On Friday-Saturday December 28-29, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour closes out the 2018 calendar year in Southern Pines, NC with the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior. The tournament will be held at Pine Needles Lodge and GG, the home course of tour matriarch Peggy Kirk Bell.
Ms. Bell was the co-owner and Director of Instruction for over 60 years at Pine Needles. The course has previously hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens and will host the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in 2019 and a third U.S. Women’s Open in 2022.
The tournament will feature players from both the Bell National and Futures National Divisions. We take a closer look at the field of 80 players traveling to Southern Pines for the mid-holiday weekend of competition.
Bell National
Headlining the 39 player Bell National field is Nicole Adam (Pinehurst, NC 2020). Adam is currently ranked fifth on the PKBGT Performance Index and the top ranked player in the field. She began the 2019 season with a strong fifth place finish at the PKBGT Invitational at Bermuda Run Country Club in November.
Ranked seventh on the PKBGT Performance Index, Rebecca DiNunzio (Norfolk, VA 2019) competes in her first event of the 2019 season. DiNunzio is the defending champion of the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior and finished in the top five on three separate occasions in her 2018 season. She looks for a repeat performance in an attempt to defend her title.
Emily Dunlap (Greenville, SC 2019) enters the event ranked 12th on the PKBGT Performance Index. Dunlap finished 6th place in last years Peggy Kirk Bell Junior and looks to improve on her performance at Pine Needles. She opened her 2019 campaign with a T12 finish at the PKBGT Invitational at Bermuda Run Country Club in November.
Alexia Siehl (Fort Mill, SC 2022) jumped to 13th in the PKBGT Performance Index after a strong performance at the PKBGT Invitational in November where she finished T10. Siehl won the Southeast Series Finale at Wescott Plantation last season and looks to build her Bell National resume with a strong finish at the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior.
Maria Atwood (Holly Springs, NC 2022) is currently ranked 17th on the PKBGT Performance Index. Atwood won the Gate City Classic at Forest Oaks Country Club and the North Carolina Series Finale at Colonial Country Club last season. She hopes for a strong finish at Pine Needles to kickstart her 2019 season.
Futures National
In the 41 player Futures National field, Becca Connolly (Winston Salem, NC 2020) looks to start her 2019 season off strong after a solid showing last year. Connolly frequented the top 10 in the 2018 and had her season best T2 finish at the Vicki DiSantis Qualifier at Pinewood Country Club.
Kaitlyn Mosdell (Roanoke, VA 2021) plays her first event of the 2019 season at the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior. Mosdell finished 10th in the NOVA Championship at Hidden Creek Country Club last season.
Megan Morris (Cary, NC 2021) comes off a strong 2018 season in which she had seven top 10 finishes. Her best performance came at the PKBGT Masters at Greenville Country Club. She has yet to compete in an event on the 2019 season and looks for a strong start at Pine Needles Lodge and GC.
After competing in the Last Chance Invitational Qualifier at Bermuda Run Country Club (West), Abbey Hunter (Blacksburg, VA 2021) plays her first Futures National event at the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior. Hunter started the 2018 season strong with two consecutive third place finishes at the PKB Foundation Classic at CC of North Carolina and the Tar Heel Classic at UNC Finley GC.
Grace Ridenour (Cary, NC 2025) comes off an exhilarating playoff win at the Palmetto Dunes Resort Classic at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head Island. She won her lone event on the North Carolina Discovery Series last season at Pinehurst Resort No. 9 and looks to continue her success in North Carolina at Pine Needles Lodge and GC.
Last Thoughts
We look forward to a phenomenal weekend at the home course of our tour matriarch Peggy Kirk Bell. Pine Needles Lodge and GC will provide an excellent challenge for all of the competitors and we look forward to the excitement that the players and course present.
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 700 members in 2018 and 800+ girls having played, playing in or committed to playing 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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