The Epson Tour is quickly approaching the halfway point of the season, recently completing the tenth of 22 tournaments – the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan. Over six events, four players have kept their spots in the coveted top 10, while six others have made their way into the mix. With 12 events left on the schedule, the Race for the Card continues to be anyone's game.
Remaining in the top five were Gabriela Ruffels, who also holds her previous No. 1 ranking, Natasha Andrea Oon, Gigi Stoll, Agathe Laisne and Kathleen Scavo. Ruffels claimed her second win of the season at the Garden City Charity Classic, giving her over a $32,000 lead to becoming Player of the Year. Scavo started the season in the top 10, fell out, and then rejoined the mix after a T5 finish at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.
"It feels good to be number one on the money list currently," said Ruffels. "I definitely feel like I have played solid golf throughout the first half of the season. There's still a long season ahead, and I'm looking forward to trying to maintain this position towards the end of the season."
New names in the Race for the Card include Jenny Coleman, Savannah Vilaubi, Roberta Liti, Jiwon Jeon and Alena Sharp. Coleman, Jeon, Sharp and Vilaubi earned their spots in the top 10 through their first Epson Tour victories at the IOA Golf Classic presented by LPT Realty, Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship, Champions Fore Change Invitational and Copper Rock Championship, respectively. While Liti is still itching for a win, her three consecutive top-10 finishes in three weeks pushed her into the Race for the Card.
"It was a great stretch. It built up my confidence, especially on my putting, and mostly I had a lot of fun on the course, which is something I have struggled with in the past," said Liti. "Going into the rest of the season, I think my key will be to keep having a lot of fun on the course and just play the game I have been playing until now. The rest will take care of itself."
Below is a look at the top 10 following the fourth event of the 2023 Epson Tour season.
- Gabriela Ruffels; Melbourne, Australia | Season Earnings: $96,149 | Weekly Change: No change
- Natasha Andrea Oon; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Season Earnings: $63,736 | Weekly Change: Up 1 spot
- Gigi Stoll; Beaverton, Oregon | Season Earnings: $63, 560 | Weekly Change: Down 1 spot
- Jenny Coleman; Rolling Hills Estates, California | Season Earnings: $60,264 | Weekly Change: No change
- Agathe Laisne; Paris, France | Season Earnings: $57,699 |Weekly Change: No change
- Savannah Vilaubi; Downey, California | Season Earnings: $52,768 | Weekly Change: Up 3 spots
- Roberta Liti; Siena, Italy |Season Earnings: $52,056 | Weekly Change: Down 1 spot
- Jiwon Jeon; Daegu, Republic of Korea | Season Earnings: $47,975 | Weekly Change: Down 1 spot
- Alena Sharp; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | 2023 Season Earnings: $46,357| Weekly Change: Down 1 spot
- Kathleen Scavo; Bencia, California | Season Earnings: $42,973 |Weekly Change: Up 1 spot
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