On Tuesday, July 2, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour played the final round of the 2019 PKBGT Irish Creek Girls Classic at the Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, NC.
Though starting times remained the same, check-in for the final round of the 2019 PKBGT Irish Creek Girls Classic was pushed back on Tuesday morning. Time to catch up on sleep, right?! If fifteen minutes does the trick for you, then that additional shut-eye was crucial.
For the majority of the tour, it was rise and shine, as usual – awake before the crack of dawn in anticipation for one final opportunity to make a push to the top of the leaderboard and depart Kannapolis as a PKBGT champion!
Where the sky was an eloquently painted landscape with a soothing breeze on Monday, the Club at Irish Creek wasn’t quite as comforting to competitors and spectators for the second and final act of the PKBGT mid-week spectacular.
Ominous steam lingered off the surface of Lake Kannapolis as cars packed the parking lot shortly after sunrise. The car doors swung open and the immediate impact of a brutal transition from icy air-conditioned luxury to, well, North Carolina in July clobbered those unprepared for 6 a.m. suffocation.
If there’s one thing PKBGT members are known for, it’s their ability to power through all of Mother Nature’s extreme elements. For the field of 26, this was just another day in the office, swarming the practice facilities like a hornets’ nest in the aftermath of a visit from the exterminator.
On the course, they trudged through the musky, swamp-like still air, torching the fairways from all angles. In the Bell National division, a sisterly-showdown came to Irish Creek’s final challenge, a daunting uphill par-three for the trophy. The Futures National division featured a three-headed horse, one final trio each vying for the top spot on the leaderboard.
As the sun reached its peak, the players made their way down the final stretch at the Club at Irish Creek. Let’s dig in to the final round and where the leaderboard stood at tournaments end!
Bell National
In an epic two-day battle between familiar foes, Emily Song (Waxhaw, NC 2019) stole the show in her final curtain call, taking home the 2019 PKBGT Irish Creek Girls Classic in the Bell National division. She finished the tournament with a two-day total score of 73, 72 = 145 (+1).
Song’s game was in perfect harmony throughout Tuesday’s final round as she posted an even-par 72 on the day. Two birdies aided in making the turn at one-under par and she made par on all but one hole in her back nine to finish the round. Closing out an impeccable PKBGT career, Song took home her third championship trophy in her final event.
Bested by one stroke, Cindy Song (Waxhaw, NC 2023) finished runner-up in the weekday classic with a two-day total score of 72, 74 = 146 (+2). Song matched her sister with two birdies in her final round. After a slow start, she fought back and finished her final seven holes at one-under-par. Despite a valiant effort, Cindy took the supporting role in the final “Battle of the Songs” on the PKBGT.
Stifling the course on Tuesday, Emily Matthews (Mebane, NC 2023) posted the lone under-par score of the day. Matthews’ 71 (-2) brought her two-day total score to 149 (+5), tied with Macy Pate (Boone, NC 2024) for third place. Pate rallied back, improving her score by one stroke in the final round with a 74 (+2).
Rounding out the top five in the Bell National division was Isabella Adkins (Bristol, TN 2021). Adkins put a two-day total of 74, 78 = 152 (+8) on the scoreboard, good for fifth place overall. Though she experienced a few rough patches in her final round, Adkins remained strong and held on to earn a medal at the Club at Irish Creek.
Futures National
Holding down the fort with a wire-to-wire victory, Elizabeth Lohbauer (Huntersville, NC 2021) saved her best for last with an impeccable final round-performance. Lohabuer kicked off her morning on Tuesday with a three-under-par 33 on the front nine, making birdie on five out of the nine holes. That momentum carried over flawlessly to the back nine, where she tacked on two more birdies, closing out the day with a 71 (-1). She finished the tournament with a total score of 76, 71 = 147 (+3).
Charging back and improving by three strokes in her final round, Ellen Yu (High Point, NC 2026) earned another runner-up finish in Kannapolis. Yu wasted no time cutting away at the lead, making the turn at one-under-par on the day. She travels home after posting a two-day total score of 78, 75 = 153 (+9).
Holding on for third place, Maya Beasley (Croton on Hudson, NC 2023) posted three birdies in her final round on Tuesday. Beasley finished the classic with a total score of 76, 79 = 155 (+11).
Concluding our top finishers at the 2019 PKBGT Irish Creek Girls Classic, in a two-way tie for fourth place, were Elie Hildreth (Wilmington, NC 2025) and Elizabeth Rudisill (Charlotte, NC 2025). Both players posted two-day total scores of 159 (+15). Hildreth posted two birdies in her final round while Rudisill made one.
Closing Remarks
We would like to thank the management and staff at the Club at Irish Creek for their generous hospitality this week. We appreciate their flexibility in hosting the tournament in a special mid-week rendition of the PKBGT National Series!
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/.
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