TAMPA, Fla. – For the second consecutive year, Kiko Coelho and Karoline Tuttle have been named the Florida State Golf Association’s Junior Players of the Year.
Boys’ Junior Player of the Year
Coelho was again honored with the Boys’ Junior Player of the Year award following a 2021 season that included a USGA championship victory and strong showings at FSGA championships.
“Getting Player of the Year in Florida is such a great accomplishment,” Coelho said. “I worked hard all season and played with great players the whole year, so to come out on top is very special.”
The highlight of Coelho’s season came in May when he teamed up with Leo Herrera to capture the 6th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Chamber’s Bay in a dramatic 19-hole victory. Coelho became the first player from Portugal to claim a USGA championship and the second foreign-born player to etch his name on the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Trophy.
Coelho, a freshman at the Arizona State University, advanced to the Quarterfinals of the 29th Amateur Match Play Championship in July and added a top-five finish at the 72nd Four-Ball Championship in August. He also picked up a top-15 finish at the 104th Amateur Championship in June.
In his last season on the Florida Junior Tour, Coelho captured his third-career FJT victory at Palm Aire Country Club in March. He collected four top-six FJT finishes in 2021.
Girls’ Junior Player of the Year
Tuttle earned back-to-back Girls’ Junior Player of the Year honors after a standout season that included top USGA and FSGA finishes.
“Out of the many talented players, I’m truly honored to receive this award again,” Tuttle said. "To me this solidifies that hard work pays off and drives me to become better every day.”
The 17-year-old competed in her first U.S. Women’s Open Championship in June after earning one of three qualifying spots at Bradenton Country Club. She had a Round-of-16 appearance at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship in July and teamed up with Sophie Linder to advance to the Round of 16 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Tuttle added a Quarterfinalist appearance at the 92nd Women’s Amateur Championship at Hammock Dunes Club, while also finishing runner-up at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship with Xinyi (Iris) Wang in August.
The 2022 graduate had a strong showing on the Florida Junior Tour this season, earning four top-six finishes. She earned FJT runner-up finishes at PGA National in January and Sugar Mill Country Club in August.
Coelho and Tuttle will both be honored at the FSGA’s Annual Dinner in Boynton Beach at The Club at Quail Ridge in February. The Annual Dinner celebrates the best players in the state, tournament volunteers, board members and many other important individuals involved in the game of golf in Florida.
