TAMPA, Fla. – Alex Long and Bailey Shoemaker have been named Florida State Golf Association’s Junior Players of the Year. Long has earned Boys’ Junior Player of the Year, while Shoemaker earns Girls’ Junior Player of the Year.
This is the first Player of the Year honors for both Long and Shoemaker.
Boys’ Junior Player of the Year
Alex Long earns Boys’ Junior Player of the Year after a terrific season. Long never finished outside the top-10 at an FSGA event this year.
The highlight of Long’s season came at the end with a victory at the 11th FJT Tour Championship. He carded rounds of 71-71-75 to grab the victory by one stroke in wire-to-wire fashion. Long was the only player in the field to finish the first two rounds under par. He closed out his second round with four birdies to hold the lead through 36-holes. He delivered a solid final round to close out the victory by one stroke over the field.
He earned a runner-up finish at the 68th Boys’ Junior Championship, carding rounds of 72-68-71, at Seminole Legacy Golf Course in Tallahassee. He also secured a runner-up finish at the FJT Harbor Hills Open and a sixth place finish at the FJT Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Open.
Long also qualified for and competed in stroke play of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
Girls’ Junior Player of the Year
Bailey Shoemaker, also named the 2022 Women’s Junior Player of the Year, received this honor after a remarkable season filled with an FSGA Championship victory and runner-up finishes in USGA events.
The Dade City native becomes the first player in FSGA history to be named the Women’s Player of the Year and the Girls’ Junior Player of the Year in the same season
Shoemaker captured her second FSGA championship win and the first of her 2022 season at the 93rd Women’s Amateur Championship. After a grueling 130 holes of golf, Shoemaker defeated Maisie Filler, 3 and 2, to raise the trophy at Streamsong Resort. She became the first junior golfer ever to win the Women’s Amateur Championship in the championship’s 93-year history.
Shoemaker had quite the impressive showing at USGA championships during the 2022 season. Just weeks before winning the Women’s Amateur Championship, Shoemaker made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina. The Florida Junior Tour alum finished the championship in a tie for 49th.
She secured a runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner, Kaitlyn Schroeder. Shoemaker also advanced to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
Finally, to top off her standout season, Shoemaker advanced to the Semifinals at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay in Washington.
Long and Shoemaker will be honored at the FSGA’s Annual Dinner in Boynton Beach at The Club at Quail Ridge in November. The Annual Dinner celebrates the best players in the state, volunteers, board members and many other important individuals involved in the game of golf in Florida.
