Following a stellar 2025 campaign that vaulted her onto the LPGA Tour, rookie Melanie Green is finding her rhythm early in her first appearance in Los Angeles.

Green, who swept the Epson Tour’s top honors last year as both Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year, carded a 4-under 68 in the second round of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. Following an opening-round 67, the 24-year-old sits in a strong position heading into the weekend at El Caballero Country Club.

The transition to the LPGA Tour has been a learning process, but Green credits her early success to a disciplined approach off the tee and into the greens.

"Boils down to lots of fairways, lots of greens," Green said following her round. "I had asked a few girls that had come in yesterday because I was late and they had played. I was like, 'All right, what's the secret?' They both said, 'Hit a lot of greens.' I was like, 'All right, I'll try to do that.'"

The strategy appears to be working. Green, a 2025 Epson Tour graduate who finished first in the tour's Race for the Card standings, emphasized the importance of sound preparation on a course defined by challenging elevation changes. She noted that she and her caddie have focused on dialing in exact numbers during practice rounds to navigate the course's complex "ups and downs."

"Caddie and I have been picking really good numbers and been able to execute, so it's been a lot of fun," she said.

Green’s rapid rise was fueled by a dominant 2025 season on the Epson Tour, where she notched 10 top-10 finishes which included victories at the Island Resort Championship and the Guardian Championship.

As she navigates her first season among the world's best, Green is balancing the technical demands of a new tour with the consistency that made her a standout amateur and a top-tier Epson Tour talent. With two solid rounds in Los Angeles, she looks poised to build on the momentum that secured her LPGA Tour status this season.

"I'm really excited that I'm playing solid golf," Green said. "I would like to obviously see where it takes me and I'm excited for the weekend, that's for sure."

Epson Tour Grad Melanie Green Fires Second-Round 68 to Sit in Contention at El Cab

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