DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – The Epson Tour has announced that Melanie Green, Gina Kim and Briana Chacon officially become the first 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.
With five tournaments still remaining and plenty of points left to play for, the focus now shifts to who will join Green, Kim and Chacon in this year’s graduating class. The official LPGA Card Ceremony will take place on Oct. 5, following the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells.
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 MELANIE GREEN:
- Green will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
- Is a 2025 Epson Tour rookie
- Current No. 1 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Has earned eight top-10 finishes in 2025, including one win
- Win: Island Resort Championship presented by Delta County Chamber
- Played collegiate golf at the University of South Florida
- Four-time American All-Conference Team
- Finished the 2023-2024 season ranked No. 23 in the country
- 2023-2024 AAC Women’s Golf Player of the Year
- First USF women’s golfer to earn the honor
- 2022 NCAA Regional Individual qualifier
- Won the 2024 Women’s Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A
- First American to win since 1996
- Qualified for the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally as an amateur
Green on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“I think my dad ruined it a little bit, because he’s a big numbers guy. He had been telling me, ‘You need just a little bit more… a little bit more.’ And then once we got to the point, about (the Greater Toledo Classic hosted by Stacy Lewis), maybe a week prior, he said we could breathe a little bit more. But it still doesn’t take away the fact that Mr. (Jody) Brothers is coming up to you saying, ‘It was great to have you here, but you’ll be going on to the LPGA next year.’ It was awesome.”
ABOUT GINA KIM:
- Kim will be returning to the LPGA Tour in 2026, regaining her status after losing her card following the 2024 season
- She first earned LPGA Tour status through the Epson Tour top 10, finishing eighth on the Official Money List in 2022
- Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including three wins
- Current No. 2 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Wins: IOA Golf Classic presented by Aperture, Copper Rock Championship and Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship presented by Munich Re
- Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2022
- Has earned four career Epson Tour wins
- First win was at the 2022 Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship
- Has earned nine career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
- Competed on the LPGA Tour during the 2023 and 2024 seasons
- Earned one career top-10 finish, a T3 result in 2023 at The Standard Portland Classic
- Has made over $315,000 in Official Career Earnings
- Played collegiate golf at Duke University
- Won the 2021 ACC Individual Championship
- Was a part of the 2019 NCAA Division I Championship team
Kim on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“I’m pretty relieved. Obviously, that was my main goal this year, and it feels really nice to know that I was able to achieve it relatively early. I still remember back in 2022, I had to go up until the last event to know whether I got my card or not, so this definitely feels a lot more satisfying.”
ABOUT BRIANA CHACON:
- Chacon will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2026
- Has earned five top-10 finishes in 2025, including two wins
- Current No. 3 in the season-long Race for the Card
- Wins: IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa and the Casella Golf Championship
- Has made all 15 cuts so far this season
- Was an Epson Tour rookie in 2024
- Earned one victory that season
- First win was at the 2024 Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
- Has earned six career Epson Tour top-10 finishes
- Earned one victory that season
- Played collegiate golf at the University of Oregon
- Scoring average of 72.82 ranks first all-time in program history
- Was the first Oregon Duck to win an NCAA Regional Individual Title (2022 NCAA Albuquerque Regional)
- One of three players in program history to earn multiple WGCA All-America honors
- Two-time Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitee
- Finished T23 in 2023 and MC in 2022
Chacon on securing her LPGA Tour card:
“It means everything to me. Being on the LPGA has been a lifetime goal and dream of mine, ever since I started playing golf when I was a little kid. To finally achieve this goal is just the world to me, and I’m just super excited and super grateful for what’s to come. I’m excited to work hard when I get there and try to stay there.”