Earning her first-ever professional victory in what was a must-win event for Heather Lin, the Epson Tour sophomore who clung tight to her first- and second-round lead to take home the trophy at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells. Entering the final event of the season at 54th in the Race for the Card, only a win from Lin was projected to be good enough for her to earn LPGA Tour status for the 2025 season. That prediction turned out to be true. Thanks to her win, Lin finished 15th in the Race and claimed the final card available from the Epson Tour this season.
“That’s definitely a dream come true. I mean, honestly, coming into this week, I was just trying to get out of stage two because with my where my ranking is at and, I knew I had a chance,” said Lin. “I was in contention. And the I mean, I don’t even know if winning was good enough to get it, the 15th card. But, you know, everything worked out perfectly.”
Starting the final round with just a one stroke lead, Lin made birdies on holes 3 and 6, then took at two-stroke lead over the field with a birdie on 9. But trouble came on 10, where she made double bogey to drop back into a tie for first. At one point, she was tied for first with five other players, but back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 put her back ahead. With pars on 14, 15, 16, Lin was joined in first by Malaysian golfer Ashley Lau, but a birdie on the par-5 17th turned out to be the difference maker. Finishing with a par on 18, Lin turned in a 4-under 67 to earn a one-stroke victory, which she will carry onto the LPGA Tour next season.
“I was actually super nervous. I mean, this is my first time ever be in this position and first time ever winning a professional tournament,” said Lin about holding her lead through the end. “But my coach yesterday was prepared for me. He was like, you’re going to be very, very nervous. You know, just would be prepared about that. And then just deep breath. Try not to fight it instead of accepting it. And I tell you, I know I’m nervous. You know, I know I’m shaking. But, just deep breath and yeah, I think I did a pretty good job for the first time.”
Lau finished solo second at Indian Wells Golf Resort, her best result on the Epson Tour, and three players finished T3 behind her, including Mirand Wang, Crystal Wang and Clariss Guce. M. Wang’s T3 finish was significant for the Chinese golfer, who finished 14th in the Race for the Card and will also be playing on the LPGA Tour next season. Pornanong Phatlum and Madison Young finished T6, both securing their cards in the process, and five players finished T8. Notables at T8 are former No. 1 amateur Ingrid Linblad (No. 6 in the Race for the Card), Spaniard Fatima Fernandez Cano (No. 3) and 2024 Epson Tour player of the year Lauren Stephenson (No. 1).
Following the conclusion of the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells, which marked the end of the 2024 Epson Tour season, 15 players have officially clinched their cards for the LPGA Tour in 2025.
The top 10 players will earn Category 9 status on the 2025 LPGA Tour priority list, while numbers 11-15 will be seeded into a lower category. Epson Tour Members finishing in Nos. 11-35 in the Race will earn free entry into LPGA Final Qualifying, courtesy of the Seiko Epson Corporation using the Epson Player Development Fund.
Source: LPGATour.com
