The culmination of a year’s worth of tournaments has brought us to the 2017 Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour’s Tournament of Champions presented by Golf Pride Grips. The tournament will take place at Pinehurst No. 8 in Pinehurst, N.C. on December 2 – 3, 2017. The Tournament of Champions is an exclusive event for players who achieved on the PKBGT this season.
The field for this year’s event will feature 70 players from 8 different states (Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia). Players have earned their spot to the 2017 Tournament of Champions by finishing at the top of the field in PKBGT events throughout the year and winning the PKBGT Order of Merit Points Standings in the Bell and Futures divisions.
Field Summary
- 70 Players from 8 Different States: Alabama (1), Delaware (1), Georgia (3), Maryland (4), North Carolina (41), South Carolina (5), Tennessee (1), Virginia (14)
- Reigning Bell Order of Merit Champion – Amanda Sambach (Davidson, NC 2021) is currently ranked 1st in the Bell National Order of Merit. Sambach had 3 wins in the 2017 PKB tour season, including: Tour Championship at Salem Glen GC, Precision Jr. Girls’ Championship at Bryan Park, and PKBGT Masters presented by Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts at Greenville CC. She also finished runner-up at last year’s PKBGT Tournament of Champions at Pinehurst No. 8, and is starting the 2018 season off strong with a 1st place finish at the 2017 PKBGT Invitational at Grandover Resort.
- 2016 Tournament of Champions Champion – Haeley Wotnosky (Wake Forest, NC 2018) is currently ranked 6th in the PKBGT Performance Index. Haeley was the 2016 Tournament of Champions Winner by 9 strokes, finishing the weekend at 5-under par. She also finished top-10 at two other events this year, the PKB Foundation Classic and the CGA-PKBGT Jimmy Anderson Junior Girls’.
- Highest Ranked Player – Rachel Kuehn (Asheville, NC 2019) is the highest nationally ranked player in the field at 43. Kuehn is currently ranked 4th in the 2018 PKB Bell National Order of Merit. She also finished top-5 at the 2017 PKBGT Invitational and top-7 at last year’s PKBGT Tournament of Champions at Pinehurst No. 8.
The field includes 10 players inside the top-20 of the 2018 PKBGT Performance Index.
- Amanda Sambach (2021) Davidson, NC – 1
- Haeley Wotnosky (2018) Wake Forest, NC – 6
- Nicole Adam (2020) Pinehurst, NC – 7
- Rebecca DiNunzio (2019) Norfolk, VA – 11
- Kayla Smith (2019) Burlington, NC – 12
- Rachel Kuehn (2019) Asheville, NC – 13
- Sasha Hayes (2019) Winston Salem, NC – 16
- Riley Smyth (2018) Cary, NC – 17
- Anna Morgan (2019) Spartanburg, SC – 19
- Mackenzie Battle (2018) Aberdeen, NC – 20
The competitive field also includes 12 players who have committed to playing collegiate golf at some of the top colleges and universities in the country.
- Nicole Adam (2020) Pinehurst, NC UNC Chapel Hill
- Mackenzie Battle (2018) Aberdeen, NC The Citadel
- Jennifer Cleary (2020) Wilmington, DE U. of Virginia
- Rebecca DiNunzio (2019) Norfolk, VA Virginia Tech
- Hailey Freedman (2018) Chapel Hill, NC Brown
- Grace Huffman (2018) Lexington, VA Longwood
- Rachel Kuehn (2019) Asheville, NC Wake Forest
- Anna Morgan (2019) Spartanburg, SC Furman
- Amanda Sambach (2021) Davidson, NC U. of Virginia
- Skylar Sload (2018) Ashburn, VA. U. of Virginia
- Riley Smyth (2018) Cary, NC U. of Virginia
- Haeley Wotnosky (2018) Wake Forest, NC U. of Virginia
Round one of tournament play will begin on Saturday, December 2nd at 10 AM, weather permitting. Round two will be played on Sunday, December 3rd, weather permitting and will conclude with the awards ceremony following the round. Follow the action live at the link below. We look forward to a great event!
About our Presenting Sponsor, Golf Pride Grips:
For over six decades, Golf Pride Grips has been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology, from the invention of the slip-on grip to groundbreaking advancements in cord with our new Brushed Cotton Technology (BCT ®) to the introduction of the hybrid category of grips.
Today, Golf Pride ® has laid claim to more major wins than any other grip company. More than 80% of Tour professionals choose to play our grips and not one is paid to do so. And in this age of multi-million dollar endorsement deals, that’s the strongest endorsement of all. So, whether you’re a Tour pro playing a major, a rising amateur, or an everyday golfer, you can rest assured knowing you’re playing the #1 Grip in Golf.
About our the PKBGT:
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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