DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 21st and final stop of the Epson Tour season and sixth of the Million Dollar Drive keeps the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour in the Sunshine State for the 11th annual Epson Tour Championship from Oct. 4-7 at LPGA International.

Greeting the 108-player field in Daytona Beach, Fla. is a total purse of $225,000, tied for the highest on Tour this year. Individuals are set to compete on the Jones Course in a 72-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes.

“It is hard to believe we’ve reached the finish line in the Volvik Race for the Card, but we are eager to graduate 10 deserving players to the LPGA at the conclusion of this week’s Epson Tour Championship,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Epson Tour. “LPGA International has provided a great home to showcase the future stars of women’s professional golf and is a great challenge to conclude the season.”

With only one tournament now left on the “Road to the LPGA,” the Million Dollar Drive is the run of six consecutive events to end the season. They have a cumulative purse of greater than $1 million, roughly one-third of the total prize money for 2018.

Defending champion Rachel Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania) is among the competitors this week, one of two players competing on a sponsor exemption. All members of the current Volvik Race for the Card top-10 are set to tee it up, as well as 44 of the top-45 players on the money list. In addition, 27 different countries and 21 states will be represented.

“Good feelings come up when I’m back, but some people might have bad feelings since we played Q-School here for so long,” Rohanna said laughingly. “I’m going to take the same strategy as last year knowing that even if I win it doesn’t get my card, but the check would be nice. I’ll probably hit driver every hole, attack every pin and hopefully get a few putts to fall.”

Meanwhile, the event is particularly special for Florida native August Kim (St. Augustine, Florida). One of nine competitors to call the host state home, she is eager to compete right in her own backyard.

“This will be my second Epson Tour Championship and I would love to build off last year’s tied for 26th finish,” said Kim, currently No. 30 in the Volvik Race for the Card. “Being less than an hour from where I live is pretty cool and makes this week mean a little more for me. With such a big prize on the line, as well as spots in the top-10 still up for grabs or receiving a potential exemption into Q-Series, I’m pumped to get things started.”

Action gets underway at 8 a.m. ET all four rounds, with play beginning off No. 1 and No. 10 tees each day in groups comprised of threesomes.

STRÖM SECURES LPGA TOUR CARD FOR 2019

One of four players to have secured her full LPGA Tour card for 2019, Linnea Ström (Hovas, Sweden) is the latest to do so after back-to-back top-10 finishes over the last two weeks.

Ström has a total of nine top-20 results, highlighted by five top-10s and a win in the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge. She joins Dottie Ardina (Laguna, Philippines), Ruixin Liu (Dalian, China) and Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) as the only individuals so far to have punched their ticket to the big stage.

“It feels very good and I am really excited,” said Ström, a rookie on the Epson Tour. “The LPGA has always been a dream for me, to play out there with the best players. I have learned so many new things being a professional and playing out here that I am excited for what is ahead.”

After leaving Arizona State University a year-and-a-half early, this moment provides validation.

“Obviously, it was a very tough decision to leave college because I loved my team, my coaches and everything at ASU,” Ström said. “For me personally, I wanted to take my golf to the next level. I think playing this year on the Epson Tour has taught me a lot of things and that I handled it all very well. It was great preparation for a future on the LPGA.”

Her breakthrough moment in 2018 came in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she raised the trophy and claimed a $31,500 winner’s check. The performance launched Ström 22 spots in the Volvik Race for the Card to No. 2 and she has not looked back since.

“There has been so many new things for me this year and I’m sure many more next year as well,” said Ström. “I haven’t played in many LPGA events before, so a full season is going to be a learning experience itself. I am prepared for the challenge, both mentally and on the course.”

With only one event remaining, Ström will make her 20th start of the season at the Epson Tour Championship. She is set to begin competition on Thursday off No. 10 tee at 1:26 p.m. ET with Ardina and Liu.

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