We are just a week away from the most prestigious event on the year-long PKBGT circuit: The PKBGT Invitational contested at Bermuda Run Country Club in Advance, NC.
Played over Veteran’s Day weekend each year, the PKBGT Invitational is a 54-hole championship event played on both the east and west courses of Bermuda Run – with layouts of over 6200 yards at each venue.
While this event typically boasts a strong field, the 11th anniversary playing of the Invitational will feature its highest ranked field yet, with 75% of the field ranking inside the top 1,000 on Junior Golf Scoreboard. Even more notable, 31 of these players rank inside the top 500 – a difficult feat to obtain.
With players from 15 states and three different countries – let’s take a look inside this year’s field of 72 at the 2019 PKBGT Invitational!
Highest Ranked Players
Entering the field for the fifth time is 2017 PKBGT Invitational Champion and three-time Bell National Order of Merit Champion Amanda Sambach (Davidson, NC 2021). Sambach, who is verbally committed to play collegiately at the University of Virginia, is currently ranked sixth on Junior Golf Scoreboard and first on the PKBGT Performance Index.
The most victorious PKBGT champion of all time with 17 titles (Bell, Prep and Futures), Sambach holds seven PKBGT Major Championship titles in the Bell division, including a first place finish at this year’s 2019 Tour Championship to capture the season-long Order of Merit by just two points.
Youngest Player in the Field
They say age is just a number, and that proves to be true for Ellen Yu (High Point, NC 2026) who enters the field at just 12 years old. Yu earned her spot in the field after a strong, 2nd place finish on the 2019 Futures National Order of Merit – her first season on the Futures National circuit.
In addition to Yu, the field features two eighth graders, 11 freshman, 18 sophomores, 23 juniors and 11 graduating seniors.
Verballed, Sealed, Delivered
14 of the 72 player Invitational field have verbally committed to play collegiate golf:
- Isabella Britt – College of Charleston
- Vynie Chen – High Point
- Faith Choi – Ohio State
- Elizabeth Coffren – Delaware
- Victoria Cook – UNC Greensboro
- Catie Craig – W. Kentucky
- Jessica Rathbone – Anderson
- Rachel Rich – W. Kentucky
- Amanda Sambach – Virginia
- Katie Scheck – Penn State
- Rebecca Skoler – Virginia
- Ffion Tynan – Arkansas
- Tatum Walsh – James Madison
- Rory Weinfurther – Richmond
Local Flair
Three different players have short commutes to next weekend’s event – Morgan Ketchum (Winston- Salem, NC 2022), Anna Howerton (Kernersville, NC 2023) and Trinity Muthomi (Kernersville, NC 2022). Ketchum and Muthomi are making their second appearances at the Invitational, while Howerton is making her first.
Inspire. Dream. Achieve. Banquet – Friday, November 8th
Before the first tee shot is struck at the 2019 PKBGT Invitational, players will have the opportunity for camaraderie and fun at the annual Inspire. Dream. Achieve. Banquet the Friday evening before round one of the championship.
In addition to an awards ceremony to honor the 2019 PKBGT National Series Order of Merit Champions, competitors will hear from past PKBGT Invitational Champion and Professional Golfer Anna Redding (PKBGT Class of 2015), who will be joined by current Head Coach of Wake Forest Women’s Golf, Kim Lewellen.
Round one of the PKBGT Invitational begins Saturday, November 9th on Bermuda Run Country Club’s West course. We look forward to a great event! To view the entire field, click here.
Leave a Reply