From Epson Tour

After two days at the top of the leaderboard, Michelle Zhang has new company joining her in the battle for the Epson Tour Championship title. With a third-round 64 on Saturday, Kaleigh Telfer climbed her way from fourth place into a tie for first.

The South African recorded an eight-under 64 on the third day, besting her second-round score by two shots and her first-round score by four. Saturday’s round got off to a quick start for Telfer, who made a birdie on her second hole of the day, and little did she know how quickly she would shoot up the leaderboard. After a par on the third hole, Telfer began a five-hole birdie streak that would carry her from 11-under to 16-under headed into the back nine. Her move up the leaderboard took a quick pause on hole 11, where Telfer made her lone bogey of the day. The Auburn University graduate recorded three more birdies on the day, making those on holes 13, 15 and 18, the last of which almost saw an eagle from Telfer.

“I went out and wasn’t hitting it very well on the range, so I just came out and I had zero expectations. I just made a couple putts in the beginning and then started hitting it close, too, and everything just fell in place,” she said.

Thanks to just three bogeys throughout her last three rounds, the 25-year-old could earn her first win on the Epson Tour since joining as a rookie in 2022. Over her two-year career, Telfer has recorded three top-10 finishes, all of which took place this year at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship (T5), Four Winds Invitational (T6) and the Guardian Championship (T9). Both the trophy and the winner’s check would be huge for Telfer as she looks to make her way into the top 35 in the Race for the Card and have a chance at earning her LPGA Tour card through LPGA Q-Series.

“I’m trying not to think that far ahead. Obviously it would be a dream and I’ve been working towards to the whole year,” she said. “For it (a win) to come at such a clutch time would be huge.”

In the final round, players in the field will not only vie for the win at LPGA International, but several will look to solidify their plans for the upcoming year. With three LPGA Tour cards already clinched, there are still seven remaining cards to be claimed through the Race for the Card top 10. After play, those 10 cards will be distributed, and the LPGA Tour will welcome 10 Epson Tour graduates for the 2024 season.