The Race for the Card continues as the Epson Tour tees it up in the Golden State for the first event in a three-week stretch out West, with players vying for 500 points as they pursue their LPGA Tour cards.
Valery Plata remains atop the standings with 577 points after capturing her first Epson Tour win at Florida's Natural Charity Classic. Epson Tour rookie Briana Chacon went from unranked to a tie for second with Jessica Peng after her victory at the Atlantic Beach Classic, each having 500 points. Ana Belac is currently in fourth with 430 points, while Kim Kaufman rounds out the top five, moving from No. 11 to No. 5 with 404.667 points after finishing in a tie for second at Atlantic Beach Country Club.
After a month-long break, Miranda Wang is set to defend her title at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Beaumont, Calif. The People's Republic of China native has only competed in two events so far this season and is currently ranked No. 63 in the Race for the Card standings. But she’ll still be looking for a repeat performance this week at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.
The 25-year-old captured her lone Epson Tour victory as a rookie in 2023, winning by one shot over Natasha Andrea Oon at the IOA Championship, and earned three additional top-10 results, ultimately finishing 15th on the Official Money List, five spots shy of earning LPGA Tour status for the 2024 season.
The Race for the Card is a season-long points competition in which Epson Tour members accumulate points in every official Epson Tour tournament. The ultimate goal is to finish in the top 15 in the point standings to earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. The point-based system, which is new on the Epson Tour this season, replaces the money-based system and will award points to those who make the cut weekly.
The 2024 season will also be the first year that Epson Tour athletes will vie for 15 LPGA Tour cards. They will be awarded after the season-ending Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif., this fall.
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