More than 140 professional golfers from 23 countries compete at the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic (Aug. 21-23) for one of only 15 available LPGA Tour cards, making the odds of success roughly 5-6%.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Kennewick native Therese Warner returns home to compete at the tournament where she grew up playing junior golf, marking her fourth consecutive year at the event.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The tournament generates significant economic impact for Eastern Oregon through tourism, local business spending, and youth development programs that expose the next generation to professional sports.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
PENDLETON, Ore. \u2014 This week, Wildhorse Golf Course transforms into more than just a championship venue. It becomes a proving ground where the next generation of women’s golf superstars chase a singular dream: earning one of only 15 available LPGA Tour cards.<\/p>\n
The 2026 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, running Aug. 21-23, draws more than 140 professional golfers competing in the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card. The Epson Tour functions as the official developmental and qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour \u2014 essentially the minor-league circuit where up-and-coming women professional golfers compete for membership on golf’s most elite stage.<\/p>\n
The odds are steep. Only the top 15 finishers in the season-long points standings automatically graduate to the LPGA Tour each year out of a field of 250 to 300 competitors \u2014 roughly a 5-6% success rate. Players who finish in the top 10 earn higher-priority LPGA status, while those finishing 11th through 15th receive lower-tier status with fewer guaranteed tournament starts.<\/p>\n
The Epson Tour season features roughly 19 to 20 professional stroke-play tournaments held across the United States from March through October, with purses ranging from $200,000 to $400,000. Tournament winners earn 500 points toward the Race for the Card, while the season-ending championship awards 650 points. For players like those competing this week, every stroke matters.<\/p>\n
For some competitors, the tournament carries additional meaning. Therese Warner, an Epson Tour professional and Kennewick native, returns to the area where she developed her game as a junior golfer. The Southridge High School alum has competed in the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic each year since its inception.<\/p>\n
“It’s cool that I get to come back here every year and play somewhere I grew up playing junior golf at,” Warner said. “So it’s been a cool experience.”<\/p>\n
Warner, who joined the Epson Tour in 2023 after competing at the University of Arizona, brings a veteran’s perspective to the event. She earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors and competed in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. This year, she’s working with a new swing coach to address iron play issues that plagued her earlier in the season.<\/p>\n
The field includes other rising talents making their own pushes toward professional golf’s highest level. Lauren Oliveras, a 22-year-old from Mexico, ranks as the highest-rated Epson Tour professional in the field. In her first year on the tour, she has already won the Great Lakes Championship and recorded four top-10 finishes in her last five starts, including a tie for second place.<\/p>\n
“I think my golf is good enough to go compete out there,” Oliveras said. “Not trying to change myself, just trying to be someone else.”<\/p>\n
Seattle’s Lauryn Nguyen, 23, sits 12th in the Race for the Card standings. A Northwestern University alumna and three-time All-Big Ten first-team honoree, Nguyen claimed a tournament victory this summer at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Michigan. She understands the mental demands of competing at this level.<\/p>\n
“I think with these kinds of tournaments, you have to be able to string together like three or four really solid days,” Nguyen said.<\/p>\n
Matthew Clark, director of the Epson Tour, emphasizes the caliber of talent competing this week. The tour’s history speaks for itself: its alumni include major champions and Olympic gold medalists, including world No. 1 player Nelly Korda.<\/p>\n
“If you look at the past history of who’s played on the Epson Tour, you know, it’s littered with major champions and Olympic gold medalists,” Clark said.<\/p>\n
Beyond the professional competition, Wildhorse Resort & Casino is leveraging the tournament to grow women’s golf at the grassroots level. Two youth clinics scheduled for Tuesday will bring together approximately 105 young golfers \u2014 60 at Wildhorse Golf Course and 45 at Birch Creek Golf. Professional players have volunteered to provide hands-on instruction in fundamental golf skills.<\/p>\n
Gary E. George, CEO of Wildhorse Resort & Casino and an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, views the tournament as a catalyst for regional development and opportunities for youth.<\/p>\n
“We have two youth clinics starting Tuesday, one at ten, that has about 60 kids registered, and then we have one other at 4:00 at our Birch Creek Golf facility with about another 45 kids there,” George said.<\/p>\n
The tournament generates substantial economic impact for Eastern Oregon, even for residents who don’t follow professional golf. More than 140 players, along with their caddies, family members and support staff from around the world, spend seven or more days in the region. They patronize local restaurants, book hotel rooms and Airbnbs, and explore Pendleton’s downtown shops, the Pendleton Underground and other regional attractions. The influx of visitors from 23 countries elevates the region’s profile nationally and internationally while supporting local businesses.<\/p>\n
George noted that several players who competed at previous Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classics have since earned LPGA Tour status and competed at events like The Standard Portland Classic, demonstrating the tournament’s role as a genuine pathway to professional success.<\/p>\n
The tournament features three sponsor exemptions for accomplished professionals: Kaylyn Noh of California, who competed at UC Berkeley and finished tied for sixth at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open; Gabby Barker of Idaho, a Texas Tech alumna and member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe; and Victoria Gailey of Oregon, who holds program records at the University of Nevada, Reno and made her LPGA debut at The Standard Portland Classic in 2024.<\/p>\n
Three-day general admission tickets are $12, single-day passes cost $5, and youth admission is free with a paid adult. The tournament represents an affordable opportunity for local fans to watch world-class professional golf while supporting the next generation of the sport’s stars and boosting the regional economy.<\/p>\n
For players like Warner, Oliveras and Nguyen, this week offers more than just another tournament. It’s a chance to prove they belong among golf’s elite \u2014 and for the young golfers watching from the gallery and the broader Eastern Oregon community, it’s a glimpse of what dedication and opportunity can achieve.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6a4d97a9d7ca9.image.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/689fc82b8f362.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/689d3065d57a6.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/689be5086b776.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/689a760ed6aed.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/689a746cafacc.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n