RECAP: NC Series Classic at UNC Finley

On Sunday, August 11, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour played the final round of the 2019 NC Series Chapel Hill  Classic at UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, NC.

The setting of UNC Finley was dark as players began to arrive early in the morning due to a scheduled 7AM start for the final round of the NC Series Classic. As the sun rose, the skies gave light to beautiful Carolina blue skies in the heart of Tar Heel country.

Departing the Finley parking lot Saturday evening, the leaderboard was crowded with the up and coming junior golfers of the Carolinas and beyond. In the Prep Division, nine players posted rounds of 75 or better and were within reasonable striking distance of the leader.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Ha took the early lead in the Futures after posting the only round in the 70s on day one, while the Discovery division had six players within four shots of the leader.

Let’s take a look at how the final round played out at the 2019 NC Series Chapel Hill Classic!

Prep Division

Firing the only round in the 60’s in the ENTIRE field, Morgan Ellison (Peachtree City, GA 2021) posted rounds of 73-69= 142 (-2) to take home her first Prep division title. Ellison’s final round featured three birdies and an eagle on the par-five 6th, earning her a four shot victory.

Finishing in second place for the day was Nicole Nash (Charlotte, NC 2023) who finished the tournament with rounds of 72-74 for a total of 146 (+2). Nash’s tournament performance was highlighted by five birdies including three in her final round today.

In a tie for third place were Halynn Lee (Cary, NC 2021), Olivia Renville (Cary, NC 2020) and Megan Kanaby (Chapel Hill, NC 2019). The trio’s two-day total of 148 was enough to earn their spot in the top five of the inaugural NC Series Chapel Hill Classic.

Futures Division

Holding onto her lead after day one of the NC Series Chapel Hill Classic, Kathryn Ha (Roanoke, VA 2025) took home her second PKBGT title of 2019, her first in the North Carolina Regional Series!

Ha, the only player in the Futures Division to post consecutive rounds in the 70’s, finished the tournament with scores of 77-76 = 153 (+9). After beginning her final round at four over par through eight holes, Ha bounced back and made ten consecutive pars to edge out the next best finishing competitor by six strokes.

Improving her round one score by 5 strokes, Katelyn Griggs (Lexington, NC 2022) earned her second place finish after posting rounds of 82-77= 159 (+15). Griggs, a rising high school sophomore, made three birdies over the course of the tournament.

Just two strokes back from Griggs was Mary Kathryn Hederick (Wake Forest, NC 2021) whose rounds of 80-81=161 (+17) earned her a solo third place finish. Hedrick’s final nine holes of the tournaments featured eight pars and just one bogey.

Rounding out the top five in a tie for fourth place was Summer Stephens (Waxhaw, NC 2024) and Madelyn Vogan (New Bern, NC 2023). Both Stephens and Vogan improved their round one scores by 7 strokes, posting rounds of 85-78=163 to finish the tournament.

Discovery Division

Taking home the 7 player Discovery division championship, Gracie Song (Waxhaw, NC 2026) earned first-place honors after dropping red hot rounds of 35-31= 66 (-6) to win by five strokes.  Song’s second round of 31, her second round of 31 of the season (ref. NC Gate City Classic – May ’19), featured three birdies, an eagle on the par four number four, and zero bogeys to finish the tournament at six-under par.

Also firing a round in the red was second place finisher Ellie Acrey (Winston-Salem, NC 2026) who posted rounds of 37-34 = 71 (-1) to finish the tournament. Acrey’s second round featured three birdies and one bogey to post her first under-par round on the PKBGT’s 2019 regional circuit.

Rounding out the top four and finishing in a tie for third place was Ashnoor Kaur (Roanoke, VA 2027) and Elle Crichton (Cary, NC 2026). Kaur led the field with 15 pars over the two-day tournament to finish with rounds of 37-36 = 73 (+1). Crichton, who posted rounds of 38-35 = 73 (+1), had three consecutive birdies on the 2nd, third and fourth holes, followed by five pars to shoot one-under par in her final round.

Closing Remarks

We would like to thank the entire staff at UNC Finley Golf Club for hosting the 2019 PKBGT NC Series Chapel Hill Classic! Congratulations to all of our Top Finishers who took home the hardware here in Tar Heel country!

The PKBGT North Carolina Regional Series is back in action in two weeks on August 25th at the home of American golf, Pinehurst, NC.

Final Results

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/.