INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The third round of the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells is complete, and Cholcheva Wongras will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the 2026 season. She posted an even-par 71 on Saturday to stay at 10-under and has led after every round this week at the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Wongras entered the week No. 9 in the Race for the Card. If the tournament ended today, she would move up to No. 4, which would lock in a top-10 finish and Category 9 status on the 2027 LPGA Tour Priority List. A win on Sunday would give her the $100,000 winner’s check to close out her season.

Haylee Harford Sanchez made the biggest move among the leaders. She shot a 5-under 67 to climb into a tie for second at 9-under, one shot back of Wongras. Harford Sanchez started the week holding the final card spot at No. 15. With her play this week, she is now projected to move all the way to No. 10, which would put her inside the top 10 and in line for Category 9 status.

Mirabel Ting, the No. 1 player in the Race for the Card, joins Harford Sanchez in a tie for second after a 2-under 70. Wongras, Harford Sanchez and Ting will play together in the final group on Sunday, teeing off at 10:01 a.m. local time.

Four players are tied for fourth at 8-under: Catherine Park, Elina Sinz, Katherine Muzi and Amari Avery. Park and Sinz each shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move into contention. Avery has already clinched her LPGA Tour card and is projected to move up one spot to No. 7.

The fight for the top 10 is coming down to the final day. Rachel Kuehn entered the week No. 10, but with Harford Sanchez’s climb, Kuehn is now projected to slip to No. 11. She sits in a tie for 18th at 4-under and will need a strong final round to move back inside the top 10.

The final card spot is also up for grabs. Kate Smith-Stroh entered the week No. 14 and is projected to hold on at No. 15 despite sitting at 5-over. Defending champion Anne Chen, tied for 10th at 6-under, is projected at No. 17, and Megan Streicher, tied for 13th at 5-under, is projected at No. 19. A big Sunday from either one could knock Smith-Stroh out of the top 15.

Carla Bernat Escuder, who has already clinched her card, posted the low round of the day, a 7-under 65, to jump into a tie for 13th at 5-under.

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. Nine cards were clinched before the Championship, which leaves six up for grabs with 18 holes to play at Indian Wells Golf Resort. Other status is also on the line Sunday in California.

Athletes who finish 11th through 15th will earn Category 16 status on the 2027 LPGA Tour Priority List. Athletes who finish 16th through 35th in the Race for the Card will go straight to the final stage of LPGA Q-Series in November. Every player in this week’s field has already secured full Category A status for the 2027 Epson Tour season, and the higher she finishes in the final standings, the better her priority within that category will be.

Take a look at where the top 15 players in the Race for the Card entering the week stand through 54 holes at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells:

Mirabel Ting* – (-9, T2)
Lauren Olivares* – (-4, T18)
Kaleiya Romero* – (-5, T13)
Annabelle Pancake-Webb* – (-2, T28)
Carla Bernat Escuder* – (-5, T13)
Liqi Zeng* – (-2, T28)
Mariel Galdiano* – (-1, T35)
Amari Avery* – (-8, T4)
Cholcheva Wongras* – (-10, 1st)
Rachel Kuehn – (-4, T18)
Megha Ganne – (-4, T18)
Lauryn Nguyen – (-4, T18)
Megan Schofill – (-4, T18)
Kate Smith-Stroh – (+5, T58)
Haylee Harford Sanchez – (-9, T2)

*Mathematically clinched LPGA Tour card

Round 3 Race for the Card Update: 2026 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells

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