Epson Tour

Last updated

Epson Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
Golf current event.svg 2024 Epson Tour
FormerlySymetra Tour
Duramed Futures Tour
LPGA Futures Tour
Sport Golf
Founded1981
First season1981
CountryUnited States
Continent North America
Related
competitions		 LPGA Tour
Official website epsontour.com

The Epson Tour, previously known as 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.

Contents

History

The Futures Tour was founded in Florida in 1981 as the "Tampa Bay Mini Tour". It officially became the Futures Golf Tour in 1983 [1] 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. [1]

The minimum age for participation was lowered to 17 prior to the 2006 season. [2] 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. [3]

Duramed, a pharmaceutical company, was the tour's title sponsor from 2006 through the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, 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. [4]

Promotion to LPGA

1999–2007

From 1999 through 2007 the top five leading money winners at the end of each season earned full membership in 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.

2008–2010

Beginning in 2008 the process for promotion to the LPGA Tour was changed. The top ten leading money winners at 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. [5]

2011–present

Beginning in 2011, the promotion process 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. [6]

Players

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.

Historical tour schedules and results

YearNumber of
tournaments		Total prize
money (US$)		Prize money ($)
per tournament
2023 225,000,000227,000
2022 214,410,000210,000
2021 203,800,000190,000
2020 101,625,000162,500
2019 234,000,000173,913
2018 212,990,000142,381
2017 222,950,000 [7] 134,091
2016 233,125,000135,870
2015 232,420,000105,217
2014 202,250,000112,500
2013 151,625,000108,333
2012 161,755,000 [8] 109,688
2011 161,765,000 [9] 110,313
2010 171,920,000 [10] 112,941
2009 171,795,000 [11] 105,588
2008 181,710,000 [12] 95,000
2007 191,585,000 [13] 83,421
2006 191,425,000 [14] 75,000

