GROUP ONE | 8:00 AM ET
Crystal Wang
Wang got her rookie season on the Epson Tour off to a quick start last week, finishing in a tie for 11th to start her professional career at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. The University of Illinois alum had a decorated amateur career, earning First Team All-American honors and winning the 2023 Big Ten Championship. And to top off her time at Illinois, the 23-year-old captured 2023 Big Ten Player of the Year honors in her senior season. She is currently in a tie for 11th alongside Sofia Garcia in the Race for the Card standings with 65 total points.
Fatima Fernandez Cano
Fernandez Cano is returning to the Epson Tour after an injury kept her sidelined for most of the 2023 season, and of the 132 players in the field this week, Fernandez Cano has one of the best resumes. The Spaniard has amassed 21 top-10 finishes in addition to her two Epson Tour victories at the 2020 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa and the 2022 Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic. The 28-year-old also has experience competing on the LPGA Tour, first earning LPGA Tour membership for the 2022 season after finishing second in the 2021 Race for the Card. She will enter the 2024 IOA Golf Classic as a favorite to win the event despite it being her first start in 2024.
Julia Johnson
Johnson joins Wang in the 2024 Epson Tour rookie class, finishing in a tie for 14th at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic to kick off her rookie campaign. Johnson enjoyed a decorated amateur career during her time at the University of Mississippi, earning three invitations to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, two First Team All-SEC selections and two All-American selections. She also helped lead the Rebels to a National Championship title in 2021.
GROUP TWO | 1:34 PM ET
Michelle Zhang
Zhang is making her first start on the Epson Tour in 2024 after appearing at the Blue Bay LPGA in her home country, the People’s Republic of China. The 19-year-old finished in a share of 15th at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, finishing at 7-under overall and earning just over $29,000. Before turning professional and competing on the Epson Tour in 2023, Zhang played one season at Southern Methodist University, recording 11 top-25 finishes in 13 events and winning twice.
Cassie Porter
Porter is in her second season as an Epson Tour member and has earned three top-10 finishes since joining the organization in 2023, the best of which is a solo third that came at last week’s Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. She also finished in a tie for eighth at the 2022 Four Winds Invitational as a non-member. After her top-five performance in Winter Haven, Fla., the Australian is currently ranked third in the Race for the Card with 230 points total.
Jenny Bae
Bae is coming off a historic 2023 season that saw her win two times as a rookie in back-to-back weeks after graduating from the University of Georgia. Bae finished just outside the top 10 in the 2023 Race for the Card, which brings her back to the Epson Tour for her sophomore season. The 22-year-old already finds herself back in the mix for a top 10 spot, finishing fourth in last week’s event to currently rank fourth in the 2024 Race for the Card standings.