The Epson Tour is entering week two of a four-week stretch of events as the end of the season nears. At this point in the year, if a player has competed in every event on the 2024 calendar, this will be week 16 on the road since the beginning of March.
The mental and physical wear and tear is starting to catch up with a lot of athletes at the moment, especially during this four-week swing. Kaleigh Telfer is one of those players who has been in it for the long haul, playing in all 15 Epson Tour events in 2024, but this week, she gets to spend time at home in Auburn, Ala., as she prepares for the Guardian Championship.
Originally from South Africa, Telfer decided to call Auburn home after graduating from Auburn University and has continued living there as she pursues her dream of playing on the LPGA Tour. Although a 45-minute drive is not that short, Telfer has the luxury of staying at home this week during what can be some of the most draining weeks of the season. Comfort goes a long way while on the road and competing for your livelihood, and Telfer is not taking it for granted this week.
“It's great. We travel a lot throughout the year, and it's just nice to sleep in my own bed and know that I can go home and be in my own space and cook my own food,” explained Telfer. “It just helps feeling a little bit more comfortable coming into this week, and hopefully, I'll get a lot of support out here, which is also nice. I don't get much of that being from South Africa, but yeah, it should be good this week.”
The week at home comes at a perfect time for Telfer, as she is fighting for her LPGA Tour card for the first time. She is sitting at 15th in the Race for the Card, currently in the last qualifying spot to earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2025 season. The 26-year-old is having her best year on the Epson Tour since her rookie season in 2022, collecting two runner-up finishes this year at the Island Resort Championship and Copper Rock Championship, but has fallen on hard times as of late, missing the cut in her last two starts.
“I'm in a good position, but I have been thinking about it the past two weeks, and I think I need to get rid of those thoughts and focus on my own game and one shot at a time,” explained the South African. “I'm just going to have a little bit more small goals every day this week and see what happens.”
Telfer is looking to follow in the footsteps of another Auburn University alum, Cydney Clanton, who won the 2023 Guardian Championship in record-setting fashion. Clanton won last year’s event after posting a 54-hole total of 17-under, the lowest 54-hole total in tournament history.
Not only would a win this week mean back-to-back victories for the War Eagles near their alma mater, but it would also get Telfer one step closer to fulfilling a childhood dream.
What better place to do that than at home?
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