Meet the NC Jr. Boys' Semi-finalists

48^th N.C. Junior Boys' Championship
Meet the Semi-finalists
 

SALISBURY, N.C. – Match play rounds of 16 and quarterfinal results from the 48^th North Carolina Junior Boys' Championship hosted by The Country Club of Salisbury on Thursday, June 25, 2015 (6613 yards, Par 35-36—71, Rating: 72.0/130).

Match Play Bracket

Photo Gallery

Quick 9 Interviews

From 155 North Carolina junior boys who began the championship Tuesday at The Country Club of Salisbury, four remain for the final day on competition Friday.  

Jonathan Brightwell, Mint Hill vs. Jack Brea, Charlotte
Jack Massei, Cary vs. Trey Burton, Hickory

Semifinal matches will begin Friday morning at 8:00am. The championship match is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:30pm. 

Meet the semi-finalists:

Jonathan Brightwell (photo) of Mint Hill
Match play No. 9 seed after shooting one-under par 70 in stroke play qualifying. The 17-year-old rising senior at Independence High School has committed to play golf at UNC-Greensboro. Focused on golf since age 12, he is 64th ranked junior golfer in N.C. who plays out of Pine Lake Country Club. Last September he won a College Prep Golf Tour event held at The Country Club of Salisbury.

Brightwell never trailed in his Round of 16 match against No. 1 seed Nicholas Lyerly of Salisbury, who is the 7th ranked junior in the state. Leading 1 up on the 18th hole, Brightwell hit his approach shot within two feet of the hole to seal the victory.

Feeling confident in his ball-striking this week, Brightwell wants "to be more aggressive on the greens" in Friday's play to give himself opportunities to win holes. 

Jack Brea (photo) of Charlotte
Stroke play qualifying round of two-over-par 73 resulted in No. 36 match play seed. The 16-year-old rising junior at Providence Day School plays the majority of his golf at Carmel Country Club. Brea started playing golf three years ago after switching from tennis.

Along the way to the semifinals, Brea defeated No. 4 seed  Logan Shuping of Salisbury in the Round of 32 and No. 5 seed Grant Powell of Colfax in the quarterfinals.

Jack Massei (photo) of Cary
No. 2 match play seed after three-under 68 in qualifying round. Massei is a 15-year-old rising sophomore at Green Hope High School. His father, Matt, is the general manager at Prestonwood Country Club.

In his quarterfinal match against Michael Freeman of Asheville, Massei was 4 up thru 7 holes. Freeman would win four of the next five holes to square the match. After Massei also lost the 14th hole, he thought the match would soon be over as Freeman lined up a birdie attempt on the 15th. However, Freeman missed the putt and the hole was halved with pars. Massei then won holes 16, 17, and halved 18 to escape with a 1 up win. 

Massei is currently ranked 115th among junior boys in North Carolina. Playing golf since age six, last year he qualified for the inaugural Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Augusta National. 

Trey Burton (photo) of Hickory
Shot one-under 70 in qualifying for 14th match play seed. Burton is a 17-year-old rising senior at Newton-Conover High School who has committed to play golf at Catawba College.

1 up thru the first nine holes of his quarterfinal match against Reilly Erhardt of Greensboro, Burton birdied holes 10 and 11 to extend his lead to 3 up. By also winning holes 11 and 14, Burton was able to close the match 4 & 3.

The 49th junior boy in the state, Burton practices his golf game at Lake Hickory Country Club where his father, Allen, is Director of Instruction & Player Development Programs. In last year's championship, Burton lost in a playoff to qualify for the match play portion of the championship.

48th North Carolina Junior Boys' Championship
Country Club of Salisbury
Match Play Rounds of 16 and Quarterfinal Results | June 25, 2015

Round of 16
(Qualifying score), Name, City, State, (Graduation Year)
(68) Nicholas Lyerly, Salisbury, N.C. (2017) def. (71) Justin Emmons, Asheboro, N.C. (2017), 4 and 3
(70) Jonathan Brightwell, Mint Hill, N.C. (2016) def. (69) Zack Swanson, Waxhaw, N.C. (2017), 3 and 2
(73) Jack Brea, Charlotte, N.C. (2017) def. (74) Alex Scott, Raleigh, N.C. (2017), 3 and 2
(69) Grant Powell, Colfax, N.C. (2016) def. (70) Eric Bae, Pinehurst, N.C. (2016), 1 up
(68) Jack Massei, Cary, N.C. (2018) def. (74) Jack Speer, Winston-Salem, N.C. (2015), 1 up
(71) Michael Freeman, Asheville, N.C. (2016) def. (72) Akshay Bhatia, Wake Forest, N.C. (2020), 3 and 2
(70) Trey Burton, Hickory, N.C. (2015) def. (72) Walker Simas, Charlotte, N.C. (2016), 4 and 2
(70) Reilly Erhardt, Greensboro, N.C. (2015) def. (73) Tripp Summerlin, Summerfield, N.C. (2016), 5 and 4

Quarterfinal Round
(Qualifying score), Name, City, State, (Graduation Year)
(70) Jonathan Brightwell, Mint Hill, N.C. (2016) def. (68) Nicholas Lyerly, Salisbury, N.C. (2017), 1 up
(73) Jack Brea, Charlotte, N.C. (2017) def. (69) Grant Powell, Colfax, N.C. (2016), 4 and 3
(68) Jack Massei, Cary, N.C. (2018) def. (71) Michael Freeman, Asheville, N.C. (2016), 1 up
(70) Trey Burton, Hickory, N.C. (2015) def. (70) Reilly Erhardt, Greensboro, N.C. (2015), 4 and 3

Entry is open to any male amateur golfer ages 12-18 as of June 26, 2015, who has not started college, is a legal resident of North Carolina, is a member in good standing of a club which is a member of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) and has a current USGA Handicap Index® at a CGA member club that does not exceed 18.3.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Stroke play qualifying
11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Players’ lunch
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Stroke play qualifying

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
7:30 a.m. – 11:09 a.m. Round 1 matches
11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Players’ lunch
12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Round 2 matches

Thursday, June 25, 2015
8:00 a.m. – 8:49 a.m. Round 3 matches
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Quarterfinal matches

Friday, June 26, 2015
8:00 a.m. – 8:10 a.m. Semifinal matches
12:30 p.m. Championship match
*Schedule subject to change.

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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