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see also: Dixie Amateur Men's Invitational, Eagle Trace Golf Club
Eagle Trace Golf Club and Palm Aire Country Club will play host once again to the prestigious amateur
The 2023 Dixie Amateur Men's and Women's Invitational is back and ready for another great year as the top men's and women's amateur golfers in the region will head to Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla., and Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, Fla. The men's invitational takes place at Eagle Trace Golf Club, while the women's invitational takes place at Palm Aire Country Club.
Former top amateurs like Colt Knost, Hal Sutton, Daniel Berger, Frank Strafaci, Brandt Snedeker, Angela Park, Lexi Thompson, and Alexa Pano are some of the past winners of the prestigious event.
The Dixie Amateur is one of the pioneers of playing the men's and women's invitational simultaneously, similar to the Southwestern Amateur and Porter Cup, since the women's invitational inception in 2002.
The format is 72-hole stroke play with a 54-hole cut to 66 players and ties.
Last Year
Last year, Jeremy Sisson of the University of Nebraska and Emma Schimpf of the College of Charleston took home the 2022 titles.
In the men's invitational, Sisson posted a 4-under score of 284, which was good for a one-stroke victory over Tristan Wieland, while mid-amateur Jose Vega finished two back at 2-under 286. Sisson took a one-shot lead into the final round over Wieland, Vega, and defending champion Evan Myers
In the women's invitational, Emma Schimpf, a sophomore at the College of Charleston, defeated Duke commit Katie Li in a playoff to win a championship that seemed was going to elude her, despite turning in a scintillating back nine en route to a final round 3-under 68.
Playing alongside Li and 54-hole leader Kary Hollenbaugh, Schimpf got red-hot down the stretch and birdied holes 12, 14, and 16 to get to 9-under for the tournament.
2023 Field
The Course
Eagle Trace Golf Club is a proud member of the ClubLink family of outstanding golf clubs. Opened in 1983 as the first member-based club in the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Players Club network, Eagle Trace Golf Club is an Arthur Hills design that hosted the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic nine times.
Palm Aire Country Club has a rich history dating back to 1959 when The Palms Golf Course was founded by George Palmer and Harold Broiler, and a 50-room lodge opened in 1962. Sam Snead set a course record of 65 in that year, and since then, Palm Aire has hosted the prestigious Dixie Amateur, the Florida Open, and the SouthFlorida Classic, a former Tour event, on multiple occasions.
Palm Aire’s owners added a grand hotel and spa in 1971, followed by the construction of the Oaks course in 1971 and the Cypress course in 1972. Movie stars such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jerry Lewis would come to stay and play at the renowned hotel and golf courses.
The History
The Dixie Amateur was first played at the old Miami Country Club in 1924. The Dixie Amateur is rich in history and tradition attracting many of the best amateur golfers from the United States and International players invited from over 30 golf federations around the world. Titleist/GolfWeek awards points towards National Rankings in all divisions. The Dixie Amateur originated in 1924 and was played at the old Miami Country Club. Florida has always been a golf destination and the tournament always attracts a strong field of talented amateur players.
Early winners of the Dixie Amateur included: Frank Strafaci, Earl Christianson, Frank Perpich, Al Besselink, Bill Hyndman III and future Masters Champion Doug Ford. With the closing of the Miami Golf Club in 1953 the Dixie was discontinued until 1962.
The Dixie Amateur has been played continuously since 1962 at various courses in South Florida including The Links at Key Biscayne and the Golf Club of Miami. During this time the tournament really began to attract the very best players in the United States and several players won before graduating to the PGA Tour. Champions include Andy Bean, Bruce Fleisher, Lanny Wadkins, Nolan Henke, Len Mattice and Jesper Parnevik.
In 1990 the Dixie Amateur was moved to the Bonaventure Resort. During this time period, the tournament was moved to December and held during the Christmas break. This move allowed a greater number of collegiate golfers to participate and the strength of our field grew substantially.
In 1997 a senior division was created for players 55 years and older. This increased exposure and attracted an even stronger field of senior golfers. Steve Earsley of Stuart, Florida won the inaugural event and repeated as Champion in 1998.
