The Epson Tour is gearing up for the final stretch of tournaments, one that will serve as a perfect lead-up to the highly anticipated conclusion of the 2025 season in Indian Wells, Calif. The Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA is heading down south for the two events that remain ahead of the Epson Tour Championship.

These two tournaments in Alabama and Arkansas are not just any events, however. They are some of the most crucial ones of the year, as they are the last few chances that Epson Tour athletes have to make a move in the Race for the Card rankings. The end of this upcoming stretch will determine who’s still in the hunt for an LPGA Tour card and who will be competing in the LPGA Qualifying Series for a second chance at securing Tour status, setting the stage for an exciting and dramatic Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells.

Guardian Championship | Prattville, Alabama | September 12-14

Course: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill – Senator Course
Purse: $250,000
Winner Check: $37,500

The Guardian Championship takes place at the Senator Course at RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill, one of three top-tier public courses available on-site. This event is entering its seventh year and saw Fatima Fernandez Cano lift the trophy in 2024. Cano went on to finish third in the 2024 Race for the Card standings and has played on the LPGA Tour for much of this season.

Michaela Morard is the only Alabama native in the field at the Guardian Championship. Morard competed collegiately at the University of Alabama during her freshman season and has nine Alabama Golf Association State titles on her resume. The 2025 Epson Tour rookie will look to secure a top finish in home territory as the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA competes in the Cotton State for the first time this season.

There will be a total of seven local college graduates in this year’s field from both the University of Alabama and Auburn University, including Auburn alum and 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Megan Schofill.

Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout | El Dorado, Arkansas | September 19-21

Course: Mystic Creek Golf Club
Purse: $300,000
Winner Check: $45,000

The Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout is the penultimate event of the 2025 Epson Tour season. It boasts the second-largest purse of the year, second only to the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic.

Mystic Creek Golf Club is ranked as the No. 1 course in Arkansas by Golfweek and will surely be an exciting setting for this event, one that is a true test of all aspects of an athlete’s game, as the winning score has been double digits under par only three times in the nine previous editions of this tournament.

The Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout is a launchpad for the LPGA, seeing as the last two champions, Natasha Andrea Oon (2023) and Jenny Bae (2024), both earned their Tour cards following their wins. So far in 2025, Bae has made 11 cuts in 16 starts and earned two top-10 finishes in her debut season on the LPGA Tour.

University of Arkansas alum Julia Gregg is looking for a solid week of golf in a familiar state, as she currently sits at No. 42 in the Race for the Card standings, just under 400 points outside of the top 15. A win would give Gregg the boost she needs to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2026 season, as it would likely propel her into at least the top 20 of the rankings.

Up Next on the Epson Tour: The Final Stretch

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