Epson Tour winner

Jeongeun Lee6 Captures Thrilling Victory at IOA Golf Classic

Ted Odorico March 22, 2026

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Tours and Events

In a commanding final-round performance, Jeongeun Lee6 surged to victory at the IOA Golf Classic, claiming her second professional title and first since her breakthrough 2019 U.S. Women’s Open triumph.

Entering Sunday in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Haylee Harford Sanchez and Liqi Zeng, the 29-year-old from the Republic of Korea battled early nerves amid ongoing swing adjustments following the loss of her LPGA Tour card after the 2025 season. Undeterred, Lee6 delivered a brilliant 6-under-par round featuring one eagle and seven birdies, finishing at the top of the leaderboard by a single stroke.

She started strong with birdies on two of her first three holes but briefly faltered with bogeys on No. 6 and No. 9, turning at 2-under. Regaining momentum, she birdied No. 12 before exploding on the par-5 13th with a stunning eagle. Lee6 sealed the win on the closing holes, most notably with a precise full pitching wedge from 116 meters to two feet on the final hole, which she calmly converted for birdie.

“I’m still feeling uncomfortable with my swing, but I tried to focus on what I had to do today, and it worked well,” Lee6 said. Reflecting on the decisive shot, she added, “Yes, if I made a birdie, I can win. I knew that. But it was 116 meters, so I was thinking a controlled nine or full pitching wedge. I changed to the pitching wedge, hit a full shot, and made it.”

Fellow Republic of Korea native Jiwon Jeon also staged a significant charge on Sunday, starting the day in a tie for 13th, at 4-under par total. The LPGA and Epson Tour veteran quickly got to work dropping back-to-back birdies on holes two and three and again on eight and nine to make the turn 4-under. The University of Alabama alumnae got to work and two birdies and an eagle on the back nine, to sign for a bogey-free 8-under, bringing her to 12-under total for the tournament and claiming a solo second finish.

“I mean, it feels amazing, Jeon expressed, “My golf game has been a little off the last couple of years, and I worked really hard during off season and am trying to get my game back and the confidence back on the golf course. That worked out pretty well. I’m very proud of myself shooting 8 under today.”

With this win, Lee6 is now sitting at No. 1 in the Race for the Card standings, with week one winner Isabella Fierro being the second athlete to claim the top of the leaderboard this 2026 season.

Mariel Galdiano started the day one shot back of 36-hole leaders Haylee Harford Sanchez, Liqi Zeng, and Jeongeun Lee6, ultimately finishing in solo third at 11-under total. Galdiano put up a good fight, finding a mix of eagles, birdies, and bogeys for a final round of 5-under. The Hawaii native now has eight top-10 finishes throughout her Epson Tour career and is looking forward to carrying this momentum into the final event of the Florida swing with hopes of securing her first professional win.

When the day began, Amari Avery was in a tie for 26th at 1-under par, before lighting it up in her final round on Championship Sunday. Avery rounded the turn with a strong 2-under 33 on the front nine. The University of Southern California native did not stop there, making four more birdies, highlighted by three consecutive on holes 12-14, ultimately signing for a 6-under, 65, to finish the tournament in a tie for eighth. With this top finish, Avery now sits at No. 13 in the Race for the Card standings and looks to hold her position as the remainder of the season gets underway.

As the first weeks of the 2026 season continue, the Epson Tour will head off to Lakeland, Fla., for the inaugural playing of the Orlando Health Championship from March 20-22 at the Grasslands Golf & Country Club.

Epson Tour Video: Jeongeun Lee6

Fresh off a victory on the Epson Tour, Jeongeun Lee6 wasted no time proving she still had momentum to spare.

Less than 24 hours after capturing the title at the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Fla., Lee6 boarded a red-eye flight, arrived in California in the early morning hours, and teed it up in the Monday Qualifier for the Fortinet Founders Cup, where she earned one of the two coveted spots in the field. There was no rest, no reset, and barely any sleep.

“I went straight to the housing, my friend’s house, and then arrived maybe at 4:20 a.m. I took a shower in hot water. I needed that,” Lee6 said. “Then I didn’t sleep because if I slept, I’d be more tired, I think. So, I didn’t sleep, stretched a little bit, and then I had breakfast, and then went straight to the tee box.”