In 2002, the women's division was added and has consistently attracted the finest female amateurs in the world. The inaugural women's champion, Meaghan Francella, narrowly defeated Paula Creamer, now an LPGA superstar. The 2007 women's champion, Lexi Thompson, became the youngest winner of an LPGA tournament in 2011 at the age of 16.
The 2009 Dixie Amateur saw the addition of the first Senior Women’s Dixie Amateur Championship.
In 2011, ClubLink acquired the Dixie Amateur and put renewed emphasis on providing the best possible experience for all contestants. The women's, senior women's, and senior men's divisions are now played at two ClubLink properties: Palm Aire Country Club and Eagle Trace Golf Club.
In 2019 the Mid-Master Division was created for participants between the ages of 40 to 54 to compete with players of the same age and skill level.
Past Champions
Men's Division
2022 Jeremy Sisson
2021 Evan Myers
2020 Larry Blatt
2019 Michael Barnard
2018 Jonathan Keppler
2017 Luke Gifford
2016 Davey Jude
2015 Hannes Ronneblad
2014 Brandon Matthews
2013 Curtis Thompson
2012 Daniel Berger
2011 Curtis Thompson
2010 Peter Uihlein
2009 Peter Uihlein
2008 Gavin Dear
2007 David Lingmerth
2006 Mu Hu
2005 Colt Knost
2004 Jon McLean
2003 Brandt Snedeker
2002 Derek Lamely
2001 Jay Reynolds
2000 Erik Compton
1999 Hunter Haas
1998 Travis Perkins
1997 G.W. Cable
1996 Jeremy Wilkenson
1995 Ryuji Imada
1994 Dennis Hillman
1993 Jason Downey
1992 Rick Woulfe
1991 Charles Stevens
1990 Michael Sposa
1990 Charles Stevens
1989 Len Mattiace
1988 Greg Starkman
1987 Nolan Henke
1986 Jesper Parnevik
1985 Louis Brown
1984 Len Mattiace
1983 Steve Greek
1982 Bill Wrobbel
1981 Bill Tuten
1980 Tim Norris
1979 Hal Sutton
1978 Hal Sutton
1977 Joe Walter
1976 Buddy Gardner
1975 Andy Bean
1974 Denny Sullivan
1973 Bill Hyndman, III
1972 Chas. Krenkel
1971 Lanny Wadkins
1970 John Birmingham
1969 Bruce Fleisher
1968 Bill Hyndman, III
1967 Wes Smith, Jr.
1966 Bill Harvey
1965 Bill Hyndman, III
1964 Dave Smith
1963 Harvey Breauz
1962 Paul Desjardins
1953 George Victor
1952 Dub Pagan
1951 Bill Stembler
1950 Frank Stranahan
1949 Al Besselink
1948 Frank Perpich
1947 Bob Servis
1946 Doug Ford
1945 B.B. Lotspeich
1944 Arnold Minckley
1943 Earl Christianson
1942 Earl Christianson
1941 Frank Strafaci
1940 Frank Strafaci
1939 Bill Holt
1938 Earl Christianson
1937 Frank Allan
1936 Arthur Lynch
1935 Charles Whitehead
1934 Curtis Bryan
1933 Tommy Goodwin
1932 Tommy Goodwin
1931 T. Phillip Perkins
1930 Harcourt Brice
1929 James W. West
1928 Ben Stevenson
1927 Lee Chase, Sr.
1926 Lee Chase, Sr.
1925 Fred Knight
1924 Captain HCC Tippett
Women's Division
2022 Emma Schimpf
2021 Latanna Stone
2020 Brigitte Thibault
2019 Katherine Schuster
2018 Alexa Pano
2017 Yujeong Son
2016 Yujeong Son
2015 Lauren Stephenson
2014 Mathilda Cappeliez
2013 Shannon Aubert
2012 Isabelle Lendl
2011 Paula Reto
2010 Paula Reto
2009 Lindy Duncan
2008 Candace Schepperle
2007 Lexi Thompson
2006 Vicky Hurst
2005 Angela Park
2004 Ashley Hoagland
2003 Angela Park
2002 Meaghan Franchella
Historic Florida amateur golf tournament that is open to former Dixie Amateur champions, tournament committee invitees and qualifiers for major amateur championships. The Dixie has a traditionally strong field due to college break, and a past-champio...
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