Natasha Oon (Photo by Epson Tour)
Malaysia’s Natasha Andrea Oon and Ashley Lau will be part of the 108-player field at this week’s Epson Tour Championship, the season-ending event of the 2023 Epson Tour.
The 72-hole championship starts on Thursday, October 5, at the Jones Course of LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, offering a total purse of US$250,000. The Epson Tour is the official qualifying circuit for the LPGA Tour, where the top 10 players on the tour’s Race for the Card standings at the end of the season will receive LPGA Tour cards for 2024.
14 out of 16 tournament winners from the 2023 season are competing in the Epson Tour Championship, including Oon who won the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout two weeks ago for her maiden professional victory. The win consolidated Oon’s second place on the Race for the Card with US$147,780 and mathematically secured her LPGA Tour card for next year.
The current top 10 players on the Race for the Card, including Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels who tops the standings with US$156,283, are in the field for the Epson Tour Championship.
Oon noted that she has not set any targets for the season-ender and will just aim to play her best. “I’m looking forward to the Epson Tour Championship and will do my best. I have not set a goal as I’ve already did all I wanted to do this season,” said the 22-year-old.
Opting to skip last week’s Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic, Oon stressed that pacing herself was one of the keys to her incredible rookie season where she chalked up eight top-10 finishes including the win and four runner-up performances.
“Sometimes you exceed your expectations! And sometimes coming back from a break might be the best thing you could do,” said Oon, who is currently the top Malaysian in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in 261st position.
Ashley Lau (Photo by Epson Tour)
Lau has had a rollercoaster of a rookie season, highlighted by back-to-back top-five finishes in August but marred by numerous missed cuts. The 23-year-old is currently in 54th position on the Race for the Card with US$30,124.
Players ranked 11 to 35 on the Race for the Card following the Epson Tour Championship will get into the LPGA Q-Series at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Alabama on November 30-December 5, which is the final stage of qualifying for the 2024 LPGA Tour. Players outside the top 35 but within the top 125 will need to compete in LPGA Qualifying Stage II on October 17-20 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Florida, from where the top 45 and ties advance to the Q-Series.
The top 20 finishers and ties from the six-round Q-Series will earn 2024 LPGA Tour status in Category 14, while players finishing in positions 21-45 and ties will earn 2024 LPGA Tour status in Category 15 and 2024 Epson Tour status in Category C. Players finishing outside the top 45 and ties will earn Epson Tour status for 2024.
Oon and Lau will be teeing up on home soil at the LPGA Tour’s US$3 million Maybank Championship, which takes place this October 26-29 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
2023 Epson Tour Race for the Card (Top 10 as of October 3)
| Position | Player | Earnings (USD) |
| 1 | Gabriela Ruffels (AUS) | 156,283 |
| 2 | Natasha Andrea Oon (MAS) | 147,780 |
| 3 | Jiwon Jeon (KOR) | 114,219 |
| 4 | Agathe Laisne (FRA) | 109,060 |
| 5 | Jenny Coleman (USA) | 104,958 |
| 6 | Roberta Liti (ITA) | 102,734 |
| 7 | Minji Kang (KOR) | 100,165 |
| 8 | Isabella Fierro (MEX) | 97,504 |
| 9 | Becca Huffer (USA) | 89,390 |
| 10 | Jenny Bae (USA) | 88,889 |
