The Epson Tour Championship is underway and, for many on the tour, this weekend has the potential to make or break 2023 LPGA hopes. But for Xiaowen Yin, Lucy Li and Linnea Strom – who have already clinched their cards for next season – this week is a victory lap; it will be all about showing off what they bring to the table as the future of the LPGA.

Xiaowen Yin

The rookie from China clinched her spot in August and is currently leading the Ascensus Race for the Card money list with $117,443. Yin – the youngest player on the tour at 17 years, nine months and 28 days old – has two Epson titles on her resume, winning in consecutive weeks at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship and French Lick Charity Classic which buoyed her to an LPGA berth.

Yin’s stats speak for themselves, she is second on the tour in rounds under par (25) – with 16 rounds in the 60s – and ranks seventh in both putts per GIR (1.76) and putting average (29.34).

The youngster credits the Epson Tour with a newfound aplomb. When she was on the Chinese LPGA and found herself leading, she shot 87 on the final day to put herself out of contention, but this time around she was able to stick it out for two wins.

“I’ve been getting more experience to get ready for my LPGA career,” Yin said shortly after learning she had clinched. “I’ve learned a lot on the Epson Tour. It’s given me a lot of confidence.”

Lucy Li

At 11-years-old, Li burst onto the scene as the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open. She has been in the spotlight ever since and this year she put on a show. Now 20-years-old, Li played her way to the LPGA with wins at the Carolina Golf Classic presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and the Twin Bridges Championship, becoming the first player to mathematically clinch their card for the 2023 season.

Though Li has ample experience with professional golf, she admits that the gap between amateur and professional is wide. She credits Epson with easing that adjustment.

“There’s a pretty big transition from amateur into professional golf,” Li said after clinching. “Being on the Epson Tour was that pathway for me to make that transition. I think it’s huge for people turning pro.”

Li has taken every opportunity to get experience heading into her first LPGA season. She has played in six tour events this season through sponsorship exemptions or as a Monday qualifier. In September, she tied for fourth to record a career-best finish at the Dana Open presented by Marathon. She is currently back in her home state of California competing at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship.

She hasn’t attended any Epson Tour events since July, but still leads the tour in scoring average (69.39), rounds under par (29) and rounds in the 60’s (20).

Linnea Strom

Strom is no stranger to the LPGA tour or being an Epson graduate. She first graduated in 2018 as a rookie and spent three seasons with the LPGA. After an abysmal 2021, where Strom made only eight cuts in 21 events and seriously considered a career change, she returned to the qualifying tour.

“After really struggling last season, my main goal for this season was to earn my card back, but it was also to find happiness again and enjoy playing golf,” Strom said after clinching in September. “I’m extremely proud that I achieved that goal this season.”

Strom has been in the top ten of the Ascensus Race for the Card since the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in March. Five more top 10 finishes made her the third player to clinch LPGA status for 2023.

Strom’s return to the LPGA should be one for the books. She’s demonstrated her ability to fight through adversity in her second year at Epson, proving she can work through her game and get back to winning form.

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