For the second straight week, the Epson Tour crowns a first-time champion. Heading into the final round, only four players were within four shots of the lead. Jessica Peng was on the other end of the spectrum, sitting four shots back of second-round leader Lindsey McCurdy. By the end of the day, Peng stood alone on top after a gutsy final-round performance.
Peng made herself known earlier in the day, making birdies on the first two holes to get within two shots of the leaders before their putts had even dropped on hole one. From there on, the 30-year-old played the most consistent golf among the leaders, making it to hole 14 before finally dropping a shot. By the time she reached the 14th green, she was 4-under and only one shot back of the leader. Fast forward to hole No. 17, and Peng was still only one shot back of the lead with a chance to make birdie on the most challenging hole at Alaqua Country Club.
“I didn’t know what was going on with the leaderboard, but I knew that I was still up there,” said Peng. “I tried not to look at the leaderboard and on 17 I told myself ‘It is not important how you started, it is important how you finish’ so I knew I had to make that birdie and whatever happens, it does not matter.”
Peng would roll in the birdie putt on No. 17 and head to the 18th tee, tied for the lead. A tee shot to the center of the green set up a two-putt par, and from there, it was just a waiting game for the Chinese Taipei native.
Lindsey McCurdy walked onto the 18th tee with a share of the lead after an up-and-down day. The scorecard was a colorful one for McCurdy, who tallied four birdies, five bogeys, an eagle, and a double bogey. The fifth and final bogey came on No. 18 after a tee shot sailed right of the green. The Southern Methodist University alum gave herself a 6-footer for par to push the tournament to extra holes. However, the putt missed on the high side of the cup, moving McCurdy into solo second for the tournament.
“It hurts right now, but I know there is a lot of good to take away for the rest of the year,” said McCurdy. “There was a lot of good and bad this week, most of the bad coming today. In the past it has taken me a while to have top finishes so doing it early has been nice, but it is definitely bittersweet.”
The victory was one in the making for Peng, who has been a professional for seven years, even though her rookie season with the Epson Tour was in 2022. She competed mostly overseas on the TLPGA before heading to the United States to try her hand at Qualifying School. Heading into this year, she did not know if she would continue to compete, but things seemed to have changed after her win.
“I finally achieved my long-term and short-term goals at the same time,” explained Peng. “It is my first career win, and it has been seven years now. It feels great. I thought this would be my last year as a tour player, but I think after this win, I will keep going.”
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