TAMPA, Fla. – In the realm of sports, sibling connections are not uncommon. The Williams sisters dominated the tennis courts, the Manning brothers etched their names in NFL history, and of course, the Korda name reverberates loudly throughout the golf world. Yet, within the realms of the FSGA, another sibling pair, Layla and Marley Pedrique, are carving their own remarkable path.
Layla Pedrique, a 2025 grad, is the older of the two sisters. Layla has verbally committed to Florida State University in which she will compete as a member of the Women’s Golf team. This commitment to a top golf program comes only after hard work and success as a junior player. Layla has already captured a win on the Florida Junior Tour this season to add to her five other career wins. She also competes in FSGA Championships, and advanced to the Round of 16 at the 94th Women’s Amateur championship last season.
Marley, a 2028 grad, is following closely in her older sister’s footsteps. She has captured two Florida Junior Tour victories this season coming less than a month apart. In total, Marley has won twelve times on the Florida Junior Tour, and she was also one of the youngest competitors in the Junior Florida Cup last year. She competed as a member of the South Team, and helped her team to defend the cup for another year. Marley held a record of (2-1-1). She also holds several FJT records after her win at the 2021 Futures Championship which include, lowest final round of a 69, and largest winning margin of 17 strokes.
Layla explains how the FSGA has been a vital part of their junior golf careers, “The FSGA has done an incredible job supporting us through Team Florida. Not only does it allow us to play in their events, but also all the USGA events that we have qualified for.” Layla further added, “Playing on the FJT has really helped our game develop and it’s great to play against the best junior golfers in Florida. We are extremely grateful for everything they have done for us.”
Both sisters are members of Team Florida, which is our awards program that identifies the top-40 junior golfers around the
state. These players have not only demonstrated exceptional playing ability in local, state, and national tournaments, but also display sportsmanship and etiquette. This program provides funding support to players that can be used to offset costs of traveling and competing in competitions. Team Florida members are also provided access to additional services from golf centric training programs to data analytics.
Marley is going through her first season as a member of Team Florida and she described it as, “Already so far, it has been extremely helpful and very supportive. I love seeing the emails from Team Florida every month, and it is just really cool to see how everyone else is doing.” She further explained, “Being on the team with my older sister is super cool. We are provided with financial support, but it goes further than that. The community support through Brian and Emily have put us in a lot of great connections with people, and we just feel so fortunate.”
Furthermore, Layla has played on the National stage at USGA events. She qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2023 U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championship with partner, Kayla Bryant. Marley has not competed in a USGA event yet, but that is sure to come in her future. Last year, she was an onsite alternate for the Girls’ Junior, and the duo is currently preparing for qualifier season in hopes of making a National appearance this year.
When asked about her favorite USGA event, Layla described, “The Girls’ Junior in 2022. We played at the Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is one of my favorite courses that I have ever played, and the whole event was just amazing.” Layla explained how her time competing on the Florida Junior Tour and FSGA championships helped her to prepare for events played on the national stage. “The FSGA has 100% helped me to prepare for USGA events. Not only do I see a lot of my friends and familiar faces that I grew up competing with, but they’re also some of the best players in the country. It helps me to feel more comfortable at the USGA events because it is a lot of the same players and competition that I have with the FSGA.”
Everyone’s ride through golf is unique, however not many are able to experience it with a sibling by their side. Having a
sister to go through the ups and downs of the sport make the journey particularly special. Layla explained it as, “It’s amazing having a sister that competes at the same level as me. Going through all the tournaments, the journey, and the process together is definitely really cool.”
Marley added in, “I always have a practice partner, and a friend in the tournament. You know, there is always someone there for me, which is just really cool. It has helped my game, and helped me to grow.”
The pair played in the 94th Women’s Amateur last season and are preparing for the 95th Women’s Amateur Championship at the Bear’s Club June 13-16. They have yet to wind up in match play against each other, but that is still a possibility. One thing is for sure, even if they competed against each other, they would still be sisters at the end of the day. Layla described it best as, “Golf is such a lonely sport, and it’s great to go through it with my sister. It is nice to always have someone on your team, even if you are competing against each other.” However, that is not the last of the Pedrique’s that will come through the FSGA. Marley and Layla have a little sister, who is preparing to start playing in Florida Junior Tour (9-12) events. The pair explained through laughter that the FSGA, “Won’t be getting rid of us for a while.” Their youngest sister, Taylor, has some great role models to look up to. Layla’s advice? “Play as many events as you can and build up your experience. Ultimately, it will build your confidence and that is really what this sport is about. Always believing in yourself. So I think that playing in a lot of events and testing yourself, proving to yourself that you can do it is critical in building up your game.”
The FSGA certainly welcomes another Pedrique to come through the organization, and we look forward to watching Marley continue to develop her game through the Florida Junior Tour. And as for Layla, who is on the tail end of her junior career, the FSGA is excited to watch her develop in college and return in the summers to compete in our championships. At every stage of a player’s career, regardless of age or experience level, the FSGA offers a tournament tailored to match the player. Witnessing players develop, and transition from one stage to the next, even stepping away only to return with renewed vigor and experience, while simultaneously watching siblings and families craft enduring memories, that is the true heart of the FSGA.
