They say time flies when you’re having fun. That stands true for the inaugural season of the PKBGT Delaware Valley Regional Series. Over the course of five events spanning the eastern half of Pennsylvania, girls from the Delaware Valley and surrounding areas competed in the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour’s northernmost regional competition.
The 2019 season brought substantial growth for the largest girls-only junior golf tour in the nation. Along with a handful of new National Series events, the tour introduced two new Regional Series: the Delaware Valley and Kentucky Series.
Each of the PKBGT’s six Regional Series provides junior girl golfers with a comfortable environment to compete and be recognized on the junior golf circuit while gaining experience in a tournament atmosphere. In the first phase of the PKBGT Series Progression, the series allows players to progress towards collegiate golf by playing yardage/skill appropriate tournaments as they develop their game.
Women Golfers Give Back
The PKBGT’s expansion into the Delaware Valley would not have been possible without the generosity of our series partner, Women Golfers Give Back. Founded in 2003 by a group of women golfers who wanted to “give back” to the community and promote the game of golf for girls, WGGB supports golf programs for girls in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
With like-minded visions, the PKBGT’s partnership with WGGB provides opportunities for junior girl golfers in the Delaware Valley Tri-State region to compete in all-girls’ tournaments. In their participation, the girls not only enhance their competitive skills on the course, also benefitting from the character-building aspects of the game to develop leadership and communication skills off the course.
Most importantly, they are able to develop friendships with fellow girls’ golfers on and off the course!
2019 Delaware Valley Series Order of Merit, presented by Storie Apparel
The inaugural Delaware Valey Series kicked off in May at Linfield National Golf Club, culminating in this past weekend’s Series Finale at Raven’s Claw Golf Club. Through the duration of the 2019 season, participants were competing to improve their ranking on the Delaware Valley Series Order of Merit. Presented by Storie Apparel, the DV Order of Merit Champions would earn coveted spots in several of the PKBGT’s National Series events.
Each event, players put forth their best effort on the course in hopes of setting themselves in a position for success on the OOM. After five events, including this weekend’s Series Finale, let’s take a look at how the final OOM standings shaped up!
Prep Division
After a T8 finish at Raven’s Claw Golf Club on Sunday, Kyleen McCance (Hanover Township, PA 2022) holds on for the inaugural Delaware Valley Prep Order of Merit title! McCance brought home the gold in three events this season, closing out the year with a scoring average of 84.40. Her top performance came in a runner-up finish at Morgan Hill GC where she carded a 78 (+7).
In taking home the 2019 OOM Championship, McCance earns her exemption into the inaugural PKBGT Prep Invitational, to be played at Carolina National Golf Club in October! There, she will have the opportunity to qualify for the 2019 PKBGT Invitational.
Along with her spot in Prep Invitational, McCance earns an exemption into the 2019 PKBGT Tournament of Champions at Pinehurst Resort No. 8 in December. Topping off the plethora of opportunities her OOM championship opened the door for, she will be eligible to compete for Team Middle Atlantic in the 2020 Linville Cup at Mid Pines Inn & GC in January.
Along with McCance, the top 10 percent of the Delaware Valley Prep Order of Merit finishers earn a spot in the 2019 PKBGT Prep Invitational.
Other Prep Top Finishers
2) Kiera Bartholomew (Westampton, NJ 2023)
T3) Elizabeth Beek (Blue Bell, PA 2023)
T3) Megan Meng (Pennington, NJ 2025)
5) Riley Quartermain (Bryn Mawr, PA 2021)
Futures Division
In a historic performance at the Series Finale on Sunday, Kayla Maletto (Sinking Springs, PA 2024) took home the inaugural Delaware Valley Futures Order of Merit championship! Maletto dropped an unthinkable three-under-par 68 at the home of the Symetra Tour Valley Forge Invitational, the lowest score in Delaware Valley Series history. Closing out her season in the red, Maletto’s season scoring average sits at 72.00. She swept the competition in her three events, capping off a trifecta of victory in Pottstown this past weekend with her third win.
Maletto earned her spot in the inaugural PKBGT Futures Invitational at Carolina National in October by topping the competition on the Delaware Valley Futures OOM. Additionally, she earns an exemption into the PKBGT Tournament of Champions and her spot on Team Middle Atlantic at the Linville Cup.
As with the Prep Division, the top 10 percent of the Delaware Valley Series Futures Order of Merit finishers earn an exemption into the PKBGT Futures Invitational.
Other Futures Top Finishers
2) Hayley Ekert (Lansdale, PA 2023)
3) Chloe Barton (Newton, NJ 2023)
4) Lucy Barton (Newton, NJ 2023)
5) Alexandra Schaul (Holmdel, NJ 2023)
Discovery Division
Rachel Joyce (Quakertown, PA 2026) closed out a memorable season with her third top-two finish at the Series Finale this weekend, earning the inaugural Delaware Valley Discovery Order of Merit title! Prior to her runner-up finish, Joyce earned two wins in her first two events. She took home first-place honors at the Series Kickoff and shot her season-best score of 39 (+2) in a win at Green Pond Country Club.
Joyce earns her spot in a sunny mid-November trip to Hilton Head Island for the 2019 PKBGT Discovery Invitational at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort! Additionally, she earns a spot on Team Middle Atlantic in Southern Pines at the 2020 Linville Cup.
The top 33 percent and all winners of Delaware Valley Discovery events will earn their exemption into the 2019 PKBGT Discovery Invitational.
Other Discovery Top Finishers
2) Alexandra Engart (Harleysville, PA 2025)
3) Alaina Carson (Broomall, PA 2028)
4) Kayla John (Newtown, PA 2025)
5) Savannah Laverty (Moorestown, NJ 2027)
Closing Remarks
We would like to thank all of our members who participated in events throughout the inaugural Delaware Valley Regional Series. Additionally, we would like to extend our greatest thanks to all five of our host courses for welcoming the PKBGT into the Delaware Valley. The 2019 season was a smashing success and we can’t wait to see what 2020 brings to the table for the Delaware Valley Regional Series!
About the PKBGT
Founded in 2007 by the Triad Youth Golf Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, as a local girls’ golf tour in the Triad region of North Carolina, the tour began as a simple concept: create more effective competitive playing opportunities for girls. By utilizing innovative yardage-based divisions instead of the traditional age-based format, the tour focused on developing tournament experience at the player’s pace. The 2019 season will feature over 90 tournaments in 9 states on the East Coast and with over 900 members, the PKBGT is the largest girl’s only tour in the country. Learn more about the PKBGT at http://www.pkbgt.org/.
Leave a Reply