**Recap from WSCGA**
The weather was perfect and the course in amazing shape. Greens as pure as the sky is blue. Nerves have settled and scores got lower. Lexington High School won their 4th WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation Championship in record fashion. Firing a tournament record low 440 beating St. James by 14 shots. Lexington shot 220 both rounds of the event for the lowest team scores each day. The team was lead by defending champion Gracyn Burgess. Burgess, coming off a record breaking summer winning the WSCGA Junior State Championship, CGA Vicki Disantis, CGA Twin States, the CGA Girls Championship, and now adding to the impressive list, the WSCG JGF High School Invitational with a 68-72 for a two day total of 140. In winning the invitational Burgess secured a sponsor exemption into the 2017 Eggland’s Best Ladies Classic, Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament of Champions, and Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. When asked about her summer accomplishments Burgess said,” This summer has been a blessing for me. I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me to get to this point in my game. My name may be on the trophies, but I didn’t do it alone.” Also finishing in the top ten on the Lexington team was Isabella Rawl, T9 with a two day total of 150. Rawl was consistent today carding 15 pars, 2 bogies and 1 birdie on the day for a 73. Rounding out the Lexington team was Kennedy Gooding (75) and Karlee Vardas (76). All players on the Lexington team, score counted at least one day of the event.
Holding onto second place, was St. James High School posting 224 today for a two day total of 454. Smith Knaffle had 4 birdies today to lead her team with a two under par 70. Good enough for her to finish second overall, 3 shots behind Burgess. Knaffle’s two day total of 143 earned her a sponsor’s exemption into the Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament of Champions and Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. St. James’s, Jordan White, went bogey free on the back nine with two birdies and 7 pars, to shoot a 76. Adrian Anderson and Katie Smith completed St. James team firing a 78 and 92 respectively.
Finishing 3rd today was Oceanside HighSchool shooting 233-232=465. Oceanside was one of only 3 teams to count all three scores in the 70’s in the second round. Leading Oceanside in the final round was Gaby Martinez with a four over 76. Following Marinez was Kayla Bartemeyer and Rachel Rich, both shooting a 78 and Lexi Lucarelli 85.
In Fourth Place for the tournament was the team of Boiling Springs. Boiling Springs shot a two day total of 473. Leading the team in the final round was Caitlyn Cash (78) who stuck it to 2′ 8.5″ on the par 3 7th Hole and drained the putt center cut for birdie. Hole 7 was playing as the second hardest hole on the course for the week. Cash’s team played the hole 1 under for the day and even par for the tournament. Also representing Boiling Springs was Amber Amaker (80), Isabella Britt (83), and Sydney Roberts (85).
Finishing 5th for the weekend was Bluffton High School with a 241-240=481. Bluffton High was lead by sisters Sophia and Camila Burnett, one of two teams in the field with sisters competing. Sophia Burnett was low on the team this week with a 75-74=149 finishing T7. Sophia had a string of birdies, birding 3 out of 4 holes in a row on the front nine. Camila finished 2nd on the team with a 82-81=163, followed by Kaylia McIntyre 84-85-169, and finished out by Lexi Adams 96-96=192.
The all tournament team for the Invitational was awarded to the top 5 overall individual players. The top 5 finishers were Gracyn Burgess, Smith Knaffle, Kennedy McGaha, Emily Dunlap, and Katie Whitfield. McGaha, playing for Belton-Honea Path, shot a one over 73 in round one and one under 71 today. McGaha’s two day total of 144 included an eagle on the 17th hole in the final round and an exemption into the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. Shooting the low round of the day, 69, Emily Dunlap, Mauldin High School, had 5 birdies and 2 bogeys to move her up the leader board to finish 4th in the event with 76-69=145. In 5th place was Daniel High’s, Katie Whitfield 74-73=147. Whitfield kept the final round simple with 2 bogey’s, 1 birdie, and 15 pars, playing the back nine 2 under for the week.
Another great week on the links with perfect weather. The staff and volunteers at The Sanctuary and the WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation went above and beyond to make the event special. Thank You!! The talent of tomorrow’s stars is top notch, but more important, a great bunch of young ladies. Until next year…..
The Sanctuary at Cat Island
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Pictures compliments of Carole Pincavage – JGF Board Member
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| The WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote junior golf in the State of South Carolina by providing golf scholarships, playing and teaching the game of golf, and promoting amateur golf. In 2016, the Foundation spent over $48,000 in supporting the growth of the game through several outlets, including the South Carolina High School Golf League; hosting a High School Invitational; hosting two instructional clinics for high school girls teams; partnering with the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour for a series of clinics and tournaments in South Carolina ; and giving financial assistance to juniors to help support the growth of their golf game. The WSCGA Junior Golf Foundation was able to reach over 1000 girls! |
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