Five Epson Tour athletes have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Kathy Whitworth 88 Award, receiving financial support as they continue pursuing their dreams of competing on the LPGA Tour.

This year’s recipients include Gracen Blount, Bi Shin, Riley Rennell, Samantha Wagner and Christine Wang, each receiving $5,000 to help offset the costs of competing on the Epson Tour, the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. Katherine Muzi and Anna Nordfors, the 2025 KW88 Award recipients, participated in the check presentation in May to award their fellow competitors with the 2026 award.

“Extremely honored and grateful to be one of the recipients of the Kathy Whitworth Foundation’s KW88 Grant,” Wagner said in an Instagram post. “I am so thankful for Cathy Harbin, Bettye Odle, and the entire Kathy Whitworth Foundation for all they are continuing to do to support us in our careers and in honor of Kathy.

“Just a thank you surely doesn’t feel like enough, but this process has brought up so many fond memories with Kathy from my junior career, and I have gotten to hear so many great Kathy stories from many people. I am so honored to be a part of the KW88 family and to be able to carry on Kathy’s legacy for my entire career.”

The Kathy Whitworth 88 Award was established to honor the legacy of legendary golfer Kathy Whitworth and the 88 victories that make her the most winningest athlete in LPGA Tour history. But beyond the records and championships, the award reflects Whitworth’s personal journey, the challenges she faced early in her career, and the commitment Kathy always displayed to give back to golf.

Before becoming one of the most dominant players the sport has ever seen, Whitworth struggled financially while trying to establish herself as a professional golfer. Like many athletes competing on the Epson Tour today, she faced the difficult reality of funding travel, lodging, tournament fees and daily expenses while chasing opportunities to play at the highest level.

Support from people who believed in her helped Whitworth continue pursuing the game, and the Kathy Whitworth 88 Award was created to provide that same encouragement and assistance to the next generation of players.

The five 2026 recipients represent athletes working through the demanding pathway to women’s golf’s highest level, balancing competition with the realities of life on a professional circuit. The $5,000 award is designed to ease some of that burden while reinforcing Whitworth’s belief in creating opportunities for talented players to continue chasing their dreams.

Five Epson Tour Athletes Receive 2026 Kathy Whitworth 88 Award

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