Highland alumna Jessica Porvasnik gets LPGA Tour card

Highland graduate Jessica Porvasnik is now a card-carrying member of the LPGA Tour. Porvasnik currently sits second on the EPSON Tour's points list and has guaranteed limited qualifications for the highest tour for women's golf in America. It seems like a sure bet she will finish inside the top 10 with two events left, which would grant her full access next season. "When they first told me two weeks ago, I was kind of shocked and thought it was a little early," Porvasnik said in a phone interview while preparing for this weekend's El Dorado Shootout at the Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado, Ark. "They told me I had secured my card and I was going to be in the top 15. I knew I still had to play well the next few weeks to secure my spot in the top 10 to get a full LPGA card. "It was kind of a relief, but I put in a lot of work this season. I'm excited to see it pay off." The 2012 Division I state champion turned pro in 2018 and joined the EPSON Tour full time in 2022. This season has been a breakthrough for Porvasnik, who has finished in the top 10 in six of the 17 tournaments she has competed in. "It's been a long road," she said. "I graduated (from Ohio State) in 2017. I've played out on the mini tours, played in a lot of state opens. I kept seeing improvement, but it was kind of slow paced. "I love it and have a passion for seeing the improvement through working hard week after week to get better and better." Porvasnik has come close to reaching the LPGA Tour in recent years through Q-school. Those lessons proved to be a blessing, as she learned to succeed on the EPSON Tour this season, where she has earned $111,548. Porvasnik has always wanted to play professionally since her standout Highland career and gained confidence by qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Open and making the cut at an LPGA event at Highland Meadows Country Club in Ohio while playing for the Buckeyes. "(Getting your card is) the hard part," she said. "Either going through Q-school and making it all the way, last year I missed it by one to get a couple (LPGA) starts. "Honestly, I think everything happens for a reason. It was nice this year to know that I had a full season on the EPSON Tour and the way to get my card was to finish in the top 10. I'm excited for the next level." Week after week, the 29-year-old has been incredibly steady. Out of 50 rounds, she has 30 under par, including 20 under 70. She has made 202 birdies (3.37 per round) and two eagles. Her birdies and rounds under 70 both lead the EPSON Tour. Knowing what she can expect out of each area of her game has been beneficial for Porvasnik, who has a grown comfort level playing on the EPSON Tour fully for a third season. "I think the one that has been huge is the consistency," she said. "All aspects of the game have been really consistent. When you have that, it just helps push your confidence. Week in and week out, I know these courses suit my game well and it's been fun." The one area of her game that Porvasnik believes has improved the most is putting. She is averaging 29.5 per round, which ranks ninth on the EPSON Tour, and 6.62 one-putt holes per round. "I think my putting has gotten a lot better, so I've been able to score," she said. "I've been able to make lots of birdies and that really helps, because you can make a couple of mistakes and know there's still some birdies out there to help you out." Once she begins to compete on the LPGA Tour next season, Porvasnik hopes to learn from the mistakes she made when she first got to the EPSON Tour. "I think I really have to do a better job than when I first got on the EPSON Tour," she said. "Asking the veterans who have been out there for a while how it works is kind of where I'm looking to go. That was the part that I didn't do as a rookie out here on the EPSON Tour so well." Before she gets to that, Porvasnik hopes to grab her first EPSON Tour victory at either El Dorado or in two weeks at the EPSON Championship in Indian Wells, Calif. "I still haven't had a win out here, so that's kind of the ultimate goal," she said. "I've had a few seconds, but I'd really love to get my first victory. That's kind of where I'm focused." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.