The Epson Tour concludes its three-week-long Florida swing this week as 132 players take on Atlantic Beach Country Club for the inaugural Atlantic Beach Classic. A $300,000 purse is up for grabs as are valuable points in the season-long Race for the Card, which has been expanded for the 2024 season and will see 15 players earn LPGA Tour status at the end of the year. Here are five things to know about the 2024 Atlantic Beach Classic:
Inaugural Event
The third tournament of the Epson Tour season is an inaugural event, one of just two new tournaments on the 2024 schedule. The 132-player field will be competing from Thursday to Saturday for a $300,000 purse and a winner’s share of $45,000, one of the larger purses of the Epson Tour season. A cut will be made to the top 60 and ties after Friday’s second round.
Course History
Atlantic Beach Country Club is no stranger to hosting professional golf tournaments. For three years (2016-2018), the club, located just outside of Jacksonville, Fla., held the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, crowning multiple champions that went on to play on the PGA Tour.
The Atlantic Beach Classic host site was originally known as the Selva Marina Country Club, getting a new name and redesign in 2014 by Erik Larsen. Jack Nicklaus once made an albatross on the 18th hole at the 1966 Greater Jacksonville Open.
Epson Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Shootout
On Monday of the tournament, four Epson Tour athletes paired up with four Korn Ferry Tour players and participated in a nine-hole shootout. Mariel Galdiano, Emilee Hoffman, Kim Kaufman and Alexis Phadungmartvorakul of the Epson Tour teed it up alongside the Korn Ferry Tour’s Chandler Blanchet, Cody Blick, Vince Covello and Evan Harmeling. While the just-for-fun competition was loosely scored, it most importantly brought some of the best male and female golfers in the world together at a venue that has an impressive tournament history. Throughout the nine holes, the eight athletes were able to get to know each other better and share thoughts about Atlantic Beach Country Club before the Epson Tour tees it up on Thursday.
Who’s Competing?
The Atlantic Beach Classic field is full of talent, which is no surprise on the Epson Tour. Valery Plata and Jessica Peng, who won the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and the IOA Golf Classic presented by LPT Realty, respectively, will tee it up this week, and each will be looking for their second 2024 victory. Fifteen rookies and six Florida natives are also set to compete, including Duke University’s Erica Shepherd, and Jacksonville native Amelia Lewis. The field also consists of three sponsor exemptions – Sara Mckevitt, Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth and Mikayla Fitzpatrick. Both Mckevitt and Fitzpatrick are Epson Tour members, making Connelly Eiswerth the most experienced of the group with four years of LPGA Tour membership under her belt.
Third Week of the New Points System
The Epson Tour saw two major changes to the Race for the Card heading into the 2024 season. The first change is from a money-based system to a point-based system. The points will be the same for every event, except for the season-ending event, the Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif. Additionally, the top 15 players in the Race for the Card will now earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. For more information about the updated season-long competition, please click here.
After the first two tournaments, Valery Plata leads the Race for the Card with 536 points. Jessica Peng trails close behind with 500 points after winning the IOA Golf Classic presented by LPT Realty.
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