Press release: Epson Tour Communications, Carly Haines – Digital Content Producer for the Epson Tour

Erica Shepherd Claims First Professional Win at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout

Ted Odorico September 24, 2025

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Tours and Events

Epson Tour sophomore Erica Shepherd’s final round was nothing like she expected it. Sitting three shots behind the lead heading into Championship Sunday’s final round, the Indiana native felt some nerves while on the quest to claim the first victory of her young professional career.

“I actually am proud of myself. I do not know if I have ever said that before, but like I have said, it has been such a journey, and succeeding in pro golf has definitely not been easy for me,” said Shepherd.

The 24-year-old carded four birdies on the round to climb to the top of the leaderboard. The Duke University alumna found birdies on holes three and six, rounding the turn with a 2-under 34 on her front nine. Shepherd continued her birdie streak, sinking a putt on the par-5 14, followed by a clutch 7-foot birdie on 18 green in front of a crowd to secure her first professional win.

Shepherd raises trophy at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, her first Epson Tour win

Shepherd expressed how her final putt felt, “Luckily, I have been in those positions before, but really not for quite some time. It was a little bit of a new feeling, but I did not really know that it was to win, but I knew that it was an important putt. I just had the same routine that I had all week and just trusted my gut with the read. It was just a good, hard putt, and I am glad that I made it.”

This win earned her 500 points in the Race for the Card rankings, jumping her 57 spots on the leaderboard as she now sits at No. 21. Shepherd has momentum and is looking forward to continuing her good play at Indian Wells in the last event of the 2025 Epson Tour season.

“It definitely does not feel real yet, but it has just been a crazy few years of pro golf. To finally have won an event and win it here, where the course is so hard, it means so much, but it definitely doesn’t feel real yet,” commented Shepherd.

Rachel Kuehn, Kaleigh Telfer, and Liqi Zeng put up a strong fight but came up just short in a tie for second. Kuehn started the round T16 and fired a 5-under 67, the lowest round of the 54-hole tournament. The Wake Forest University graduate made six birdies and one bogey on the day to climb the leaderboard, marking the third top-ten of her rookie season.

Kaleigh Telfer finished the tournament 3-under after a 4-under 68 final round, but it was not enough to walk away with the win at the end of regulation. The Auburn University alumna made four birdies on her back nine, posting a 32. Liqi Zeng had an up-and-down third round, finding five birdies, but also four bogeys to sign for a 1-under 71.

Four-time Epson Tour winner, Gina Kim, started the day one shot off the lead, looking for her fourth win of the 2025 Epson Tour season. Kim struggled during her round, making a quadruple bogey and a double bogey to offset the five birdies she made throughout the round. Kim finished in a tie for fifth and is eager for the last event of the season as she looks to earn Player of the Year honors at the conclusion of the Tour Championship.

Becca Huffer started the day in the lead, but ultimately finished T5. Huffer could not get things to fall her way on Sunday, signing for a 2-over 74 and a combined 2-under for the tournament. The Notre Dame now has two top-10s this season and is looking forward to carrying this great play into the final event with hopes of securing her first professional win.

Yana Wilson started the final round at 3-over par, sitting T25 before lighting it up on Championship Sunday. Wilson rounded the turn with a strong 1-under 35 on the front nine. The Las Vegas native did not stop there, making a birdie on hole 11 followed by the only hole-in-one of the week on the par-3 12th hole. The Epson Tour rookie finished in a tie for fifth and is looking forward to carrying her consistency into the final tournament of the season.

As the final event of the 2025 season approaches, the Epson Tour athletes take a week off to rest ahead of traveling out west to Indian Wells, California, for the biggest tournament of the season. The Tour Championship will take place at Indian Wells Golf Resort, Celebrity Course, from October 2-5.

Press release by: Epson Tour Communications

Erika Hara Claims First Epson Tour Win at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic

Ted Odorico August 17, 2025

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Tours and Events

Epson Tour rookie Erika Hara drained her final putt on the 18th green at Wildhorse Golf Course to claim her first professional victory of her Epson Tour career.

Despite starting the round one shot off the lead heading into Championship Sunday, Hara felt that this weekend was her time for the spotlight. The 26-year-old carded ten birdies on the day to climb the leaderboard and finish the tournament with a three-day total of 18-under par.

Erika Hara Claims First Win of the 2025 Epson Tour Season at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic

“I kept dreaming that we’d win the first tournament this year, and I’m very happy to win finally. I was able to train hard off the course. I was also able to shoot with confidence. This year, the shots were really good, so I think I’m able to get a stable score,” said Hara.

