TAMPA, Fla. – The 2024 FSGA championship season is just around the corner. The Florida State Golf Association will conduct more than 600 days of competition this year, with more than 60 state championships. Here are some things to know before the championship season gets started.
USGA Exemptions on the Line
Beginning in 2024, USGA exemptions will be on the line at the biggest FSGA championships of the year. The champion of the Florida Amateur Championship and the Florida Women’s Amateur Championship will receive an exemption into this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship and U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, respectively.
In addition to an exemption into the U.S. Amateur or U.S. Women’s Amateur, the champions will also receive exemptions in other USGA championships.
- If player is 18 or younger, earns exemption into U.S. Junior Amateur or U.S. Girls’ Junior
- If player is 25 or older, earns exemption to U.S. Mid-Amateur or U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur
- If player is 55 or older, earns exemption to U.S. Senior Amateur, 50 or older into U.S. Women's Senior Amateur
Competitors in the Florida Boys’ Junior and Florida Girls’ Junior will also have the opportunity to earn a USGA exemption. Both junior championships will consist of one division with everyone in the field playing from the same set of tees, with the overall champion receiving an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur or U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
Women’s Amateur Head to The Bear’s Club for the First Time
The 95th Women’s Amateur Championship will make its way to The Bear’s Club in June. Eighty-four of the best female amateurs will take center stage at the Jack Nicklaus designed course for the first time in championship history.
Nestled among 369 sandy acres near the Atlantic Ocean and opened in 1999, the course recently went through an extensive renovation in 2023, opening to much praise by Mr. Nicklaus and the membership.
In addition to a first-time host for the 95th Women’s Amateur, the championship will also feature some key changes in 2024. Player exemptions will be used for the first time and two qualifiers will be held, making the Women’s Amateur the second women’s championship in FSGA history to host qualifying for the championship.
The championship will be shortened to four days and will have an 84-player field. There will be two rounds of stroke-play seeding, with a cut to the low 32 players for match play
Pelican Golf Club to Host First FSGA Championship
For the first time in FSGA history, an FSGA champion will be crowned at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair. The 65th Girls' Junior Championship will be contested at Pelican on June 27-29.
Opened in 1925, Pelican Golf Club is a Donald Ross design that demands proper shot placement to navigate the prominent contouring. The Tampa Bay course is known for its parallels with Augusta National Golf Club. Also a second-shot golf course, the bunkering at Pelican resembles that of the home of the Masters and the greens are also protected closely mown run-off areas that demand tough chips and pitches as recovery shots.
When the top juniors from around the state make their way to Pelican Golf Club in July, they will compete on the same course as the LPGA stars, with Pelican hosting The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge each November.
Florida Open Takes Center Stage at Golden Ocala
The FSGA heads back to Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club for the 12th time, with the Florida Open Championship taking center staff for the first time. The three-day championship will be held on July 19-21, with the Country Club of Ocala serving as the co-host.
A Ron Garl design, Golden Ocala opened in 1986 and sits within an enormous 1,300-acre property. The 18-hole course features a number of replica holes from some of the world’s finest golf courses including: Augusta National Golf Club, Royal Troon Golf Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, Muirfield Village Golf Club and St. Andrews Links.
Legends & Super-Senior Championships
The men’s schedule will feature a new championship with the addition of the Legends Championship in October. The 36-hold championship will be for player 70 and older and feature three age division that were formerly part of the Super-Senior Championship. The inaugural Legends Championship will be held at BallenIsles Country Club on October 8-9.
With the addition of this championship, the Super-Senior Championship will be expanded. The 54-hole championship will now feature 156-player field with one division and a cut to low 60 and ties after 36 holes.
Florida to Host Women’s Southeastern Challenge
For the first time since 2014, the Women’s Southeastern Challenge will be hosted in Florida. The Women's Southeastern Challenge Matches are a biennial Ryder Cup style match play competition pitting twelve amateurs and four Seniors, from Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
Florida will look to capture its first win since 2014 when the matches make their way back to the Sunshine State on August 9-11.
