INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The first round of the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells is complete, and Sophia Schubert leads the way early, opening her tournament with a bogey-free 8-under 64. The 64 is her lowest first round of the season, coming at the most pivotal time of the year.

Schubert has already clinched her spot in the top 15 and 2025 Epson Tour graduating class, but she still has a lot to play for. Currently at No. 10 in the Race for the Card rankings, the Epson Tour veteran needs a strong finish to solidify her spot in the top 10, earning the best possible LPGA Tour membership awarded via the Epson Tour. Her round-one effort puts the Tennessee native on a good track to not only secure her spot in the top 10 but also close the season out with a victory.

Alice Hodge and Carla Tejedo Mulet are sitting in a tie for second at 7-under, one shot back of Schubert. The rookies are in search of their first wins on the Epson Tour, with Tejedo Mulet already holding a spot inside the top 15 in the Race for the Card, and Hodge needing a win for a chance to move into one of those coveted top 15 spots.

A group of six players rounds out the top 10, all in a tie for fourth at 6-under. Among the group is 2024 Olympian, Ashley Lau, who finished runner-up at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells in 2024, and former LPGA Tour member, Becca Huffer. A good week from the pair could put them in a position to be holding their LPGA Tour cards come Sunday afternoon.

At the conclusion of the Epson Tour Championship, 15 LPGA Tour cards will be awarded to the top athletes in the Race for the Card rankings. Despite 10 cards being clinched before the Championship, 59 athletes remain mathematically eligible to earn the five cards that are still up for grabs this week at Indian Wells Golf Resort, making for a dramatic finish over the weekend.

Athletes who finish 11 to 35 in the Race for the Card will earn automatic entry into the Final Qualifying Stage of LPGA Q-Series, an expense that will be paid for by Seiko Epson Corporation. Additionally, athletes who finish 11 to 80 in the season-long points race will earn full Epson Tour status for the 2026 season.

Take a look at where the top 15 players in the Race for the Card stand through 18 holes at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells:

Melanie Green* – (-4, T14)
Yana Wilson* – (-4, T14)
Gina Kim* – (-2, T41)
Erika Hara* – (-2, T41)
Briana Chacon* – (+7, 102nd)
Riley Smyth* – (-5, T10)
Laetitia Beck* – (-4, T14)
Hailee Cooper* – (E, T70)
Minji Kang* – (-4, T14)
Sophia Schubert*– (-8, 1st)
Michelle Zhang – (-2, T41)
Carla Tejedo Mulet – (-7, T2)
Samantha Wagner – (-4, T14)
Laney Frye – (-5, T10)
Isabella Fierro – (-2, T41)

*Mathematically clinched

Round 1 Race for the Card Update: 2025 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells

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