The top five of the Portland Classic’s morning wave all have one thing in common. They’ve all spent time on the Epson Tour, their time on the Road to the LPGA proving helpful while they compete against the best players in the world.
Germany’s Polly Mack leads the way in first at 9-under, firing an impressive bogey-free 63 that included an eagle on Columbia Edgewater Country Club’s 12th hole. Mack was a rookie on the Epson Tour in 2022, spending the whole season on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA and carding two top-10 finishes at the French Lick Charity Classic (T4) and Circling Raven Championship (3).
The 25-year-old secured her LPGA Tour card for the next season with a T15 finish at the LPGA Qualifying Series in 2022, and despite having to return to Q-School in 2023, the German was able to re-earn her card for 2024.
In hot pursuit of Mack is the trio of Samantha Wagner, Nataliya Guseva and Hyo Joon Jang, sharing second at 8-under. Of the trio that all have ties to the Epson Tour, Wagner is the only one playing full-time on the circuit this season. Like Mack, the Floridian earned her LPGA Tour card with a T6 result at the 2022 LPGA Qualifying Series but was unable to hold onto it for 2024, returning to the Road to the LPGA.
The 27-year-old was happy to see a low opening round at the Portland Classic and credits playing against the talented athletes that comprise the Epson Tour for keeping her prepared to compete on the LPGA Tour.
“It's certainly tough out there (on the Epson Tour),” said Wagner. “Coming back from a year on the LPGA, I didn't really know what to expect, but the field has been tough every week. Play has been really great. Cuts have been just as low as LPGA, so it's definitely a challenge. I think it improves everyone's game out there to see we're playing against some of the best in the world on the Epson Tour, too.”
Jang and Guseva are both alumnae of the Epson Tour, with Jang graduating through the Race for the Card in 2022 and Guseva earning her card through the LPGA Qualifying Series in 2023. Jang, a Republic of Korea native, recorded five top-10 finishes in 2022 to finish 10th on the Official Money List and earn the last LPGA Tour card given to that year’s graduating class.
Both Jang and Guseva spent their rookie year on the Epson Tour before moving up to test their talent amongst the best in the women’s game. Guseva recorded three top-10 results during the 2023 Epson Tour season, including her first professional win at the Black Desert Resort Championship. The 21-year-old has three top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour this year, with her best result being a tie for sixth that she has recorded twice at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro and the CPKC Women’s Open.
“I enjoyed last week (in Canada),” said Guseva. “The crowds and everything were amazing. The golf course was super hard. It's kind of major hard, in a way, for us. For the girls, they treat the Canadian championship as a sixth major, so the rough was really thick, winds were fast. It really prepared me for this golf course because definitely coming out from the Canadian championship, this course is really scorable. I will just try and do the same thing.”
Rounding out the morning wave’s top five is Epson Tour alum, Daniela Darquea. The Ecuador native has eight career top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour, including a win at the 2017 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, making her the first player in the history of the Epson and LPGA Tours from Ecuador to win. The 29-year-old has five LPGA Tour career top-10 results and is still looking for her first win on the biggest stage in women’s golf.
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