Race for the Card

Epson Tour Players Secure LPGA Tour Status in the “Race for the Card”

Ted Odorico September 24, 2025

Golf News

Riley Smyth, Laetitia Beck, Hailee Cooper, Minji Kang and Sophia Schubert Secure LPGA Tour Status Through Epson Tour Race for the Card

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2025) – The Epson Tour announced today that Riley Smyth, Laetitia Beck, Hailee Cooper, Minji Kang and Sophia Schubert officially join the list of players of the 2025 season to mathematically lock in a spot inside the coveted top 15 of the Race for the Card standings, securing their LPGA Tour cards for the 2026 season.

Heading into the season finale – the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells – 69 athletes remain mathematically eligible to earn an LPGA Tour card. The Epson Tour Championship winner will receive an elevated 650 points, compared to the standard 500 points that are awarded for each event during the rest of the season. 2024 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells winner, Heather Lin, entered the week at No. 54 in the Race for the Card standings, and with the win, earned the 15th spot and her LPGA Tour card.

The official LPGA Card Ceremony will take place on Oct. 5, following the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells.

ABOUT RILEY SMYTH:

Smyth will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including two wins
- Current No. 6 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Wins: Central Florida Championship, Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker
Played on the Epson Tour since 2024
- Has earned 10 career top-10 results, including her two wins
Played five years of collegiate golf at the University of Virginia
Was the recipient of the 2022-2023 William C. Eacho Women’s Golf Scholarship Endowment

Smyth on securing her LPGA Tour Card:

“It feels absolutely unbelievable. I mean, it’s a dream come true. Nothing better to hear after a hard season. This off-season, I knew I had put in the work to have a good year, but in golf, you never know what kind of year you’re going to have. Going into the week in Winter Haven, I didn’t know what this season was going to hold and what my year was going to look like, but obviously, after starting off strong and having a good week there, it was definitely in the cards. I knew there was still a lot of work ahead of me.”

ABOUT LAETITIA BECK:

Beck will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026
- Last earned LPGA Tour status through LPGA Q-Series in 2023, finishing T10
- Initially earned LPGA Tour status for the 2015 season from a T18 finish at 2014 LPGA Q-Series
Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including one win
- Current No. 7 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Win: Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
First joined the Epson Tour in 2019
- Has earned 18 career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
Was an LPGA Tour rookie in 2015
- Competed during the 2015-2021 and 2024 seasons
- Earned two career top-10 finishes
  - Eighth at the 2017 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
  - Tenth at the 2018 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
- Has made over $331,200 in Official Career Earnings
Was the first native of Israel to compete in an LPGA event when she played in the 2011 CN Canadian Open
Played collegiate golf at Duke University
- 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year
Five-time winner of the Israeli Open Golf Championship

Beck on securing her LPGA Tour card:

“It’s exciting, obviously. I was there last year. It was disappointing to lose the card, so I have another chance to do well, and my goal is the Olympics in 2028, so that gives me a better chance to get some points for world rankings.”

ABOUT HAILEE COOPER:

Cooper will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
Has earned eight top-10 finishes in 2025
- Current No. 8 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Has made 16 of 17 cuts
Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2024
- Has earned 12 career top-10 finishes
- Career-best finish is T2 at the 2024 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
- Finished 32nd in the 2024 Race for the Card rankings
Recorded a notable top-10 finish at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally (T7)
Played collegiate golf at the University of Texas for three years and at Texas A&M University for two years
Won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner and now LPGA Tour player Kaitlyn Papp Budde

Cooper on securing her LPGA Tour card:

“I wanted to do this since I was a little girl, so it was surreal when Jody (Brothers) came and told me. It was like my dreams had come true. And the season’s not over yet, but it was a really cool feeling.”

ABOUT MINJI KANG:

Kang will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026, regaining her status after losing her card following the 2024 season
- First earned LPGA Tour status through the Epson Tour top 10, finishing fifth on the Official Money List in 2023
Has earned eight top-10 results in 2025
- Current No. 9 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Has made 17 of 18 cuts
Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2023
- Has earned 17 career top-10 finishes
- Career-best result is 2nd at the 2025 IOA Golf Classic presented by Aperture
Competed on the LPGA Tour during the 2024 season
- Best finish was T19 at the CPKC Women’s Open
Played collegiate golf at Truett McConnell University
- 2022 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Golf National Champion
- 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women’s Golfer of the Year

Kang on securing her LPGA Tour card:

“I was trying to just focus on every event. I didn’t really think about getting the card; I didn’t want to give myself that pressure. Just work on what I practiced during the off-season, and I think that came with a good result.”

