The first round of the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells was nothing short of sensational. Today’s 18 holes of play saw holes-in-one made in back-to-back groups, two bogey-free 7-under rounds and 50 players break par on a steamy day at Indian Wells Golf Resort. Clariss Guce and Hailee Cooper turned in the two 7-under 64s, while there are four 2024 Epson Tour champions within three shots of the lead trying to track the pair down.

Guce took on the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort first, playing in the opening group of the tournament. She took advantage of the fresh course conditions, recording a 5-under 30 on her first nine holes, which included three birdies and an eagle. Guce kept the train rolling on the back, making birdie to start her back nine and then following it up with six straight pars. One more birdie on the gettable par-5 17th hole moved the two-time Epson Tour champion to 7-under on the day, and she parred 18 to close out her round.

“I think the putter is really, really good. Started off the day making a 50-footer,” said Guce. “It was just a fun day, good group. And it was a very, very fun group to be with. I think everybody shot great today. So definitely vibed after that. It's very nice to be with friendly people out there, and it helps, especially on a hot day like this.”

Cooper put together a unique opening round, not making back-to-back birdies on the day, but still signing for a 7-under 64. She alternated par-birdie for her first 10 holes, getting to 5-under for the round after 10. The Epson Tour rookie cooled off on holes 11-14, making pars over the course of that four-hole stretch. No. 15 is when the birdies returned, as Cooper rolled in her birdie try on the par 4. She finished the day with one more birdie on No. 17, turning in a blemish-free and moving into a tie for the lead heading into round two.

“I woke up this morning and I was in a really good mood, and I got to sleep in a little bit,” explained Cooper. “I was very positive going into the day. I started off really strong, hitting a lot of fairways and a lot of greens, and I was birdieing every other hole. I was like par-birdie, par-birdie for the first 10 holes. So, I was feeling good. I had a good day overall, hitting the ball really well and making putts that I felt like I should have made. I'm seeing the lines really well.”

Lauren Stephenson, Amelia Garvey, Yurika Tanida and Alana Uriell all carded 5-under 66s to be the next closest to the leaders. Of the four athletes, Stephenson and Uriell are both looking for their second career win on the Epson Tour. Stephenson picked up her first professional win earlier this year at the Twin Bridges Championship, while Uriell took home her first career win in 2019 at the SKYiGOLF Championship.

The second round of the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells will begin at 7:45 a.m. local time, with players teeing off holes 1 and 11. A cut will be made at the conclusion of round two to the top-60 and ties. Ten cards remain up for grabs as the Epson Tour’s season wraps up, with players still vying to secure LPGA Tour Membership for the 2025 season.

Hailee Cooper, Clariss Guce Tied at the Top in Indian Wells after Round One

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