Epson Tour players at the bottom half of the top 10 on the money list entering this week’s Epson Tour Championship Presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University probably shouldn’t look at the history books.
In each of the last seven years, one player has jumped into the top 10 in the last week, thereby bumping a player from the top 10. The last year where the top 10 held up in the final week was 2006. Since the formation of the Epson Tour in 1999, there have been only three years where a player hasn’t moved into the top 10 in the final week (2002, 2003, 2006).
The last two years have been indicative of the quick change that can occur in the final tournament:
- 2013: Perrine Delacour shot a final-round 66 to finish second at Daytona and moved from 20th to eighth. Olivia Jordan-Higgins missed the cut and dropped from eighth to 11th, just $114 out of 10th.
- 2012: Daniela Iacobelli won in Daytona to jump from 22nd to fifth. Jenny Suh suffered the consequences, falling from eighth to 11th after missing the cut.
- 2011: Jenny Gleason moved from 11th to ninth.
- 2010: Hannah Jun moved from 12th to ninth.
- 2009: Song Yi Choi moved from 11th to fifth.
- 2008: Sophia Sheridan moved from 12th to ninth.
- 2007: Taylor Leon moved from 12th to seventh.
Standing 10th
Veronica Felibert holds the coveted but very hot seat of 10th on the Epson Tour money list. She is just less than $3,000 ahead of No. 11 Sara-Maude Juneau.
There will be 39 players in the field this week capable of earning a LPGA card in the final week. No. 39 Ashley Tait needs to win to jump to $39,776, just a hair more than Felibert.
The course
The host course for this week’s season finale just turned 20 years. The Jones Course, designed by Rees Jones, is part of the 36-hole facility that also includes the Hills Course, designed by architect Arthur Hills.
Three of the last four years, the winner of the Epson Tour Championship has finished in double-figure under-par totals.
Not in, but secure
Wei-Ling Hsu (ranked fifth) and Yueer Cindy Feng (ranked sixth) are the only top-10 players not participating this week. Feng is in the field at the LPGA’s Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. The top six players have secured their cards for 2015.