TAMPA, Fla. – The top senior women amateurs in the state will head to Orlando this week for the Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, which begins on Monday at Orange Tree Golf Club.
Here are five things to know before the championship begins.
Defending the Crown
Lisa Schlesinger captured her second Senior Amateur title at the 2019 championship. The Fort Myers native fired an even-par 72 in the final round to secure the six-shot victory. Schlesinger, the 2019 FSGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year, will look to become the fifth player in FSGA history to win back-to-back Women’s Senior titles.
Super-Senior Champion Back for More
Janice Wilson, who won the 2019 Super-Senior Championship, will also be in this year’s field. Wilson captured the four-shot win with rounds of 82-79. She will look to become the first super-senior player to win back-to-back titles.
FSGA Hall of Famer in the Hunt
FSGA Hall of Fame member, Taffy Brower, has her eye on another Senior Amateur win, her first since 2008. Brower is a 10-time FSGA champion and was the 2004 Women’s Amateur Player of the Year. The Boynton Beach native has also competed in over 40 USGA championships.
Orange Tree Golf Club Plays Host
Orange Tree Golf Club will host its first FSGA championship since serving as the co-host for the 2016 Florida Open Championship. Designed in 1972 by Joe Lee, Orange Tree will host its second FSGA championship in club history.
Champions in the Field
The 2020 field includes past Senior Amateur champions (Schlesinger, Brower, Mary Jane Hiestand, Sarah Phillips-Durst, Diane Lang) and four past Super-Senior champions (Wilson, Christine Hunt, Patricia Hughes-Gelardi, Tinker Sanger). Hiestand is the lone past Women’s Amateur champion in the field, as well as four Women’s Senior Players of the Year (Schlesinger, Hiestand, Tama Caldabaugh and Gigi Higgins).
