Every single professional that tees it up this week at the Island Resort Championship has aspirations of playing on the LPGA Tour. Since 1999, 107 players have graduated from the Epson Tour to the LPGA. Many of them have gone onto have successful careers. Here is a “Where are they Now” look at some of the best to come through the Epson Tour.
She’s No. 1 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings so we have to start with Inbee Park. She finished third on the money list in 2006 has been a force on the LPGA ever since. Park recently completed a 3-peat at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. It was her 15th career LPGA win and sixth major championship. Park has earned over $11 million during her career and ranks eighth on the career LPGA money list. In 2015, Park leads the LPGA Tour in money earned ($1.4 million), Race to the CME Globe points (2,671 points) and scoring average (69.451).
Former No. 1 Lorena Ochoa is a 2002 Epson Tour graduate – she led the money list. It was pretty clear early on that Ochoa was destined for greatness. She finished first or second in seven of the 10 events she played in on the Epson Tour. Ochoa went onto win 27 times on the LPGA Tour and was a four-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year. Although she retired about five years ago, she is still very much connected to the LPGA. There is an event on the LPGA with her name on it – the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. She also mentors the Mexican players on the LPGA and the Epson Tour. Ochoa also runs the Lorena Ochoa Foundation and the Lorena Ochoa Golf Foundation.
Mo Martin, who played on the Epson Tour from 2006-2011, finally graduated after finishing third on the money list in 2011. She had her breakthrough season in 2014 when she won the Ricoh Women’s British Open. In 2015, she ranks 44th on the LPGA Tour money list and has one top 10 finish. She currently ranks 39th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Not tall in structure, Mo has always made up for that in her drive and motivation to succeed. Her MO, no pun intended, is her accuracy with the driver. She leads the LPGA in driving accuracy at 89.1 percent.
How about some of the 2014 Volvik Race for the Card graduates? Wei-Ling Hsu and Min Seo Kwak have had the best starts so far. Hsu hasn’t had any top 10 finishes, but she has been the most consistent. She has made 11 of 13 cuts. She got a nice little jolt up money list last week with a 21st place finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kwak hasn’t been as consistent, but she finished fourth at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic and earned $102,670. Cindy Feng also had a strong finish at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, a tie for 18th.
Let’s close with a couple 2010 graduates that are having good years in 2015. Jenny Shin, who finished fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, ranks 21st on the LPGA Tour money list this year. Gerina Piller is 25th on the LPGA money list.
Who will be the next big star to emerge from the Epson Tour?
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