By Steve Huffman Katherine Perry Hamski remembers trying to play tournament golf as a young girl and finding it painfully obvious the directors had no idea what to do with the handful of females who signed on. There were tournaments galore for junior boys. But for junior girls? Uh, no. Do we pair the girls…
Emily Hawkins of Lexington was at her best with the pressure on in 2016. Hawkins won the Carolinas Golf Association’s two biggest girls’ titles, claiming the North Carolina Junior Girls’ Championship and the Carolinas Junior Girls. In September, she beat a national field in the AJGA Girls’ Championship at Furman University Golf Club. “I had…
Pinecrest matches men’s team; finally breaks through with women’s title By David Droschak The comparisons are natural, since Triangle-area prep stars Jenny Chang and Gina Kim have parents of Asian descent, are high school juniors, each have multiple state championships – and each spends hours upon hours practicing ball striking, putting and their short games.…
By Eddie Southards Gina Kim is a nationally ranked junior golfer who follows a different path than many of her contemporaries. The Chapel Hill junior still enjoys playing high school golf. Kim proved it by winning the women’s 3-A state individual title for the second straight year. She shot 69-72 for a 3-under total at Longleaf…
By Kurt Dusterberg Ryan Gerard’s earliest golf memories aren’t actually his own recollections. His father, Bob, tells the story of how Ryan, not yet 2 years old, used to tool around the practice green with a toddler-size putter at Wildwood Green Golf Club. Ryan would putt for a while, and then watch the golfers tee…
By STUART HALL Griffin Ching fully understood that two points was the difference of a chip rolling an extra foot or two. That, however, could not mask the disappointment of finishing second at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship’s regional qualifier at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s No. 2 Course in early September. “It was…
Men’s North & South Championship Tim Conover of Holly Springs survived a do-or-die playoff just to make the match play field and then posted a series of stunning victories to capture the 116th Men’s North & South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. Seven players ended 36 holes of medal play at 151 and…
By David Droschak If there was ever a “can’t miss” golf prospect it’s Gina Kim. The rising junior at Chapel Hill High School has skill and talent – and maybe even more importantly – the desire and drive to become the best. The 16-year-old Kim is the No. 1 female junior golfer in North Carolina,…
By Steve Hanf At 28 years old, Maggie Watts has grown up in a world with opportunities for females to experience the game of golf. “I grew up in a time that women’s golf and junior girls golf was always included in the overall golf picture,” said Watts, the director of women’s golf with the…
By Eddie Southards Patrick Stephenson closed out the final round of his high school golf career with a flourish to capture the state 3-A individual championship. The senior from South Johnston birdied three out of four holes late in the second round at the Country Club of Whispering Pines to shoot 2-under-par and win by…