On Saturday, August 3, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour played the first round of the 2019 PKBGT Terrapin Classic at the University of Maryland GC in College Park, MD.
On many impending Saturdays, the boisterous cries of Terrapin football faithful will deafen Capital One Stadium and boom across campus. From sidelines to the nosebleeds, red and gold will pack the bleachers. In the very top row, with their back resting against the letter “M” in Maryland on the concrete wall, one feverish fan may peer out and down to the right. Beyond the festive tailgates and across bustling University Boulevard, UMD Golf Course will lay dormant in the shadows of the gridiron showdown.
This weekend, roles are reversed. Not a peep escapes empty rows of bleachers in a stadium mid-slumber, pushing through the tree-lined horizon while 45 members on the nation’s largest all-girls junior golf tour inhabited the University’s course for a two-day showcase. Taking on the University of Maryland women’s golf team’s home facilities, the girls stared down a weekend test of Division I challenge.
A parade of storm-like clouds shuffled in and dispersed as quickly as they arrived. Aside from an occasional weeping shower, the dim billows served as nature’s purple PKBGT umbrella – guarding members and spectators against blistering sunshine and providing a refreshing breeze.
Rounding the turn, several players showcased their #TerrapinToughness amid under-par performances. Steaming into the back nine with confidence and determination, multiple players landed atop the leaderboard with final scores matching Maryland’s school colors. Red numbers might as well equal gold in the world of junior girls’ golf tournaments.
College Park brought the best out of the PKBGT, with a scoring average of 75 and no first-round score above 80 in the Bell National division. Let’s take a look at where the leaderboard stands following the first round of the 2019 PKBGT Terrapin Classic!
Bell National
Topping a slew of Bell National players to finish under par, Paris Fieldings (Suffollk, VA 2023) rip-roared to low-score of the day after finishing with a three-under-par 69. Fieldings didn’t allow a bogey on the first hole to set her pace, shelling out five birdies on the afternoon including three amid a two-under-par back nine. With a night to recoup, recover and prepare, Fieldings looks to defend her lead and replicate Saturday’s momentum in tomorrow’s final round.
In most other settings, Ester Choi (Midlothian, VA 2021) would summit the leaderboard’s peak after posting a first-round two-under-par 70. However, this is the 2019 PKBGT Terrapin Classic and College Park breeds pristine performances. One shot behind Fieldings for the lead, Choi’s squeaky clean back nine – a two-under-par 35 – featured two of her three birdies back-to-back style.
Capping off a trio of under-par performances, Minglian Huang (Nanning, China) posted a one-under-par 71. Huang hopped on the birdie train, sinking three in her afternoon. She rounded out the back nine with a birdie, kick-starting a flawless one-under-par back nine of 36. She currently sits in third place heading into Sunday’s final round.
Sydney Hackett (Ashburn, VA 2022) started off with a bang. Hackett’s back-to-back birdies on the second and third hole cushioned a two-under-par 33 on the front nine. Though she resurfaced to earth on the back nine, Hackett’s even-par 72 put her in position to contend – fourth place after the first round.
Rounding out the Bell National top five, in a two-way tie for fifth place were Rachel Lee (Sparks, MD 2020) and Katie Park (Fairfax, VA 2022). Both players finished with first-round scores of 75 (+3). Lee and Park each made two birdies in their round on Saturday afternoon.
Futures National
Following in the footsteps of her Bell National elder, Fieldings, Helen Yueng (Clarksville, MD 2024) grasped the first-round Futures National lead after posting a three-under-par 68. Yueng was feeling the positive vibes early on with negative scores, making the turn at two-under-par. She went on an absolute tear – five birdies in a row – from holes seven through eleven. Tacking on one last birdie in her penultimate hole, Yueng sits in a comfortable position entering the final round.
Hanging in the shadows, currently in second place, Josephine Nguyen (Springfield, VA 2024) finished the afternoon with a score of 72 (+1). Nguyen closed her front nine in style, making eagle on the par-five ninth hole. She tacked on two birdies to supplement her eagle, entering the final round in hopes of charging toward Yeung and challenging for the win.
Locked in a two-way tie for third place, Sydney Gaines (Nottingham, MD 2023) and Lauren Lombardo (Severna Park, MD 2021) posted identical scores of 74 (+3) in their first-round of play. Gaines was feeling fresh on the front nine, sinking three birdies and turning at even-par. Lombardo traveled the opposite path, saving both of her birdies for the back nine.
Capping off the top finishers in the first round in College Park, Phoebe Qian (Potomac, MD 2022) sits in fifth place after posting a 75 (+4). Qian closed out her front nine with a birdie on the par-five ninth hole. She added one more on the 17th green, in the midst of a one-over-par 37 on the back nine.
Looking Forward
Saturday’s first-round will be a tough act to follow, but the final round in College Park promises to provide thrill and excitement with the championship trophy up for grabs! Can anyone surpass Fieldings’ fiery first-round performance? Will Nguyen and company be able to challenge Yueng in one final round? Follow the link to live scoring below to stay updated on the contest!
Live Scoring
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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