Preview: PKBGT Open Championships Presented by Bargray Clothing

On Saturday-Monday, May 27-29, the 2017 Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour plays the PKBGT BELL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS at Country Club of Salisbury. Salisbury, home of the Catawba College women’s golf team, is a tricky course for this three-day tournament. The event features a field 92 players from Bell and Futures Series of the PKB Girls’ Golf Tour, the nation’s largest “girls’ only” junior tour . The event, ranked by the GolfWeek/Titliest national rankings, is the third championship tournament of the 2017 season. 

The Bell Series field features 59 golfers, highlighted by 7 of the top-25 players on the PKBGT Performance Index, including: the top ranked player on the Performance Index, Emily Hawkins (Lexington, NC 2018),  Kathryn Carson (Mooresville, NC 2017) ranked 6th and is also the defending champion of the PKBGT Open. Nicole Adam (Pinehurst, NC 2020) ranked 16th, (Callista Rice (Mars Hill, NC 2017) ranked 19th, Kendall Turner (Chesapeake, VA 2019) ranked 23rd, Jensen Castle (West Columbia, SC 2019) ranked 24th, Isabella van der Biest (Kingsport, TN 2021) ranked 25th. 

The Futures Series features 33 golfers, highlighted by 11 of the top 25 players on the PKBGT Futures National Order of Merit. All top five on the Futures National Order of Merit. The Top 5 player are, Maria Atw0od (Holly Springs, NC 2022) ranked 1st, Layla Meric (Wesley Chapel, NC 2021) ranked 2nd, Hannah Nall (Cleveland, TN 2022) ranked 3rd, Trinity Muthomi (Kernersville, NC 2022) ranked 4th, Katie Park (Fairfax, VA 2022). Other players ranked in the Top-25 are Morgan Ellison (Peachtree City, GA 2021), Grace Holcomb (Wilmington, NC 2021), Hannah Jonely (Ashburn, VA 2020), Sue Lee (Lorton, VA 2022) and Halynn Lee (Cary, NC 2021).

In all, the field includes 15 players who have signed or committed to play college golf in the coming years.  They include:

Adam, Nicole Pinehurst, NC 2020 UNC Chapel Hill
Battle, Mackenzie Aberdeen, NC 2018 Citadel
Carson, Kathryn Mooresville, NC 2017 East Carolina
Cox, Michaela Greensboro, NC 2017 Elon
DeBusk, Samantha Lexington, NC 2017 UNC Pembroke
Hawkins, Emily Lexington, NC 2018 Campbell
Hensley, Channing Wake Forest, NC 2018 UNC Wilmington
Isaacson, Madison Greensboro, NC 2018 James Madison
John, Olivia Summerfield, NC 2018 Western Carolina
Joy, Hailey Reidsville, NC 2018 UNC Greensboro
Kenkel, Keri Charlotte, NC 2017 UNC Greensboro
Mast, Rachael Lexington, NC 2017 UNC Wilmington
Melting, Parker Mint Hill, NC 2018 UNC Pembroke
Rice, Callista Mars Hill, NC 2017 Clemson
Wooten, Amy Clinton, NC 2018 Western Carolina

The PKBGT BELL OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS at Country Club of Salisbury brings together players from event brings together players from North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. It should be a great tournament! Who will be golden?

The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour is an initiative of the Triad Youth Golf Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation aimed at increasing learning and playing opportunities for youth golfers. Based out of Greensboro, North Carolina, the PKBGT offers affordable, high-quality nationally ranked girls’ golf tournaments designed to prepare junior girls’ golfers for high school and collegiate golf. The PKBGT is the nation’s largest “girls’ only” junior tour with over 450 members in 2015 and 450 girls playing in or committed to collegiate golf. Learn more about the tour at pkbgt.org or by contacting Tour Director Mike Parker at mparker@pkbgt.org or 336-347-8537.

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