The 2020 Japan LPGA Open Champion settled in quickly, making birdies on holes three and five. Hara rounded out her opening nine with a total of five birdies, posting a 4-under 32. The Japanese native found birdies on holes 10, 11, and 13 as well as the 16th and 17th holes in her final stretch to post an 8-under 64.

2025 Epson Tour rookie Yana Wilson started the day just four shots back of Hara, ultimately finishing in solo third place. Wilson, the winner of the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson, put nine birdies on her card during the round to post an 8-under 64, but was unable to secure her second victory. Sabrina Iqbal couldn’t get things to fall her way on Sunday, but still carded a 4-under 68 and a combined 15-under for the tournament. Despite not taking the victory, even being in the final pairing, the 24-year-old secured the best finish of her young professional career to secure her runner-up finish.

Hara, the newest Epson Tour champion, climbed into third place in the Race for the Card standings after receiving 500 points from her win at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic. This is a major feat for Hara as she works towards potentially securing her LPGA Tour card for the 2026 season.

Erika mentioned, “This morning, I set the goal to make as many birdies as possible. That’s a goal today, and I focused on it and kept it going.”

As the first week of the final stretch of the 2025 season comes to a close, Erika Hara and the Epson Tour will travel to Garden City, Kansas, for the 11th playing of the Dream First Bank Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes from August 22-24.

Press release by: Carly Haines, Digital Content Producer for the Epson Tour.

Briana Chacon Claims Her Second Victory of the Season at the Casella Golf Championship

Ted Odorico July 23, 2025

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Every year, it comes down to the wire at Pinehaven Country Club. With two par-fives in the closing four holes, the drama and action tend to come down to the last hour of play. The 2025 Casella Golf Championship followed the script, with three players in the last two groups all having a chance to etch their name on the trophy. At the end of the day, it was the Epson Tour sophomore, Briana Chacon, who came away with the win, her second of the season and third of her career.

Chacon played steady golf all week, only recording six bogeys, with four of them coming during her second round. The final round for Chacon was no different, as she only put one bogey on the card while the birdies kept coming in. The 23-year-old was bogey-free until the 14th hole, but as all champions do, she did not let it affect her. She went on to birdie two of her next four holes down the stretch on her way to claiming her third career Epson Tour victory.

“This one is huge. I think for me, I just had such a big goal of just trying to finish this season strong,” explained Chacon after her win. “This just really helped instill that confidence and gave me good momentum, I think, going into the final stretch of the season. So it’s just an honor. And I’m just super, super excited to be here.

The win puts Chacon on the fast track to earning her LPGA Tour card for the first time, with the 500 points pushing her to No. 2 in the Race for the Card behind only Gina Kim. The California native joins a decorated list of champions in Lauren Morris, Jenny Bae, Lucy Li, and Lilia Vu, all of whom currently compete on the LPGA Tour. Chacon also joins Gina Kim and Riley Smyth as the only players with multiple wins for the season, adding to the list of impressive accomplishments she achieved in Guilderland, New York.

Briana Chacon wins the 2025 Casella Golf Championship. Her second of the season.

“It’s just a huge honor just to follow in those footsteps,” said Chacon. “Hopefully, one day I can be playing alongside them. Just this win makes me have more confidence and makes me believe that I can just be right there next to them.”

The Epson Tour now heads to Toledo, Ohio, for the inaugural playing of the Greater Toledo Classic hosted by Stacy Lewis from July 25-27. With only seven events remaining, the Race for the Card points mean more now than ever.

Article by: Luke Otto, Content Producer for Epson Tour

Jillian Hollis Earns Win Number Four at the 2025 Otter Creek Championship

Ted Odorico July 1, 2025

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What started as a two-horse race ended in a two-horse race. Jillian Hollis and Kelli Ann Strand walked off of the 18th tee tied for the lead at 13-under for the tournament. Each player took a much different route to get there, with Hollis chasing Strand at the beginning of the day, but Strand chasing Hollis by the end of the day.

Hollis started the round three shots back of the lead but immediately put the pressure on, making two birdies in her first three holes. A bogey followed shortly after on No. 4, but the 28-year-old would get the shot back before the turn with a birdie on No. 8. As the pair made the turn, Hollis held a one-shot lead after a shaky start from Strand.

