{"id":13661,"date":"2021-08-05T15:26:54","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T15:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pkbgt.org\/news\/?p=13661"},"modified":"2021-08-05T15:26:54","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T15:26:54","slug":"21event1117_preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pkbgt.org\/news\/21event1117_preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Field: 2021 PKBGT TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Greensboro, NC-<\/strong> The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls\u2019 Tour<\/a> returns to historic Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club for the season finale of the 2020-2021 wraparound schedule at the home of our Tour namesake, Ms. Peggy Kirk Bell. Champions and top performers of the season gather for the 2021 PKBGT TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Pine Needles, voted annually as one of the top tracks in the Carolina\u2019s, has been privileged to host three USGA Women\u2019s Opens, including the upcoming 2022 US Women\u2019s Open. The best of the tour converge at the home of golf in North Carolina for this 54 hole championship event.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The field of 83 competitors will be split into two separate divisions of play; the Bell National Division<\/a> and the Futures National Division<\/a>. There will be representatives from twelve different states along the east coast, ranging from Georgia to Connecticut. We delve deeper into each division with our players to watch at the strongest junior golf event on the East Coast next weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bell National<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Bell National Division field features 45 of the tour\u2019s top players, including 25 of the top 100 players on the PKBGT Performance Index<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Entering the field, ranked #2 on the PKBGT Performance Index is Maria Atwood<\/strong> (Holly Springs, NC 2022). Atwood, a verbal commit to James Madison University, heads into the opening round atop the Bell National Order of Merit rankings thanks to a first-place finish at the MID-ATLANTIC GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP and runner-up finishes at the 2021 PKBGT OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP and SPRING BELL INVITATIONAL.<\/p>\n

One spot behind Atwood is Kiera Bartholomew<\/strong> (Wake Forest, NC 2023), at #3 on the PKBGT Performance Index. The Wake Forest, NC native, has had quite the summer qualifying for the round of 64 in the US Girls Junior, medalist at the LPGA Pure Silk Junior Championship, and a T2 finish at the MID-ATLANTIC GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP.\u00a0 Kiera is also currently the second-ranked player on the Bell National Order of Merit.<\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, the Bell National Order of Merit title will be announced.<\/p>\n

Highest Ranked Players<\/strong><\/p>\n