#22 Florida Southern in Fourth After Day 1 of SSC Women's Golf Championships

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – No. 22 Florida Southern women's golf closed the first day of the 2025 Sunshine State Conference Golf Championships, hosted by Tampa, in fourth place at Mission Inn Resort and Club with a 298 score.
 
No. 22 Florida Southern sits in the fourth after posting an opening round 298 (+14) Sunday. Four of the five players in the field are in the top 25 of the 50-player field on the par-71, 5,942-yard Las Colinas course, designed by Gary Koch in 1992.
 
Ava La Belle turned in nearly a flawless back nine to close the day with a two-over 73, which places her tied for eighth. She made 14 pars and one birdie on the afternoon.
 
Clare Gimpel is second on the team and tied for 13 at three-over 73 after she ripped off a back nine 33, erasing three strokes from her front nine score. Gimpel tied for the team lead in birdies with three where she added 10 pars for her 18.
 
Kaley Amuso and Taylor Zachary followed suit and are a stroke off one another and are in the top 25 of the field. Amuso carded an opening 75 (+4) for her first SSC tournament, where Zachary sits at 76 (+5) following play. Amuso made eight pars while Zachary made seven. The duo tied Gimpel for the team lead in birdies with three.
 
McKinley Holding rounds out the Moccasins in the field and is in 30^th place at 78 (+7). Holding made six pars and three birdies as Florida Southern finished the day with 13 total birdies, the second most during the first round.
 
No. 9 Nova Southeastern sits atop the leaderboard at 291 (+7), while No. 6 Lynn and No. 12 Tampa are tied for second at 296 (+12). No. 16 Saint Leo and No. 13 Rollins trail the Moccasins by one stroke with scores of 299 (+15). The Sharks' Ariana Carvalho is the lone player to crack par and finished three-under 68 for the day.
 
The second round of the 2025 Sunshine State Conference Championships get underway Monday as No. 22 Florida Southern hits the links at 12:20 p.m. with Amuso first off the tee. Following her is La Belle at 12:28, Holding at 12:36, Zachary at 12:44, and Gimpel at 12:52.  
 
4^th - #22 Florida Southern – 298 (+14)
T8 – Ava La Belle – 73 (+2)
T13 - #76 Clare Gimpel – 74 (+3)
T19 – Kaley Amuso – 75 (+4)
T25 – Taylor Zachary – 76 (+5)
T30 - #87 McKinley Holding – 78 (+7)