Wilmington, NC– The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour headed to the Country Club of Landfall for the opening round of the sixteenth edition of its most prestigious championship: the PKBGT Invitational.
Play began today on the Dye Course at the Country Club of Landfall at 8:30 AM with the Wilmington native Ellie Hildreth hitting the opening tee shot. As players started battling the difficult Pete Dye greens, the wind picked up bringing another challenge to the Invitational competitors.
Grace Ridenour (Raleigh, NC 2025) handled the difficult conditions with ease playing her first thirteen holes in a bogey-free five-under-par! But no players would play their full rounds without a blemish in the gusty Wilmington winds. Ridenour would drop to one-under par for the day after a bogey-double bogey-bogey stretch on holes #15-17. On 18, she would make a bounce-back birdie to completer her round of 70 (-2). It was the only round under par of the day, giving her a three-shot lead entering tomorrow!
The closest competitor to Ridenour is Georgia native and commit, Hailey Han (Duluth, GA 2025). Han played a steady opening round, making two birdies and three bogey’s to shoot 73 (+1) putting herself in good position entering the second round. Jenna Kim (Raleigh, NC 2027) & Tiffany Ha Eun Moon (Chapel Hill, NC 2028) are tied for third place with rounds of 74 (+2). The North Carolinians combined for seven birdies today and are within striking distance of Ridenour’s lead.
Round two of the 16th PKBGT Invitational will begin tomorrow at 8:30 AM. After the second round, the field will be reduced to the top 50% and ties. Players will look to position themselves inside the cut line and make a charge on moving day! You can follow the live leaderboard tomorrow at the link below!