TAMPA, Fla. – The 90th Women’s Amateur Championship is set to begin on Wednesday at Ritz Carlton Members Golf Club in Bradenton, with Laurel Oak Country Club serving as the co-host. In total, 138 players will compete in 36 holes of stroke play, with 64 players advancing to match play.
Here are five things to know before the championship begins.
Runner-Up Looks to Finish the Job
The runner-up from last year’s championship, Karoline Tuttle, aims to finish the job this year and capture the Women’s Amateur Championship. Tuttle fell to Roanne Tomlinson, 4 and 3, last year at The Falls Club. The Lake Mary native had a Round of 16 appearance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in April, with partner Sophie Linder.
College Standouts
Year after year, the Women’s Amateur draws some of the best college players from the state of Florida, with the last six champions being college players. This year is no different. The University of North Florida will be most represented at this year’s championship, with five members from their 2018-19 squad competing.
Fresh off runs at the NCAA Championship, players from Vanderbilt University, University of Central Forida and the University of Florida will be in the field.
Elizabeth Moon, who just finished her first season at the UCF, was named Freshman of the Year by the American Athletic Conference, will be joined by her UCF teammates, Alyssa Lamoureux and Ana Laura Collado.
Addie Baggarly, Jenny Kim and Lauren Waidner will represent the University of Florida, while Vanderbilt’s Morgan Baxendale will also be in the field.
Young, Scrappy and Hungry
The average of this year’s field is 19.3 years old. The juniors will be out in full force in Bradenton, with over 65 junior golfers in the field. Morgan Rodriguez, 12, is the championship’s youngest competitor and a three-time Florida Junior Tour winner. Chloe Kovelesky, another 12-year-old in the field, is also a three-time FJT winner and finished eighth at the South Atlantic Women's Amateur Championship in January.
Skylee Shin looks to continue her strong season next week, after winning three times on the junior tour, including the FJT Major at Trump National Doral. Kaitlyn Schroeder will have her eye on her first FSGA Championship win, as she looks to add to her two FJT wins this season.
Reigning Player of the Year in the Mix
Chloe Schiavone, the 2018 Girls’ Junior Player of the Year, will look to improve on her Round of 32 appearance from last year’s championship. The Jacksonville native has already captured an FSGA title this season, winning the Women’s Four-Ball Championship in April, with partner Ariel Yu.
Ritz-Carlton Plays Host
Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club will play host to its seventh FSGA Championship, and its first women’s championship since the 2010 Women’s Senior Amateur Championship. Most recently, the Bradenton Club served as the co-host for the 2018 Amateur Championship.
Laurel Oak, the co-host for the 2019 championship, hosted the 2018 Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship and has previously hosted five other FSGA championships.
Follow the FSGA:
The championship will begin on Wednesday with tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. A complete recap with full results will be posted on FSGA.org following the day's play.
Twitter: @FSGA
Instagram: @FSGA1913
Facebook: Florida State Golf Association
