Pinehurst, NC – The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour traveled to historic Pine Needles in Pinehurst, NC for the Tour Championship. Pine Needles has hosted four U.S. Women’s Open Championships in 1996, 2001, 2007, and 2022.
Sunday’s at the U.S. Women’s Open’s at Pine Needles never disappointed and the same can be said for Sunday’s at the PKBGT Tour Championship at Pine Needles. The weather was perfect albeit hot in Pinehurst and girl’s arrived early to begin preparation for their final rounds. Tee times were set to commence at 7:30 am to begin a great day of golf!
BELL NATIONAL
Kathryn Ha (Roanoke, VA 2025) entered Sunday holding a three shot lead over Emerson Dever (Durham, NC 2025). Behind Dever there was a pack of high-level PKBGT talent poised to make a move. Ha made a bogey on third hole and subsequently birdied the next three holes putting her in firm control of the tournament. She would add one more birdie on the day and cruise to a one-under 71 and an impressive nine-shot victory! This was Ha’s third consecutive PKBGT Tour Championship victory becoming the first player to win three PKBGT Tour Championships breaking the tie with current University of Virginia standout, Amanda Sambach.
The leaderboard behind Ha was tightly packed. Emerson B. Dever and Emerson Elm (Suwanee, GA 2025) would tie for second at +6 for the tournament. Dever’s tournament was highlighted by a second round 71 (-1) that included three birdies and an eagle. Elm was the model of consistency posting 74 and making three birdies each day. There was a five way tie for fourth place at +7! Makayla Grubb (Stafford, VA 2025) started her Tour Championship with a bogey-free 71 (-1). Macie Rasmussen (Chesapeake, VA 2027) made two eagles and a birdie on Sunday to make a move up the leaderboard. Ellie Hildreth (Wrightsville Beach, NC 2025) made five birdies over the weekend to share fourth place. Six birdies and an eagle propelled Vidhi Lakhawala (Kendall Park, NJ 2026) to a top-5 finish. Rounding out the group at +7 is Karsyn Roberts (Pikeville, NC 2024) who made two eagles this week.
1. Kathryn Ha (Roanoke, VA 2025) / 69 + 73 +71 = 213 (-3)
T2. Emerson B. Dever (Durham, NC 2025) / 74 + 71 + 77 = 222 (+6)
T2. Emerson Elm (Suwanee, GA 2025) / 74 + 74 + 74 = 222 (+6)
T4. Makayla Grubb (Stafford, VA 2025) / 71 + 76 +76 = 223 (+7)
T4. Ellie Hildreth (Wrightsville Beach, NC 2025) / 74 + 73 +76 = 223 (+7)
T4. Vidhi Lakhawala (Kendall Park, NJ 2026) / 74 + 73 +76 = 223 (+7)
T4. Macie Rasmussen (Chesapeake, VA 2027) / 71 + 79 +73 = 223 (+7)
T4. Karsyn Roberts (Pikeville, NC 2024) / 74 + 74 +75 = 223 (+7)
Click Here to View Full Bell National Leaderboard
FUTURES NATIONAL
The Futures National Tour Championship was similar to the Bell National division with one player running away on Sunday. There were four rounds under par for the tournament and two of them belonged to Ira Joshi (Charlotte, NC 2029). Joshi made eight birdies over her three rounds and won the Futures National title by eight! Carter Bransford (Glen Allen, VA 2026) made an eagle on the fifteenth hole on Sunday helping propel her to a solo second finish. Emma Marshall (Bremen, GA 2025) got hot in the middle of her final round making three birdies in a five-hole span shooting her up the leaderboard where she would finish in third place. Catherine DeSiena’s (Oak Ridge, NC 2024) firepower showed in her opening round where she made six birdies! DeSiena would finish tied for fourth with Kelsey Jones (Holly Springs, NC 2025). Jones’ round of the tournament was a 71 (-1) in round 2.
1. Ira Joshi (Charlotte, NC 2029) / 71 + 70 + 77 = 218 (+2)
2. Carter Bransford (Glen Allen, VA 2026) / 76 + 76 + 74 = 226 (+10)
3. Emma Marshall (Bremen, GA 2025) / 76 + 77 + 74 = 227 (+11)
T4. Catherine DeSiena (Oak Ridge, NC 2024) / 71 +81 + 77 = 229 (+13)
T4. Kelsey Jones (Holly Springs, NC 2025) / 76 + 71 + 82 =229 (+13)
Click Here to View Full Futures National Leaderboard
Closing Remarks
We would like to extend our greatest thanks to the entire staff at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club for their incredible hospitality. This weekend provided a challenge for all of our competitors and we would like to congratulate all of our Top Finishers at the 2023 PKBGT Tour Championship! Thank you to all for an incredible season! The 2024 PKBGT Fall National Season schedule has been announced and registration is officially open! We look forward to seeing everyone in October and anticipate another great PKBGT season!
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 2022 season will feature over 138 tournaments in 12+ states and with over 1,000 members, the PKBGT is the largest girl’s only tour in the country. Learn more about the PKBGT at http://www.pkbgt.org/.
For complete coverage of the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour, follow the PKBGT on social media @PKBGirlsTour (Twitter), facebook.com/girlsgolftour (Facebook), @pkbgirlstour (Instagram), or visit our website at www.pkbgt.org.
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