Lacey Fears of Bonaire, a Mercer University student-athlete, is among the 12 that will represent the state in the Georgia State Golf Association’s inaugural Women’s Southeastern Challenge Match, which takes place Aug. 13-14 at the Country Club of Ocala in Ocala, Fla.

This competition, which will replace the biennial Georgia-Florida Women’s Team Matches, will feature the top female amateurs from Georgia, Florida and Alabama competing over two days. The first day will include two sessions: morning four-ball matches and afternoon foursome (alternate shot) matches. The second day will have one session of 12 total single matches, with a player from each association in each match, competing against one another (three-ball match).

Among the top players representing Georgia in the inaugural event is 13-time GSGA Women’s Player of the Year and Class of 2013 Georgia Golf Hall of Fame inductee Laura Coble of Augusta. Earlier this year, Coble won the Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship, an event she has won nine times in its 15-year history.

Joining Coble and Fears is the two-time reigning Georgia Girls’ champion, Rachel Dai of Milton. In addition to going back-to-back at the Girls’ Championship this year, Dai competed in the Georgia-South Carolina Girls’ Junior Challenge Match to help Georgia win for the third-straight year. She also tied for ninth at the Georgia Top 60 Women’s Classic.

Lauren Court of Lawrenceville, a member of Georgia State University’s golf team, will also represent the state of Georgia at the inaugural competition. Court competed in last year’s Georgia-Florida Women’s Team Matches, and tied for third at this year’s Georgia Top 60 Women’s Classic. Also representing the state is Kathryn Fowler of Americus, who plays at Ole Miss. Fowler tied for sixth at this year’s Top 60.

Rounding out the eight members of the Amateur Division are Emee Herbert of Johns Creek, Mercedes Huarte of Duluth and Emily Kurey of Alpharetta. Kurey is the reigning Georgia Top 60 Women’s Classic champion, while Huarte tied for third and Herbert tied for ninth. Herbert won this year’s Women’s Southern Amateur Championship, conducted by the Women’s Southern Golf Association.

Four senior amateurs were selected to the team, including Cheryl Grigg of Sea Island, Brenda Pictor of Marietta, Susan Rheney of Greensboro and Darlene Werhnyak of Lawrenceville. Pictor is the four-time reigning GSGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year, and shared the honor in 2007 with Werhnyak. Pictor has also won the past two Tommy Barnes Awards, given to the GSGA’s overall player of the year.

Players were chosen and invited by a selection committee with selection criteria which included, but was not limited to, the GSGA Player of the Year points list.