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Junior Kyle Roig makes the winning putt at the Harder Hall Tournament on January 10. (Submitted Photo)

Fighting through rain and near-freezing temperatures, Junior Kyle Roig gave a sigh of relief after shooting an 18-foot birdie putt at Harder Hall. After nearly four hours, she had put an end to the Tampa tournament.

Roig, “Golfweek’s” No. 24 ranked amateur, competed in the Harder Hall Women’s Golf invitational on Saturday Jan. 10. Her biggest competition was No. 1 ranked Alexis Thompson, the youngest female ever to compete in the U.S. Women’s Open.

“I’ve played with her [Thompson] since I was little, and she is a great player,” Roig said. “I’m not ranked too far behind her so I knew I had a chance to win.”

Both Roig and Thompson remained close throughout the tournament.

On the 17th, Roig putted her second shot in the second cut of rough, but her ball stopped one inch short of the hole. The birdie put her one point away from Thompson.

On the last hole, Thompson made a bogey to finish even par for the tournament. Roig scored a birdie on the 18th, putting the two South Florida golfers in a tie with par 72.

The two players engaged in a tie-breaker playoff. Thompson scraped the edge in a birdie attempt of the first playoff hole, while Roig finished the game with an 18-foot birdie putt.

“I had to win one because she’s won so many,” Roig said. Roig says the toughest part of the Harder Hall Invitational was coping with the weather.

“I had to try to keep my hands as warm and dry as possible,” she said. “I stayed motivated because I knew everyone was playing under the same conditions. That day was about who was more mentally prepared to handle the conditions.”

The Harder Hall Women’s Invitational is a tournament for amateur golfers across the world, although most come from Florida. Several winners of this invitational have become professional golfers, including Aree Song and Alice Dye. Roig plans to follow their path.

Practicing over 25 hours a week, Roig has won six state championship rings, was named the Sun-Sentinel Golfer of the Year, and has been selected to represent Puerto Rico for the World Team Amateur Championships.