Eyeing 1st title in 8 years, Guce shares Epson lead

Filipino LPGA campaigner Clariss Guce stormed to her strongest start in a long while, grabbing a share of the lead after Thursday’s opening round of the Epson Tour Championships at the Indian Wells Golf Resort in California.

The 34-year-old, an accomplished LPGA member who often shines on the Epson Tour, delivered a dazzling bogey-free seven-under-par 64, tying with American Hailee Cooper.

Her standout performance featured an eagle on the par-5 No. 6, complemented by five birdies on holes 1, 5, 8, 10, and 17, putting her in prime position to capture her first title since 2016.

A proud alumna of CAL State Northridge, Guce has already claimed two Epson Tour titles during her rookie year in 2016. She tackled the Players Course first, taking full advantage of the pristine conditions as part of the tournament’s opening group.

Guce made a splash with a scorching 5-under 30 on her front nine, highlighted by three birdies and that eagle.

She maintained her momentum on the back nine, starting strong with another birdie, followed by six steady pars. A final birdie on the par-5 17th hole brought her to 7-under, and she closed with a par on 18.

“The putter felt really good. I kicked off the day with a 50-footer,” Guce shared.

“It was such a fun day with a fantastic group. Everyone played well, and being around friendly faces made it even better, especially on a hot day.”

Cooper’s round was equally impressive, also finishing at 7-under 64 without consecutive birdies. She alternated between pars and birdies for her first ten holes, reaching 5-under by the 10th.

After a quiet spell on holes 11-14, she found her rhythm again with a birdie on No. 15, finishing strong with another on No. 17.

Close behind the leaders are Lauren Stephenson, Amelia Garvey, Yurika Tanida and Alana Uriell, each carding 5-under 66s. Both Stephenson and Uriell are in pursuit of their second career win on the Epson Tour.

The second round of the Epson Tour Championship tees off at 7:45 a.m. local time (11 p.m. Friday in Manila). After round two, a cut will be made to the top 60 and ties. With ten LPGA cards still up for grabs, players are fiercely vying for membership in the 2025 season.