Awards

YearPlayer of the YearRookie of the YearTrainor AwardHeather Wilbur Spirit Award
2023 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gabriela Ruffels Flag of Malaysia.svg Natasha Andrea Oon Flag of the United States.svg Hannah Arnold
2022 Flag of Sweden.svg Linnea Ström Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Yin Xiaowen
2021 Flag of the United States.svg Lilia Vu Flag of the United States.svg Amanda Doherty — Flag of the United States.svg Nannette Hill
2020 Flag of Slovenia.svg Ana Belac Flag of Slovenia.svg Ana Belac ——
2019 Flag of France.svg Perrine Delacour Flag of Thailand.svg Patty Tavatanakit ——
2018 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ruixin Liu Flag of Sweden.svg Linnea Ström Jim and Denise Medford Flag of the United States.svg Portland Rosen
2017 Flag of Thailand.svg Benyapa Niphatsophon Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hannah Green Potawatomi Nation tribes Flag of the United States.svg Laura Wearn
2016 Flag of Sweden.svg Madelene Sagström Flag of Sweden.svg Madelene Sagström Flag of the United States.svg John Ritenour and Valli Ritenour Flag of the United States.svg Ally McDonald
2015 Flag of the United States.svg Annie Park Flag of the United States.svg Annie Park Flag of the United States.svg Walt Lincer Flag of the United States.svg Casey Grice
2014 Flag of the United States.svg Marissa Steen Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Min Lee Flag of the United States.svg Mike Vadala Flag of South Korea.svg Min Seo Kwak
2013 Flag of Thailand.svg P.K. Kongkraphan Flag of Italy.svg Giulia Molinaro Flag of South Korea.svg Kyung Ahn Moon Flag of the United States.svg Melissa Eaton
2012 Flag of the United States.svg Esther Choe Flag of South Korea.svg Mi Hyang Lee Flag of the United States.svg Zayra Calderon Flag of the United States.svg Nicole Jeray
2011 Flag of the United States.svg Kathleen Ekey Flag of the United States.svg Sydnee Michaels n/a Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Izzy Beisiegel
2010 Flag of the United States.svg Cindy LaCrosse Flag of the United States.svg Flag of South Korea.svg Jennifer Song Executive Women's Golf Association Flag of the United States.svg Mo Martin
2009 Flag of the United States.svg Mina Harigae Flag of the United States.svg Mina Harigae Flag of the United States.svg Renee Powell Flag of the United States.svg Malinda Johnson
2008 Flag of the United States.svg Vicky Hurst Flag of the United States.svg Vicky Hurst Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jocelyne Bourassa Flag of the United States.svg Katie Fraley
2007 Flag of the United States.svg Emily Bastel Flag of Mexico.svg Violeta Retamoza Flag of the United States.svg Cynthia Rihm Flag of the United States.svg Jenny Hansen
2006 Flag of South Korea.svg Song-Hee Kim Flag of South Korea.svg Song-Hee Kim Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sherrin Smyers Flag of the United States.svg Katie Connelly
2005 Flag of South Korea.svg Seon-Hwa Lee Flag of South Korea.svg Sun Young Yoo Flag of Australia (converted).svg Karrie Webb Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Salimah Mussani
2004 Flag of South Korea.svg Jimin Kang Flag of South Korea.svg Aram Cho Flag of the United States.svg Decatur, Illinois Women's Committees Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsey Wright
2003 Flag of the United States.svg Stacy Prammanasudh Flag of South Korea.svg Soo Young Moon Flag of the United States.svg Wilma Gilliland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Heather Wilbur
2002 Flag of Mexico.svg Lorena Ochoa Flag of Mexico.svg Lorena Ochoa Flag of the United States.svg Bob Hirschman and Connie Shorb
2001 Flag of the United States.svg Beth Bauer Flag of the United States.svg Beth Bauer Flag of the United States.svg Diane Lewis
2000 Flag of the United States.svg Heather Zakhar Flag of the United States.svg Jamie Hullett Flag of the United States.svg Betty Puskar
1999 Flag of South Korea.svg Grace Park Flag of the United States.svg Lew Williams
1998 Flag of the United States.svg Michelle Bell
1997 Flag of the United States.svg Marilyn Lovander
1996 Flag of the United States.svg Vickie Moran
1995 Flag of the United States.svg Patty Ehrhart
1994 Flag of the United States.svg Marilyn Lovander
1993 Flag of the United States.svg Nanci Bowen
1992 Flag of the United States.svg Jodi Figley
1991 Flag of the United States.svg Kim Williams
1990 Flag of the United States.svg Denise Baldwin
1989 Flag of the United States.svg Jennifer MacCurrach
1988 Flag of Peru.svg Flag of Sweden.svg Jenny Lidback
1987 Flag of the United States.svg Laurel Kean
1986 Flag of the United States.svg Tammie Green
1985 Flag of the United States.svg Tammie Green
1984 Flag of the United States.svg Penny Hammel

The Big Break

Many of 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 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, 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 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).

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Mickey, Lisa D. "Silver Anniversary Salute: Futures Tour Prepares For Next 25 Years". Duramed Futures Tour. Archived from the original on April 9, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Duramed Futures Tour Lowers Minimum Age Requirement". Golf Business Wire. February 1, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  3. ↑ "LPGA acquires Duramed Futures Tour". LPGA. July 18, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2007.
  4. ↑ Gibson, Charlotte (January 26, 2022). "Epson signs five-year agreement to be title sponsor of LPGA qualifying tour". ESPN. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ "LPGA Tour Cards Award to Duramed Futures Tour Top 10". LPGA. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Ten LPGA Futures Tour Players Earn 2012 LPGA Tour Membership". LPGA. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  7. ↑ "2017 Tournament Schedule". Symetra Tour.
  8. ↑ "2012 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2012.
  9. ↑ "2011 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2011.
  10. ↑ "2010 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2011.
  11. ↑ "2009 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2011.
  12. ↑ "2008 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2011.
  13. ↑ "2007 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2011.
  14. ↑ "2006 Tournament Schedule" (PDF). LPGA Futures Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2011.
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