Florida's team of talented players are getting ready to take on the 4th Women's Southeastern Challenge Matches. Held every two years, Florida is hosting at The Amelia Island Club at Long Point, July 29-31. This year's team features a number of victors who have their eyes set on regaining the Southeastern Challenge title. Each team consists of 12 players with eight amateurs and four seniors.
The eight amateurs on the Florida team is highlighted by the 2018 Women's Amateur Champion, Roanne Tomlinson from Lake Mary. Tomlinson was also the 2017 Women's Amateur Stroke Play Champion and is a senior playing for Kennesaw State. Kendall Griffin from Sebring will also be playing this year, Griffin placed second at this year's Harder Hall and is a sophomore playing at Louisiana State University. Next on the roster, fresh off her victories at the Girls' Junior Championship and Junior Match Play Championship, is Chloe Schiavone from Jacksonville. Schiavone also won the 2018 Women's Four-Ball Championship in March.
Our youngest player on the team is just fourteen years of age, Karoline Tuttle, but has already proven that she is a strong competitor. Tuttle was runner up this year at the Women's Amateur Championship. Jamie Freedman will also be playing for Florida, she has consistently played well by placing runner up twice in 2017, once at the Women's Amateur Championship and the other at the Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship. She is also a recent Nova Southeastern graduate. Our next two players in the amateur league are Emmy Martin from Odessa and Mindy Herrick from Gainesville. Martin was the 2017 Harder Hall Champion and a recent graduate from Texas Christian University. Herrick was recently a semifinalist at the Women's Amateur Championship and is a sophomore playing at the University of North Florida. Finally, to round out the team, Haydyn Gibson from Clearwater, and a member of the Women's Golf Team at Tulane University, will be joining in. Gibson is coming off of a special win this month where she captured the 24th Women's Amateur Stroke Play title by six strokes.
The four seniors on this year's team consist of our 2018 Women's Mid-Amateur Champion, Kim Keyer-Scott from Bonita Springs. Keyer-Scott is no stranger to competition as she has placed in the Top 5 three times this year alone. Keyer-Scott will be playing alongside Tama Caldabaugh from Ponte Vedra Beach, Gigi Higgins from Cape Coral and the 2018 & 2017 Jones/Doherty Senior Champion, Lisa Schlesinger from Fort Myers.
Like the Ryder Cup, on the first day there will be two matches consisting of morning four-ball matches and afternoon foursome (alternate shot) matches. Morning matches will begin promptly at 8:00 AM followed by the afternoon matches at 1:30 PM. Tuesday's final day will consist of 12 total single matches, with a player from each association in each match competing against one another (three-ball match).