The back nine started with a bogey from Hollis, however, bringing Strand back into the mix immediately. The tie was short-lived as Strand would make a bogey on No. 11, giving the lead back to the three-time Epson Tour winner as she made birdie, making it a two-shot swing. Hollis would add another birdie on No. 15 to get it to 13-under.

While it looked like Hollis was going to pull away, Strand started to plot a comeback. The 21-year-old made back-to-back birdies on holes 13 and 14, cutting the lead to one shot. Then, on No. 17, she answered the bell, rolling in a birdie putt to tie Hollis going into No. 18.

Both players hit the fairway and laid up to a short yardage on the par five, leaving themselves with great birdie opportunities. Strand went first, landing near the pin, but the firm greens led to a bigger bounce than intended, leaving her a 30-foot putt for birdie. Hollis, on the other hand, hit a low spinning wedge to about four feet uphill.

The putt came up short for Strand, leaving Hollis with a short putt for her fourth Epson Tour victory and first since her win at the 2022 Circling Raven Championship. The veteran stepped up and buried the putt, sealing her fourth title and setting the new 54-hole scoring record at the Otter Creek Championship.

“It’s been a long time coming, and my game feels really good right now, and I’ve just like found some peace in my golf game and kind of just in the rest of my life too,” explained Hollis. “I think the golf’s really good, but everything else is I’m in a really good place right now, like very happy.”

The Epson Tour heads to a one-week break before heading out east for the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship presented by Munich Re.

Provided by: Epson Tour Communications

Melanie Green Earns Come-From-Behind Victory at the Island Resort Championship

Ted Odorico June 24, 2025

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When the final round of the Island Resort Championship began late Sunday morning, Melanie Green was in a tie for fifth with four other players, two shots back of the leader. A dark horse, Green fired off an impressive 7-under, 65, to take the solo lead and hope it stuck through the end.

The bogey-free round was just what the New York native needed to secure her first professional victory, even more impressive after finishing her second round in the morning before heading back out onto the course to go for the win. Green started hot, carding five birdies in her first 11 holes, but it was the eagle on the par-4 14th that all but secured the victory.

With golfers still left on the course, the 23-year-old wasn’t quite sure what the official outcome would be. She immediately headed to the putting green to begin preparing for a playoff.

Melanie Green wins her first Epson Tour event the 2025 Island Resort Championship

“As I was walking off the green, I didn’t know that I had won yet. Obviously, there was a girl behind me who had a really nice finish as well,” said Green. “So, as I was walking from the putting green after I realized all that, that was a pretty special walk.”

The victory moves Green to fourth in the Race for the Card rankings at the halfway point of the season, a prime position to earn her LPGA Tour card. The 2025 rookie has made seven cuts in 10 starts, earning four top-10 finishes and proving that her game is good enough to compete against the best in the world.

In addition to winning the tournament, Green secured the Pure Michigan Cup, earning $10,000 in bonus money. Representatives from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker, and Island Resort Championship awarded the Cup. Riley Smyth and Samantha Wagner earned second ($6,000) and third place ($4,000), respectively.

“It’s an amazing bonus to top off the Michigan swing,” said Green. “Getting the points to get my LPGA card is most important but sponsors willing to donate to the Epson Tour to get us athletes some bonus money is incredibly generous and sweet.”

Kate Smith-Stroh finished the tournament in solo second, her best career Epson Tour finish to date. After spending three years on the Official Qualifying Tour, the 26-year-old earned her LPGA Tour card through the final stage of the 2024 LPGA Q-Series but has struggled early in the season. The 2025 LPGA rookie has made four cuts in 10 starts and will bring confidence from the top Epson Tour finish back to the biggest stage in women’s golf next week at the DOW Championship.

“It’s actually my best finish on the Epson Tour. I’ve had a tie for a second,” said Smith-Stroh. “It’s been a really hard last month and a half, as a rookie on the LPGA, so it’s really reassuring about where my game’s at and that I’m heading in the right direction, so it has been awesome.”

Samantha Bruce and Amari Avery rounded out the top five, in a share of fourth at 9-under. Bruce signed for a 3-under final round that consisted of two birdies, an eagle and a bogey, while Avery, the first-and-second-round leader, put together an even-par round to stay in the top five.

The Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA heads to Columbus, Ind., next week for the second annual Otter Creek Championship. The tournament will be played from June 27-29, with Green teeing it up looking for back-to-back wins.

Release by: Epson Tour Communications