Epson Tour Continues Breaking Barriers with 2024 Schedule

Download the 2024 Schedule PDF

LPGA Qualifying Tour to Play 20 Tournaments and Move to a Points-Based “Race for the Card”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA, continues to grow in 2024. The Tour is entering its 44th year and boasts record-breaking numbers, including $5 Million in total prize money (the largest in Tour history) and a $20,000 increase in average purse size per event in 2024. The Epson Tour is also introducing a structural change to the Race for the Card in 2024.

New to the upcoming season is the transition from a Money-based ranking to a Points-based ranking to determine which athletes will receive LPGA Tour Cards in 2025. Following a similar structure to the LPGA Tour, the season-long Race for the Card will see Epson Tour Members compete for Points in each Official Epson Tour Tournament, with a 30% increased Points value for the Epson Tour Championship. For a breakdown of the Race for the Card Point System,

Download the Race for the Card Point System PDF

"We’re proud of the progress we have made to the growth of the Epson Tour and can’t wait to watch these incredible athletes tee it up throughout the record-breaking 2024 season,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “The transition to a points-based system in the Race for the Card reflects our commitment to identifying and elevating the next generation of LPGA stars. As the Tour continues to grow in prize money and depth of talent, we believe this change will add an exciting dimension to the competition and will give every Epson Tour athlete a balanced opportunity throughout the season to earn their place on the LPGA Tour.

The 20-tournament schedule will take the Epson Tour to 12 states and offer $5 million in total prize money, for an average purse size of $250,000, exceeding last year’s average purse size of $227,273. The season will tee off March 8-10 with the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven, Florida, at the Country Club of Winter Haven.

“We are excited to announce the 2024 Epson Tour Schedule, which is full of opportunity for our athletes to achieve their dream of playing on the LPGA Tour,” said the Epson Tour’s Chief Business and Operations Officer, Jody Brothers. “I believe the new venues, combined with improved geographic flow and increased purses will better prepare and identify the Epson Tour athletes ready for the next level.”

“Our partnership with the LPGA has helped us provide positive inspiration to future leaders around the world,” said Yasunori Ogawa, global president of Epson. “We are honored to support these world-class athletes for the third year, and hope they can continue to challenge themselves to realize their LPGA dreams in the 2024 Epson Tour.”

As announced in November, the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic rejoins the Epson Tour schedule for the 2024 season with an increased purse and new location. The new purse will be the largest in Epson Tour history at $400,000 with the winner taking home $60,000. The Carlisle Arizona Women’s Classic is also making the move to TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course, where they will be the tournament host through 2026.

Two new tournaments have been added in 2024, building the Florida stretch at the beginning of the season and the Midwest stretch immediately before the halfway point. The Atlantic Beach Classic, hosted at Atlantic Beach Country Club east of Jacksonville, will be a 54-hole stroke play tournament with a $300,000 purse from March 21-23. Also boasting a $300,000 purse, at Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Indiana, is the Otter Creek Championship from June 14-16.

Additionally, three events on the schedule will reach a milestone year in 2024, with the Twin Bridges Championship celebrating 40 years, the longest-running event on Tour. The Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes and the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic will also crown their 10th and 15th champion, respectively.

In a year of change, the 2024 season will conclude in a new location than years past, with the Epson Tour Championship moving from Daytona Beach, Florida to Indian Wells, California. The Championship will remain a 72-hole stroke play format with a $250,000 purse and be played from October 3-6 on the Player Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

The Epson Tour prides itself on sending talented athletes to compete among the best on the LPGA Tour, and many who got their start on the official qualifying tour have found early success in their careers. In all, 480 LPGA Tour titles have been won by former Epson Tour players, including 13 major championships since 2013. Current alumnae on the LPGA Tour include Nelly Korda, Celine Boutier, Lilia Vu, Grace Kim, Hannah Green, Madelene Sagstrom and Ally Ewing.

“Epson's dedication and generous support has been inspiring," added Brothers. "Their commitment to the growth and success of women's golf has been instrumental in shaping and growing the Epson Tour and has improved our athletes' journeys."

EPSON TOUR BY THE NUMBERS

2013: 15 tournaments, $1.60 million in total purses; $108,000 average purse; $150,000 highest purse

2017: 22 tournaments, $2.95 million in total purses; $134,000 average purse; $210,000 highest purse

2024: 20 tournaments, $5 million in total purses; $250,000 average purse; $400,000 highest purse

FULL SCHEDULE