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High school golf: The 2023 Southwest Florida boys and girls golfers to watch

Dan DeLuca, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
1

Southwest Florida high schools traditionally boast a plethora of talented young golfers and that is certainly the case this season.

The majority of last year's All-Area selections will be back on the links this fall. Here are some of the best boys and girls golfers to keep an eye on in 2023.

Boys Golfers to Watch

JD Dintino

JD Dintino, Estero High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022
JD Dintino, Estero High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022

School: Estero

Year: Senior

Highlights: Dintino finished third at the District 2A-14 tournament. He also tied for the runner-up spot at regionals and finished 17th at the Class 2A state tournament. Dintino played in the World Teen Championship in July in Pinehurst, N.C., finishing in a tie for 25th place.

Chris Forsythe

Chris Forsythe, Gulf Coast High School boys golf
Chris Forsythe, Gulf Coast High School boys golf

School: Gulf Coast

Year: Senior

Highlights: Forsythe tied for third place at the SFPGA West Coast High School Championship, tied for sixth at the CCAC, and tied for seventh at the District 3A-12 tournament. He also tied for 16th place at the Florida Junior Tour Indian Spring Open in February.

2022 All-Area: Introducing the Naples Daily News All-Area Boys Golf Team

Adin McMaster

Adin McMaster, Estero boys golf
Adin McMaster, Estero boys golf

School: Estero

Year: Junior

Highlights: McMaster finished tied for seventh at the District 2A-14 tournament. He also tied for eighth at regionals and 60th at the Class 2A state tournament. He finished tied for 24th place at the Florida Junior Tour Osprey Open in April and placed 19th at the 106th Amateur Championship in May.

2022 All-Area: Introducing The News-Press Boys All-Area Golf Team

Braden Miller

Braden Miller, Barron Collier High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022
Braden Miller, Barron Collier High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022

School: Barron Collier

Year: Junior

Highlights: Miller won the District 2A-14 tournament by one stroke. He finished tied for fourth at regionals and placed fifth at the Class 2A state tournament. Miller competed at both the Florida Open and the First Tee National Championship this past summer.

Ryan Miller

Ryan Miller Gulf Coast golf
Ryan Miller Gulf Coast golf

School: Gulf Coast

Year: Senior

Highlights: Miller won the CCAC individual championship with a birdie on the first playoff hole. He finished tied for third at the District 3A-12 tournament, tied for 14th at regionals, and tied for 20th at the weather-shortened Class 3A state tournament. Miller also had an excellent junior season, highlighted by a win at the Florida Junior Tour Harbor Hills Open in March and a tie for 20th place at the 69th Boys' Junior Championship in July.

Connor Shea

Conner Shea St. John Neumann boys golf 2022 Fall Area-Area
Conner Shea St. John Neumann boys golf 2022 Fall Area-Area

School: St John Neumann

Year: Senior

Highlights: Shea won the District 1A-12 tournament and placed sixth at regionals. He also tied for 15th place at the Florida Junior Tour Redland Open in March and tied for 12th at the ChampionsGate 54-Hole Major in May.

Girls golfers to watch

Amelia Alonso

Amelia Alonso, Fort Myers golf
Amelia Alonso, Fort Myers golf

School: Fort Myers

Year: Junior

Highlights: Alonso won the District 2A-13 tournament. She also tied for eighth at regionals and 19th at the Class 2A state tournament. In March, she finished tied for 10th place at the Florida Junior Tour Redland Open.

Alayna Friedt

Alayna Friedt, CSN Golf
Alayna Friedt, CSN Golf

School: Community School of Naples

Year: Sophomore

Highlights: Friedt finished second in the District A-12 tournament. She also tied for fourth at regionals and tied for 50th in the weather-shortened Class 1A state tournament. In May, Friedt tied for ninth place at the Florida Junior Tour Royal Palm Open.

2022 All-Area: Introducing the Naples Daily News Girls All-Area Golf Team

Amelia Loninger

Amelia Loninger, Bishop Verot High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022
Amelia Loninger, Bishop Verot High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022

School: Bishop Verot

Year: Senior

Highlights: Loninger tied for fifth at the District A-12 tournament. She also finished seventh at regionals and tied for 43rd at the weather-shortened Class 1A state tournament. In August, Loninger finished 16th at the Florida Junior Tour New Smyrna Open.

Jamie Lowry

Jamie Lowry, Cypress Lake High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022
Jamie Lowry, Cypress Lake High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022

School: Cypress Lake

Year: Junior

Highlights: Lowry finished second at the District 2A-14 tournament. She also placed third at regionals and finished 18th at the Class 2A state tournament. Last spring, Lowry tied for second place at the Florida Junior Tour Harbor Hills Open in March and placed fifth at the Eagle Creek Open in May.

2022 All-Area: Introducing The News-Press Girls All-Area Golf Team

Eva Lye

Eva Lye, FBA Golf
Eva Lye, FBA Golf

School: First Baptist

Year: Junior

Highlights: Lye finished tied for fifth at the District A-12 tournament. She also placed third at regionals and tied for 55th at the weather-shortened Class 1A state tournament. In April, she tied for sixth place at the Florida Junior Tour Osprey Point Open.

Sara Vitasek

Sara Vitasek, Gulf Coast High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022
Sara Vitasek, Gulf Coast High School, Golf, All Area, Fall 2022

School: Gulf Coast

Year: Junior

Highlights: Vitasek won the CCAC tournament and finished fourth at the District 3A-12 tournament. She tied for first and regionals and finished tied for 28th at the weather-shortened Class 3A state tournament. She also had two top-10 finishes on the junior circuit, placing third at Indian Spring in April and tying for second at the Eagle Creek Open in May.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: High school golf: Top boys and girls golfers in Southwest Florida