As the summer season heats up, many athletes are closing their collegiate chapters and beginning their professional careers. The Epson Tour saw lots of new faces at last week's FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, talented athletes hailing from universities across the nation with big dreams.

And while it may seem like it, it’s not impossible to join the Tour halfway through the year and earn an LPGA Tour card come the Epson Tour Championship in October. Just ask 2024 Epson Tour graduate and 2025 LPGA Tour winner Ingrid Lindblad, who made her Epson Tour debut in Battle Creek, Mich., and was holding both a trophy and an LPGA Tour card within the following four months.

Georgia native Catie Craig has had a solid start to her rookie campaign, making her first cut as a professional last week at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. Her scorecard saw ups and downs, and two of her three rounds were over par, but at the end of the weekend, she accomplished the difficult task of overcoming her nerves and making her first cut as a member of the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA.

“It was incredible to make a cut,” said Craig. “I really had no expectations. It was my first event as a pro and on the Epson Tour, and I was just gonna have fun. My mom was on the bag, so we were like, 'Let's just see what happens, and then we'll learn and improve next time.'”

Despite having the rest of the season still ahead, the Western Kentucky University alum has already shown her ability to learn and grow, countering her first-round 75 with a second-round 68, playing her way inside the cutline and earning her first paycheck on Sunday at Battle Creek Country Club.

“I've played golf my whole life, and to finally play where I can make some money off of it, it's so different,” said Craig. “In reality, it's just golf, but to have a little extra bonus to it is pretty cool.”

Craig entered her professional career after receiving one of the most sought-after invitations in all of golf to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Unfortunately, a missed cut left her without the opportunity to tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club for the final day of competition, but the memory is one that will stick with her forever.

“That was the best time of my life. It was a dream of mine to play that, with my interest in golf course architecture,” said Craig. “All that it took to get out there, all the tournaments I had to win and the top fives I had to take, really, when I got out there, it wasn't about the golf. It was about the experience. So that's all that I really cared about, is to have the time of my life and to have my family and friends out there.”

Her passion for golf course architecture is a unique interest that should help to keep her mind free while playing long stretches on the road. Having not played much golf in the Great Lakes State, Craig has been interested in seeing the different courses and grass types, taking note of the little things while doing her job.

She tees off on No. 10 at the Heather Course at the Highlands at 12:41 p.m. local time on Friday, looking to make another cut at the Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker.

Epson Tour Rookie Catie Craig Looks to Continue Strong Start to her Professional Career

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