Tampa, Fla – Innisbrook Golf Resort & Club looks to host the 94th Women’s Amateur Championship. The Copperhead Course will have 144 of the state’s best female golfers all vying to have their name added to a long list of elite champions. Here are five things to know going into the championship.
By the Numbers
The average age in the 94th Women’s Amateur is 20 years old. The youngest player in the field, Marley Pedrique, is no stranger to playing up in big events. The 2028 high school graduate has not finished outside of the top 10 in the 16-18 division of the Florida Junior Tour this year. Pedrique looks to rewrite the record books with a win at the Women’s Amateur Championship this year.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mary Ann Modrak will be this year’s most experienced golfer in the field. Modrak is also off to a great start this year finishing seventh at the Women’s Senior Amateur and third at the Women’s Senior Four-Ball Championships. The Sarasota native attempts to make match play for the first time in her third appearance in the championship.
The final three holes of the Copperhead Course, otherwise known as “The Snake Pit”, continuously has one of the toughest finishing three-hole stretch on the PGA Tour with a scoring average of about .607 over par.
Classroom to the Course
This year’s championship will have a total of 56 collegiate athletes, along with many other juniors who are committed to play in college. Seven of the Daytona State Falcons will be competing this year, making it the most out of any team.
Other notable universities being represented consist of Florida, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and Alabama.
Young, Wild, and Free
It seems every year has more and more junior golfers competing for the title, and this year is no different. With 53 golfers under the age of 18, these players have something to prove. Many of them are looking into playing at the next level collegiately, and a win at the 94th Women’s Amateur would definitely raise some eyebrows. Names such as Kaitlyn Schroeder and last year’s Girls’ Junior Champion, Brianna Castaldi, have already secured roster spots on Alabama’s team and Eastern Tennessee State’s team respectively. A win for them would provide momentum and confidence heading into their first semester at college, which is a crucial first step to having success at the next level.
Players To Watch
Although there may be no past champions in this year’s field, that does not mean there is a lack of experience in the big moment. Elle Nachmann of the University of Pennsylvania lost in the championship match in 2021 to Kendall Griffin. Other notable names who are looking to claim their first title include Yoko Tai, who made it to the semifinal match last year, and Jacqueline Putrino who made it to the quarterfinals.
All of these players have one thing in common; they do not want to be on the losing end of a match again. Keep an eye out for these players heading into the championship.
Innisbrook Plays Host
Innisbrook Golf Resort & Club is no stranger to hosting big events, namely the Valspar Championship hosted by the PGA Tour. It is going to take some very well played golf to be named a Women’s Amateur Champion by the end of the week with the golf course consistently being in the top 10 hardest golf courses played on tour year in and year out.
Unlike most normal Florida golf courses, Lawrence Pritchard designed this course to have tree-lined fairways and a rolling terrain. The Copperhead Course has a course rating ranging from 74.8-77.7, meaning a scratch golfer on a good day will shoot anywhere from 75-77. Anything under par over the two rounds of stroke play will most likely secure your spot in match play.
