The IOA Golf Classic is the second event of the Epson Tour season and the 14th rendition. Contested at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, FL, from March 13-15, the IOA Golf Classic has an exciting history.
You’ll recognize two of its past winners as major champions on the LPGA Tour now – Australia’s Grace Kim and Hannah Green. Kim still holds the 54-hole course record at 18-under from her win in 2022. During the first round in 2022, Katelyn Sisk also broke the 18-hole tournament scoring record with a 62.
Gina Kim, who placed third in the Race to the Card in 2025, won the event last year but will not be defending her title as she’s back on the LPGA Tour this season.
The winner of this event will take home $30,000 of the $200,000 purse and 500 points in the Race to the Card.
Alaqua Country Club will be playing 6,182 yards as a par 71. The women will be playing 54 holes with a 36-hole cut for the top 60 and ties.
Who to Watch at the 2026 IOA Golf Classic
Even though the defending champion isn’t in the field, we will see two past winners have the opportunity to make history by winning the event twice: Jenny Coleman and Laura Wearn.
Also in the field are the two local qualifiers from Monday, Lauren Peter and Yue Zhang. They both shot 69 (-2) to secure the two spots by one stroke. Zhang said, “Monday qualifying is tough because I only get one round, but it’s also really exciting. It feels great to earn a spot in the tournament.”
Peter noted an advantage for playing in the qualifier, saying, “I think it definitely helps me have a lot of confidence off the tee because this place is really narrow. So excited to play this week and have fun.”
Seven countries are represented in the IOA Golf Classic and 15 Epson Tour rookies. We’ll also see 14-year-old Keira Shavitranuruk as the amateur in the field. She’s one of two sponsor exemptions, the other being recent University of Kentucky graduate Marta Lopez Echevarria.
