Though the Qualifiers may not actually take place on a Monday, the sentiment is the same. Epson Tour players now have the chance to play their way into three events in 2026.
Those three events with Local Qualifying Rounds are:
- Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf (March 5-7, 2026)
- IOA Golf Classic (March 13-15, 2026)
- Orlando Health Championship (March 20-22, 2026)
If you remember from the 2026 Epson Tour schedule release, the Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf is the first event of the season and the Orlando Health Championship is the tour’s newest event and third of the season. The IOA Golf Classic is the second event of the year.
Why is it so important that these Qualifiers are held early in the season?
When you become a member of the LPGA and the Epson Tours, you are assigned a category of status. You may have full status on the LPGA Tour, for example, which would mean you can compete in any event you’d like. Or you could have conditional status, for instance, on the Epson Tour, where you’re only going to be able to compete in some of the events depending on your ranking.
That’s why you saw some of the 2025 Epson Tour graduates play in the LPGA Q-Series (formerly known as Q-School) despite already earning their LPGA Tour cards. They were giving themselves a chance to gain more status – and, therefore, more tournament entries – in 2026.
The Epson Tour has a process called a Reshuffle. Twice a season, the tour will look at its top performers and “reshuffle” what’s called the “Current Season Top 80.” Those top 80 players will have priority at events, meaning they’ll have more opportunities to play, earn points in the Race for the Card and ultimately have a better chance at securing their LPGA Tour card.
If you’re not in the top 80, you’ll want to start playing as soon as possible. If you finish well, you could “reshuffle” into a higher category of status for the rest of the season. That’s a huge advantage. Being able to qualify for those early events could change your entire season and career.
There are a ton of “ifs” in this process – if you get into the Local Qualifying Round, if you’re one of the two qualifiers, if you play well in the Epson Tour event – but that’s what makes the best stories in golf.
