6 Emerging LPGA Talents. 1 Big Stage. Meet Ford’s 2026 Power Her Drive Class.

This is a special season for the LPGA Tour. It just celebrated its 75th anniversary. It has its largest prize fund in history at more than $132 million. And each of its 33 events will be televised live for the first time since Golf Channel began broadcasting the LPGA in 1995.

At Ford, there is additional cause for excitement. As the exclusive vehicle partner of the LPGA, Ford has created a mentorship program, Power Her Drive, that pairs six players early in their careers with experienced pros.

The program spans one year and offers these six Tour newcomers access to four business leadership conferences. Throughout the season, the athletes will receive the kind of real-world professional development that they need to build enduring careers.

Here's a closer look at the six golfers Ford will be cheering on during the 2026 LPGA Tour season:

Camille Boyd

Camille Boyd played college at Washington, where she was honorable mention All-America in 2022 and first-team All-Pac-12 two years later.

Following Washington, Boyd joined the LPGA’s official qualifying Epson Tour and finished in the top 10 twice. A native of Yorba Linda, California, Boyd capped the season in 10th place at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage to gain her full LPGA Tour card in her first attempt.

“Going into college, I didn't know if I wanted to play professionally. I explored a lot of different avenues in college in terms of my career and what I wanted to do,” Boyd said in a story last year for the Epson Tour’s website. “I kind of just wanted to try it, you know? I don't want to go the rest of my life thinking, ‘What if I had turned professional back when I just graduated college?,’ and I'm pretty happy I made that choice.”

Briana Chacon

Briana Chacon finished her college career at Oregon with its best all-time scoring average: 72.82. The native of Whittier, California, was also the first there to win an individual NCAA regional title and twice competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

In just her second year as a professional, Chacon won two tournaments on the Epson Tour, recorded five top-10 finishes, and made the cut in 16 of her 19 starts. She finished sixth in the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card standings to earn LPGA Tour membership.

“I’m so excited to soak everything in,” Chacon told the Epson Tour’s website last year. “I’m going to try to learn as much as I can from the other players up there and try to enjoy every single moment of it. More than anything, I’m going to take what I learned here, on the Epson Tour, and try to apply it to the next stage. It’s super important to work even harder than I have already to get to that next stage and stay there.”

Hailee Cooper

Hailee Cooper, a native of Montgomery, Texas, emerged as one of the most consistent players on the Epson Tour in 2025. She finished 10th in the Race for the Card standings after recording eight top-10 finishes, making 17 cuts in 19 starts.

Before turning pro, Cooper earned first-team All-America and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors at Texas, while leading the Longhorns to a Big 12 Championship. She also represented Team USA in the Arnold Palmer Cup.

She later transferred and helped Texas A&M capture the 2023 Southeastern Conference championship, earning second-team all-conference honors for herself.

“I wanted to do this since I was a little girl,” Cooper told LPGA.com last year about qualifying for the Tour. “It was like my dreams had come true.”

Laney Frye

Laney Frye played at the University of Kentucky for four years, earning All-America honors four times and All-Southeastern Conference honors three times. She also finished her career ranked first and second all-time in single-season scoring averages for the Wildcats.

Frye, originally from Nicholasville, Kentucky, secured her LPGA Tour card in her first year. She finished in the top 15 of the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card and in the top 10 at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage. Overall, she made the top 10 in six tournaments, including second at the Great Lakes Championship.

“I didn't know what to expect,” said Frye, describing her budding pro career in an Epson Tour website interview last year. “Coming from college and amateur golf, it's still kind of a shock at the end of a tournament, where I'm like, ‘Oh, I'm getting paid to play golf.’ But I love the people. … I'm constantly striving, and the goal is showing up every day and chipping away at it.” 

Melanie Green

Melanie Green turned professional in 2024 after a decorated career at the University of South Florida. The Medina, New York, native was named second-team All-America and the American Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year in 2024. She also set all-time USF records in scoring average and rounds of par or better.

In 2024, Green represented Team USA in the Arnold Palmer and Curtis Cups and became the first American in 28 years to win The Women’s British Amateur, which dates to 1893.

As a 2025 rookie on the Epson Tour, she won her first two professional titles and finished first in the Race for the Card standings. She was named Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year and Epson Tour Player of the Year.

“I feel very blessed and fortunate,” Green said during an Epson Tour website interview last year. “Just to be part of this journey is pretty surreal … I get to play golf and I get to play against the best in the world. That’s what is going to be the most fun.”

Yana Wilson

Making the LPGA Tour as a teenager, Yana Wilson has been dominant at every stage of her young career. In her first year as a professional on the Epson Tour, she won twice, led the tour with 12 top-10 finishes and finished second in the Race for the Card standings.

As a junior competitor, Wilson was the Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2023 and won the U. S. Girls Junior Championship in 2022. She was also a two-time Drive Chip and Putt National Champion at Augusta National Golf Club.

“It feels pretty cool,” Wilson said in an interview after securing her LPGA Tour card. “I mean, there's still more work to be done. I have other goals in mind that I want to achieve, so, you know, job not done."

Reese Dunklin is an editor for From the Road