The LPGA’s qualifying tour has teamed up with Trackman for an all new, all virtual competition for women.
Women’s golf is going digital and not in the TGL way—but sort of.
This week the LPGA Tour’s qualifying and developmental tour, the Epson Tour, announced that it is bringing to life a new pathway for female golfers to play on the professional circuit through a virtual competition platform.
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In partnership with NEXT Golf Tour powered by Trackman (not to be confused with NXXT Golf which is a feeder tour for Epson), this new series will allow female professionals and elite amateurs the chance to compete for prize money starting this month through February. The top performer will then earn direct playing opportunities on the Epson Tour next the summer.
“Golf has entered a new era where data, technology, and competition come together to create opportunities,” said Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen, CEO and co-founder of Trackman the official press release about the partnership. “By partnering with the Epson Tour through the NEXT Golf Tour, we are opening a new door for women in golf—one where geography, season or resources no longer define who gets to compete.”
All Epson events are played in the United States and this new format opens up the door to athletes around the world. The first iteration of this new global event, the NEXT x Epson Tour Q Open hosted on Trackman simulators is scheduled to be hosted on November 20 to December 4.
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The event will offer a minimum purse of US $40,000, fully funded by Trackman. The player entry fees will be added directly to the purse, growing the total prize fund as participation increases. Players can now sign up for just a $50 entry fee on NEXT’s website.
The competition will be contested virtually on Liberty National Golf Club, using Trackman’s simulator technology. For my city golfers, this is like your indoor sim, winter league but better.
Top finishers in the Q Open will advance to the NEXT World Series, a broader indoor season featuring four events and a total purse of $700,000 that will from mid-December through early February.
But wait, there’s more! The top performing athlete in the NEXT World Series will earn an exemption into three consecutive Epson Tour tournaments—providing a direct pathway to competing on the pro circuit in a whole new way.
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“Earning a spot to compete amongst some of the best in the world on the Epson Tour is an incredibly tough journey, and we are constantly looking for ways to give athletes more opportunities to compete and grow,” said LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler. “To have Trackman host the NEXT Golf Tour for the players chasing that dream is incredible. With the accuracy of technology today, the fairways may be virtual, but the pressure, the competition, and the skill it takes to win are absolutely real.”