ABOUT SOPHIA SCHUBERT:

Schubert will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026, regaining her status after losing her card following the 2024 season
- First earned LPGA Tour status through the Epson Tour top 10, finishing fourth on the Official Money List in 2021
Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025
- Current No. 10 in the season-long Race for the Card
Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2019
- Has earned one career Epson Tour win at the 2021 Carolina Golf Classic presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
- Has earned 14 career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
Competed on the LPGA Tour during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons
- Earned two career top-10 finishes
  - Second at the 2022 The Amundi Evian Championship
  - Tied for ninth at the 2023 Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards
- Has made over $897,400 in Official Career Earnings
Played collegiate golf at the University of Texas
Won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship

Schubert on securing her LPGA Tour card:

“I think it’s huge. I mean, the motivation comes from just wanting to be on the LPGA. Although I’ve secured the top 15, my goal is top 10. My goal is just really to finish as high as I can. I think that’s what really keeps me coming back every week and grinding. Just knowing that the LPGA is ahead of me next year, and this is great practice for that.”

WHO GETS STATUS:

Epson Tour Athletes finishing Nos. 1-10 on the Race for the Card Points List will earn 2026 LPGA status in Category 9
Epson Tour Athletes finishing Nos. 11-15 on the Race for the Card Points List will earn 2026 LPGA status in Category 16

About the Epson Tour

The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 45th competitive season in 2025. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2025. In all, 406 LPGA Tour titles have been won by Epson Tour alumni, including 51 major championships. Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Press release by: Epson Tour Communications

Media Contacts:

Carly Haines, Digital Content Producer – email: Carly.haines@lpga.com

Ally Lutter, Sr. Marketing Manager – email: Ally.lutter@lpga.com

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

Samantha Wagner Takes Home First Win

Ted Odorico June 8, 2025

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Tours and Events

When the final round of the 2025 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship began, Samantha Wagner was two shots back of the 36-hole leaders, Yana Wilson and Samantha Vodry. By the end of the day, she was two shots clear of Sophia Schubert and hoisting her first Epson Tour trophy on the 18th green. For the majority of the day, it was anyone’s tournament to win, but Wagner was the one who took it and ran.

The veteran started off slow, making a bogey on her first hole for the day. That would be the only one, however, with the next 17 holes being almost flawless. It started immediately, rolling in her first birdie of eight on hole two. Three pars followed, and then the next birdie came, with another coming two holes later just before the turn.

At the turn, Wagner was in the hunt, but not in control of the lead. A disappointing par on the Par-5 10th was followed by another par on the 11th. The 12th hole was when everything started to click for the 28-year-old, making her first birdie of the back nine.

She followed it up with three more birdies, making it four in a row before a par on the difficult Par-3 16th broke the streak. At this point, Wagner held the solo lead, chasing down the clubhouse lead at 11-under set by Sophia Schubert. One more birdie came on 17, extending her lead to two coming down 18. It was business as usual for Wagner, hitting the fairway and then a green in regulation. A two-putt sealed the two-shot victory for her first win on the Epson Tour.

“It’s finally sinking in, this is awesome,” said Wagner after her win. “I think for me, a lot of it was taking a step back and really trying not to think about winning and just really focusing on my process. I’ve been told by many people that if I keep doing that, eventually it’ll pay off, so I really just had to lean in and trust that. It’s been a long time, so it’s nice to see that finally come through. It just feels great moving forward.”

Schubert pushed Wagner till the very end, making three birdies in her last four holes to try and close the gap. This is the second time this year the Tennessee native has put together a final-round push, coming up just short both times. At the Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf in March, she posted a 63 in the final round to finish runner-up as well. Schubert continues to impress, now sitting at No. 2 in the Race for the Card, despite not finding a way into the winner’s circle just yet.

“I think it’s just the chase for me. I play better when I’m trying to chase,” said Schubert. “I’ve been in contention a couple times this year in the last group, and I don’t know, it was a lot of pressure, and I feel like just not be the last group trying to chase the leader is where I love to be, and so I’m competitive that way, and I seem to play better that way.”

The Epson Tour heads to Harbor Springs, Michigan, next week for the inaugural playing of the Great Lakes Championship. Tournament play will begin June 13th, with play concluding on Sunday, June 15th. Both Wagner and Schubert will be in the 144-player field, looking for another opportunity to find themselves in the winner’s circle.

Provided by: Epson Tour Communications