Final Story: PKB Finale ends with playoff and sets 2011 Order of Merit

Brown Summit, NC – The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour finished its final major of the year at Bryan Park GC on Friday for the Precision Girls’ Jr. Championships.

The event determined the “whose who”  finalizing the tour’s 2011 order of merit list and confirming invites to the PKB’s prestigious Fall Invitational being held at Stoneycreek GC  November 12 & 13th.

The Precision Girls’ Jr. Championships would need more than 36 holes to determine top place honors as Lyberty Anderson of Chesterfield, VA and Amanda Hollandsworth of Floyd, VA took two extra holes before a champion was to be decided.

The championship was sealed when Hollandsworth rolled in her putt for eagle on the second playoff hole at Bryan Park GC Champions Courses’ eleventh hole.

The win came as a bit of a shock to everyone including Hollandsworth. The girl from Floyd, Va commented after the round “ I’m still a bit in shock… I have never won a tournament before and this is only my second one out here on the PKB Tour.”

Hollandsworth’s previous event was a PKB one day tournament a couple weeks earlier at Chapel Hill CC where she finished second by one shot posting 77.  Her final round performance of 70 on the Champions Course at Bryan Park was admittedly one of the best competitive rounds of her life.

“I honestly did not know what to think .. I was in another world I guess,” stated Hollandsworth.

Hollandsworth’s win will put her in another world as her win earns her  an invite to the 2011 PKB Invitiational in November where the PKB’s best will compete for the 2011 crown.

The event was bittersweet for Lyberty Anderson of Chesterfield, VA who  finding herself in contention, for  not only the championship title, but the 2011 Order of Merit with nine holes to play, managed a final round 1 under 71 to earn a playoff bid that would end up just short of both titles. The top ranked Virginia female junior golfer was disappointed albeit missing her second straight opportunity in the past two years to champion the PKB’s Order of Merit.

“It’s tough to be so close and yet so far away, but Amanda is a great champion and Bryana is one of my great friends so I am happy that her great play this year earned her the Order of Merit honors. I ‘m ready to start preparing for November and look forward to another great opportunity,” stated Anderson.

Following Hollandsworth & Anderson:  2011 Order of Merit Champion Bryana Nguyen of Columbia, MD at 146, Alaina Yeatts of Durham, NC at 148, Nicolette Donovan of Cary, NC at 149, and Mariah Hopkins of Greensboro, NC at 150.

Also, the Precision Girls’ Jr Championships was a great ending to a tight race for the 2011 PKB  Order of Merit  as Bryana Nguyen of Columbia, MD edged out Anderson for the 2011 title. Nguyen posted a great 3 under round 69 on day 1, but stumbled on day two with 77 albeit enough to hang on to third place securing her top spot for this year’s  Order of Merit honors.

2011 featured a milestone year for 2011 Order of Merit winner Bryana Nguyen of Columbia, MC. Winless on tour heading into this year, Nguyen won early at the Charleston Classic, then captured the Carolina Classic in April and followed that win by capturing the largest PKB major event of the year at The Open Championship at CC of Salisbury.

Needless to say, Nguyen pronounced “win” lived up to her last name well.

Nguyen stated after her round, “I really prepared myself mentally this year and learned how to keep the lead on the second day of play. My mental game was a big focus as I did not make any swing changes this year. I really wanted to work on my focus learning to be a champion whether I finished first each week or not. The effort really paid off and although I did not capture this week’s event after a great start, I am really happy with my efforts this year.”

The Futures Tour saw Grace Massengill of Hickory, NC post scores of 80-80 – 160 to win by four shots over Carrie Catherine Ganim of Greensboro, NC who posted 81 – 83 – 164. Following the two were:  Savannah Gowarty of Raleigh, NC at 84 – 82 – 166, Janie Thomas of Winston – Salem, NC at 87 – 84 – 171, and Megan Munroe of Reaeford, NC at 83 – 89 – 172.

The 2011 Order of Merit Champion in the Bell Division was Jessica Spicer of Bahama, NC .  Jessica’s great performance early this year encouraged her move into the Bell Division after the Open Championship at CC of Salisbury this spring. Her amazing performance throughout the spring season was one of the top shows of all time in the Futures Division!

“I really enjoyed developing my game on the PKB tour the last couple years!  I worked on some swing changes this year and they really paid off as I added more distance and control to my game. It’s great to be able to compete in my second straight PKB Invitational coming up this November,” commented Spicer.

The top 55 girls of the 2011 Bells Order of Merit and top 5 girls of the Futures Order of Merit will be invited to attend PK B’s prestigious Invitational event in November.

The Fall season will feature the Fall Preview featuring opportunities for all winners of these events to earn a late invite into the Invitational.

The first Fall Preview event will be at Waterford GC in Rock Hill, SC on September 10^th & 11^th.

For more information on the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour visit us online at PKBGT.ORG or call us directly at 336 – 373 – 4630.