Top Ranked Players at Carolinas Junior

Ten Players to Watch at 66^th Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship
Top-ranked players from NC and SC will compete at Forest Oaks

138 junior boys from North Carolina and South Carolina will convene at Forest Oaks Country Club for the 66^th Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) from Tuesday, July 28 to Thursday, July 30.

The golf course at Forest Oaks Country Club was designed and built in the early 1960s by Ellis Maples.  In 2002, Love Enterprises and Associates were chosen to reconstruct the golf course to a “Davis Love III Signature Golf Course.” From 1977–2007, the club hosted the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship.  Though it is the first time the Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship will be held at Forest Oaks, it is the 10^th CGA championship conducted on the course since 1972.

In the first two rounds, there will be two waves of tee times starting from the 1^st and 10^th tees at 8:00am and 12:30pm.  Players will try to make the 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties for the final round to determine the 66^th Carolinas Junior Boys champion.

Top 5 ranked players to watch from North Carolina competing in this year’s Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship.

1. Eric Bae of Pinehurst, N.C., a rising high school senior, had a great spring season with victories at the NC 4A state championship and the 3^rd Jimmy Creed junior Boys’ Invitational at Camden Country Club.  He also tied for first at a US Junior Am Qualifier in Asheboro and qualified for match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur.  Bae has verbally committed to play collegiate golf at Wake Forest University and is currently ranked #1 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
    
2. Nicholas Lyerly of Salisbury, N.C., a rising high school junior, was the stroke play medalist at this year’s NC Junior Boys’ Championship and made it to the quarterfinals of match play.  He was also the 2015 NCHSAA 3A state champion and is currently ranked 5^th in the NC junior boy’s rankings. 
    
3. Henry Shimp of Charlotte, N.C., a rising high school senior, is the defending champion. Shimp recently finished with a tie for 6^th at the Carolinas Amateur.  He is currently ranked 8^th in the NC junior boy’s rankings and has committed to play collegiate golf at Stanford University.
    
4. Walker Cress of Concord, N.C., a rising high school senior, verbally committed to James Madison University. He recently won individual medalist honors at the NCHSAA 3A Midwest and tied for 9^th at the NCHSAA 3 Championship.  Cress is currently ranked 11^th in the NC junior boy’s rankings. 
    
5. Blake Taylor of Atkinson, N.C., a rising high school senior, recently won the CPGA Junior Championship and TYGA Coastal Plains at Bradford Creek.  Taylor is currently ranked 12^th in the NC junior boy’s rankings. 

 Top 5 ranked players to watch from South Carolina competing in this year’s Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship.

1. Christian Salzer of Sumter, S.C., a rising high school senior, has verbally committed to playing golf at NC State. Salzer recently won the SCGA Junior, medalist honors at a Big I Qualifier and qualified for the U.S. Junior. He is currently ranked 3^rd in the SC junior boy’s rankings. 
    
2. Jordan Warnock of Roebuck, S.C., a rising high school senior, recently won the HJS Spartanburg, tied for 10^th in the Grant Bennett Florence Junior, made it to the semifinal match at the SC Junior Match Play, and tied for 6^th at a Big I qualifier.  He currently ranked 6^th in the SC junior boy’s rankings. 
    
3. Brady Hinkle of Lancaster, S.C., a rising high school sophomore, recently tied for 9^th in a US Junior Qualifier, placed 7^th at the Grant Bennett Florence Junior, and tied for first at the Carmel CC Junior Invitational.  He currently is ranked 8^th in the SC junior boy’s rankings.  
    
4. Zakariya Butt of Summerville, S.C., a rising high school senior, recently tied for 8^th at the CGA Jimmy Creed invitational and tied for 16^th at a Big I Qualifier.  He is currently ranked 9^th in the SC junior boy’s rankings.  
    
5. Logan Sowell of Kershaw, S.C., a rising high school senior, recently took 5^th at the SCGA Junior, placed 4^th at a US Junior qualifier, and 5^th at the Grant Bennett Florence Junior.  He is currently ranked 11^th in the SC junior boys rankings.

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.

Now in its 106th year, 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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