Just three tournaments remain on the 2025 Epson Tour schedule and Leah John is embracing the opportunity they offer.
A very good season, just her second as a pro, could become something special if the Vancouver native can finish strong.
The two-time B.C. Women’s Amateur champion heads into the final stretch of the season 19th on the Epson Tour’s points list. If she can play her way into the top 15, she would earn conditional status on the 2026 LPGA Tour. If she were to crack the top 10, she’d have solid LPGA Tour status for 2026.
“I am feeling good, I am excited,” John said in an interview with British Columbia Golf. “It’s kind of a nice place to be, I have a win under my belt and I am looking forward to what happens. Lots of good can happen, so I am stoked.”
Lots of good has already happened for John this season. She earned her first Epson Tour win in early August at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Ind., and has turned around a season that really didn’t start that well. She missed the cut in four of her first five starts this year before things started clicking.
“I would call my season chaotic and authentic because what is super cool is that although it was a rocky start, there were a lot of silver linings in there,” she said.
One of those positives was qualifying to play in her first U.S. Women’s Open. Another was finding what she calls, “A really wonderful support system of friends and communities that you need in this game.”
John likes the way her game gradually improved after that rough start to the year. “It wasn’t just like, boom, and all of a sudden I won. I made some cuts and had a top 10 and then this happened, so it was nice to have that build up. Those are cool because you learn a lot and you really figure out what works for me. What works for me the most is prioritizing joy and really leaning into enjoying myself and also simplifying my game.”
The Epson Tour resumes Sept. 12-14 at the Guardian Championship in Pratville, Ala. John just might head there humming the tune Sweet Home Alabama. “Alabama was my best finish last year,” she said. “I came third in that one, so that is a nice memory to take with me.”
John is a refreshing interview. You won’t get any of the one-stroke-at-a-time cliches from the University of Nevada graduate. John doesn’t duck the question when asked if she allows herself to think about earning a LPGA Tour card. “I just had a session with my mental coach and we talked a lot about accepting success. So I’d say you have to allow yourself to let it happen, but you can’t look at everything like a make-or-break moment.
“I am looking forward to this challenge. I like being in the hunt, so I think things are lined up nicely. It’s all about having a good mindset and not feeling like you have to do more. Not everything will go exactly how you want and that’s okay.”
One of the reasons John has found success this season is her ability to hit it long. She ranks sixth on the Epson Tour with an average of more than 262 yards off the tee. “Distance is definitely a strength in lots of ways,” she said.
“I have a lot more wedges and shorter irons into greens, I can take advantage of par 5s and if there are difficult weather conditions it doesn’t hurt me as much. So I’d say it is a huge advantage.”
John has spent the past week at home in Vancouver with family. She also headed to Banff for a corporate outing. She is sponsored by the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. “I was playing with some of their clients, did a photo shoot, it was awesome,” she said. “I played the (Banff Springs) course three times. It’s an absolutely stunning golf course.”
While John is laser-focused on chasing that top 15 spot, she is also well-positioned if she happens to fall just short. The top 35 players on the points list earn a pass to the final stage of LPGA Tour Q School, where 25 cards will be handed out.
“I think right now that is the worst-case scenario,” she said.
CHIP SHOTS: An event in Arkansas follows next week’s Alabama tourney. The season-ending Epson Tour Championship goes Oct. 2-5 at Indian Wells Golf Resort in the southern California desert. . .Delta’s Mary Parsons is 108th on the Epson Tour points list, while Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam is 155th.