María José "MJ" Barragán

Don't be fooled by her late arrival, María José "MJ" Barragán will hit the ground running when she reaches Copper Rock. The BYU standout earned her way into the field the hard way, claiming Low Amateur honors at the 2026 Copper Rock Championship Qualifier back in January to secure a coveted sponsor exemption into this Epson Tour event. The catch: she's been a little busy. Barragán is competing this week as an individual at the NCAA Louisville Regional in Simpsonville, Kentucky, one of six individuals seeded into the Louisville field, held at the University of Louisville Golf Club, and won't set foot in Hurricane until tomorrow morning, just in time for her tee time.

That kind of schedule would rattle most players, but Barragán has made a habit of thriving in high-pressure situations: she finished runner-up at the 2025 Women's Mexico Amateur in a playoff, represented Mexico at the Pan American Games, and helped BYU claim the 2025 USF Invitational title. A Pre-Business major and 2025 CSC Academic All-District honoree, the Morelia, Mexico native is as sharp off the course as she is on it. If her calm demeanor under pressure are any indication, arriving straight from an NCAA regional won't slow her down one bit.

Navy Hubbs

Keep an eye on Navy Hubbs, the Salem Hills High School junior is exactly the kind of homegrown story that makes the Copper Rock Championship special. Hubbs earned her way into this field by winning the UGA Women's Winterchamps, claiming the title with 43 points in the opening round at SunRiver Golf Club before holding on through desert winds in the final round at Copper Rock Golf Course — the very same course she'll compete on this week. Tournament Director Penny James-Garcia presented her with the Epson Tour exemption invitation following play.

She has represented Utah on the national stage before, competing at the 2024 Junior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club, and has already verbally committed to play Division I golf at Boise State. Known for her calm demeanor and steady work ethic, Hubbs brings a competitive pedigree that belies her age, and playing on a course where she's already proven she can win under pressure gives the local favorite a very real home-course edge.

Liqi Zeng

If there's a player in the Copper Rock field who has packed the most into a short career, it might be Liqi Zeng. The Chinese native turned professional at a young age, winning four titles on the China LPGA Tour as a teenager before successfully petitioning the LPGA for a waiver of its age requirements to compete at Q-Series, ultimately earning her LPGA Tour card.

Now back on the Epson Tour for 2026 and using the season as a springboard, Zeng is making a statement in a hurry: she posted a second place finish at -21 at the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson last week in Las Vegas, one of the strongest results of her Epson Tour campaign and a sign that her game is peaking at the right time. That momentum carried straight into the qualifying season, Zeng also punched her ticket to the 81st U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club in June, adding a major championship appearance to an already-eventful stretch.

Kate Smith-Stroh

Kate Smith-Stroh is a former five-time Minnesota state high school champion from Detroit Lakes, Smith-Stroh went on to become a five-time All-Big Ten selection at the University of Nebraska, winning the Big Ten Championship in 2021 before turning professional and grinding her way through the Epson Tour. She earned her LPGA Tour card for 2025 by finishing T19 at the LPGA Q-Series Final Stage.

Now back on the Epson Tour in 2026, she's showing the kind of form that made her a card contender in the first place: Smith-Stroh posted a T22 finish at -10 at the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson last week in Las Vegas. Off the course, she co-founded Ground Under Repair Design, a graphic design company specializing in custom logos and branding for golf businesses — channeling a creative side that's every bit as sharp as her iron game. With momentum building, a proven track record on this tour, and a relentless work ethic, Smith-Stroh is a name to circle on the Copper Rock leaderboard all week.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Copper Rock Championship

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