What Was the Symetra Tour in Golf?
Beginning in 2022, the tour changed names to Epson Tour. That happened when Epson, an electronics company, replaced Symetra, an insurance company, as the tour's sponsor. It was just a name change, however, so the Symetra Tour simply continued under the new name.
The LPGA owned the Symetra Tour, which was known by that name from from the 2012 season through the 2021 season. Women golfers who aspire to play on the LPGA Tour but have not yet qualified for the LPGA can play on the developmental tour (assuming they can qualify there). If they play well enough, they can "graduate" to the big tour.
During the 10 seasons when the circuit was known as the Symetra Tour, the Top 10 finishers on the Symetra Tour money list each year earned automatic promotion to the LPGA for the following season. Other top finishes earned automatic advancement to the final stage of LPGA Q-School.
During the 10 years of the Symetra Tour, the tour's schedule ranged from a high of 23 tournaments in a couple years to a low of just 10 tournaments in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The average purse per tournament was higher than $100,000 each year, with a best of $173,000 on average in 2019.
The LPGA developmental tour was founded in 1981 as the Tamba Bay Mini Tour. It became the Futures Golf Tour in 1983. In 1999, it became the official development tour of the LPGA, and the LPGA bought the tour in 2007. It was known as the Duramed Futures Tour from 2006-10, LPGA Futures Tour in 2011, and Symetra Tour from 2012-21. It became the Epson Tour in 2022.
Colloquially, the tour is often referred to as "the road to the LPGA," and Road2LPGA is used by the tour in its social media handles.
Symetra Tour Graduates and Award Winners
Following are the Players of the Year, Rookies of the Year, and LPGA graduates from each year the tour was known by the name "Symetra Tour." The Top 10 players on the season-ending money list received LPGA Tour status for the following year, and we have listed all 10 of those golfers for each year. But note that the Top 5 receive higher LPGA status than those finishing 6-10 on the money list, and, therefore, get into more LPGA events in their rookie season compared to those who finished 6-10.2012
- Graduates to LPGA: Esther Choe, Paola Moreno, Victoria Elizabeth, Jasmine Suwannapura, Daniela Iacobelli, Mi Hyang Lee, Jennifer Gibson, Julia Boland, Nicole Smith, Sara-Maude Juneau
- Player of the Year: Esther Choe
- Rookie of the Year: Mi Hyang Lee
- Graduates to LPGA: P.K. Kongraphan, Giulia Molinaro, Marina Alex, Christine Song, Cydney Clanton, Sue Kim, Hannah Jun Medlock, Perrine Delacour, Alena Sharp, Jaclyn Sweeney
- Player of the Year: P.K. Kongraphan
- Rookie of the Year: Giulia Molinaro
- Graduates to LPGA: Marissa Steen, Min Seo Kwak, Jackie Stoelting, Sadena Park, Min Lee, Wei-Ling Hsu, Yueer Cindy Feng, Kendall Dye, Demi Runas, Mallory Blackwelder
- Player of the Year: Marissa Steen
- Rookie of the Year: Min Lee
- Graduates to LPGA: Annie Park, Giulia Molinaro, Brianna Do, Daniela Iacobelli, Dani Holmqvist, Lee Lopez, Alejandra Llaneza, Vicky Hurst, Casey Grice, Rachel Rohanna
- Player of the Year: Annie Park
- Rookie of the Year: Annie Park
- Graduates to LPGA: Madalene Sagstrom, Ally Ewing, Jackie Stoelting, Wichanee Meechai, Laura Gonzalez Escallon, Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphon, Dana Finklestein, Marissa Steen, Nelly Korda, Peiyun Chien
- Player of the Year: Madelene Sagstrom
- Rookie of the Year: Madelene Sagstrom
- Graduates to LPGA: Benyapa Niphatsophon, Hannah Green, Celine Boutier, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Yu Liu, Erynne Lee, Lindsey Weaver, Anne-Catherine Tanguay, Emma Talley, Katelyn Dambaugh
- Player of the Year: Benyapa Niphatsophon
- Rookie of the Year: Hannah Green
- Graduates to LPGA: Ruixin Liu, Dottie Ardina, Pavarisa Yoktuan, Elizabeth Szokol, Linnea Strom, Stephanie Meadow, Kendall Dye, Charlotte Thomas, Isi Gabsa, Dana Finkelstein
- Player of the Year: Ruixin Liu
- Rookie of the Year: Linnea Strom
- Graduates to LPGA: Perrine Delacour, Patty Tavatanakit, Jenny Coleman, Ssu-Chia Cheng, Jillian Hollis, Julieta Granada, Leona Maguire, Robynn Ree, Esther Lee, Mind Muangkhumsakul
- Player of the Year: Perrine Delacour
- Rookie of the Year: Patty Tavatanakit
- Graduates to LPGA: Ana Belac, Fatima Fernandez Cano, Kim Kaufman, Frida Kinhult, Janie Jackson, Bailey Tardy, Laura Wearn, Luci Li, Peiyun Chien, Anna Redding
- Player of the Year: Ana Belac
- Rookie of the Year: Ana Belac
- Graduates to LPGA: Lilia Vu, Fatima Fernandez Cano, Casey Danielson, Sophie Schubert, Ruixin Liu, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Amanda Doherty, Allison Emrey, Morgan Metraux, Rachel Rohanna
- Player of the Year: Lilia Vu
- Rookie of the Year: Amanda Doherty
