It was a Regional Series takeover this weekend on the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour, with three events scattered along the east coast. Kicking off the inaugural season of Delaware Valley Series play, Saturday was a historic day at Linfield National Golf Club. In Orlando, the Central Florida Series completed their final one-day event of the season at Orange Tree Country Club. In the tour’s backyard, the North Carolina Series closed out the regional weekend with a two-day event in Greensboro at Forest Oaks Country Club. Break out a milkshake to cool down from the simmering sunshine and enjoy this edition of The PKBGT Weekend Review!
2019 PKBGT Gate City Classic at Forest Oaks Country Club
Spectators could see for miles across the forest of oaks lining the fairways in Greensboro on Saturday morning. The first cars pulled into the parking lot around 9:30 a.m. to the blessed rarity of an accurate weather forecast, free of rain following a washout the weekend prior.
Visibility was on point the entire weekend – crystal clear skies and a handful of fluffed clouds, nestled like soft pillows around a blanket of blue, set the scene for the return of the PKBGT North Carolina Series at Forest Oaks Country Club.
Changing over from frozen tundras and relentless rain to blazing heat – seemingly skipping the transitional period where a light sweatshirt would serve as the appropriate attire – parents and players dusted off their bucket hats and sunscreen. Coolers were loaded with ice and water in preparation for a two-day trek through the first taste of Carolina’s blistering warm season.
From the first ping of a driver at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning to the Futures division award ceremony as Sunday evening’s sun began to set, the action-packed 2019 PKBGT Gate City Classic was a two-day thriller to kick the North Carolina Series into gear!
Cox conquers the Prep division
Heading into Sunday’s final round of play, there was a two-way tie in the Prep field of 32 players. Alyssa Cox (Mount Airy, NC 2019) and Emily Brubaker (Raleigh, NC 2020) each posted one-over-par first-round scores of 73.
A late push from Brubaker – two birdies in the final three holes – left the duo in a dead heat for the second day in a row, proving that two rounds of golf would not be enough to determine a champion at Forest Oaks.
Walking to the first tee, one winner-take-all tiebreaker playoff hole would close out a weekend atop the leaderboard for the pair of Prep division players. When Cox sank her putt for par, she secured the win in her first regional event of the season, conquering a feat she failed to accomplish last season.
Brubaker finished runner-up with an equally impressive weekend performance, falling just short in the bonus golf. Macie Burcham (Greensboro, NC 2021) and Ella Perna (Durham, NC 2022) rounded out the Top Four at the 2019 Gate City Classic.
Yu’s wire-to-wire weekend in the Futures division
Ellen Yu (High Point, NC 2026) experienced the peak of success last season in the Discovery division. Winning four events on the 2018 regional circuit, Yu was more than poised to make a jump into the 18-hole competition.
With two wins in her first season on the national stage, Yu looked to make a splash in her first regional appearance of the season. She might as well have hopped the fence and cannonballed straight into the pool at Forest Oaks immediately after check-in on Saturday.
Last year’s runner-up in the North Carolina Discovery Order of Merit jumped out to a commanding lead in the 30 player Futures division field, posting a one-under-par 71. Holding a five-stroke lead over the next closest competitor, Yu came back with an even-par 72 to solidify her first-place position. The win in Greensboro is her first of the 2019 North Carolina Regional season.
Kinsley Smith (Raleigh, NC 2024) posted a second-round 76 (+4) on the way to a runner-up finish. Tyla McCaffity (Raleigh, NC 2021) and Kitson O’Neal (Pinehurst, NC 2023) rounded out the Top Finishers in the Futures division.
Singing the victory Song in the Discovery division
In an awe-inspiring two day performance in Greensboro, Gracie Song (Waxhaw, NC 2026) took the Discovery division by storm. Despite her fellow competitor and runner-up, Jenna Kim (Raleigh, NC 2027) posting a one-under-par score in the first round, Song dropped a five-under-par 31 to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.
Kim gave her best push in the final round, posting a two-under-par 34, but Song responded with a three-under-par 33 of her own. In doing so, Song secured the 2019 PKBGT Gate City Classic championship in the 15 player Discovery division with a two-day total score of 31, 33 = 64 (-8).
Elizabeth Sullivan (Atlanta, GA 2025) and Leah Edwards (Greensboro, NC 2025) rounded out the Top Finishers in the Discovery division.
Can’t get enough of the 2019 PKBGT Gate City Classic? Read the full event recap HERE!
2019 PKBGT Delaware Valley Series at Linfield National Golf Club
While the North Carolina Series played the first round of the Gate City Classic, the PKBGT was breaking ground in Southeast Pennsylvania. On Saturday, May 18, the tour kicked off the first event in the Delaware Valley Regional Series’ inaugural season!
Signage swayed through the air in the form of flutter flags welcoming the newest members of the tour to their very first taste of the PKBGT experience. Presented by Women’s Golfers Give Back, the Delaware Valley is one of two new regions the tour expanded into for the upcoming summer season.
