Florida Sophomore Karoline Tuttle takes the lead at Dixie Women's Amateur

December 14, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Karoline Tuttle (Florida Athletics Photo)

Punctuated by a hole out on hole No. 14, Tuttle shot a third round 2-under 70 to take a one shot lead into the final round

Florida redshirt sophomore Karoline Tuttle of Lake Mary, Fla., shot a 2-under 70 to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round at the 2024 Dixie Women's Amateur at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla.

Tuttle leads the field by one shot at even par, and her round was punctuated by a hole out on hole No. 14, where she holed her approach shot for an eagle on the par-4.

Along with the eagle, she recorded two birdies and two bogeys. She has carded rounds of 74-72-70 to get to even par.

Isaki Sakashita of Deland, Fla., is in solo second place at 1-over and has carded rounds of 76-71-70. Faith Choi of Frederick, Md., and Ava Bunker of Edinburgh, Ind., are T3 at 2-over. 36-hole leader and Duke commit Avery McCrery is T8 after a third-round 4-over 76 saw her fall to 5-over.

Prior to Florida, Tuttle qualified for seven USGA events and was a two-time Florida High School State Team Champion. She was a three-time AJGA Champion and a six-time Florida Junior Tour Champion. She also has three top-five finishes at the Florida Women's Amateur.

The Dixie Amateur, which originated in 1924, was played at the old Miami Country Club. Florida has always been a golf destination, and the tournament attracts a strong field of talented amateur players.

Early winners of the Dixie Amateur included Frank Stafaci, 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.

Results: Dixie Women's Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Karoline Tuttle	Lake Mary, FL	700	74-72-70-68=284
T2	Isaki Sakashita	, Japan	500	76-71-70-72=289
T2	Faith Choi	Frederick, MD	500	76-72-70-71=289
4	Ann-Sophie Bourgault	, Canada	400	76-71-73-72=292
T5	Emma McMyler	San Antonio, TX	400	74-73-73-73=293

View full results for Dixie Women's Amateur

About the Dixie Women's Amateur

Florida Sophomore Karoline Tuttle takes the lead at Dixie Women's Amateur

72-hole stroke invitational women's stroke play championship. Field consists of former Dixie Amateur Champions, and women from around the world invited by the Tournament Committee. (You may request an invitation at www.dixieamateur.com). Tournament t...