Florio Feeling Inspired Ahead of Return to U.S. Women’s Mid-Am
Former Rhode Island Women’s Amateur champion Alexis Florio is playing in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am for the second consecutive year this weekend at Montclair Golf Club in New Jersey.
Florio qualified for the tournament back in June at Dedham Country & Polo Club.
“It means a lot. I’m excited to represent Rhode Island and Massachusetts golf and embrace that it is possible to play competitive golf while having a bunch of other things going on in life. I never thought this would be something I could do after leaving college. Really happy I’m able to do this,” Florio told GolfNewsRI following her practice round on Friday evening.
Florio is continuing to pursue a Law career in Boston, while also being an avid runner and golfer.
She says being at the U.S. Mid-Am with so many other women that are balancing life and golf has been inspiring.
“Just seeing so many different types of women, some are expecting children, there are kids running around during the practice round. It’s inspiring,” said Florio.
She added, “I have gotten to make quite a few Mid-Am friends from this tournament and other tournaments. It’s a really cool community of women that I’m happy to be a part of and just embracing the experience will help me throughout the rounds.”
Florio made it to the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am in 2025 and advanced to the match play portion of the tournament.
While it is not the same venue, she will rely on some of the 2025 experience this time around.
“I think just knowing how to pace myself. You usually don’t have to do anything crazy in the stroke play portion. Obviously, I want to play well, but I don’t have to go crazy right out of the gates. Treating it like any other round will help me stay present, focus on one round at a time on Saturday and Sunday and hopefully make it to match play,” said Florio.
There are two rounds of stroke play qualifying over the weekend before the shift to match play happens on Monday.
Florio gets her tournament started at 8:54 a.m. on the tenth tee.
Scouting Montclair Golf Club
Montclair is a 36-hole golf facility that opened in 1893 and has had a slew of designers over the years.
“Tom Bendelow designed the original 18 holes in 1899. In 1920, Donald Ross replaced Bendelow’s layout with a newly designed first and second nine and added a third nine. Charles Banks introduced a fourth nine in 1928. All four nines were later renovated by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Rees Jones, and more recently, Brian Schneider led a restoration of the 1920s designs on the second, third and fourth nines,” writes the USGA in their Fast Facts section.
The USGA is using course number two and course number three for the tournament.
For this tournament, Montclair will play as a par-70 and stretch to 5,763 yards.
“I would say the greens are the hardest thing about the course, lots of tiers where you have to carry it or you are going to roll down 30 feet. Course isn’t too long so that helps,” said Florio, fresh off a practice round.
Montclair coasts of two par-5s that play 506 and 450 yards respectively.
There are also four par-3s with the longest one playing 150 yards.
“There is only two par-5s so hopefully take advantage of them. I think you can make some birdies on the par-3s, they are pretty fair, par-4s are pretty demanding and so you just have to stay patient,” said Florio.
Montclair Golf Club was a founding member of the Metropolitan Golf Association in 1897, and the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association in 1899.
The club was also a founding member of the New Jersey Golf Association in 1900.