17-661: The Epson Tour Championship is an annual golf tournament for professional women golfers on the Epson Tour , the LPGA 's developmental tour. The event was played at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida from 2008 to 2019, except for 2016. In 2008 and 2009 the tournament was played on the Jones Course. Beginning in 2010, it has been played on the Champions Course. The 2016 event
34-571: A professional in August 2002 - the Hewlett-Packard Garden State FUTURES Summer Classic in a six-hole playoff over future LPGA Tour star Lorena Ochoa . Kim was second to Ochoa on the money list and both earned LPGA Tour cards for 2003 . Kim won the 2004 Longs Drugs Challenge and the 2005 Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions and was a member of three U.S. Solheim Cup teams in 2005 , 2009 , and 2011 . She
51-681: Is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour (LET). She is known for her animated style of play, flamboyant dress, and outgoing personality. Kim competed in eight events in 2001 on the Futures Tour and made three cuts and a tied for second once. Shortly after her 18th birthday, Kim turned professional and competed on the 2002 Futures Tour for prize money. Kim missed just one cut in 18 starts with 12 top-ten finishes. She won her first event as
68-546: The Futures Golf Tour in 1983 and in 1999 become a national tour designated as the "official developmental tour" of the LPGA Tour (the U.S. -based professional women's golf tour). Grace Park , Marilyn Lovander and Audra Burks were the first players to receive automatic LPGA Tour exempt status by finishing one, two, and three on the Futures Golf Tour Money List. The minimum age for participation
85-627: The LPGA Futures Tour , and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed Futures Tour and between 2012 and 2021 as the Symetra Tour , is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour . Tour membership is open to professional women golfers and to qualified amateurs. The Futures Tour was founded in Florida in 1981 as the "Tampa Bay Mini Tour". It officially became
102-478: The 2004 Southern Conference Championship while at Furman University; Kristy McPherson , a three-time NCAA All-American First Team selection and two-time individual winner of the SEC Championship while at The University of South Carolina; and Briana Vega , who holds North Carolina State University's scoring records for 18-holes (68) and 54-holes (216). Christina Kim Christina Kim (born March 15, 1984)
119-482: The Futures Tour from 1996 to 1999. The Big Break V: Hawaii , which aired in the spring of 2006, included six additional Futures Tour competitors: Dana Lacey , Ashley Prange , Kim Lewellen , Kristina Tucker , Becky Lucidi and Jeanne Cho . Prange won the competition; Cho was runner-up. The Big Break VI: Trump National , broadcast in the fall of 2006, included six more Futures Tour players: Rachel Bailey ,
136-575: The Tour as a benefit for local charities. For professionals, it is a final chance to get into the top fifteen on the tour's money list and earn an LPGA Tour card, or at least improve their status for LPGA Tour Qualifying School. The current benefiting charity of the Epson Tour Championship is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia and Flagler Counties. Epson Tour The Epson Tour , previously known as
153-469: The contestants on The Golf Channel 's The Big Break III: Ladies Only , which aired in the Spring of 2005, played on the Futures Tour, including Danielle Amiee , who ended up being the show's overall champion. The other players from the show that played on the Futures Tour were Jan Dowling , Valeria Ochoa , runner-up Pamela Crikelair , and LPGA veteran Cindy Miller . Show co-host Stephanie Sparks played on
170-472: The end of the season gain membership on the LPGA Tour for the next season, with those finishing in the top five positions gaining higher priority for entry into events than those finishing in positions six through ten. Finishers in positions sixth through ten still have the option to attend LPGA Qualifying School to try to improve their membership for the following season. Beginning in 2011, the promotion process
187-523: The following season's LPGA Tour. Starting with the sixth-ranked player at the end of the season, ten additional Futures Tour players who are not already members of the LPGA, automatically advanced into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, bypassing the sectional qualifying tournament. Beginning in 2008 the process for promotion to the LPGA Tour was changed. The top ten leading money winners at
SECTION 10
#1732855775252204-467: The individual winner of the 2002 Sunbelt Conference Championship at New Mexico State University; Bridget Dwyer , a member of the 2004 NCAA Women's Golf Championship winning team at UCLA; Ashley Gomes , the 2004 WAC Player of the Year and individual winner of the 2004 WAC Championship while at San Jose State University; Sarah Lynn Johnston , the 2004 Southern Conference Player of the Year and individual winner of
221-404: The tour was known as the "LPGA Futures Tour." In 2012, Symetra , a United States-based insurance provider, became the title sponsor of the tour and tour's name was changed to "Symetra Tour". In January 2022, the LPGA signed a five-year title sponsorship agreement with Epson America Inc. From 1999 through 2007 the top five leading money winners at the end of each season earned full membership in
238-537: Was changed slightly to allow the next 24 players, excluding current LPGA members, after the top ten qualifiers to automatic entry into Stage III of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. Futures Tour graduates include LPGA tournament winners Laura Davies , Meaghan Francella , Hannah Green , Cristie Kerr , Christina Kim , Nelly Korda , Mo Martin , Lorena Ochoa , Grace Park , Inbee Park , Stacy Prammanasudh , Sherri Steinhauer , and Karrie Webb . Many of
255-407: Was lowered to 17 prior to the 2006 season. On July 18, 2007, the LPGA officially announced that it had acquired the Futures Tour effective immediately, "bringing women's professional golf now under one umbrella." Previously the Futures Tour had operated as a licensee of the LPGA. Duramed , a pharmaceutical company, was the tour's title sponsor from 2006 through the end of the 2010 season. In 2011,
272-503: Was played at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Florida due to course conditions at LPGA International caused by Hurricane Matthew . In 2020, the event moved to River Run Country Club in Davidson, North Carolina . The tournament is a 72-hole event, as are most tour events, and includes pre-tournament pro-am opportunities, in which local amateur golfers can play with the professional golfers from
289-597: Was the youngest player to reach $ 1 million in earnings, which she achieved in 2004 at age 20. This record was broken the following year by Paula Creamer . She joined the Ladies European Tour in 2010 and competed in six events, including two that were co-sanctioned with the LPGA. She earned her first win on the LET in 2011 at the Sicilian Italian Ladies Open. Kim's autobiography, Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star , co-written with Alan Shipnuck
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