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SOUTH BEND — When the Four Winds Invitational tees off Thursday morning at the South Bend Country Club, there will be 144 players vying for the championship.

Among those players are 11 winners on the 2023 Epson Tour, including Gabriela Ruffells, Jiwon Jeon, Tsai Ching Tseng and Jenny Bae, all of whom have won two events so far this season.

The 144-player field is represented by seven countries — the United States, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Australia, France and the Philippines.

The United States leads the way with 70 players. The Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei ar both represented by eight players.

California has the most players in the field with 14. There are nine from Texas and seven from North Carolina.

The University of Notre Dame also has a connection to the field as Becca Huffer is in the field.

Here are some players to watch this weekend:

Kristin Gillman  

Gillman is coming off her best finish of the season at the French Lick Resort Charity Classic, finishing in solo second. Gillman not only had her best tournament of the year in French Lick, but she also posted her best round of the year with a 65 (-7) in round two. Gillman is on a stretch of seven straight made cuts with three finishes in the top 20. The 25-year-old made a big jump in the Race for the Card, now in the 18th spot after her runner-up finish; another strong week in South Bend could move her into contention for an LPGA Tour card coming down the stretch.

 

Becca Huffer 

The University of Notre Dame alumna missed the cut last year in her “home event,” but has found good form as of late. Huffer has only finished outside the top 20 once in her last four starts, with a solo fourth place finish at the Island Resort Championship being her highest placing in that stretch. Huffer currently sits just outside the top 10 on the Epson Tour Official Money list at No. 13. The consistent play all season has Huffer on the verge of earning her LPGA Tour card once again.

 

Agathe Laisne 

Laisne won the first event of the season at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and has added three more top-10 finishes to go along with her victory as the year went on. In her last six starts, Laisne has five top-15 finishes and has put herself firmly into the No. 5 spot in the Race for the Card. Laisne currently has dual status on the LPGA and Epson Tours but has spent her time on the Epson Tour in 2023 to try and secure full status on the LPGA Tour in 2024. A strong finish at the Four Winds Invitational would go a long way for Laisne, so expect to see her name near the top of the leaderboard come Saturday.