On Saturday-Sunday, September 28-29, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour plays the 2019 PKBGT Middle Atlantic Series Finale at Fawn Lake Country Club in Spotsylvania, VA!
Throughout the duration of the summer months, the PKBGT’s Middle Atlantic regional members competed in eight one-day events and a pair of two-day classics, closing out with the series finale this weekend in Spotsylvania.
Across Virginia and Maryland, players battled it out for a coveted top spot on the Middle Atlantic Regional Order of Merit – presented by Storie Apparel. These PKBGT regional events offer innovative yardage-based divisions to girls aged 9-17. The PKBGT Series Progression allows players to progress towards playing collegiate golf by playing yardage/skill appropriate tournaments as they develop their game.
What’s at stake?
Not only will our Order of Merit champions take home bragging rights, but they will secure their spot in the 2019 PKBGT Tournament of Champions at Pinehurst No. 8 in December.
For the first time ever, the nation’s largest all-girls golf tour will host the PKBGT Regional Invitational, gathering the top performers from each of the six regional series. From Central Florida to the Delaware Valley, every corner of the PKBGT world will be represented at Carolina National Golf Club in Bolivia, NC.
Prep competitors at the Regional Invitational will have the opportunity to earn their spot at the prestigious PKBGT Invitational to be played at Bermuda Run Country Club in November! Along with the competition, all champions will be recognized for their 2019 Middle Atlantic Order of Merit titles at the Storie Apparel Awards banquet held at the PKBGT Regional Invitational.
For our Discovery players, this weekend serves as the final opportunity to earn their place at the Discovery Invitational which is held at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island in November! The top 33% of the Middle Atlantic Discovery Order of Merit earn a spot in addition to all event champions.
So we know what’s at stake, let’s take a closer look at the players vying for a spot in the aforementioned events!
Prep Division
Ranked inside the Top 100 on the PKBGT Performance Index and holding on to the top spot in the Middle Atlantic Prep Order of Merit, Alice Zou (Potomac, MD 2022) looks to hold on to that position with a strong performance in the series finale. Zou has one win on the year at Hanover Golf Course and scored four more top-four finishes on the season.
Melanie Walker (Burke, VA 2022) enters the weekend ranked inside the Top 50 of the Performance Index and second place in the Middle Atlantic Prep OOM. Walker also has a win on the season which came at Augustine GC. She has three T2 finishes to support her solid season, though she will not be competing at this weekend’s event.
Taking the trophy at Bowling Green Country Club in the first multi-day event on the series, Ester Choi (Midlothian, VA 2021) enters this weekend ranked third on the Middle Atlantic Prep OOM. Choi finished in second place at both Pendleton GC and Augustine GC in addition to her victory. She looks to make a final push toward the top of the standings.
To view the full Storie Apparel Prep Middle Atlantic Order of Merit standings, click here.
Futures Division
A multi-event champion, Caitlyn Park (Fairfax, VA 2025) took home first-place honors at Pendleton GC and Shenandoah Valley GC. Park holds on to the top spot on the Futures Middle Atlantic OOM entering this weekend’s series finale. Aside from her multiple victories, Park finished T3 at Kenwood GC.
Though she hasn’t finished atop the leaderboard this year, Fannie Sukhumparnich (Bethesda, MD 2024) has been among the top finishers at several events this season. Sukhumparnich’s season-best finish was a second-place performance at Kenwood GC. She has a T2 finish at Bowling Green CC and a third-place finish at Pendleton GC to her resume as well. She hopes to break through victory lane this weekend and jump atop the Futures Middle Atlantic OOM in doing so!
Sydney Gaines (Nottingham, MD 2023) left a champion three times in her MA season thus far. Gaines took home the first-place trophy at Crofton CC, Kenwood GC and Hobitt’s Glen! Currently, in third place on the Futures Middle Atlantic OOM, she hopes to Gaines ground and make a run at the OOM title!
To view the full Storie Apparel Futures Middle Atlantic Order of Merit standings, click here.
Discovery Division
No stranger to victory, Sydney Neou (Leesburg, VA 2027) sits in first place on the Discovery Middle Atlantic Order of Merit rankings. Neou won four events this season. At Pendleton GC, Hanover GC, Bowling Green CC and Greene Hills GC, Neou bested the field and earned the first-place trophy.
Olivia Cho (Ashburn, VA 2028) doesn’t feel intimidation as one of the youngest competitors in the Middle Atlantic Series. Currently ranked second on the Discovery Middle Atlantic Order of Merit, Cho has a victory at Crofton CC earlier this season. She has two other second-place finishes and looks to end her season on a high note.
Rounding out the players to watch, Michelle Yeung (Clarksville, MD 2027) has two victories this season: one at Kenwood GC and another at Hobbit’s Glen. Ranked third on the Discovery Middle Atlantic Order of Merit, Yeung hopes for one strong performance to cap off her season and improve her rankings.
To view the full Storie Apparel Discovery Middle Atlantic Order of Merit standings, click here.
Final Thoughts
We would like to wish all of our competitors the best of luck in this weekend’s Middle Atlantic Series Finale! Two rounds of golf remain for the competitors to leave it all out on the course and put forth their best efforts!
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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