With the 2014 Epson Tour season scheduled to kick off next week in Arizona, all eyes will be focused on who can earn their LPGA Tour card through the Volvik Race for the Card. This year’s rookie class has experience on their side and could lead them to make an immediate impact.
Cheyenne Woods
Cheyenne Woods might be a rookie on this year’s Epson Tour but the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon already has a wealth of experience under her belt. Recently Woods beat out some of the best players on the LPGA Tour and emerged victorious last week on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in Australia at the Volvik RACV Ladies Masters. While the win could be considered Woods’ biggest accomplishment since turning professional, it wasn’t her first trip to the winner’s circle on the professional circuit as she claimed a victory on the 2012 Suncoast Tour. Woods plans on dividing her time between the Epson Tour and LET in 2014 but with experience already on her side, she will be one to watch on the Volvik Race for the Card.
Stacey Keating
Much like Cheyenne Woods, Stacey Keating is not the typical Epson Tour rookie. The Aussie turned professional in 2010 and already has six professional victories under her belt including four wins on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour and two on the Ladies European Tour. Keating will also be dividing her time between tours as she earned LPGA Tour status for the 2014 season after finishing in a tie for 38th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.
Laura Gonzalez-Escallon
Following a standout collegiate career at Purdue University, two-time Big Ten winner Laura Gonzalez-Escallon began her professional campaign by winning the 2013 LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament. While Gonzalez-Escallon failed to earn her 2014 LPGA Tour card, the Belgium native knows what it takes to win. Gonzalez-Escallon claimed a victory at the 2013 Belgium International and finished runner-up at the 2013 European Ladies Individual Championship.
Joanna Klatten
France native Joanna Klatten has been a member of the Ladies European Tour since 2011 and this year she picked-up an impressive victory at the NSW Women’s Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour. Much like Woods and Keating, Klatten will also be playing part-time on the Epson Tour as she qualified for the LPGA after finishing in a tie for 29th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.