The IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is set to begin tomorrow at 7 a.m. local time. Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon offers new challenges in 2025, as the weather looks much different than in years past. The cold, windy weather is not typical in the desert in April, but the field of 132 will have to battle through regardless. Here are some names to watch when play begins:

Juliana Hung

Juliana Hung returns to Beaumont to defend her IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa title. The 23-year-old broke the 54-hole scoring record on the Epson Tour while claiming her first win on Tour, winning the event by nine shots. The rest of her rookie season was not up to her expectations, with her win being the only top-10 result of the year.

In 2025, Hung has one top-10 finish in just three events and has made the cut in her first three starts. The Chinese Taipei native is currently No. 12 in the Race for the Card as she heads back to Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon, sitting inside the coveted top-15. Winning is not new to Hung, who has captured six victories while competing on the LPGA of Taiwan.

Lindsey McCurdy Peek

McCurdy Peek enters the 2025 season off her best year as a professional, finishing 26th in the Race for the Card in 2024. The year consisted of four top-10 finishes with a season-best runner-up result at the IOA Golf Classic presented by Aperture.

The 2025 campaign is off to a hot start for the 30-year-old, making all three cuts this season and finishing inside the top 10 twice. Like in 2024, her best finish so far this season came at the IOA Golf Classic presented by Aperture with a T5 result. McCurdy Peek has steadily improved her play year after year, consistently placing better in the season-long rankings in the past three seasons. The trend is continuing as the Texas native is currently 10th in the Race for the Card and looking to find the winner’s circle for the first time in her career.

Aline Krauter

Krauter is competing on the Epson Tour for the first time in 2025 after spending her first two seasons as a professional on the LPGA Tour. Her time on the LPGA Tour had its ups and downs, but ultimately, her seven made cuts were not enough to secure her card full-time for the 2025 season despite strong finishes at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro (T13) and Dow Championship (T23) in 2024.

The German has found plenty of success overseas, winning the 2023 Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour while adding three more top-10 finishes in just 19 events played. Krauter is off to a strong start for her Epson Tour career, going three for three in cuts made to start the season and sitting in the No. 26 spot in the Race for the Card. A strong finish at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa could put her back on track to return to the LPGA Tour full-time.

Bi Shin

Shin has competed on the Epson Tour since 2023, making just 10 starts during the season, making six cuts with two top-10 finishes. Her 2024 campaign marked her first full season on Tour, making 18 starts. The Republic of Korea native made the cut in 11 of the 18 starts but only managed one top-10 finish, coming at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic with a T7 result.

This season is off to a much better start, as Shin enters the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa off two straight top-10 results. The strong start to her 2025 season has put Shin inside the top 10 in the Race for the Card at No. 7. Before the 23-year-old joined the Epson Tour, she secured three professional wins on the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. She has yet to have a chance to close out a tournament on the Epson Tour, but that may change this week in Beaumont.

Players to Watch: 2025 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa

Related Articles