The Epson Tour tees off today in the Sunshine State at the Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf, marking the start of the most promising season the tour has seen. From a slew of promising rookies to enhancements to the Epson Tour, like many a race in professional sports, the one for those coveted LPGA Tour cards may end in a photo finish.
This week, the Atlantic City Beach Classic hosts the first event of the 2026 Epson Tour schedule. While the tournament at the eponymous course has become a more recent addition to the tour, this year’s rendition marks the first time in event history that it hosts the season debut.
As the women compete in Duval County outside of Jacksonville this week, they’ll face off in familiar conditions, particularly the mild winds and consistent humidity associated with Florida springtime. Hoping for a calmer environment than last year – when only three golfers finished under par due to wind gusts – this will be a true testament for seasoned pros and rookies alike and may provide a glimpse for fans looking for a rising star in the women’s game.
The excitement of a new season was not the only cause for celebration on tour. Earlier this week, Epson announced a multi-year extension to remain the title sponsor of the women’s qualifying tour. In the backdrop of consistent change and promise for women’s golf to a new LPGA commissioner last July to the announcement of the WTGL in early 2026, this extension marks Epson’s continuous stance as a stakeholder for women’s golf.
“Epson’s continued commitment to the Epson Tour is a powerful investment in opportunity,” said LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler. “This extension reflects a shared belief in the importance of a strong, clear pathway to the LPGA.
“The enhancements to the Epson Tour Championship are meaningful and intentional, rewarding performance while providing greater financial security.”
Additionally, the Epson Tour announced an increase in the winner’s share of the purse for the first time in tour history, at $100,000.
Gianna Clemente is making her highly anticipated Epson Tour debut this week at Atlantic Beach. The 17-year-old decided to forgo any collegiate golf experience and join in the Race for the Card. In her already impressive amateur career, Clemente has 13 wins – including the 2023 Junior PGA and the 2024 Mizuho Americas Open –a T5 finish at the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and qualifications at multiple LPGA events. One such event was last year’s Chevron Championship, where she was the low amateur. Arguably the most well-known rookie on the Epson Tour this season, Clemente is no stranger to strong competition, and this week marks the beginning of a new trajectory for the Estero, Florida, native.
While not a rookie, Carla Tejedo Mulet is another promising favorite heading into the Atlantic Beach Classic. The Spaniard fell short of an under-par finish at last year’s event, placing T6 and 1-over on the weekend. However, she posted four top-5 finishes to round out last season, enough to graduate and earn her LPGA Tour card. Competing in the Epson Tour debut and moving this event earlier in the month of March may prove to be of benefit to the defending ANWA champion.
There is no shortage of underdog stories this week in Atlantic Beach, however. The Epson Tour announced the introduction of Local Qualifying Rounds, which operate similarly to Monday Qualifiers on the LPGA and other professional golf tours. In an effort to increase opportunities for aspiring female golfers, two qualifiers are able to enter the field in each of the three first events of the season. Caroline Canales and Katherine Hollern came to the first tee today, with the latter having a less-than-traditional journey to the game.
Hollern was an All-American athlete in high school and was projected to become one of the best collegiate lacrosse players in her recruiting class. After forgoing signing day and staying away from the sport her freshman year, she transferred to the University of Denver, hanging up the lacrosse stick and goggles in the process but picking up a set of clubs and continuing to play golf as a hobby in the meantime.
Fast forward to 2019, and in her stint on the Eggland’s Best Golf Tour, Hollern qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which provided a trajectory for Hollern to play professionally, just not in lacrosse. Her last appearance on the Epson Tour was in the 2023 Championship, where she missed the cut, so the Jacksonville resident is hoping to take advantage of advancing in the qualifier and make her first Epson Tour cut.
“Anytime you have one more opportunity, it’s awesome. I think that it was a really great thing that the Epson Tour decided to do,” Hollern said about the addition of a qualifier on the Epson Tour.
“You know, Q-School is hard, and you just have one or two bad holes, and now you’re quickly out of the top 80, and Q-School doesn’t always show people’s best golf, so I think this was a great opportunity for them to provide for the first three weeks.”
