Spires and Spicer Lead at 8th Young Am

Jackson Spires and Jessica Spicer lead their respective divisions (Photos: ECU and VTU)

PINEHURST, N.C. (December 28, 2016) – First round results of the 8^th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship held Wednesday, December 28th on the Magnolia course at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.

Related: Hole-by-hole scoring | Final Round Pairings | Championship History

East Carolina University redshirt junior Jackson Spires of Fayetteville, N.C. began the Carolinas Young Amateur by recording seven birdies enroute to a six-under 66 and will carry a one stroke lead into Thursday's final round. Spires game has been trending upward. After placing fifth at the Eastern Amateur this summer, last week he finished tied for third at the Country Club of North Carolina Amateur.

Starting on hole No. 13, Spires reached the par-5 in two shots for a two-putt birdie. His seventh and final birdie came on the 189-yard par-3 seventh hole, by virtue of hitting a six iron to four feet. "I was knocking it close all day," said 22-year-old Spires. "It was nice, there wasn't too much stress."

Elon University senior Troy Beaver of Salisbury, N.C. is alone is second place at five-under 67. Twelve total men posted under-par rounds on Wednesday.

Jessica Spicer of Durham, N.C., a freshman at Virginia Tech University, mixed two birdies and two bogeys to card an even par 72 to lead the women's division. Playing in her first Carolinas Young Amateur, it took awhile for Spicer's putter to get used to the Magnolia Course. On No. 10, a 25-foot par putt added to her confidence. "It's nice to play again with girls I grew up playing junior golf against," said 19-year-old Spicer, who was the 2014 Carolinas Junior Girls' Player of the Year.

2013 and 2015 women's division champion Sarah Bae of Pinehurst, N.C. trails Spicer by one stroke along with 2014 South Carolina Junior Match Play champ Morgan Cox of Easley, S.C. and Reona Hirai of Summerville, S.C. at one-over-par 73.

Thursday's final round will begin with a 11:00am shotgun start. The tournament format is 36 holes of stroke play for male and female amateur golfers ages 18 to 25 from North Carolina or South Carolina who have finished high school and have a current USGA handicap Index at a CGA member club. Trophies will be awarded to the top five spots in each division. Due to NCAA regulations, gift certificates will not be awarded.

8th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship
Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia)
Pinehurst, N.C.

