If you follow women’s golf, you’ve probably wondered if Natasha Oon’s rookie season on the LPGA Tour would ever happen. You’re not alone. She questioned it, too.

When the now 24-year-old graduated from the Epson Tour in 2023, momentum was on her side. She earned eight top-10 finishes in her debut season on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA, including one win at the penultimate event, the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout.

But unfortunately, the momentum came to a screeching halt after earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2024 season, as Oon suffered a Sesamoid injury in her foot that ultimately sidelined her for close to two full seasons.

“Your girl was in pain everywhere,” Oon said in an Instagram post in December 2025. “Honestly, during that time when I was trying to get back into the swing of things, I just felt like every day I was doing something wrong. And things would just get really painful.”

Wanting to “leave this thing in 2025” and after a ton of rehab and recovery efforts, Oon began her journey back to competitive golf, signing up for the first two tournaments of the 2026 Epson Tour season – the Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf and the IOA Golf Classic – both of which are played in the Sunshine State.

And after just one round in Atlantic Beach, Fla., it’s safe to say 2023 Natasha Oon is back.

In one of her first 18 holes of competitive golf since her injury, the San Jose State University alum carded a 3-under 68 that consisted of five birdies and two bogeys. Oon was in a tie for second when the morning wave concluded play.

“I had a very tough time getting back into practice without competitions, without a season, and honestly, I swung a driver after a break like two months ago, so that was the first time I swung after maybe four months, and it was really weird,” said Oon. “But I have such a good team now behind me. I have so many people supporting me, so it's just been a really fast-paced crash course back into golf, and it's super cool to fire a really good round today.”

With two seasons lost, returning to the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA was not an easy feat for Oon. Familiar faces welcomed her back, of course, noting how long it had been, and some nerves settled in, but after what she went through the past couple of years, those butterflies are nothing Oon can’t handle.

“I think I still got it within me,” said Oon. “I talked to (Dr. Don Kalkstein), the mental coach here that LPGA graciously provided, and I was actually really nervous going back. It's so overwhelming.

“But you know, your body never forgets. You're in your element, and it will come back. You just have to trust and believe in yourself.”

Despite the nerves, Oon comes into the 2026 competitive season with a different mindset than before, something that may make her a threatening competitor to the rest of the athletes in the field on both the Epson and LPGA Tours.

“If I hit a ball really badly, I was like, oh my gosh, it's so funny. I wasn't worried about it,” said Oon. “I have such a dark, dark place that I know happened, and compared to this, this is like serenity, so I'm not really bothered by it.”

So, what’s next for Oon? With a newfound appreciation for the little things and her love of golf driving her young professional career, the Malaysian is ready to take on the biggest stage in women’s golf: the LPGA Tour.

Her scheduled start is the Fortinet Founders Cup at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, an event that will mark her debut as an LPGA Tour member. And while she’s had to wait a while to get here, Oon couldn’t be more excited to finally tee it up on the biggest stage in women’s golf.

“I think I just want to enjoy it,” Oon said of her plan for the 2026 season. “I mean, I was on the brink of like, is this going to happen or not? And then I was like, 2023 Natasha worked her butt off for that status. And I think she deserves to live it out and have fun with it. So, I think that's the plan.”

Natasha Oon Returns to Competitive Golf at Epson Tour Season-Opener

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