Boca’s Popowitz named Big East Golfer of the Year

Alexa Popowitz is not planning on playing the LPGA Tour, but she sure is making the most of her collegiate golf career.

A member of the Georgetown University golf team, Popowitz, of Boca Raton, was recently named the Big East Women’s Golfer of the Year for her sophomore season.

The Big East Freshman of the Year in 2016, Popowitz helped Georgetown to the program’s first Big East Championship this spring. She finished fourth at the tournament and was selected to the Big East All-Tournament Team.

Popowitz also was selected to the All-Big East First Team and she won her first collegiate tournament, the Hoya Invitational, in April.

In spite of all that success on the golf course, the government major would like to remain in the nation’s capital when she graduates and put her degree to use.

“I thought about it and I don’t think so,” said Popowitz of playing professional golf. “I think college is it for me.

“I really love D.C., Georgetown is a really pretty campus and I like the golf team a lot. In the end, I’m not going pro and I’m not pursuing golf and I’ll have a Georgetown degree.”

Popowitz, 20, was a twotime Sun Sentinel First Team selection when she played high school golf for St. Andrew’s.

A student of Broken Sound teaching pro Donnie Green, Popowitz said the best part of her golf game is her irons and woods, but her short game is getting better.

Her game has improved in college. She led Georgetown with a stroke average of just over 75 this season. As a freshman, she averaged 77.6.

“My playing is definitely getting better,” Popowitz said. “The adjustment from high school golf to college golf is a pretty big jump.”

She credited Georgetown assistant coach John Cregan, a former pro, with teaching her and her teammates to play smarter.

“On par 5s I used to try to get the ball close to the hole [on her second shot], now I lay up to my favorite yardage,” Popowitz said. “Playing smart is important.”

Now home at Woodfield Hunt Club, Popowitz will work on her golf game in preparation for the 20th World Maccabiah Games on July 4-18 in Israel. The Olympic-like event, which is held every four years, has 10,000 Jewish athletes from 80 countries competing in 43 sports.

One of three South Florida golfers on the team along with Julie Steinbauer of Doral and Michael Zausmer of Boynton Beach, Popowitz qualified last summer at a tournament in North Carolina.

Par 3 results

The LaRocca Insurance team won The First Tee Broward’s second annual Par 3 Corporate Challenge earlier this month on the Rees 9 par-3 course at Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale.

Nine corporate teams of foursomes competed in the shotgun event, which raised $8,500 for The First Tee Broward.

Toski tournament

There are lots of great junior golf tournaments in South Florida, but kids like the Toski Junior Golf Tournament the best.

Named for Hall of Fame golf instructor Bob Toski, the event for golfers 7-18 is July 21 with a 9 a.m. shotgun start at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton.

Boys and girls play 18 holes in 10-12, 13-15 and 16-18 age divisions. The cost is $65. Boys and girls 7-9 play a nine-hole tournament and the cost is $45.

The field is limited to 75 players. Parents can register online at toskijuniorgolf.com or call director Donna Serino at 561-245-0523.

STEPHEN B. MORTON/COURTESY Alexa Popowitz of Boca Raton was named the Big East Women’s Golfer of the Year as a sophomore this year at Georgetown. She improved her stroke average two shots this season.