When the 13th Four Winds Invitational, the 15th of 19 events on the LPGA’s Epson Tour, tees off Friday morning at the par-72, 6,414-yard South Bend Country Club, here are eight golfers to keep an eye on during the 54-hole tournament which concludes Sunday with the winner receiving $39,375 of the $262,500 purse:
Jessica Porvasnik
… Age: 29 … Hometown: Hinckley, Ohio … Friday tee: 1:56 p.m. No. 1; Saturday tee: 9:06 a.m. No. 10 … No. 1 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $88,888 in earnings … In 14 previous tour events, the Ohio State graduate has five Top 10 finishes with runner-up performances at the Atlantic Beach Classic on March 21 and Twin Bridges Championship on July 19 … Currently No. 2 in the Race for the Card with 1,111.102 points.
Fiona Xu
… Age: 19 … Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand … Friday tee: 8:44 a.m. No. 1; Saturday tee: 1:34 p.m. No. 10 … No. 2 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $82,994 in earnings … In 12 previous tour events has three Top 10 finishes including a victory in the Copper Rock Championship May 16 and a runner-up in the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa April 26 … Currently No. 1 in the Race for the Card with 1,135.200 points.
Daniela Iacobelli
… Age: 36 … Hometown: Melbourne, Fla. … Friday tee: 1:23 p.m. No. 1; Saturday tee: 8:33 a.m. No. 10 … No. 3 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $80,892 in earnings … In 14 previous events has two Top 10 finishes including a victory in the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship on July 19 and a runner-up finish in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic June 28 … Currently No. 4 in the Race for the Card with 1,033.675 points … Since her rookie year in 2010 she also has victories at 2012 Epson Tour Championship, 2015 Tullymore Classic, 2019 Island Resort Championship and 2022 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
Lauren Stephenson
… Age: 27 … Hometown: Lexington, S.C. … Friday tee: 8:33 a.m. No. 10; Saturday tee: 1:23 p.m. No. 1 … No. 4 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $78,469 in earnings … In 10 previous events has five Top 10 finishes including a victory in the Twin Bridges Championship July 19 … Currently No. 3 in the Race for the Card with 1,061.083 points.
Kim Kaufman
… Age: 33 … Hometown: Clark, S.D. … Friday tee: 8:55 a.m. No. 10 tee; Saturday tee: 1:45 p.m. No. 1 … No. 5 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $74,802 in earnings … In 14 previous events has five Top 10 finishes including runner-up finishes in the Island Resort Championship presented by Delta County Chamber June 21 and Atlantic Beach Classic March 21. … Winner of 2020 Four Winds Invitational at Blackthorn Golf Club … Currently No. 6 in the Race for the Card with 922.729 points … Since her rookie year in 2013 she has Epson Tour victories in 2013 Island Resort Championship and 2014 Volvik Championship.
Yahui Zhang
… Age: 18 … Hometown: Wuhan Hubei, China … Friday tee: 1:23 p.m. No. 1; Saturday tee: 8:33 a.m. No. 10 … No. 7 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $70,667 in earnings … In 10 previous events has six Top 10 finishes including runner-up finish in the Otter Creek Championship June 14 … No. 8 in the Race for the Card with 860.316 points.
Becca Huffer
… Age: 34 … Hometown: Denver, Colo. … Friday tee: 8:55 a.m. No. 10 tee; Saturday tee: 1:45 p.m. No. 1 … A 2012 Notre Dame graduate, Huffer earned LPGA Tour status for this season by finishing tied for 45th at the 2023 LPGA Q-Series … She finished 11th in Epson Tour earnings last season with $94,001 thanks to four Top finishes, including a runner-up finish at last year’s Four Winds Invitational. … Currently No. 44 on the 2024 Epson Tour money list with $27,252 … In 10 previous events this season she has one Top 10 finish, a tie for seventh at the Copper Rock Championship May 16. … No. 44 in the Race for the Card with 344.900 points.
Lauren Beaudreau
… Age: 23 … Hometown: Marco Island, Fla. … Friday tee: 9:50 a.m. No. 10; Saturday tee: 2:40 p.m. No. 1 … Making her Epson Tour debut after finishing T60 in the first round of LPGA Q-School qualifying last week at Mission Hills, Calif. … Qualified for the NCAA Championship after winning last spring’s NCAA East Lansing Regional individual title and placed 64th in the NCAA finals.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Players to watch at Four Winds Invitational at South Bend Country Club
