A significant moment is unfolding in women’s professional golf as four Black women compete in the Epson Tour’s Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic in Pendleton, Oregon, highlighting both the growing presence of Black women in professional golf and the importance of developing the next generation.
Among them, Amari Avery is attracting particular attention. The Riverside, California, native is positioned to earn her LPGA Tour card through the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card and is aiming to become the ninth Black woman to compete on the LPGA Tour. The season-ending Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells Golf Resort in California is scheduled for October 1-4, 2026. The top 15 players on the Epson Tour’s season-ending points list earn LPGA Tour membership for 2027.
Avery, 21, has built an impressive résumé since emerging as a junior golf standout. A four-time Rolex Junior All-American, she won the 2019 California Women’s Amateur and competed in the 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, Augusta National Women’s Amateur and 2021 LPGA Founders Cup. She also represented the United States in the 2021 Junior Solheim Cup and 2022 Curtis Cup.
After joining the University of Southern California in 2022, Avery immediately made an impact. As a freshman, she earned WGCA and Golfweek first-team All-America honors after recording three victories and seven top-10 finishes. She later added additional collegiate success before turning professional in 2024.
Her 2026 Epson Tour season has included a breakthrough victory at the IOA Championship, a runner-up finish at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic and a third-place finish at the Great Lakes Championship. Entering the Wildhorse event, Epson Tour statistics listed Avery seventh in the Race for the Card, with $95,836 in official money and a 70.76 scoring average.
The broader story includes Emily Odwin and Lakareber Abe, who are also pursuing opportunities that could lead to LPGA status. Abe, a University of Alabama graduate, first joined the Epson Tour in 2018 and has accumulated two career top-10 finishes. Odwin, a Barbados native and 2026 Epson Tour rookie, is gaining valuable experience on the developmental circuit.
Also making her professional debut in Pendleton is Salma Ibrahim, a sophomore at Southern University. Ibrahim won the 2026 National Women’s Collegiate Golf Championship after previously earning SWAC Freshman of the Year and SWAC Individual Champion honors. Her invitation came through the Epson Tour’s MVP Invites/Exemptions program, which creates opportunities for diverse women and girls.
The Epson Tour has served as the official developmental pathway to the LPGA since 1999, earning its “Road to the LPGA” identity.
For junior golfers, organizations such as Tee Divas & Tee Dudes Golf Club (TDTD) are helping build that pathway. Its junior program supports African American, Hispanic and other underrepresented young golfers through training referrals, competitive opportunities, college preparation, scholarship workshops, mentoring and parent resources. TDTD has also partnered with Inland Golf Academy to provide PGA Junior League opportunities; in 2022, 44 juniors ages 4-17 participated.
The organization’s connection to Ibrahim underscores why sustained junior development matters. Support from TDTD, the Western States Golf Association, Women In Golf Foundation and other organizations can help transform promising young players into future professionals.
Avery’s potential LPGA breakthrough is being celebrated through #CountdownToTheCard, a campaign running September 4 through October 4. The initiative encourages golf clubs and supporters to follow the Race for the Card, celebrate Avery’s accomplishments and continue investing in Black women and girls pursuing competitive golf.
LPGA history makes the moment especially significant. The LPGA identified eight African American women who had earned Tour membership through 2025. Mariah Stackhouse, who earned her LPGA status in 2016 and began full-time competition in 2017, was the most recent addition before Avery’s potential breakthrough.
For the young golfers watching, the message is clear: support, opportunity and representation can change what the next generation believes is possible.
