The Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout was the last chance for Epson Tour players to lock in their spot at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells next week. The field is 108 players, with spots given based on the Race for the Card points list. This means that an athlete's finish in El Dorado could have been the deciding factor in their playing in the Epson Tour season finale.

Therese Warner was the 11th alternate heading into the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, but by Tuesday morning, she was in the field for the season penultimate event. Players ahead of her on the priority list either got into the LPGA Tour's Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G or athletes withdrew to prepare for the Epson Tour Championship. By the end of her time in El Dorado, Warner finished runner-up for the second time in her Epson Tour career and jumped 100 spots to No. 62 in the Race for the Card.

"All throughout the tournament, I was just trying to take it shot by shot, moment by moment, stay in the present and not take anything for granted," said Warner. "That's the key out here. Things could go south, like so quickly. So even if you're making birdies, you got to stay focused. Never let up because you don't know what's going to happen next."

The 2024 season has not been kind to the 23-year-old, making on one cut in her previous 14 starts. The Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout looked like it was going to be more of the same for Warner after opening her tournament with a 2-over 74. In the second round, she turned in a 1-under 71 to make the cut by 4-shots, marking her second made cut of the season. The final round is when Warner really showed up, making 9 birdies on her way to a 7-under 65, the lowest score turned in all week and one-shot off the 18-hole tournament record.

The University of Arizona alum went off for her final round well before the leaders of the tournament, with the leaders not even aware of what was happening in front of them. Warner made the turn only at 1-under, but by the time she was on No. 18, she had an eagle putt to get to 7-under for the tournament and was in a share for second place at the time. The 25-foot eagle putt came up just short, giving her a tap-in birdie, finishing at 6-under for the tournament.

"It has been a rough, rough year, and like this just kind of shows me that you never give up," explained Warner. "Every single tournament is a new opportunity to do better, and every day is a new opportunity to be better."

Now Warner is returning to the Epson Tour Championship after making it there as rookie on Tour last season after thinking she would not be competing there just a week ago. Sitting just 27 spots out of the top 35 and earning a spot in Final Qualifying, she is one strong finish away from completely flipping her 2025 season plans on its head.

Therese Warner Taking Advantage of Her Last Chance to Get into Final Stage

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