Petersen picks up Anderson Girls' title

 

Natalie Petersen of Holly Springs, NC has been playing in the Jimmy Anderson Girls' Invitational since 2012, but had no luck in winning the tournament until her last try before moving on to college.  Petersen, a high school senior who will begin her college career next fall at Georgia Southern, followed up her first round of 70 with a round of three under par 67 and finished with a two day total of five under par 137 to capture her second CGA title of 2016.  Petersen won the Dogwood State Junior Championship this past August.  " I really hit my irons great today.  I got a new set of irons last week and they are really dialed in for me" stated Petersen.  "I was able to make some putts, but most were pretty close because I was hitting my irons so well" added the Holly Springs junior.  First round leader Caroline Curtis of Richmond, VA kept it close all day, but a late round bogey on the seventeenth hole gave Petersen a one shot lead headed into the par five eighteenth hole.  Curtis birdied the last, but Petersen matched Curtis with her own birdie to secure the Jimmy Anderson trophy.  Amy Wooten of Clinton, NC, Emily Hawkins of Lexington, NC and Muskan Uppal of Cornelius, NC all tied for third place at even par 142.  The top five players each earned an invitation to the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour's Tour Championship this coming November.

 

Due to over an inch of rain early Sunday morning on an already saturated course, the golf course was shortened so round two could be completed.  Hole fourteen was shortened to a par three from 135 yards and hole fifteen was played as a par three from 165 yards.  Hole seven was lengthened and played as a par five for a course par of 70.

 

The Jimmy Anderson Girls’ Invitational is conducted in honor Mr. Jimmy Anderson for his service as golf professional at Jacksonville Country Club and his dedication and support of junior golf.  Jimmy Anderson was the head golf professional at Jacksonville Country Club for over 25 years.  Each Saturday morning, he conducted a junior golf clinic to help spread the game of golf to the next generation.  During his tenure at Jacksonville CC, he taught many juniors including Mallory Miller, the 1987 N.C. Junior Champion and numerous future collegiate and golf professionals.  Not only did he teach the game of golf, but was always there with a helpful word of encouragement to any young golfer.

 

A record field of 54 junior girl golfers from six different states are competing on the George Cobb designed course that opened for play in 1954 and has hosted numerous tournaments, including the Carolinas Golf Association’s 2007 North Carolina Mid-Amateur.  This year’s event will be conducted jointly by the Carolinas Golf Association and the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Golf Tour.

 

Hole by hole scoring | Tournament pictures

 

*Course was shortened for round two due to over saturation of two holes (#14 and #15)