The 2012 Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour tees off Saturday, Novemer 10 to Monday, November 12 at the PKBGT INVITATIONAL @ Grandover Resort (East Course). Host of the annual Bridgestone Golf Collegiate tournament, the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf regional tournament, and the 2011 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf National Championship, Grandover Resort (East Course) is a challenging course for this three-day event. The event features a field of 60 players from the PKB Girls’ Golf Tour, the nation’s largest “girls’ only” junior tour with over 400 members and 94 alumni in the collegiate ranks.
All four major champion winners from this season will be playing at the PKBGT INVITATIONAL. Lucia Polo (Greensboro, NC 2013), winner of the PKBGT MASTERS @ Salem Glen Golf & CC and ranked 114th nationally, is looking to defend her title as champion of the 2011 PKBGT INVITIATION @ Stoney Creek GC. Jessica Porvasnik (Hinckley, OH 2013), winner of the PKBGT OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP @ CC of Salisbury and ranked 157th nationally, will be fighting to win at the PKBGT INVITATIONAL after her third place finish last year. Gina Kim (Chapel Hill, NC 2018), winner of the PKBGT PGS JR. GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP @ Bryan Park GC (Champions/Players) and ranked 321st nationally, will prove herself as a tough competitor to the field. Madison Moosa (Charlotte, NC 2017), winner of the PKBGT TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP @ Ocean Ridge Plantation (Lion’s Paw Golf Links) after a record breaking eight hole sudden death playoff and 298th nationally, will prove herself as a member of this elite field.
Additional competitors to watch out for, include: winner of the Boar’s Head Inn Classic @ Birdwood GC at the University of Virginia and ranked 238th nationally, Victoria Allred (Pfafftown, NC 2014); winner of the Richmond Classic @ Hunting Hawk GC with an amazing second round score of eight under par, ranked 262nd nationally and runner-up at the 2011 PKBGT INVITATIONAL, Shannon Brooks (Vienna, VA 2015); winner of the One-Day Open Series @ Bermuda Run CC (West) and One-Day Open Series @ Forest Oaks CC and ranked 429th nationally, Ashlii Thompson (Brown Summit, NC 2013); and winner of the Futures Division at the PKBGT TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP @ Ocean Ridge Plantation (Lion’s Paw Golf Links) and ranked 1335th nationally, Haeley Wotnosky (Wake Forest, NC 2018).
In addition to the above players, there are also some highly ranked players competing in the PKBGT INVITATIONAL. There are four of the top ten players from Maryland competing, including: Delaney Shah (North Potomac, MD 2016) ranked 2nd in the state and 619th nationally, Jordan McKelvin (Westminster, MD 2015) ranked 3rd in the state and 694 nationally, Rachel Lee (Woodstock, MD 2014) ranked 4th in the state and 725th nationally, and Allison Wong (Rockville, MD 2014) ranked 6th in the state and 920th nationally. There are nine of the top 14 players from North Carolina competing, including: Polo ranked 1st in the state, Allred ranked 3rd in the state, Cecily Overbey (High Point, NC 2014) ranked 4th in the state and 302nd nationally, Moosa ranked 6th in the state, Kim ranked 8th in the state, Catherine Ashworth (Fuquay-Varina, NC 2015) ranked 10th in the state and 361st nationally, Thompson ranked 12th in the state, Tara Simmons (Goldsboro, NC 2013) ranked 13th in the state and 469th nationally, and Hannah Craver (Winston-Salem, NC 2013) ranked 14th in the state and 508th nationally. There are two of the top ten players from Ohio competing, including: Porvasnik ranked 1st in the state and Nikolette Schroeder (Avon Lake, OH 2015) ranked 5th in the state and 336th nationally. There are three of the top ten players from Pennsylviania competing, including: Lauren Waller (Canonsburg, PA 2015) ranked 6th in the state and 767th nationally, Shannon Gramley (Sharon, PA 2013) ranked 9th in the state and 766th nationally, and Allison Cooper (Harrisburg, PA 2015) ranked 10th in the state and 804th nationally. There is one of the top ten players from South Carolina competing, including: Kelsey Badmaev (Blythewood, SC 2013) ranked 8th in the state and 177th nationally. There is one of the top ten players from Tennessee competing, including: Alexandra Farnsworth (Nashville, TN 2014) ranked 2nd in the state and 160th nationally. There are two of the top ten players from Virginia competing, including: Brooks who is 3rd in the state and Khushboo Thiagaraj (Haymarket, VA 2014) ranked 8th in the state and 582nd nationally.
The PKBGT INVITATIONAL is the fifth and final major of the year, bringing together the top players from the Carolinas, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. It should be an exciting & challenging event. Who will be golden?
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 low cost, nationally ranked girls’ golf tournaments designed to prepare junior girls’ golfers for high school and 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.
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