The Epson Tour Championship will return to the Indian Wells Golf Resort for a third consecutive year, the City of Indian Wells announced, bringing the LPGA's official qualifying tour to the Coachella Valley for its season-ending showcase from September 28 to October 4, 2026. The tournament will be played on the newly redesigned Players Course, with the City of Indian Wells continuing as presenting sponsor.
This year's championship introduces several significant changes. The field has been limited to the top 80 players on the Epson Tour's season-long "Race for the Card" standings, and the 72-hole event will feature a no-cut format for the first time. The total purse has been set at $250,000, with the winner receiving $100,000—a first in the tour's 46-year history. At the conclusion of play, the top 15 finishers on the Race for the Card will earn LPGA Tour cards for the 2027 season.
The increased purse and revised format underscore the Epson Tour's growth. Over the past decade, the tour has expanded from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2025. More than 400 LPGA Tour titles, including over 50 major championships, have been won by Epson Tour alumni, highlighting the tour's role as a pipeline for elite women's golf.
"As a premier golf destination, we are excited to once again welcome the Epson Tour Championship to Indian Wells," said Dr. Toper Taylor, mayor of Indian Wells. "The Epson Tour brings some of the most talented professional women golfers to our community and provides an incredible opportunity for residents, visitors, and golf fans to experience championship-caliber competition right here in Indian Wells."
Jody Brothers, GM of the Epson Tour, added, "Indian Wells has become the perfect stage for the Epson Tour to crown its season, and we couldn't ask for a better partner in the City of Indian Wells. The newly redesigned Players Course gives our athletes a true championship test, and the backdrop of the Coachella Valley creates an unforgettable setting for the final push toward LPGA Tour cards. This is where dreams are realized, and there's no place we'd rather do it."
Beyond the competition, golf fans have a rare opportunity to participate in the official Pro-Am on Wednesday of tournament week, playing alongside a future LPGA Tour star. For more information on the Epson Tour Championship, visit www.epsontourchampionship.com. Details about the City of Indian Wells are available at www.CityOfIndianWells.org.
The tournament's return to Indian Wells, a premier golf destination that has hosted Golf Channel's Big Break and ranked among Conde Nast Traveler's top California golf resorts, provides a significant economic and cultural boost to the region. It also reinforces the Epson Tour's mission to prepare the world's best female professional golfers for successful LPGA careers, with the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation.
