Split between the relaxed seaside towns of Boynton Beach and Lake Worth, Florida, Indian Spring Country Club and Fountains Country Club hosted this year’s LPGA Amateurs Cup Finals. This amateur match play competition is conducted under the direction of the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.
LPGA Amateurs invites all women to learn, play, and enjoy golf for business and for fun. The organization hosts over 10,000 golf, social, and networking events each year, and has chapters in over 135 cities all around the world. But being a part of this organization is about so much more than just golf. It’s about connecting with a community of women who love to play, create friendships, and build lasting memories through the game.
To make it to the national Cup Finals, women had to qualify in eight regional qualifiers across the country. Upon arriving in Florida, women came prepared to compete in two stages of play – 18 holes of Four-Ball and 18 holes of Singles before crowing the winning team.
Spread across the two courses, both Indian Spring and Fountains Country Club provided lush rolling fairways, and meticulous greens, visually stunning for their natural beauty while also proving to be a tough challenge for the finalists in the field.
Members look forward to qualifying for this event each year, as it not only fosters fierce competition but also builds camaraderie across chapters celebrating team spirit. Before play begins, players are sent off with music to get fired up and exuberant cheers and high-fives from the entire LPGA Amateurs staff and volunteers operating the event.
The highly anticipated event brought together 60 teams with 240 players from chapters around the country. The perfect weather conditions set the stage for two days of intense competition and a great test in golf. These ladies came ready for battle but shared one common goal: to take home the cup!
Competitors received some golf essentials and were fully equipped for a weekend of competition thanks to LPGA Foundation partners like Chamber Putters, Titleist, Xact Xpressions, Birdie Balou, Club Champion, Goodr, From the Womens Tees, Lens Crafters, Ontal, Rain Girl, Range Goat Golf, Sparms, Swannies Golf, Swing Scribe, and XXIO.
LPGA Amateurs members also met surprise guest, LPGA Hall of Fame member and 33-time LPGA Tour winner, Beth Daniel during an engaging Q&A session ahead of the awards ceremony and dinner celebration.
The Cup Finals is known for being one of the most engaging tournaments of the LPGA Amateurs season. Teams wear colorful golf attire to show off their team spirit and even exchange hometown gifts with competitors. Each year, chapters get creative in naming their teams. And while there is no prize for the most original name, this year’s tournament featured teams like the Birdie Bandits, Par T of Fore, and the Philly GHIN and Tonics.
The Philly GHIN and Tonics from the LPGA Amateurs Philadelphia Chapter earned the title of 2024 LPGA Amateurs Cup Finals Champions, with the 302 Crew from Northern Delaware and the Par T of Fore from Boston earning second and third place, respectively.
Dori Martinez, from the LPGA Amateurs Savannah Hilton Head Chapter will never forget this championship after sinking a hole-in-one on hole 12 at Indian Springs Country Club.
For Rita Ann Gilson, LPGA Amateurs Philadelphia Chapter member who played on team Philly GHIN and Tonics, this win means everything.
“It all started at the last qualifiers ahead of the Amateurs Cup Finals,’ explained Gilson. “I don’t pay much attention to the leaderboard while I’m playing. I just go out and play my best. But as soon as I headed into scoring, my team immediately bombarded me saying we qualified. It was an incredible feeling helping my team advance to Cup Finals this year.”
She couldn’t help but pay gratitude to her teammates when reflecting on the win. “I couldn’t have done this without them. These women reached out to me, knowing my journey, and believed in me and my game. I was touched they asked me to be on the team and am extremely honored to share this win with them.”
Gilson picked up the game after playing on a golf outing with her husband. Because she had the highest score, she earned free lessons. In 2008, a neighbor invited her to join the LPGA Amateurs Golf Association Philadelphia chapter, and the rest is history.
After sixteen years as an LPGA Amateurs member, Gilson has countless memories she cherishes. She was treasurer for many years and is highly regarded for having held the chapter together during a time when there was no other leadership.
“In 2019, I tried to join the Philadelphia team but there were too many women signed up and my handicap was too high to make the cut. Luckily, a member from another chapter reached out wanting to put together a team of her own, The Misfits. I joined her team with women from all over the country and gained eight new friends in golf that year. This is one of many reasons why the LPGA Amateurs is such a great community.”
Gilson is beyond grateful for the community she found with the LPGA Amateurs, especially through the difficult times. She has battled health challenges in recent years, yet she still manages to be an inspiration to all living life to the fullest with a smile on her face.
“I have metastatic lung cancer,” said Gilson. “The fact that I can still go out and hit a golf ball and have something to look forward to is half the battle of fighting for your life. And the encouragement I received from these wonderful women makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger. And you are!”
Gilson and her team are proud to have earned the first-ever Cup Finals victory for their Philadelphia chapter and could not be more excited to bring the trophy home to their chapter.
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