Sept. 5, 2008

ALBANY, N.Y. - Former Lady Vol All-American golfer Jessica Shepley has her sights set on the LPGA Tour this weekend as she competes at the Duramed FUTURES Tour season finale, the ILOVENY Championship at Capital Hills.

The FUTURES Tour's top 10 players on the regular season-ending money list will be awarded 2009 LPGA membership at the conclusion of the 54-hole tournament on Sunday.

Shepley is in a great position to earn her LPGA card, as she currently ranks sixth on the money list with $36,909 earnings this season.

The top-five money winners will earn Category 9 status on the LPGA's Priority list, while the next five players will earn Category 17 Priority status.

Shepley has had a breakout season in her fourth year on the FUTURES Tour with five top-10 finishes in 16 events. Her best finish came in June at the Duramed Championship in Mason, Ohio, where she fired a 54-hole total of 205 to place second. She was also runner-up at the Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City Championship in Leawood, Kan. In May.

At her last tournament, the Gettysburg (Pa.) Championship on August 22-24, Shepley tied for third-place.

The 2005 Tennessee graduate was a NGCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2004. An Ontario-native, she could become the third Lady Vol to join the LPGA Tour, following Violeta Retamoza and volunteer assistant coach Young-A Yang.

Follow Shepley's weekend at www.ilovenychampionship.com/