Which area golfers are headed to the state tournament?

The Florida High School Athletic Association recently announced the at-large bids for the state golf tournament, which begins this week. A select group of individual golfers and a team have earned the opportunity to compete on the grand stage.

Following a meticulous evaluation process by the FHSAA, a few area golfers were awarded at-large bids. The selection criteria included scores, slopes, and course ratings from the golfers’ six best 9-hole qualifying rounds during the regular season (SiWR), district tournament (DiWR), and regional tournament (RiWR) across all regions (TiWR).

Pensacola Catholic’s Islay Benoit emerged as the sole area golfer to secure an automatic bid to the state tournament. Benoit achieved low medalist honors at the Region 1-1A tournament held at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, where she scored an impressive one-over par 72, solidifying her spot in the state finals. The 1A tournament will take place from November 14th to 15th at Mission Inn Resort & Club’s Las Colinas course.

At the upcoming tournament, Benoit will be seeded 15th among the 16 individual golfers.

Only eight individual golfers and eight teams earned at-large bids in the state.

Among the Class 2A girls’ division, Pensacola’s Gabrielle Hultstrand and West Florida’s Abby Vernier also qualified for the tournament. They will join Benoit at Las Colinas on November 7th and 8th.

Hultstrand achieved a two-way tie for fourth place at the Region 1-2A girls’ tournament held at Quail Heights Country Club, finishing with a commendable one-over par 72. Hultstrand is seeded fourth for the state finals. Vernier, not far behind Hultstrand in the regional tournament, is seeded sixth after completing with a score of 74, securing eighth place at Quail Heights.

In the boys’ division of Class 2A, Reference

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller takes readers to the greens with his passion for golf. He offers coverage of major golf tournaments, player achievements, and insights into the sport’s rich history, making him a trusted source for golf enthusiasts.