Epson Tour Championship begins at Indian Wells Golf Resort

The $287,500 Epson Tour Championship begins today at the Players Course of the Indian Wells Golf Resort, the first time the season-ending event of the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour will take place in California.   

The tournament marks the conclusion of the Race for the Card, the season-long competition where the top 15 in the point standings receive LPGA Tour cards for the following season.  

American Lauren Stephenson leads the race and is among the five golfers who have assured themselves of tour cards, along with Yahui Zhang of China, American Jessica Porvasnik, Spaniard Fatima Fernandez Cano, the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Women's Golfer of the Year when she played for Troy, and American Brooke Matthews.  

The field of 108 also includes Slovenian Ana Belac, who finished in a three-way tie for 49th at the Paris Olympics.   

The winner will receive $43,125. The tournament concludes Sunday.   

Tickets start at $15 for a general admission day pass and $45 for all four tournament days. Children 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

Current and former members of the U.S. military and their accompanying spouse, partner or dependent will receive complimentary general admission tickets.

Parking is free and available directly across Highway 111 from the main entrance to Indian Wells Golf Resort. Shuttles will be available from the lot to the main tournament entrance beginning at 6:15 a.m. each day of the tournament.

There will be a junior clinic on Saturday.   

The event was played at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida from 2008 to 2019, except for 2016 when it was shifted to Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Florida due to course conditions at LPGA International caused by Hurricane Matthew.

The tournament was played at River Run Country Club in Davidson, North Carolina from 2020 to 2023.

More information on the tournament is available at www.epsontourchampionship.com.