The Epson Tour makes its seventh stop of the 2024 season this week in Hurricane, Utah for the Copper Rock Championship. This is the fourth edition of the event to be held at Copper Rock Golf Course, and a share of a $250,000 purse is up for grabs. Here are five things to know about the 2024 Copper Rock Championship:
Vilaubi Defends Title
Savannah Vilaubi is one of three athletes so far this season who is returning to a tournament to defend their title. Just like Miranda Wang at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa and Gigi Stoll at the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic, Vilaubi is looking to go back-to-back at Copper Rock Golf Course. The 30-year-old is currently three-for-three in cuts made during the 2024 season, with a season-best T34 finish at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa. Along with Vilaubi, 2022 Copper Rock Championship winner Dottie Ardina will also look for her second win in Hurricane, Utah.
Four Amateurs Earned Sponsor Exemptions
Each week, the Epson Tour sees most of the same faces as over 150 athletes compete in the Race for the Card, racking up as many points as possible in hopes it’ll be enough to get them to the LPGA Tour in 2025. But this week, four new faces, still in their amateur career, were invited to tee it up for experience on the big stage. Read more about the four sponsor exemptions here.
The Stakes Have Increased
More money is on the line this season at the Copper Rock Championship. When the event started in 2021, athletes were competing for $200,000 with a winner’s share of $30,000. In 2024, the stakes have increased, with $250,000 on the line and a winner’s check of $37,500. Copper Rock’s continuous improvement sets their event apart from others and leads the way, encouraging the growth of the game.
There’s a Course Record to be Broken
The 18-hole and 54-hole scoring records were broken in 2023, and three of the four athletes to do so are in the field in 2024. Savannah Vilaubi and Su Oh share the 18-hole scoring record of 9-under, 63. Vilaubi broke the previous record first with a hot opening round, while Oh tied Vilaubi’s new record during the final round, jumping up the leaderboard.
The 54-hole record of 15-under, 201 belongs to Vilaubi, Jenny Coleman and Therese Warner. The trio ended up in a two-hole playoff in 2023, with Vilaubi coming out on top. Along with Vilaubi, Warner will compete in the 2024 event.
A Past Champion is Now an LPGA Tour Winner
The inaugural Copper Rock Championship winner, Bailey Tardy, has moved up to the LPGA Tour and recently found herself in the winner’s circle. In March, the 27-year-old captured her first win on the big stage at Blue Bay LPGA in the People’s Republic of China. Tardy’s only win on the Epson Tour was the 2021 Copper Rock Championship.
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