On Saturday-Sunday, December 28-29, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour closes out the 2019 calendar year in Southern Pines, NC with the Peggy Kirk Bell Junior. The tournament will be held at Pine Needles Lodge and GC, the home course of tour matriarch Peggy Kirk Bell.

Ms. Bell was the co-owner and Director of Instruction for over 60 years at Pine Needles. The course has now hosted two U.S. Women’s Opens, the 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open in 2019 and will host a third U.S. Women’s Open in 2022.

The tournament will feature players from both the Bell National and Futures National Divisions. We take a closer look at the field of 78 players traveling to Southern Pines for the mid-holiday weekend of competition.

Bell National Division

In the Bell National division, 39 players will compete on the 5,800 yard setup. In addition, the event serves as a way to earn crucial Order of Merit spots and Performance Index recognition heading into a season filled with PKBGT Priority Based Entry fields.

Top ranked players in the field include:

• Maria Atwood — Holly Springs, NC — Class of 2022 — #6 on the PKBGT Performance Index
• Sydney Yermish — Wynnewood, PA — Class of 2023— #12 on the PKBGT Performance Index
• Morgan Ketchum — Winston-Salem, NC — Class of 2022 — #25 on the PKBGT Performance Index

Futures National Division

In the Futures National division, 39 players will compete on the 5,100 yard setup. In addition, the event serves as a way to earn crucial Order of Merit spots and Performance Index recognition heading into a season filled with PKBGT Priority Based Entry fields.

Top ranked players in the field include:

• Madison Messimer — Myrtle Beach, SC — Class of 2025 — #142 on the PKBGT Performance Index
• Kathryn Ha — Roanoke, VA — Class of 2025— #186 on the PKBGT Performance Index
• Gracie Song — Waxhaw, NC — Class of 2026 — #187 on the PKBGT Performance Index

Last Thoughts

We look forward to a phenomenal weekend at the home course of our tour matriarch Peggy Kirk Bell. Pine Needles Lodge and GC will provide an excellent challenge for all of the competitors and we look forward to the excitement that the players and course present.

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 700 members in 2018 and 800+ girls having played, playing in or committed to playing 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.