The Epson Tour has reached the fifth tournament of the 2024 season and will play the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic in Tucson, Ariz., this week. This is the fourth edition of the event to be held at Sewailo Golf Club, and a share of a $250,000 purse is up for grabs in the desert. Here are five things to know about the 2024 Casino Del Sol Golf Classic:
Stoll Defends Title
For the second time this season, the Epson Tour will see another athlete try to successfully defend their title. Just last week, at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, Miranda Wang attempted to accomplish the feat, ultimately finishing in a share of 23rd in her title defense. This week, at the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic, Gigi Stoll will have the chance to go back-to-back.
Stoll defeated 2023 Epson Tour graduate Natasha Andrea Oon by one stroke in the 2023 edition of the event, finishing with a four-day total of 15-under. In 2024, the 27-year-old will compete against three of the top-five finishers in 2023, including Lindsey McCurdy (T3), Clariss Guce (T3) and Daniela Iacobelli (5th). Stoll currently ranks 49th in the Race for the Card standings, following a T22 finish at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in March and a T19 result last week at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa.
Format Changes for 2024
The Casino Del Sol Golf Classic will see a few changes made in 2024 regarding field size, competition format and prize money. In 2023, 120 players teed it up at Sewailo Golf Club and competed for a $200,000 purse. This year, 132 players will compete for $250,000 and a winner’s share of $37,500. Additionally, past editions of the tournament have seen four days of competition, totaling 72 holes. In 2024, however, athletes will play 54 holes over three days, with a cut being made to the top 60 and ties after Friday’s second round.
Athletes With History at Sewailo Golf Club
Sewailo Golf Club is the home of the University of Arizona Wildcats, giving four athletes a home-field advantage. Gigi Stoll, who graduated from the University of Arizona in 2019, was proof of that advantage when she was crowned the 2023 champion. Fellow former Wildcats joining Stoll in the 2024 field are Haley Moore, Therese Warner and Yu-Sang Hou. Stoll, Moore and Hou were teammates on the 2018 national championship team, with Moore securing the title in a sudden-death playoff against the University of Alabama’s and Epson Tour member Lakareber Abe.
Past and Current Champions Competing
Included in this year’s field are two previous Casino Del Sol Golf Classic champions and all four of the 2024 winners so far. The inaugural champion, Ruixin Liu (2021), and most recent winner, Gigi Stoll (2023), will go head-to-head, looking to be the first athlete to win twice in Tucson. Valery Plata, Jessica Peng, Briana Chacon and Juliana Hung will also be working to collect their second win of the 2024 season.
Tournament Streaming
Fans around the world will be able to follow the tournament closer than usual via live streaming thanks to GKLive.TV. The broadcast will feature Nos. 16-18 on Friday from 5-8 p.m. ET and Saturday from 5 p.m. ET until the conclusion of the tournament. The tournament can be viewed on https://www.gklive.tv/event/2024-epson-tour-casino-del-sol-golf-classic, with a replay airing on https://www.youtube.com/@ROAD2LPGA the following week.
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