Preview: 59th NC Amateur Championship

 

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (June 12, 2019) -- The Carolinas Golf Association will conduct the 59th North Carolina Amateur Championship at Gaston Country Club in Gastonia, S.C. from June 13-16, 2019.

Related: Championship Web Site | Full Field of Players | Starting Times | Scoring | History

Players to watch:

• Brandon Einstein of Clemmons, N.C. is a rising sophomore at High Point University and is currently ranked fifth place overall in the Carolinas Men’s Rankings. He is the reigning N.C. Match Play and the N.C. Junior Boys’ champion. Einstein finished one spot shy of the victory in this event last year and will look to improve on that in order to claim his third CGA Championship title.
• Fulton Smith of Pinehurst, N.C. will begin his collegiate career this fall at Wake Forest University. Smith captured his third CGA Championship earlier this year at the Carolinian Amateur Championship at Keith Hills Golf Club. Smith tied the CGA’s competitive scoring record with an 11-under-par, 61 in the first round of the championship.
• Daniel Neveu of Pinehurst, N.C. is currently ranked 12th place overall in the Carolinas Men’s Rankings. Neveu finished tied for fifth in this event last year. He finished tied for second place at the 2019 Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship held in April.
• Carson Ownbey of Canton, N.C. is a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He claimed his first CGA title last year at Carolinas Four-Ball Championship. He finished runner up in the N.C. Match Play Championship to Einstein. Ownbey and Einstein are paired together in the first two rounds of this event.
• Steven Brame of Henderson, N.C. is the only N.C. Amateur champion in this year’s field. Brame finished tied for eighth in the 2018 N.C. Mid-Amateur Championship and tied for 25th at the 2018 Carolinas Amateur Championship.
• Keenan Poole of Raleigh, N.C. will begin his collegiate career this fall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Like Einstein, he also captured two CGA Championship titles in 2018. The first was at the Jimmy Anderson Boys’ Invitational and the second at the Dogwood State Junior Boys’ Championship.
• Sam Echikson of Charlotte, N.C. finished tied for second place earlier this year at the Carolinian Amateur Championship. Echikson made it to the round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship played at Charlotte Country Club.
• Stephen Lavenets of Willow Spring, N.C. claimed medalist honors earlier this year with his partner, Clay Watkins, at the Carolinas Four-Ball Championship at Camden Country Club. Lavenets finished tied for 13^th at last year’s Carolinas Amateur Championship, tied for 27^th earlier this year at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship and tied for 37th at the Carolinian Amateur Championship.
• John Eades of Charlotte, N.C. is the 2017 Carolinas Mid-Amateur Champion and followed that win up with a top-ten finish in 2018. He finished in sixth place at the 2018 N.C. Mid-Amateur Championship.
• Timothy Driver of Holly Springs has had several close finishes lately but is looking to capture his first individual CGA Championship title this week. Earlier this year, Driver finished tied for ninth at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship. Last year, he finished tied for third at the N.C. Mid-Amateur Championship and tied for fifth at the N.C. Amateur Championship.
• Joe Jaspers of Huntersville, N.C. is one of the more decorated and experienced golfers in this year’s field. Jaspers is the 2014 N.C. Mid-Amateur champion and he finished seventh and tied for 11th respectively in the 2018 and 2019 N.C. Mid-Amateur Championships. He finished tied for ninth in this event last year. Jaspers is also a six-time winner of the Charlotte City Amateur.
• Lansdon Robbins of Davidson, N.C. is a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He finished in a tie for second place at the 2017 N.C. Amateur Championship held at River Run Country Club in Davidson, N.C. Last year, Robbins finished tied for 23rd in this event.

Past champions in the field (1):

Steven Brame, Henderson, N.C., 2013

Mark McMillen, Cary, N.C., 2009

Chad Wilfong, Charlotte, N.C., 2001

The North Carolina Amateur Championship is a 72-hole, stroke play event. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the low 60 scores and ties for the final two rounds. An on-course playoff is used to break a tie for the championship.

Entry is open to any male amateur golfer who has reached his 13th birthday by June 13, 2019, 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 an active GHIN® USGA Handicap Index® at a CGA member club that does not exceed 10.4.

Scoring will be provided by the CGA throughout the championship. Live updates will also be available on the CGA’s official Twitter account, @cgagolf1909. Continue to visit the CGA website throughout this championship and all year long for complete championship coverage including scores, interviews, photos, and recaps.

 

Schedule of rounds:
Thursday, June 13
Round 1 – 18 holes stroke play
Tee times at 8:00 a.m./12:45 p.m. off #1 and #10 tees

Friday, June 14
Round 2 – 18 holes stroke play
Tee times at 8:00 a.m./12:45 p.m. off #1 and #10 tees
Cut to low 60 scores and ties. Field re-paired according to score.

Saturday, June 15
Round 3 – 18 holes stroke play
Tee times begin at 8:00am off #1

Sunday, June 16
Round 4 – 18 holes stroke play
Tee times begin at 8:00am off #1
Awards ceremony immediately following play at scoreboard