The week started with Jenny Bae as the leader at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, and the week ended the same way. Bae went wire-to-wire for the second time in her career and did so in her last two victories. She went wire-to-wire at the 2023 Twin Bridges Championship, another challenging golf course at which to hold a lead. Bae has proved time and time again what a force she can be when her game is on, and she needs to manage a hard golf course.
Despite not having a spectacular final round compared to some of her competitors, Jenny Bae’s resilience shone through as she managed the golf course all week with precision and patience. Mystic Creek Golf Club presented a tough challenge, but the Georgia native handled it with poise. The final round for Bae was a battle against the course more than the field, as she never let go of the solo lead throughout the whole final round.
The 23-year-old was two over heading into her 11th hole of the day, not rolling in a single birdie so far on the round. That changed on No. 11, with Bae taking advantage of the drivable par 4, making a stress-free birdie to give her some breathing room. Another birdie followed on No. 15 for Bae, moving her lead to 2-shots with three holes to play. A misstep on No. 17 resulted in a bogey and only a one-shot lead with one to play. Bae came up short in two on the par 5 18th, chipping to five feet but missing the birdie putt. The par was good enough for Bae to claim her third career Epson Tour victory and move her to No. 7 in the Race for the Card with one event remaining.
“It feels really special, really great,” said Bae on her third Epson Tour victory. “I can definitely carry on the confidence I have right now into the final the final tournament in Indian Wells. I feel like this year it’s been a little rough. It has been a year with a lot of ups and downs. There’s been a lot of stress and pressure, but I think this definitely gives me time to just reflect on myself and understand that I am on the right track.”
A group of three players shared the runner-up position. Hailee Cooper, Lauren Stephenson and Therese Warner, all made it to 6-under for the event, but they did so in very different ways.
Cooper, an Epson Tour rookie, had been in solo second all week behind Bae, trying to chase down the now three-time champion. She opened her tournament with a 5-under round and played the next 36-holes in 1-under, ultimately falling just short of Bae. Despite the finish, Cooper is happy with how she competed and managed herself while being in the final grouping for the first time in her career.
“I was a little nervous last night, for I went to bed, and I woke up this morning, and I felt really ready to go,” said Cooper. “I played really well. The putts just didn’t drop. I hit a lot of good putts, and it just wasn’t my day, but it’s okay. I played really well, and the girls played great. They’re great players, so it’s really fun to watch. I think it prepared me really well to go forward.”
Warner put together the best round of the tournament on the last day, posting a 7-under 65 to close out her week. She has struggled during her second year on Tour, only making one cut previous to the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout. With the runner-up finish, Werner has secured a spot in the Epson Tour Championship in two weeks, giving her one more chance to move up the Race for the Card rankings.
Stephenson did what she does best all week: put together consistent rounds of golf. She will be returning to the LPGA Tour next season after mathematically securing her card earlier this season, and now she will enter the Epson Tour Championship in the No. 1 spot in the Race for the Card. The University of Alabama alum played all three rounds under par on the week, making her the only player in the field to do so.
The Epson Tour heads to Indian Wells, Cali. for the highly anticipated Epson Tour Championship starting October 3rd and finishing on October 6th. At the conclusion of the event, the top-15 players in the Race for the Card will be awarded LPGA Tour cards for the 2025 season.