Everyone wants to know who is “next up” when it comes to professional golf. It’s a bit like finding a music artist before they blow up or finding a good food spot before it goes viral. There is a connection you cannot quite explain, but it almost elicits a sense of pride.
When it comes to finding the next big thing in golf, you don’t need to look much further than the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. Currently, the top three players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are all Epson Tour graduates, two of whom combined for three out of five majors in 2023 and another who just won her fourth straight event in 2024.
Nelly Korda vs. Leona Maguire Match Play
No player who is in better form in the world right now than Nelly Korda. The 2016 Epson Tour graduate went into the championship match of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards searching for her fourth straight win and her third win in three consecutive weeks. The world No. 1 did just that, winning the tournament while not trailing at any point during her three rounds of match play.
Korda capped off the week with a convincing 4&3 victory over 2019 Epson Tour graduate Leona Maguire. Maguire has had success against Korda in the past, holding a 3-1 match play record in the Solheim Cup against the best player in the world, although none of those matches were in singles. So, if there was someone who could have taken down Korda at the peak of her game, it seems like it could have been Maguire. But we will have to wait until The Chevron Championship next week to see if someone will be able to dethrone the four-time champion in 2024.
Alumni and Grads in the 2024 CME Race for the Globe
Korda and Maguire are not the only players who have walked the fairways on the Epson Tour and are now finding success on the LPGA Tour in 2024. Nearly half of the players in the top 15 in the Race to the CME Globe competed for at least one season on the LPGA’s Official Qualifying Tour.
Patty Tavatanakit and Hannah Green have both found the winner’s circle in 2024, with Tavatanakit winning the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand for her second career LPGA Tour title and Green winning the 2024 HSBC Women’s World Championship for her fourth career LPGA Tour title.
Joining Tavatanakit and Green at the 2025 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions is Bailey Tardy, who became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2024 Blue Bay LPGA. Tardy spent four years on the Epson Tour before earning membership at LPGA Q-Series for the 2023 LPGA Tour season. She burst onto the scene at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, holding the 54-hole lead, but ultimately ended up in a tie for fourth. The experience seems to have paid off for Tardy, however, who has made an early impact already this season.
Augusta National Women’s Amateur
While there is much to boast about regarding the Epson Tour’s past, there is also a lot to look forward to in the organization’s future. Just last week, 72 amateurs from around the world teed it up on one the biggest stages in golf – Augusta National Golf Club. Some of those athletes have already competed on the Epson Tour as sponsor exemptions, and others are looking forward to jumpstarting their professional careers on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA.
University of Southern California freshman Bailey Shoemaker finished second in the event this year, firing a bogey-free, 6-under 66 on Saturday, the lowest round in tournament history. Shoemaker made five appearances in Epson Tour events during the 2023 season, recording a best result of T21 at the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes.
Also finishing strong, in solo third, was Louisiana State University’s Ingrid Lindblad. The Swede was the medalist at Stage II of 2023 Epson Tour and LPGA Tour Qualifying School, but she opted to remain an amateur and finish her collegiate career rather than turn professional and attend LPGA Q-Series. That decision allows Lindblad to turn professional after her final year at LSU and immediately compete on the Epson Tour. Come May or June, Lindblad will surely be a name to watch on the Epson Tour leaderboards.
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