Linfield National Golf Club in Linfield, PA played host to the series’ kickoff event.
Kyleen McCance (Hanover Township, PA 2022) took home the hardware in the Prep division after posting a score of 92 (+21). She closed out her front nine with a birdie on the ninth hole.
In the Futures division, it was a sister-sister finish at the first event of the season. Chloe Barton (Newton, NJ 2023) outlasted her sister, Lucy Barton (Newton, NJ 2023), by one stroke. Chloe posted a score of 84 (+13) while Lucy was one behind with an 85 (+14).
Closing out the inaugural medalists, winning the Discovery division was Rachel Joyce (Quakertown, PA 2026). Joyce posted a score of 39 (+4) and made three birdies on her afternoon round.
Looking for a full recap of the first-time fun in the Delaware Valley? Head to the event recap HERE!
2019 PKBGT Central Florida Series at Orange Tree Golf Club
As hard as it may be to believe, the PKBGT Central Florida Regional Series completed their final one-day event of the 2019 season on Saturday, May 18. In the heart of Orlando at Orange Tree Golf Club, 15 of the regions devoted competitors geared up for a showdown in the sun.
Loa Johannsson (Champions Gate, FL 2024) lived up to her hometown’s title this weekend, taking home the championship in the Prep division. Posting a 79 (+7) on the day, Johannsson won the first event of her PKBGT career.
Continuing a stretch of success, Abigail Fernandez (Windermere, FL 2023) brought home her fourth win of the 2019 Central Florida Series season! Fernandez finished Saturday with a score of 77 (+5), her best score of the year.
Rounding out the winners at Orange Tree, Kelsy Douglas (Orlando, FL 2027) took home first-place honors in her hometown. In her first win of the season, Douglas posted a score of 39 (+3).
Complete coverage of the final one-day Central Florida Series event available at the event recap HERE!
Other Notable PKBGT Performances
Sambach steals the Symetra Tour show
Currently atop the PKBGT Performance Index, Amanda Sambach (Davidson, NC 2021) took the Symetra Tour by storm in her sponsor’s exemption at the Symetra Classic last weekend. In nonchalant fashion, Sambach went about her business, as usual, posting a five-under-par 67 in the first round of play.
Floating around the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the weekend, Sambach finished T11 in the event at River Run Country Club, her home course. Congratulations Amanda for a spectacular performance alongside the tour professionals!
Carles cruises to victory at The Foundation
Congratulations to Phoebe Carles (Clinton, SC 2020) on winning The Foundation (WSCGA) Junior Girls! Carles posted a two-day score of 72, 74 = 146 (+2) on the road to victory at The Links at Stoney Point!
Movement Monday
With the National Series taking the weekend off and the North Carolina Series completing the first multi-day event of the season, we take a look at the current North Carolina Regional Order of Merit rankings, presented by Storie Apparel!
NORTH CAROLINA REGIONAL SERIES ORDER OF MERIT (presented by Storie Apparel)
1. Alyssa Cox (Mount Airy, NC 2019)
2. Halynn Lee (Cary, NC 2021)
3. Emily Brubaker (Raleigh, NC 2020)
4. Macie Burcham (Greensboro, NC 2021)
T5. Ella Perna (Durham, NC 2022)
T5. Annabelle Jennings (Chesapeake, VA 2020)
Futures North Carolina Division
1. Tyla McCaffity (Raleigh, NC 2021)
2. Kinsley Smith (Raleigh, NC 2024)
3. Kitson O’Neal (Pinehurst, NC 2023)
4. Ellen Yu (High Point, NC 2026)
5. Haylie George (Cary, NC 2021)
Discovery North Carolina Division
1. Gracie Song (Waxhaw, NC 2026)
2. Leah Edwards (Greensboro, NC 2025)
3. Elizabeth Sullivan (Atlanta, GA 2025)
4. Ellie Acrey (Winston-Salem, NC 2026)
5. Ashnoor Kaur (Roanoke, VA 2027)
Around the Tour
The Week Ahead
The National Series heads to Salisbury, NC for Memorial Day Weekend to play the 2019 PKBGT Open Championships at Country Club of Salisbury! The 54-hole championship event will be the only action on the tour’s circuit in the upcoming weekend!
Upcoming Registration Deadlines
PKBGT Middle Atlantic Series at Pendleton Golf Club (Monday, May 27; 12 a.m.)
PKBGT Kentucky Series Kickoff at World of Golf (Sunday, June 2; 12 a.m.)
PKBGT North Carolina Series at Sapona Swim and Golf Club (Monday, June 3; 12 a.m.)
PKBGT Southeast Series at the Windermere Club (Monday, June 3; 12 a.m.)
2019 PKBGT Valley Junior Girls Open (Monday, June 3; 12 a.m.)
PKBGT Central Florida Series Finale at Saddlebrook Resort (Monday, June 3; 12 a.m.)
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