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The Symetra Tour’s IOA Championship will be held at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon March 24-26. It’s the second event of the 2017 season and the first of a three-week West Coast swing.

The field of 132 aspiring LPGA Tour golfers will compete for a purse of $100,000, with the winner earning $15,000. The top 10 earners on the season’s final money list will earn LPGA membership for the 2018 season. 

This is the third year the Symetra Tour has been played at the Beaumont course and the second year of the IOA Championship. UCLA alum Erynne Lee fired a final-round 65 at last year’s event to earn her first career victory.

“I still remember every detail and all the emotions that I felt going into that week, during the week and after the week,” said Lee, who is returning to defend her title. “Once I got into the tournament, I didn’t have many expectations and didn’t put pressure on myself. However, I definitely wanted to finish.”

Her win propelled her to full status and she played a full schedule the rest of the season, closing the year at 17th on the money list. 

“The last round was just one of those days when you’re in the zone and you feel that every shot and putt was dialed in,” Lee recalled. “It was exciting to be in contention with only a few holes left and to win from behind.”

Besides Lee, there are 22 other players in the field from California. Tickets to the IOA Championship are free, as is the on-site parking.

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Christine Song of Fullerton opened the season at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic with a tie for second – her 20th career top-10 finish to go along with her five Symetra Tour victories. Last year, Song played predominantly on the LPGA Tour, where she has made 61 career starts since 2010. This will be her first IOA Championship. 

There are five former UCLA Bruins in the field: Lee, Ani Gulugian, Bronte Law, Brianna Do and Stephanie Kono, and five former USC Trojans: Kyung Kim, Sophia Popov, Paola Moreno, Doris Chen and Veronica Felibert. 

Seven players averaged 270 or more yards per drive at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, including Laura Wearn, who averaged 290 yards per strike off the tee. 

There are five teenagers in the field at Morongo: Tzu-Yi Chang (15), Tze-Han Lin (16), Yu-Hsin Yen (17), Ruixin Liu (18), Benyapa Niphatsophon (19) and Budsabakorn Sukapan (19).