Virtual golf provides real opportunity for female athletes in Trackman simulators

The Epson Tour and the NEXT Golf Tour powered by Trackman are launching a groundbreaking partnership to create significantly more off-season opportunities for female golfers, a time when traditional competition options are limited. This collaboration brings new relevance and responsiveness to the women’s game, offering a genuine route for career-shaping moments.

The partnership is built around unlocking competition, visibility and advancement for women all year round. Through NEXT’s virtual competition platform, female professionals and elite amateurs will have the chance to continue to compete for meaningful purses and real pressure from November through February. The top performer will then earn direct playing opportunities on the Epson Tour in the summer, turning off-season performance into real-world opportunity.

“Earning a spot to compete amongst some of the best in the world on the Epson Tour is an incredibly tough journey, and we are constantly looking for ways to give athletes more opportunities to compete and grow. To have Trackman host the NEXT Golf Tour for the players chasing that dream is incredible. With the accuracy of technology today, the fairways may be virtual, but the pressure, the competition, and the skill it takes to win are absolutely real,” said Craig Kessler, LPGA commissioner.

“Golf has entered a new era where data, technology, and competition come together to create opportunities. By partnering with the Epson Tour through the NEXT Golf Tour, we are opening a new door for women in golf — one where geography, season or resources no longer define who gets to compete,” said Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen, CEO and co-founder of Trackman.

New Opportunities in the Off-Season

At the heart of the partnership is a new global event - the NEXT × Epson Tour Q Open - hosted on Trackman simulators from November 20 to December 4.

This event will offer a minimum purse of US $40,000, fully funded by Trackman. All player entry fees will be added directly to the purse, growing the total prize fund as participation increases.

Open to female professionals and elite amateurs worldwide, the tournament gives access to high-level competition during the off-season, when options are usually few. All players will compete virtually on Liberty National Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues in women’s professional golf, using Trackman’s industry-leading simulator technology.

Top finishers in the Q Open will advance to the NEXT World Series, a broader indoor season featuring four events and a total purse of US $700,000, running from mid-December through early February.

Pathway to the Epson Tour - The Road to the LPGA

This partnership also pioneers a direct pathway from virtual performance to professional competition. The top female performer across the NEXT World Series will earn an exemption into three consecutive Epson Tour tournaments, offering a direct link between off-season success and one of the summer’s biggest women’s professional circuits.

The Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA saw direct links between the NEXT Golf Tour and success on the Epson Tour in 2025. The People’s Republic of China’s Mohan Du finished at the top of the Next Tour’s Order of Merit and then went on to have her best season yet on the Epson Tour. In just her first start at the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson in May, Du earned a solo second-place finish and concluded the season with two top-10 results.

“The highlight of my season was definitely the second place in Las Vegas and securing full status on the Epson Tour. But also my success on the NEXT Golf Tour gave me huge confidence - and the earnings made it easier to focus fully on competing. NEXT is such a great opportunity for the many talented women chasing the dream. The new partnership with the Epson Tour is amazing, and I cannot wait to compete again this season.”

The Epson Tour, widely recognized as the Road to the LPGA, now becomes even more accessible. For female players chasing their dreams, the NEXT platform is not just a new competition format, it is a new gateway.

Epson Tour and NEXT Golf Tour Partner to Create New Opportunities for Women in Golf

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