TAMPA, Fla. – Chloe Schiavone and Tyler Wilkes were named the 2018 Florida State Golf Association Junior Players of the Year. Schiavone was awarded the Girls' Junior Player of the Year award, while Wilkes garnered Boys' Junior Player of the Year honors. Both players will be honored at the Annual Dinner on November 16.
Girls' Junior Player of the Year – Chloe Schiavone
Schiavone won her first individual FSGA Championship on her way to being named the Girls' Junior Player of the Year
Schiavone was honored with the Girls' Junior Player of the Year award following her 2018 season that saw four wins and seven top-15 finishes on the Florida Junior Tour. Her first FSGA Championship victory of the season came at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship. Schiavone and her partner, Ariel Yu, finished nine strokes ahead of runner-ups Kayla Holden and Lauren Davenport.
The Jacksonville native secured her first individual FSGA Championship at Bent Pine Golf Club, where she won the Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship. Schiavone carded the only under-par round of the championship with a three-under 213. She won the 2018 Junior Amateur Match Play in July at The Forest Country Club, defeating runner-up Skylee Shin, 3 and 2.
Schiavone and Izzy M. Pellot teamed up to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship earlier this year.
In FJT events, Schiavone captured one win and two other top-10 finishes. She earned the win at River Strand Golf & Country Club, posting a one-over 145. Her other two best finishes came at Cimarrone Golf Club, where she finished fifth, and the Ocala Golf Club, where she tied for sixth place.
Schiavone accumulated 18,894 points over the course of the 2018 season, the most for a Girls' Junior Player of the Year since 2015 (Sierra Brooks, 21,100).
Boys' Junior Player of the Year – Tyler Wilkes
With one FSGA Championship and five FJT top-five finishes, Tyler Wilkes was named the Boys' Junior Player of the Year
Wilkes earned Boys' Junior Player of the Year honors following a season that included an FSGA Championship win and five FJT top-five finishes. He won his second-straight Boys' Junior Amateur Championship in July at Laurel Oak Country Club.
Entering the final round of the Boys' Junior Amateur, he was four strokes off the leader, Alberto Martinez. Wilkes played his final six holes at five-under par to shoot a final round six-under 66 and bring home the win. For the championship, he carded a 10-under 206.
Wilkes amasses 14,033 points over the season, the most by a Boys' Junior Player of the Year since Brandon Mancheno (14,668) in 2015.
The Tampa native competed in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, after having qualified for the event at The Country Club of Winter Haven. Wilkes also advanced to U.S. Open Sectional qualifying this year.
In five FJT starts this season, Wilkes did not a finish worse than tied for fifth. His best came at River Strand Golf & Country Club, where he took home first place. He posted two runner-up finishes at Don Veller Golf Course & Club and Trump National Doral.
