Not too long ago, there was a time when Lindsey McCurdy wasn't sure she'd play another golf tournament. Now, early in the 2024 season, she's three-for-three in cuts made, has a second-place finish and is No. 6 in the Race for the Card standings.
Late in the 2021 season, McCurdy started noticing a change in how she felt—taking a step away from the game and returning home to see a doctor led to a Crohn's Disease diagnosis, leaving the Southern Methodist University alumna uncertain about her future. Over the last few years, McCurdy has learned how to manage her illness on and off the golf course and has returned to playing full seasons on the Epson Tour. Her perspective of a good result changed from numbers on a scorecard to playing to the best of her ability and her peers noticed, voting her the 2022 Heather Wilbur Spirit Award recipient.
"I know that it was not that long ago that I didn't think I was going to be able to keep playing, and even really felt like I had a normal life ahead of me," said McCurdy. "So just to be in this position, it's just that much sweeter. And I really am truly happy with where I am right now.
"It's still been a battle, honestly. You know, my disease is chronic, so I'm still dealing with just trying to maintain remission and feeling good, especially when you're on the golf course. But that's one thing I focused really hard on this offseason I was focusing on my health and golf. I feel like it's paying off, which is a good feeling. And I'm still staying really dedicated and motivated to really just golf and health. Those are my two priorities right now. I feel like it's been showing, so that's really nice to see."
The Texas native opened her seventh Epson Tour season with three straight cuts made and a best result of second place at the IOA Golf Classic presented by LPT Realty. Thanks to her solid play and the change to a points-based ranking, McCurdy also found herself in the top 15 after the three-week Florida swing, ranking sixth. Despite being early in the season, the 29-year-old is on her way to achieving her goal of finishing 2024 in the top 15 and earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2025 season, the first time in her career.
"Last year, I finished 38th and had a good year, but I did feel like I left a lot out there. So I felt like I had some motivation this offseason to kind of work on the weaknesses and come into the season with the mindset of finishing up top where, like we were talking about in the past, I kind of was like just trying to survive and enjoy it because I didn't know how long I was going to have or be able to play," said McCurdy. Now that I feel like I have all that under control, it's like I can finally focus on this, and it feels really good. I do feel like I can do what I want to do all this time. It's paying off."
McCurdy tees it up at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa this week, going off No. 10 at 1:04 pm PT on Friday.
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