Riley Smyth, Laetitia Beck, Hailee Cooper, Minji Kang and Sophia Schubert Secure LPGA Tour Status Through Epson Tour Race for the Card
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2025) – The Epson Tour announced today that Riley Smyth, Laetitia Beck, Hailee Cooper, Minji Kang and Sophia Schubert officially join the list of players of the 2025 season to mathematically lock in a spot inside the coveted top 15 of the Race for the Card standings, securing their LPGA Tour cards for the 2026 season.
Heading into the season finale – the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells – 69 athletes remain mathematically eligible to earn an LPGA Tour card. The Epson Tour Championship winner will receive an elevated 650 points, compared to the standard 500 points that are awarded for each event during the rest of the season. 2024 Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells winner, Heather Lin, entered the week at No. 54 in the Race for the Card standings, and with the win, earned the 15th spot and her LPGA Tour card.
The official LPGA Card Ceremony will take place on Oct. 5, following the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells.
ABOUT RILEY SMYTH:
- Smyth will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
- Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including two wins
- Current No. 6 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Wins: Central Florida Championship, Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker
- Played on the Epson Tour since 2024
- Has earned 10 career top-10 results, including her two wins
- Played five years of collegiate golf at the University of Virginia
- Was the recipient of the 2022-2023 William C. Eacho Women’s Golf Scholarship Endowment
Smyth on securing her LPGA Tour Card:
“It feels absolutely unbelievable. I mean, it’s a dream come true. Nothing better to hear after a hard season. This off-season, I knew I had put in the work to have a good year, but in golf, you never know what kind of year you’re going to have. Going into the week in Winter Haven, I didn’t know what this season was going to hold and what my year was going to look like, but obviously, after starting off strong and having a good week there, it was definitely in the cards. I knew there was still a lot of work ahead of me.”
ABOUT LAETITIA BECK:
- Beck will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026
- Last earned LPGA Tour status through LPGA Q-Series in 2023, finishing T10
- Initially earned LPGA Tour status for the 2015 season from a T18 finish at 2014 LPGA Q-Series
- Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including one win
- Current No. 7 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Win: Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
- First joined the Epson Tour in 2019
- Has earned 18 career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
- Was an LPGA Tour rookie in 2015
- Competed during the 2015-2021 and 2024 seasons
- Earned two career top-10 finishes
- Eighth at the 2017 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
- Tenth at the 2018 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic
- Has made over $331,200 in Official Career Earnings
- Was the first native of Israel to compete in an LPGA event when she played in the 2011 CN Canadian Open
- Played collegiate golf at Duke University
- 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year
- Five-time winner of the Israeli Open Golf Championship
Beck on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“It’s exciting, obviously. I was there last year. It was disappointing to lose the card, so I have another chance to do well, and my goal is the Olympics in 2028, so that gives me a better chance to get some points for world rankings.”
ABOUT HAILEE COOPER:
- Cooper will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
- Has earned eight top-10 finishes in 2025
- Current No. 8 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Has made 16 of 17 cuts
- Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2024
- Has earned 12 career top-10 finishes
- Career-best finish is T2 at the 2024 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
- Finished 32nd in the 2024 Race for the Card rankings
- Recorded a notable top-10 finish at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally (T7)
- Played collegiate golf at the University of Texas for three years and at Texas A&M University for two years
- Won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner and now LPGA Tour player Kaitlyn Papp Budde
Cooper on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“I wanted to do this since I was a little girl, so it was surreal when Jody (Brothers) came and told me. It was like my dreams had come true. And the season’s not over yet, but it was a really cool feeling.”
ABOUT MINJI KANG:
- Kang will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026, regaining her status after losing her card following the 2024 season
- First earned LPGA Tour status through the Epson Tour top 10, finishing fifth on the Official Money List in 2023
- Has earned eight top-10 results in 2025
- Current No. 9 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Has made 17 of 18 cuts
- Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2023
- Has earned 17 career top-10 finishes
- Career-best result is 2nd at the 2025 IOA Golf Classic presented by Aperture
- Competed on the LPGA Tour during the 2024 season
- Best finish was T19 at the CPKC Women’s Open
- Played collegiate golf at Truett McConnell University
- 2022 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Golf National Champion
- 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women’s Golfer of the Year
Kang on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“I was trying to just focus on every event. I didn’t really think about getting the card; I didn’t want to give myself that pressure. Just work on what I practiced during the off-season, and I think that came with a good result.”
ABOUT SOPHIA SCHUBERT:
- Schubert will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026, regaining her status after losing her card following the 2024 season
- First earned LPGA Tour status through the Epson Tour top 10, finishing fourth on the Official Money List in 2021
- Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025
- Current No. 10 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2019
- Has earned one career Epson Tour win at the 2021 Carolina Golf Classic presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
- Has earned 14 career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
- Competed on the LPGA Tour during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons
- Earned two career top-10 finishes
- Second at the 2022 The Amundi Evian Championship
- Tied for ninth at the 2023 Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards
- Has made over $897,400 in Official Career Earnings
- Earned two career top-10 finishes
- Played collegiate golf at the University of Texas
- Won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
Schubert on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“I think it’s huge. I mean, the motivation comes from just wanting to be on the LPGA. Although I’ve secured the top 15, my goal is top 10. My goal is just really to finish as high as I can. I think that’s what really keeps me coming back every week and grinding. Just knowing that the LPGA is ahead of me next year, and this is great practice for that.”
WHO GETS STATUS:
- Epson Tour Athletes finishing Nos. 1-10 on the Race for the Card Points List will earn 2026 LPGA status in Category 9
- Epson Tour Athletes finishing Nos. 11-15 on the Race for the Card Points List will earn 2026 LPGA status in Category 16
About the Epson Tour
The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 45th competitive season in 2025. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2025. In all, 406 LPGA Tour titles have been won by Epson Tour alumni, including 51 major championships. Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Press release by: Epson Tour Communications
Media Contacts:
Carly Haines, Digital Content Producer – email: Carly.haines@lpga.com
Ally Lutter, Sr. Marketing Manager – email: Ally.lutter@lpga.com
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