six rounds, something she feels did well during the regular season and plans to be intentional with how she’s using her energy, a critical factor with LPGA Tour Membership on the line.
“I think the biggest thing is to not waste my energy too much,” said Choi. “Obviously, it’s an important tournament this week, and we all want to try hard to play well, but over-practicing and overdoing stuff doesn’t help in this game. I’m going to stick to my normal routine, as if it were a three-dayer or four-dayer, and add an extra two days onto that.”
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