TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida Women’s Open and Senior Open will take center stage in Vero Beach this week. Riomar Country Club will host the championship from August 7-9, with Pointe West serving as the co-host.
This year’s field will feature some of the top women professional and amateur golfers, who will battle to be crowned the fifth Women’s Open and Senior Open Champions.
Here are five things to know before the championship begins.
By the Numbers
The average age this year’s Open field is 34 years old. Bella Dovhey will be the youngest competitor in the field at 13 years old, while Tara Joy-Connelly being the most experienced players in the Open Division at 48 years old.
For the past four years, the Florida Women’s Open has consistently drawn some of the best young talent from around the state and this year is no different. Over 40 collegiate golfers will be in the field in Vero Beach, while 30 junior golfers will tee it up in the championship.
Forty-seven professionals will be competing this week between the two divisions.
Defending the Crown
When competition begins on Friday, four of the six past champions will be in the field. Jessica Porvasnik captured the Open Championship two years, posting three under-par rounds to win. Sandra Angulo Minarro and Sandra Changkija will be competing in the Open Division, while Mary Jane Hiestand will tee it up in the Senior Division.
Eleven States Represented
There will be 11 different states represented at the Florida Women’s Open: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. While a majority of the field hails from Florida, 14 out-of-staters will be competing.
Stroke-Play Champion Eyes Another Title
Elle Nachmann has put together a great summer, winning the Women’s Amateur Stoke Play Championship in July at the Amelia Island Club. Her victory came just weeks after a runner-up finish at the 92nd Women’s Amateur Championship in June.
Riomar Country Club Set to Host
Riomar Country Club is set to host its second FSGA championship and first Florida Women’s Open & Senior Open. Opened in 1919 and designed by Herbert Strong, seven of Riomar’s holes are right on the Atlantic Ocean, while another five are just off the Indian River.
A 2014 renovation by Tommy Fazio drastically improved the back nine’s drainage—the inward nine now drains better than the outward, which certainly wasn’t the case when the mangrove swamp was cleared out for the new nine 60 years ago. Read more about the club's history here.
