On Wednesday, July 24, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour played the final round of the 2019 PKBGT NOVA Girls’ Championship at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston, VA.
A luscious breeze swirled around Hidden Creek Country Club’s gazebo Wednesday morning, where the PKBGT set check-in for a mid-week matinee on the course. In contrast to gloomy skies and spotty showers encompassing Tuesday’s first round, vivacious sunlight sprawled across the fairways, leaking onto the tee box – a spotlight at center stage of the 2019 PKBGT NOVA Girls’ Championship’s final round.
Free of the energy-draining humidity which plagued recent PKBGT events, a jovial buzz echoed across the practice facilities. A new day and a clean slate, one final opportunity to challenge the field and push toward the top of the leaderboard. As the girls’ marched to the starting tent, one by one, they locked eyes with 18 holes of golf ahead to prove themselves worthy of being crowned champion of Northern Virginia.
While the air remained dominated by rumbling engines of incoming commercial jets, a chorus of birds chirped their melodic tune – calming the nerves of anxious golfers overthinking the impending contest. Absolved of stress and strenuous thoughts, players were free to perambulate the fairways and simply play golf on a picturesque day.
The field of 29 had a handle on the course Tuesday afternoon. Danielle Suh in particular, who jumped out to a commanding three-stroke lead in the Bell National division on the back of a three-under-par 69. Clustered atop the leaderboard in the Futures National division, several players were in a position to pull away and claim victory.
The scorecards signed and the final tally posted, let’s take a look at the final results of the 2019 PKBGT NOVA Girls’ Championship!
Bell National
Cruising through the mid-week championship with an under-par performance, Danielle Suh (Herndon, VA 2020) defended her title as PKBGT NOVA Girls’ champion. The future High Point attendee carded a two-day total score of 69, 73 = 142 (-2), departing Reston as back-to-back champion. She sank three birdies in her final round, bringing her tournament total to seven.
Holding on to the second spot on the leaderboard, Sydney Hackett (Ashburn, VA 2022) finished runner-up to Suh. Hackett’s two-day total score of 72, 75 = 147 (+3) was the product of five birdies, four of which came in her final round.
Rounding out the Bell National division top five, in a three-way tie for third place, were Tatum Walsh (Midlothian, VA 2021), Ester Choi (Midlothian, VA 2021) and Alyssa Wang (Rockville, MD 2021). All three players finished with two-day total scores of 153 (+9).
Walsh found her stride on the back nine of her final round, a scorching three-under-par 32. Her two-day split was 79, 74. A fellow Midlothian native, Choi enjoyed success of her own on the back nine, posting an even-par 35. She closed out the week with scores of 78, 75. Wang took advantage of a strong first round, finishing the tournament with scores of 74, 79.
Futures National
Emerging victorious in the Futures National field, Cailyn Park (Fairfax, VA 2025) maintained steady composure down the stretch. Park made a crucial birdie and finished her final four holes one-under-par. During her two-day performance of 81, 78 = 159 (+15), Park never gave in and powered from behind to earn her first National Series win.
Locked in a two-way tie for second place, Emily Wang (Mclean, VA 2024) and Shelby Herbert (Charlotte Hall, MD 2024) each finished with scores of 160 (+16). One stroke behind Park, Wang put forth her best effort amid a three-birdie final round, closing the tournament with scores of 78, 82. Herbert’s scores of 79 and 81 landed her in an identical spot, one stroke behind first place.
Fannie Sukhumparnich (Bethesda, MD 2024) leaves Reston with a fourth-place medal after posting a two-day total score of 79, 82 = 161 (+17). Sukhumparnich made one birdie on the front nine of her final round.
Capping off Wednesday’s top finishers at Hidden Creek, Katie Vu (Fairfax Station, VA 2024) earned a fifth-place finish with scores of 84, 79 = 163 (+19). Vu closed out strong, with one birdie and a five-stroke improvement in her final round.
Closing Remarks
We would like to thank Hidden Creek Country Club for their weekday hospitality in hosting the 2019 PKBGT NOVA Girls’ Championship. Congratulations to all of our top performers in this week’s event!
Final Leaderboard
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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