Heather Lin Wins Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells Golf Resort
Heather Lin won the $287,500 Epson Tour Championship at the Players Course of the Indian Wells Golf Resort on Sunday, securing one of 15 LPGA qualifying cards for the 2025 season in the process.
Career win No. 1 and heading to the @LPGA Tour 🫡
— Epson Tour (@EpsonTour) October 7, 2024
What a week for Heather Lin 🙌
Final Round Notes ⬇️
The golfer representing Chinese Taipei, who entered the tournament ranked outside of the top 50, needed a tournament victory to guarantee herself qualification. Lin, a tour sophomore, recorded her first professional victory by just one stroke, taking home $43,125 and advancing from 54th place to 15th in the 2024 standings.
"I was actually super nervous. I mean, this is my first time ever being in this position and first time ever winning a professional tournament,'' Lin told the LPGA. "But my coach yesterday was prepared for me. He was like, `you're going to be very, very nervous. You know, just be prepared about that.'"
A trio of Americans -- Lauren Stephenson, Jessica Porvasnik and Brooke Matthews -- as well as Yahui Zhang of China and Spaniard Fatima Fernandez Cano had already clinched LPGA Tour cards prior to the event, leaving 10 qualification slots up for grabs leading into the event.
Lin's -16 result across four rounds was one stroke better than runner-up Ashley Lau of Malaysia. Chinese golfer Crystal Wang, who ended the tournament in a three-way tie for third place, also made significant progress in the event, finishing the season in 14th place overall.
That’s all from Indian Wells 🫡#EpsonTourChamp #Road2LPGA pic.twitter.com/TJHlg1Jz10
— Epson Tour (@EpsonTour) October 6, 2024
Other golfers, such as Madison Young (t-6th) of the United States, Pornanong Phatlum (t-6th) of Thailand and Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden (t-8th), turned in strong performances across the four-day event to solidify their finish within the top 15 in the Race for the Card.
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. Organizers held the tournament at River Run Country Club in Davidson, North Carolina, from 2020 to 2023.
A full leaderboard for this year's tournament can be viewed at epsontour.com/tournaments/epson-tour-championship/results.
