The Epson Tour, previously known as the LPGA Futures Tour, and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed Futures Tour and between 2012 and 2021 as the Symetra Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour. Tour membership is open to professional women golfers and to qualified amateurs.
History The Futures Tour was founded in Florida in 1981 as the "Tampa Bay Mini Tour". It officially became the Futures Golf Tour in 1983 and in 1999 become a national tour designated as the "official developmental tour" of the LPGA Tour (the U.S.-based professional women's golf tour).
Grace Park, Marilyn Lovander and Audra Burks were the first players to receive automatic LPGA Tour exempt status by finishing one, two, and three on the Futures Golf Tour Money List.
The minimum age for participation was lowered to 17 prior to the 2006 season. On July 18, 2007, the LPGA officially announced that it had acquired the Futures Tour effective immediately, "bringing women's professional golf now under one umbrella." Previously the Futures Tour had operated as a licensee of the LPGA.
Duramed, a pharmaceutical company, was the tour's title sponsor from 2006 through the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, the tour was known as the "LPGA Futures Tour." In 2012, Symetra, a United States-based insurance provider, became the title sponsor of the tour and tour's name was changed to "Symetra Tour". In January 2022, the LPGA signed a five-year title sponsorship agreement with Epson America Inc.
Promotion to LPGA 1999–2007 From 1999 through 2007 the top five leading money winners at the end of each season earned full membership in the following season's LPGA Tour. Starting with the sixth-ranked player at the end of the season, ten additional Futures Tour players who are not already members of the LPGA, automatically advanced into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, bypassing the sectional qualifying tournament.
2008–2010 Beginning in 2008 the process for promotion to the LPGA Tour was changed. The top ten leading money winners at the end of the season gain membership on the LPGA Tour for the next season, with those finishing in the top five positions gaining higher priority for entry into events than those finishing in positions six through ten. Finishers in positions sixth through ten still have the option to attend LPGA Qualifying School to try to improve their membership for the following season.
2011–2023 Beginning in 2011, the promotion process was changed slightly to allow the next 24 players, excluding current LPGA members, after the top ten qualifiers to automatic entry into Stage III of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
2024–present Beginning in 2024 the top fifteen leading money winners at the end of the season gain membership on the LPGA Tour for the next season, with those finishing in the top ten positions gaining higher priority for entry into events than those finishing in positions eleven through fifteen.
Players Futures Tour graduates include LPGA tournament winners Laura Davies, Meaghan Francella, Hannah Green, Cristie Kerr, Christina Kim, Nelly Korda, Mo Martin, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park, Inbee Park, Stacy Prammanasudh, Sherri Steinhauer, Brooke Henderson and Karrie Webb.
Historical tour schedules and results Year Number oftournaments Total prizemoney (US$) Prize money ($)per tournament 2026 19 4,700,000 247,368 2025 20 5,000,000 250,000 2024 19 5,000,000 263,158 2023 22 5,000,000 227,000 2022 21 4,410,000 210,000 2021 20 3,800,000 190,000 2020 10 1,625,000 162,500 2019 23 4,000,000 173,913 2018 21 2,990,000 142,381 2017 22 2,950,000 134,091 2016 23 3,125,000 135,870 2015 23 2,420,000 105,217 2014 20 2,250,000 112,500 2013 15 1,625,000 108,333 2012 16 1,755,000 109,688 2011 16 1,765,000 110,313 2010 17 1,920,000 112,941 2009 17 1,795,000 105,588 2008 18 1,710,000 95,000 2007 19 1,585,000 83,421 2006 19 1,425,000 75,000
Awards The Player of the Year Award is given to the player who leads the money list at the end of the season. The Gaëlle Truet Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the player competing in her first professional season who finishes highest on the money list. Truet was a Tour member who was killed in a car accident during the 2006 season. The award was renamed in her honor beginning in 2006. The Trainor Award has been given each year since 1999 to an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to women's golf. It is named in honor of the Tour's founder and former president, Eloise Trainor. The Heather Wilbur Spirit Award has been given each year since 2003 to a tour player who "best exemplifies dedication, courage, perseverance, love of the game and spirit toward achieving goals as a professional golfer." It is named in memory of Heather Wilbur, a four-year Futures Tour player who died from leukemia in 2000 at age 27.
