Preview: 2018 WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation High School Invitational

72 junior girl golfers from 27 South Carolina high schools will be competing for both individual and team honors the weekend of September 22nd & 23rd at the 7th Annual High School Invitational hosted by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association.  The event will again be held at The Sanctuary at Cat Island in Beaufort.

Invitations were extended to the most competitive teams and individuals throughout the state ranging from the South Carolina High School League’s Class A to Class AAAAA teams and individuals from the South Carolina Independent School Association.  The girls range in age from 12 to 18 and include 11 of the top 25 players in the South Carolina Junior Golf Association statewide girls’ rankings as of September 7, 2018.

“We are extremely pleased to provide this unique opportunity for these highly talented girls to play and compete with different players and teams than they encounter in their regions.  It’s also fun for our board members to see these girls succeed at not only golf but personal interrelationships as well,” said Cathy Robinson, Chairperson of the Junior Golf Foundation.

The two-day, 36-hole event is open to the public with shotgun starts at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.  Live scoring is available via the WSCGA website or the link below.  The field this year is comprised of 14 teams of four and 17 individuals.  Participating teams are from the following schools: Bishop England, Blythewood, Boiling Springs, Byrnes, Chapin, Daniel, Dorman, Gilbert, Lexington, Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Pickens, River Bluff, St. Joseph’s, and Wando.

Individuals are from the following schools:  Belton-Honea Path, Chesnee, Christ Church, Dreher, Emerald, Ft. Dorchester, Hartsville, Hilton Head Island, Mauldin, May River, Northwestern, Ware Shoals, and Wren.

Winning teams are recognized with a Champion’s Trophy, Runner-Up and Third through Fifth places.  The five lowest scoring individuals and ties are also recognized as the “All High School Team” with an engraved award.  In the WSCGA Junior Foundation’s partnership with the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour, the two lowest scoring individuals will receive exemptions for their Championship and the top 3 individual finishers will receive an exemption into the PKBT Invitational.  The individual winner will also receive an exemption into the 2019 Eggland’s Best Championship and 2019 Vicki Desantis Invitational.  The tournament is sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League, and hosted by Lexington High School.

The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour is an initiative of the Triad Youth Golf Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation aimed at increasing learning and playing opportunities for youth golfers. Based out of Greensboro, North Carolina, the PKBGT offers affordable, high-quality nationally ranked girls’ golf tournaments designed to prepare junior girls’ golfers for high school and collegiate golf. The PKBGT is the nation’s largest “girls’ only” junior tour with over 450 members in 2015 and 450 girls playing in or committed to collegiate golf. Learn more about the tour at pkbgt.org or by contacting Tour Director Mike Parker at mparker@pkbgt.org or 336-347-8537.

The Junior Golf Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission of enhancing the lives of juniors through exposure to the game of golf by fostering competition, sportsmanship and appreciation for the integrity of the game.  More information about the organization and this tournament can be found on our web site www.wscga.org.

Connect with the WSCGA Junior Foundation and the South Carolina High School League’s websites (www.schsl.org), Facebook and Twitter pages for coverage of this event and other statewide athletic news and updates on your favorite teams and athletes.