Lauren Stephenson, 27, returns to the LPGA with a renewed mind after one-year stint on the Epson Tour

Lauren Stephenson tied for eighth at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series in 2018 and began her professional career alongside the best in the world. That’s what made going down to the Epson Tour for the first time in 2024 a “terrifying” prospect.

“Almost makes you feel like a failure when you’ve started at the top,” she said.

What Stephenson found on the developmental circuit, however, was refreshing. She knew a lot of people but met new faces as well and found the tour quite welcoming.

“Epson is kind of more of a family environment,” said Stephenson. “Everyone knows they need each other to get through the season.

“The people are what make it fun.”

Success is also fun, and Stephenson enjoyed a lot of that on Epson, clinching her first professional title at the Twin Bridges Championship along with eight additional top-10 finishes to win Epson Tour Player of the Year honors.

On the Epson Tour, Stephenson, who played college golf at both Clemson and Alabama, was reminded that she plays golf because she loves the game, at any level.

“It was a good lesson for me,” said Golfweek’s 2018 College Player of the Year.

Stephenson, 27, met husband Kyle Morris when his parents hosted her at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open in Houston. Morris was working on a master’s degree at the time in Atlanta and was home for Christmas. The couple wed in October 2023 and honeymooned in Cabo after Q-Series, where Stephenson tied for 27th. She had status for 2024, but not enough to put together much of a schedule.

Early on in 2024, she chased Monday qualifiers before deciding midway through the year that she needed to invest fully in Epson and it paid off.

Now, with her card secured for 2025, Stephenson can enjoy the longest offseason of her professional career before starting her sixth year on the LPGA. In addition to her victory at the Twin Bridges, she finished runner-up twice and led the tour with $136,025 on the season. She also led the tour in putts per green in regulation and rounds in the 60s. She finished third in scoring with a 69.73 average.

“I think when you’re struggling and watching your friends succeed, or people you grew up playing with – like Lilia (Vu) winning all the time – you just want so badly to be in that position,” said Stephenson, who at one time owned the NCAA scoring record for Division I.

“When you are kind of in that position of finishing No. 1 or winning on Epson, none of it changes your life. My Monday is still the same. It’s great because I’m proud of myself … but I’m still the same person.

“I think realizing that was a good mindset shift for me.”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Lauren Stephenson, 27, returns to the LPGA with a renewed mind after one-year stint on the Epson Tour