On Sunday, February 17, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour completed the second and final round of the 2019 RocketTour Players Championship at the University of Georgia Golf Couse in Athens, GA.
Entering the final round, it was anybody’s tournament in each division, with several players vying for the top spot on the leaderboard. The rays of sun from the previous day hid behind clouds as carts lined the pathway in front of the clubhouse at the University of Georgia Women’s Golf Team’s home course.
Sunday’s final round was set for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start with the chance of impending rain in the early afternoon. Players arrived at the facilities early morning prior to sunrise, taking to the practice range as soon as it opened at 7 a.m.
Though there were passing showers throughout the day, it was not going to hinder the players fighting for the coveted RocketTour Players Championship glass bowl, presented by RocketTour Golf. We take a look at how the field of 68 players fared at the completion of the final round.
Bell National
Sporting Georgia Bulldog gear throughout the weekend and never relinquishing her day one lead, Madeline Ananthasane (Auburn, GA 2020) took home the title in the 34 player Bell National field. Ananthasane finished with a tournament total score of 75, 74 = 149 (+5) and secured the championship with back-to-back birdies on her final two holes of play.
Finishing in second place with a two-day score of 78, 75 = 153 (+9) was Sarah Im (Duluth, GA 2023). Im cut the deficit with two birdies on the start of the back nine and finished with three birdies on the day.
Thienna Huynh (Lilburn, GA 2022) came in third place after a strong final round performance and a total score of 81, 74 = 155 (+11). Huynh went on a streak of pars from the first hole to the eighth and tapped in a birdie on the 12th hole on the way to a seven-stroke improvement from her first round.
Finishing in a five-way tie for fourth place with final scores of 156 were Kimberly Shen (Johns Creek, GA 2022; 79, 77), Ainsley Cowart (Winston, GA 2018; 81, 75), Paris Fieldings (Suffolk, VA 2023; 77, 79), Tori Owens (Chatsworth, GA 2019; 80, 76), Kate Song (Johns Creek, GA 2021; 79, 77) and Rachel Rich (Mt. Pleasant, SC 2020; 79, 77).
Prep Preview
Following Ananthasane’s example in holding a lead for the entire tournament, Sarah Hsu (Buford, GA 2019) took home the glass bowl in winning the 22 player Prep Preview field. Though she hit a few bumps in the road in her second round, Hsu rode her first-round 75 and held on long enough to fend off her challengers and win the tournament with a final score of 75, 84 = 159 (+15).
In a tie for second play with two-day scores of 162 were Hailey Han (Duluth, GA 2025; 80, 82) and Autumn Carey (Manning, SC 2022; 77, 85). Han managed to knock in two birdies on her final round while Carey utilized her strong first round to remain toward the top of the leaderboard.
Katelyn Kenthack (Pinehurst, NC 2020) finished the tournament in fourth place after shooting a two-day total of 82, 82 = 164 (+20). Kenthack’s top moment of her final round came in the form of back-to-back birdies on holes six and seven.
Rounding out the top five for the Prep Preview division was Genevieve Wu (Johns Creek, GA 2022) who carded a two-day total of 81, 84 = 165 (+21).
Futures National
Closing out the winners of the 2019 RocketTour Players Championship, taking home the glass bowl in the 12 player Futures National division was Sophie Lauture (Raleigh, NC 2024). With a two-day score of 87, 81 = 168 (+24), Lauture found her stride today with two birdies in her final round.
Braelyn Pippin (Waxhaw, NC 2020) finished runner up in the Futures National division after shooting a two-day total score of 85, 87 = 172 (+28). Pippin topped her tournament off with a birdie on the par-three eighth hole in her second round.
In third place with a two-day total score of 90, 83 = 173, just one stroke behind Pippin, was Katerina Klein (Charleston, SC 2020).
Finishing off the top five was Madelyn Vogan (New Bern, NC 2023) with a two-day score of 84, 91 = 175 (+31) and Claudia Winterberg (Harrisburg, NC 2021) with a two-day score of 92, 86 = 178 (+34).
Closing Remarks
We would like to extend our greatest thanks to the staff at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, GA for their incredible hospitality throughout the weekend. We would also like to thank our tournament partner, RocketTour Golf, who provided each participant with a new head cover.
A final congratulations to all of our top finishers at the 2019 RocketTour Players Championship! The Tour is back in action next weekend at the Bell National exclusive event, the River Run Girls Classic in Davidson, NC.
Final Scoreboard
About the PKBGT
Founded in 2007 by the Triad Youth Golf Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, as a local girls’ golf tour in the Triad region of North Carolina, the tour began as a simple concept: create more effective competitive playing opportunities for girls. By utilizing innovative yardage-based divisions instead of the traditional age-based format, the tour focused on developing tournament experience at the player’s pace. The 2019 season will feature over 90 tournaments in 9 states on the East Coast and with over 900 members, the PKBGT is the largest girl’s only tour in the country. Learn more about the PKBGT at http://www.pkbgt.org/.
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