The Epson Tour saw two major changes to the Race for the Card heading into the 2024 season. The first is the switch from a money-based system to a point-based system. The points will be the same for every event, except for the season-ending Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, Calif.

Finish Position	Epson Tour Official Events	Epson Tour Championship
1	500	600
2	320	416
3	230	299
4	180	234
5	145	188.5
6	120	156
7	100	130
8	90	117
9	80	104
10	75	97.5

Full Breakdown of the Point List

The second big change was the number of players who will receive an LPGA Tour status at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The number of cards was increased from 10 to 15 with the athletes finishing #1-10 continuing to earn Category 9 status on the LPGA Tour Priority List. But those who finish #11-15 in the Race for the Card will now earn LPGA status in Category 15 for the 2025 LPGA Tour season. Those who finish #11-15 in the Race for the Card will be zippered in with LPGA Tour members finishing #101-125 on the Race to the CME Globe Points List, alternating in the following order: LPGA Tour #101, Epson Tour #11, LPGA Tour #102, Epson Tour #12, and so forth.

With that clarification, let’s play a game of “what if.” What if the 2023 Epson Tour season used the new 2024 model? How would the standings look, and whose 2024 season may have looked a little different?

2023 Finish Position (Money)	Player	2023 Finish Position (Points)	Player	Position Change
1	Gabriela Ruffels	1	Natasha Andrea Oon	Up One Spot
2	Natasha Andrea Oon	2	Gabriela Ruffels	Down One Spot
3	Auston Kim	3	Auston Kim	Same
4	Jiwon Jeon	4	Minji Kang	Up One Spot
5	Minji Kang	5	Agathe Laisne	Up One Spot
6	Agathe Laisne	6	Isabella Fierro	Up Three Spots
7	Jenny Coleman	7	Jiwon Jeon	Down Three Spots
8	Roberta Liti	8	Jenny Coleman	Down One Spot
9	Isabella Fierro	9	Becca Huffer	Up Two Spots
10	Kristen Gillman	10	Roberta Liti	Down Two Spots
11	Becca Huffer	11	Robyn Choi	Up One Spot
12	Robyn Choi	12	Jenny Bae	Up One Spot
13	Jenny Bae	13	Miranda Wang	Up Two Spots
14	Nataliya Guseva	14	Alena Sharp	Up Two Spots
15	Miranda Wang	15	Kristen Gillman	Down Five Spots

There are a lot of different scenarios to go through, so let’s start with who the change would have affected most. While many athletes would have earned their card with the new system, there are two athletes whose 2024 season would’ve looked a little different this year: Nataliya Guseva and Alena Sharp.

Guseva, who finished 14th on the Epson Tour Official Money List last year, took home the biggest first-place prize of the season at the 2023 Black Desert Resort Championship, vaulting her into the top 10 in the Race for the Card at the time of her win. Based on the new points system, Guseva would have finished her 2023 season in the 19th spot, making her the only athlete who finished in the top 15 on the money list to fall outside of the top 15 based on points. Replacing her in the points standings would have been Sharp, who would’ve ultimately finished 14th on the points list, earning her Category 15 status for the 2024 season.

Other notable changes would have been in the Player of the Year race, as Gabriela Ruffels would have traded places with Natasha Andrea Oon using the new points system, making Oon the 2023 Player of the Year. Also, if the points system had been adopted for the 2023 season, the top 10 would have seen a shake-up as well. Becca Huffer would have earned enough points to earn an LPGA Tour card, knocking Kristen Gillman out of the top 10, while only Auston Kim would have stayed in her same spot at No. 3.

Now, with the Epson Tour starting up for its 2024 season at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, the crop of new and veteran players will take their first crack at securing their spot in the top 15 and earning their LPGA Tour card for 2025.

What If the 2023 Epson Tour Season Had the 2024 Points System

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