The beginning of the Epson Tour season is full of just as much uncertainty as the end of the season is for some athletes. Hailee Cooper started 2024 with minimum Epson Tour status, having finished in a tie for 154th at the Qualifying portion of 2023 LPGA Q-Series.

Because of her limited status, Cooper took her talents to the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour, where a top-two finish in any of their events guarantees a start in an upcoming Epson Tour event. The recent Texas A&M University graduate thought that might be her best way to earn starts on the Epson Tour this year, and she was right.

In just her second professional start, Cooper won the L’Auberge Lake Charles Championship on the ANNIKA WAPT, granting her a start at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casio Resort & Spa.

She made cut in her first career Epson Tour appearance, finishing in a tie 58th, a result that was good enough to earn her more starts on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA once the field sizes started to expand.

“I started on the Epson Tour in June full-time. I didn't have much status. I was able to get an exemption from another tour into an Epson Tour tournament in April, made the cut on the number, so then I ended up getting into the reshuffle, got all the points, and now we're here,” explained Cooper at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells. “I wasn't expecting to be here, and it's crazy how fast the season has gone since June. I love it, though. It's awesome.”

Even with her improved Epson Tour status, Cooper continued playing on the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour, winning the Oscar Williams Classic and the Heritage Classic before the year ended, while still making starts on the Epson Tour. The 24-year-old finished No. 2 in the Race to Stage II program on the ANNIKA WAPT, which meant that Callaway paid the way for her LPGA Q-Series journey.

With that goal out of the way, Cooper played in the inaugural Otter Creek Championship on the Epson Tour, and that is where her season ultimately changed. A T21 finish moved her up the Race for the Card points list, guaranteeing her even more starts on the Epson Tour going forward. Now, Cooper has played in 12 tournaments, and is making her debut at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells, where she shot 7-under in round one and was tied for the lead through 18 holes.

Like a lot of professional athletes, Cooper had her doubts before turning pro. She fell out of love with the game and was in a bad mental state while playing, which is hard to believe now if you have ever met the Epson Tour rookie. Her positivity is infectious, and that’s part of the reason she feels like she is in the position she is in right now.

“A year and a half ago, I didn't even know if I was going to play golf anymore. I thought I was going to stop and hang the clubs up,” said Cooper. “There was a time when I was in a really, really bad place and I was just like, this is not fun. So, I was like, I'm just going to do whatever it takes to make it fun. As long as it's fun, I'll keep doing it. I love golf, and I don't want to hate it ever. It's such a beautiful game, it's really cool.”

In her other 11 starts on the Epson Tour, she has only missed one cut and has earned three top-10 finishes in that span, including a runner-up finish at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout just two weeks ago. The result moved Cooper into the top 35 of the Race for the Card, putting her on track to be at the Final Qualifying portion of LPGA Q-Series in December.

But that’s not even the best position that Cooper could wind up in, as a win this week is projected to put her inside the top 15 of the Race for the Card, meaning she would go from limited status on the Epson Tour to earning an LPGA Tour card in the same season.

There is still plenty of golf to be played, but Cooper is a name to keep an eye out for as the week progresses in Indian Wells, Calif., and as she works to complete what’s been a Cinderella story of a first professional season.

Hailee Cooper Making the Most of Her Opportunities on the Epson Tour in 2024

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