Ruffels Claims 3rd Epson Tour Victory of '23; Smith Ties for 2nd

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Gabi Ruffels was already No. 1 by a wide margin on the Epson Tour money list. But she separated herself further from the other top players on the LPGA's feeder tour last Saturday, when she added $30,000 to her 2023 total by winning the Four Winds Invitational.

The 23-year-old Australian started the final round with the lead, and birdied the par-4 first hole at South Bend Country Club. She made her only bogey of the tournament on the second hole, but made up for that minor lapse by birdying both of the par 5s on the front nine -- No. 5 and No. 7. Ruffels added one birdie on the back nine, at the par-3 17th, and closed with a 3-under 69. That gave her a 54-hole total of 204 (minus 12) -- and a three-stroke victory.

This was the third time she's won in 2023, and the $30,000 that she made pushed her total earnings for the year to $156,283. That's nearly one and a half times as anyone else has made. Natasha Andrea Oon is No. 2 on the money list with $109,967.

Ruffels, a former USC All-American -- and the only Australian to have won the U.S. Women's Amateur (2019) -- was planning to play in the LPGA Q-Series last fall, but she got her entry in late. That was probably a good thing, as it turned out. It forced her to focus pretty much all of her attention on the Epson Tour this year, and as a result of her success in 2023, she won't have to worry about the Q-Series this fall. The top 10 women on the money last at the end of each year gain status on the LPGA Tour for the following season.

So far this year, Ruffels has played in 12 tournaments, made the cut in 11 of them, and she has six top-10 finishes -- not to mention the three victories.

Tying for second last week, at 207, were Kate Smith, the former five-time Minnesota state Class AA high school champion from Detroit Lakes, and Becca Huffer. Agathe Laisne and Laura Wearn were another shot back, in a. tie for fourth at. 208.

Smith, like Ruffels, birdied the 316-yard, par-4 first hole to start Saturday's final round. After five consecutive pars, the 24-year-old former Nebraska All-American (Smith won the Big Ten individual championship as a senior in 2021 and holds most of the Nebraska team scoring records) birdied three of the next four holes -- Nos. 7, 9 and 10. But she surrendered one stroke on the way in from there, with a bogey at the 415-yard, par-4 14th hole. So she finished with a 69 and three-day total of 207, which was worth $16,020. Had she played the last eight holes in even par, and finished alone in second place, she would have made an additional $3,200.

As it was, she moved up from No. 30 on the Epson money list to No. 19, with $47,269 in 15 events.

Huffer, who closed with a 70, moved up into the coveted No. 10 spot on the money list, with $64,721.

There are seven more tournaments remaining on the 2023 schedule. It will conclude with the Epson Tour Championship, Oct. 5-8 at the LPGA International's Jones Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.


Epson Tour

Four Winds Invitational

At South Bend Country Club

Par 72, 6,456 yards

Final results

1. Gabriela Ruffels $30,000 70-65-69--204

T2. Kate Smith $16,020 68-70-69--207

T2. Becca Huffer $16,020 69-68-70--207

T4. Laura Wearn $9.471 68-70-70--208

T4. Agathe Laisne $9,471 68-69-71--208

T37. Kim Kaufman $1,213 70-73-73--216