YearPlayer of the YearRookie of the YearTrainor AwardHeather Wilbur Spirit Award2025 Melanie Green Melanie Green Kim Kaufman2024 Lauren Stephenson Zhang Yahui Fátima Fernández Cano2023 Gabriela Ruffels Natasha Andrea Oon Hannah Arnold2022 Linnea Ström Yin Xiaowen Lindsey McCurdy2021 Lilia Vu Amanda Doherty Nannette Hill2020 Ana Belac Ana Belac 2019 Perrine Delacour Patty Tavatanakit 2018 Ruixin Liu Linnea Ström Jim and Denise Medford Portland Rosen2017 Benyapa Niphatsophon Hannah Green Potawatomi Nation tribes Laura Wearn2016 Madelene Sagström Madelene Sagström John Ritenour and Valli Ritenour Ally McDonald2015 Annie Park Annie Park Walt Lincer Casey Grice2014 Marissa Steen Min Lee Mike Vadala Min Seo Kwak 2013 P.K. Kongkraphan Giulia Molinaro Kyung Ahn Moon Melissa Eaton2012 Esther Choe Mi Hyang Lee Zayra Calderon Nicole Jeray2011 Kathleen Ekey Sydnee Michaels Izzy Beisiegel2010 Cindy LaCrosse Jennifer Song Executive Women's Golf Association Mo Martin2009 Mina Harigae Mina Harigae Renee Powell Malinda Johnson2008 Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst Jocelyne Bourassa Katie Fraley2007 Emily Bastel Violeta Retamoza Cynthia Rihm Jenny Hansen2006 Song-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim Sherrin Smyers Katie Connelly2005 Seon-Hwa Lee Sun Young Yoo Karrie Webb Salimah Mussani2004 Jimin Kang Aram Cho Decatur, Illinois Women's Committees Lindsey Wright2003 Stacy Prammanasudh Soo Young Moon Wilma Gilliland Heather Wilbur2002 Lorena Ochoa Lorena Ochoa Bob Hirschman and Connie Shorb 2001 Beth Bauer Beth Bauer Diane Lewis 2000 Heather Zakhar Jamie Hullett Betty Puskar 1999 Grace Park Lew Williams 1998 Michelle Bell 1997 Marilyn Lovander 1996 Vickie Moran 1995 Patty Ehrhart 1994 Marilyn Lovander 1993 Nanci Bowen 1992 Jodi Figley 1991 Kim Williams 1990 Denise Baldwin 1989 Jennifer MacCurrach 1988 Jenny Lidback 1987 Laurel Kean 1986 Tammie Green 1985 Tammie Green 1984 Penny Hammel
The Big Break Many of the contestants on The Golf Channel's The Big Break III: Ladies Only, which aired in the Spring of 2005, played on the Futures Tour, including Danielle Amiee, who ended up being the show's overall champion. The other players from the show that played on the Futures Tour were Jan Dowling, Valeria Ochoa, runner-up Pamela Crikelair, and LPGA veteran Cindy Miller. Show co-host Stephanie Sparks played on the Futures Tour from 1996 to 1999.
The Big Break V: Hawaii, which aired in the spring of 2006, included six additional Futures Tour competitors: Dana Lacey, Ashley Prange, Kim Lewellen, Kristina Tucker, Becky Lucidi and Jeanne Cho. Prange won the competition; Cho was runner-up.
The Big Break VI: Trump National, broadcast in the fall of 2006, included six more Futures Tour players: Rachel Bailey, the individual winner of the 2002 Sunbelt Conference Championship at New Mexico State University; Bridget Dwyer, a member of the 2004 NCAA Women's Golf Championship winning team at UCLA; Ashley Gomes, the 2004 WAC Player of the Year and individual winner of the 2004 WAC Championship while at San Jose State University; Sarah Lynn Johnston, the 2004 Southern Conference Player of the Year and individual winner of the 2004 Southern Conference Championship while at Furman University; Kristy McPherson, a three-time NCAA All-American First Team selection and two-time individual winner of the SEC Championship while at The University of South Carolina; and Briana Vega, who holds North Carolina State University's scoring records for 18-holes (68) and 54-holes (216).
See also Cactus Tour, lower-level women's tour in American Southwest
References
External links
Life lessons of the Future Tour ESPN, July 14, 2006