First Round Results
December 28, 2016

Women's Division (5796 yards, par 72, 74.1/132)
Place		Name		Score
1		Jessica Spicer, Bahama, NC		37-35--72
T2		Morgan Cox, Easley, SC		36-37--73
		Reona Hirai, Summerville, SC		35-38--73
		Sarah Bae, Pinehurst, NC		37-36--73
5		Victoria Huskey, Greenville, SC		37-37--74
T6		Hailey Cleary, Lexington, SC		38-37--75
		Jacqueline Twitty, Chapin, SC		36-39--75
8		Louise Oxner, Greenville, SC		38-38--76
9		Grace Yatawara, Salisbury, NC		39-38--77
T10		Catherine Ashworth, Fuquay-Varina, NC		40-38--78
		Sarah Spicer, Bahama, NC		39-39--78
12		Alexis Kershaw, Winston-Salem, NC		41-38--79
13		Savanna Wood, Boone, NC		42-38--80
14		Maddisen Cox, Easley, SC		41-41--82
T15		Jaelyn Tindal, Rock Hill, SC		43-41--84
		Leigha Holt, Holly Springs, NC		43-41--84
17		Annika Winebarger, State Road, NC		43-42--85
18		Kelli Murphy, Elgin, SC		DQ-DQ--DQ
Men's Division (6925 yards, par 72, 73.8/130)
Place		Name		Score
1		Jackson Spires, Fayetteville, NC		33-33--66
2		Troy Beaver, Salisbury, NC		34-33--67
3		Nick Russell, Hilton Head Island, SC		33-36--69
T4		Blake Taylor, Atkinson, NC		35-35--70
		Eric Bae, Pinehurst, NC		35-35--70
T6		Austin Zoller, Summerville, SC		36-35--71
		Blake Fiest, Huntersville, NC		36-35--71
		Brett McLamb, Coats, NC		37-34--71
		David Sargent, Cornelius, NC		35-36--71
		Elliott Grayson, Shelby, NC		37-34--71
		Levi Grogan, Canton, NC		36-35--71
		Zachary Martin, Pinehurst, NC		38-33--71
T13		Austin Inman, Wilmington, NC		35-37--72
		Bryce Hendrix, Raleigh, NC		35-37--72
		Jordan Warnock, Roebuck, SC		34-38--72
T16		Jack Sides, New Bern, NC		37-36--73
		Justin Hood, Saint Matthews, SC		36-37--73
		Nolan Mills IV, Charlotte, NC		37-36--73
T19		Ben Buben, Charlotte, NC		33-41--74
		Chandler White, Clemmons, NC		35-39--74
		David Kostyal II, Wilmington, NC		39-35--74
		Harrison Rhoades, Raleigh, NC		38-36--74
		Jordan Smith, Summerfield, NC		39-35--74
		Riley Davis, Kinston, NC		36-38--74
T25		Jake McGlone, Charlotte, NC		39-36--75
		Patrick Talledo, Blythewood, SC		39-36--75
T27		Grant Powell, Colfax, NC		36-40--76
		Joey Funderburg, Wilmington, NC		38-38--76
		Michael Freeman, Asheville, NC		37-39--76
		Nick Kroustalis, Clemmons, NC		39-37--76
		Ryan Fitzgerald, Waxhaw, NC		35-41--76
		Vijay Mishra, N Myrtle Beach, SC		36-40--76
		Walker Cress, Concord, NC		39-37--76
		Will Canipe, Murrells Inlet, SC		35-41--76
T35		Aaron Purviance, Winston-Salem, NC		39-38--77
		Caleb Brown, Kershaw, SC		37-40--77
		Christian Constance, Waynesville, NC		39-38--77
		Connor Bruns, Duncan, SC		36-41--77
		Matt Carter, Easley, SC		37-40--77
		Nicholas Gunnell, Hamptonville, NC		35-42--77
		Patrick Stephenson, Four Oaks, NC		37-40--77
		William Harwood, Columbia, SC		39-38--77
T43		Alex Burris, Greensboro, NC		41-37--78
		Candler Rice, Asheville, NC		37-41--78
		Davis Richards, China Grove, NC		39-39--78
		Jake Scruggs, Shelby, NC		39-39--78
		Mark Johnston, Lewisville, NC		38-40--78
T48		Anthony Gammon, Eden, NC		40-39--79
		Austin Northern, Blowing Rock, NC		37-42--79
		Hayden Ploeger, Aiken, SC		38-41--79
		Justin Prozzi, Hartsville, SC		38-41--79
		Luke Grogan, Canton, NC		38-41--79
		Seth Lomison, Pfafftown, NC		38-41--79
T54		Christian Salzer, Sumter, SC		39-41--80
		Corey Stamper, Waynesville, NC		37-43--80
		Jonathan Brightwell, Mint Hill, NC		38-42--80
		Matt McDonagh, Winston-Salem, NC		38-42--80
		Nathan Bull, Candler, NC		41-39--80
		Nickolaus Beecroft, Bolivia, NC		41-39--80
		Zachary Herold, Lexington, SC		40-40--80
T61		A J Clark, Wilmington, NC		41-40--81
		Dane Anderson, Holly Springs, NC		39-42--81
		Thomas Garbee, Asheville, NC		39-42--81
		Zachary Laws, Hickory , NC		40-41--81
T65		Benjamin Esposito, Pittsboro, NC		40-42--82
		Fitz Woodrow IV, Lexington, SC		37-45--82
T67		Cole Jordan, Winterville, NC		42-41--83
		Dong-Jun Kim, Waxhaw, NC		45-38--83
		Matthew Spak, Cary, NC		39-44--83
T70		John Varol, Weddington, NC		41-43--84
		Jonathan Paulson, Cary, NC		42-42--84
		Ryan Reynolds, Camden , SC		44-40--84
		Sean O'Connor, Indian Trail, NC		41-43--84
		Tanner Owen, High Point, NC		40-44--84
T75		Cooper Daniel, Waxhaw, NC		39-46--85
		Jay Minter, Sanford, NC		40-45--85
77		Tyler Smith, West Columbia, SC		38-48--86
78		Harvey Allen, Fayetteville , NC		45-42--87
79		Michael McKee Jr, Ware Shoals, SC		40-48--88
80		John Freeman, Asheville, NC		43-46--89
81		Clay Brown, Davidson, NC		48-42--90
82		Justin Finger, Durham, NC		46-45--91
83		Brody Davis, Harrisburg, NC		44-49--93
T84		A T Cashwell, Concord, NC		WD-WD--WD
		Thomas Messenheimer, Morganton, NC		NS-NS--NS

Schedule of events:
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
11:00 am First round of stroke play (18 holes) shotgun start
2:30 pm Tournament lunch for players
Thursday, December 29, 2016
11:00 am Final round of stroke play (18 holes) shotgun start
2:30 pm Tournament lunch for players
3:00 pm Awards presentation

Pinewild CC information:
Address: 1 Pinewild Country Club Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374
Golf shop phone: 910-295-5145
General Manager: Chris Little
Course Superintendent: John Robertson
Architect: Gene Hamm
Men’s yardage/par: 6,835 yards/par 72
Women’s yardage/par: 5,532 yards/par 72

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA):

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 43 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 140 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed more than $1,500,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.

For more information about the CGA, visit www.carolinasgolf.org.

 

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