Indian Wells, California, United States: China’s Zhang Yahui and New Zealander Fiona Xu are among 15 players to have earned their LPGA Tour cards through the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card, based on a points ranking, rather than money.
Zhang and Xu both posted top-10 finishes in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) and represented their respective countries in the Queen Sirikit Cup.
Xu was also a member of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation side that took on their European Golf Association rivals in the Solheim Cup-style Patsy Hankins Trophy team match play event in Spain last year.
One of the youngest competitors on the Epson Tour this year, 18-year-old Zhang made her Epson Tour debut this season after finishing tied eighth in the WAAP at Siam Country Club. She’s now finished the year with LPGA Tour Membership.
She earned her first professional win at the Epson Tour’s Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Indianapolis. Additionally, she recorded seven top-10 finishes in 2024.
After Zhang’s tied fifth finish at the Guardian Championship in September, she clinched LPGA Tour Membership for the 2025 season. Finishing second on the Race for the Card, Zhang was named the Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, Xu, tied third at the 2023 WAAP in Singapore, finished her rookie season on the Epson Tour in eighth place in the Race for the Card.
The 20-year-old earned her first professional win at the Copper Rock Championship in May, finishing with a record breaking 54-hole score of 194 (22-under-par). She earned two other top-five finishes in 2024, a runner-up result at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa and a tied fifth at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic.
Joining Zhang and Xu in clinching their LPGA Tour cards were Australian Cassie Porter, veteran Thai Pornanong Phatlum and the Chinese Taipei duo of Miranda Wang and Heather Lin.
American Lauren Stephenson finished the season at the top of the Race for the Card ranking, thanks to her maiden professional win in July at the Twin Bridges Championship and eight additional top-10 finishes.
She entered last week’s season-ending Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells in top spot in the Race for the Card, and her tied eighth finish saw her maintain the number one position and earn Epson Tour Player of the Year honours for 2024.
The Epson Tour is the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. From 1999-2002, LPGA Tour cards were handed out to the top three. In 2003, that number increased to five before 10 cards started being distributed in 2008.
