EL DORADO, Ark. — The fifth stop on the 2019 “Road to the LPGA” takes the Epson Tour to Mystic Creek Golf Club in the Natural State for the fifth annual Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout from April 26-28.
“We moved this event up on the calendar from its typical fall date as Mystic Creek breaks ground on a brand-new clubhouse,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Epson Tour. “Murphy USA continues to be a devoted sponsor of the Epson Tour, helping shape the future for the next generation of LPGA Tour stars on a golf course that is arguably the most challenging test our players face all year.”
Greeting the 144-player field in El Dorado, Ark. is a total purse of $150,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes.
“Through our relationship with the Epson Tour, Murphy USA has been given a unique opportunity to bring women’s professional golf to our hometown of El Dorado where we not only have an exceptional golf course, but also an incredible community to host the event,” said Murphy Oil USA, Inc. President and CEO Andrew Clyde. “Murphy USA strongly believes that participating in athletics—at all levels—prepares young women for powerful futures as leaders, whether in the classroom, the board room, or the professional athletic arena.”
Defending champion Hyemin Kim (Seoul, Republic of Korea) is among the competitors. She won the fourth edition of the event in 2018 at 5-under par overall. The 30-year-old entered the 2019 campaign with a total of nine top-10 finishes in 121 career starts on the Epson Tour.
“I really didn’t expect to win because I was struggling with my game last year, but it gave me a lot of confidence and completely changed my expectations for 2019,” Kim said. “This is one of my favorite golf courses, it is so challenging and always in perfect shape. When we come to El Dorado, I receive such a welcoming feeling from all the local people. I really appreciate Murphy USA running this amazing tournament and can’t wait to compete again.”
Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. CT in the first and second round with play starting off No. 1 and No. 10 tees all three days. Meanwhile, final round action will begin at 7:45 a.m. with a trophy presentation to follow on No. 18 green.
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