The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic is less than 48 hours away from teeing off, signifying a new Epson Tour season full of new opportunities. The long-standing Epson Tour event is packed with history and will once again be contested at the Country Club of Winter Haven in Winter Haven, Fla., as athletes work to get an early leg up in the Race for the Card. Here are five things to know about the 2024 Florida’s Natural Charity Classic:
First Event of the Season
Once again, the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic will serve as the Epson Tour’s season-opener, kicking off a new year in which players will have a shot at earning LPGA Tour status for the 2025 season. The tournament, celebrating 15 years in 2024, is the second longest-standing tournament on the Epson Tour schedule, behind the Twin Bridges Championship, which will celebrate 40 years this year.
New Ranking System
The Epson Tour saw two major changes to the Race for the Card heading into the 2024 season. The first change is the switch from a money-based system to a point-based system. The points will be the same for every event, except for the season-ending event, the Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif. Additionally, the top 15 players in the Race for the Card will now earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. For more information about the updated season-long competition, please click here.
Meet the Sponsor Exemptions
Two amateurs will tee it up alongside future stars of the LPGA Tour this week at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) star and 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship winner Yana Wilson will bring a decorated amateur career and plenty of high-level experience to the Country Club of Winter Haven. The 17-year-old has won multiple AJGA titles, including the 2023 AJGA Girls Invitational and the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Annika Invitational presented by Rolex. On a bigger stage, Wilson claimed low amateur honors at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open and has participated in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) four times. Danica Becker joins Wilson as the second sponsor exemption this week, making her first-ever start on the professional stage. The 13-year-old County Club of Winter Haven member recorded six top-10 finishes in seven events during the 2023 Florida State Golf Association season, with her best result being a tie for third at the FJT Lake City Open (9-12).
One Past Champion in the Field
The 2022 Florida’s Natural Charity Classic champion, Kum-Kang Park returns to the Country Club of Winter Haven for the 15th playing of the tournament. Park was victorious in 2022, defeating Alana Uriell and Frida Kinhult with a 54-hole total of 9-under after carding rounds of 70-67-70. The Republic of Korea native and 2023 Epson Tour graduate spent last season balancing her time between the Epson and LPGA Tours, having dual membership.
Other Past Champions
Other past champions of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic are now LPGA Tour members, including Agathe Laisne and Kelly Tan. Laisne is the most recent Epson Tour graduate, and her win at the Country Club of Winter Haven in 2023 propelled her into the top 10 early last season, which she maintained throughout the year, ultimately finishing 6th in the Race for the Card. Laisne was an LPGA Tour rookie in 2022 and is set to play in her second LPGA Tour event of the season this week at the Blue Bay LPGA in the People’s Republic of China.
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