Adams and Gooding Grab Mimosa Hills Jr. Lead
MORGANTON, N.C. (August 29, 2020) -- First round results of the Inaugural Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational at Mimosa Hills Country Club in Morganton, N.C. on August 29, 2020. The Boys’ division is competing at approximately 6,755 yards, par 72. The Girls’ division is competing at approximately 5,810 yards, par 72.
The CGA will be conducting this championship under the new COVID-19 Tournament Protocols. Learn more here.
Related: Championship Web Site | Full Field | Starting Times | Scoring | Photos
Boys’ Division
Zach Adams of Charleston, S.C. stole the top of the leaderboard this afternoon with an outrageous 6-under, 66 in the second to last tee time of the day. While Adams’ may have claimed No. 1 later in the afternoon, his birdies started right away this morning.
“Today I birdied the first three holes and then I just cruised until the stretch,” said Adams. “I haven’t played much golf in the last two weeks so I had no expectations on the day.”
That hot start gave him enough momentum to maintain 3-under-par, until an eagle on No. 14 sealed his first place position. Adams said, “That eagle just gave me a lot of confidence to finish out strong.”
Finish out strong he did, with two more birdies under his belt on Nos. 16 and 17 to lead the field by two strokes going into the final round.
Before Adams’ score rolled in this afternoon, 4-under-par, 68 was the round to beat. Nathan Franks of Roebuck, S.C., Steven Shea of Charlotte, N.C., Andrew Plate of Greensboro, N.C. and Jake Conklin of Cary, N.C. carded matching 68’s for a four-way-tie in second.
There are 26 players within five strokes of the lead and with another 18 holes tomorrow, it is still anybody’s game.
Girls’ Division
Kennedy Gooding of Lexington, S.C. fired off a 2-under-par, 70 today to lead the field by three strokes heading into the final round.
“I had a good start with a birdie on No. 1 and that set the tone for my round,” said Gooding. “My strength today was definitely putting and driving. I didn’t miss a single fairway and I didn’t have any three-putts so I am happy about that.”
A three-putt free round is quite impressive on Mimosa Hills’ Donald Ross greens. A general consensus in the field today deemed putting to be the key to a solid round.
Gooding plans to take her putting and driving from today and run with it into the final round. “If I play the same way that I played today then I will be very happy,” she said.
Heather Appelson of Wake Forest, N.C. holds solo second after carding a 1-over-par, 73. Consistency was key for Appelson with 15 solid pars that helped her to steadily climb the leaderboard.
Gabriela Cruz of High Point, N.C. and Mary Sears Brown of Wake Forest, N.C. finished 2-over-par, 74 to tie for third just one shot back from Appelson. Both Cruz and Brown rode a rollercoaster today with a mixed bag of birdies and bogeys, but ultimately finished strong to remain in striking distance for the final round.
The Inaugural Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational will resume tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. off of No. 1 for the final round.
Inaugural Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational
Mimosa Hills Country Club | Morganton, N.C.
Boys’ Division First Round Results
Pos. | Player | City, State, Graduation | To Par | Total |
1 | Zach Adams | Charleston, SC, 2022 | -6 | 66 |
T2 | Jake Conklin | Cary, NC, 2022 | -4 | 68 |
T2 | Steven Shea | Charlotte, NC, 2023 | -4 | 68 |
T2 | Andrew Plate | Greensboro, NC, 2021 | -4 | 68 |
T2 | Nathan Franks | Roebuck, SC, 2021 | -4 | 68 |
T6 | Benjamin Bailey | Huntersville, NC, 2022 | -3 | 69 |
T6 | Samuel Mace | Connelly Springs, NC, 2022 | -3 | 69 |
T6 | Tyler Partee | Thomasville, NC, 2021 | -3 | 69 |
T6 | Collin Adams | Charlotte, NC, 2021 | -3 | 69 |
T10 | Ben Jordan | Greensboro, NC, 2022 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Spencer Turtz | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Owen Kose | Holly Springs, NC, 2022 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Branden Boyce | Spring Lake, NC, 2022 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Caden Baker | Mebane, NC, 2021 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Parker Shimp | Charlotte, NC, 2021 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Kyle Haas | Winston-Salem, NC, 2023 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Colt Ingram | Aiken, SC, 2021 | -2 | 70 |
T10 | Andrew Swanson | Bluffton, SC, 2021 | -2 | 70 |
T19 | WIlson Thrift | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Will Conway | Weddington, NC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Tyler DeChellis | Clayton, NC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Ike Joy | Denver, NC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Carter Busse | Davidson, NC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Zach Phillips | Inman, SC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Hampton Roberts | Cary, NC, 2023 | -1 | 71 |
T19 | Jack Burris | Greensboro, NC, 2021 | -1 | 71 |
T27 | Gene Zeigler | Florence, SC, 2021 | E | 72 |
T27 | Mason Tucker | Lancaster, SC, 2021 | E | 72 |
T27 | Alex Bock | Morganton, NC, 2024 | E | 72 |
T27 | Benton Leinster | Greenville, SC, 2022 | E | 72 |
T31 | Bryan Fang | Raleigh, NC, 2023 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Jonathan Honeywell | Whispering Pines, NC, 2022 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Jack Boyer | Greensboro, NC, 2022 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Pearse Lucas | Charlotte, NC, 2021 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Max Green | Hilton Head Island, SC, 2021 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Timmy Gannon | Charlotte, NC, 2021 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Fisher Kennedy | Winston-Salem, NC, 2023 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Parker Cumbea | Fuquay Varina, NC, 2021 | +1 | 73 |
T31 | Andrew Propes | Charleston, SC, 2021 | +1 | 73 |
T40 | Drew Van Dyke | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +2 | 74 |
T40 | Cameron Hardison | Greenville, NC, 2022 | +2 | 74 |
T40 | Daniel Boone | Fuquay Varina, NC, 2023 | +2 | 74 |
T40 | Holland Giles | Pinehurst, NC, 2023 | +2 | 74 |
T44 | Calvin Hawkins | Lexington, NC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Maddox Whittington | Lenoir, NC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Andrew Graham | Asheville, NC, 2021 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Max Jacobson | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Ayush Bodhale | Huntersville, NC, 2021 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Tyler Jones | Jacksonville, NC, 2023 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Owen Pearce | Winston-Salem, NC, 2023 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Daniel Adkins | Holly Springs, NC, 2021 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Ryan Jahr | Ocean Isle Beach, NC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T44 | Noah Bumgarner | Lenoir, NC, 2021 | +3 | 75 |
T54 | Jennings Glenn | Raleigh, NC, 2021 | +4 | 76 |
T54 | Charlie Barr | Salisbury, NC, 2021 | +4 | 76 |
T54 | Oliver Rotermund | Charleston, SC, 2021 | +4 | 76 |
T57 | Bradley Davis, Jr. | Pilot Mountain, NC, 2022 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | William Grasty | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Charlie Fetter | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Nick Norman | Gastonia, NC, 2022 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Elliott Pope | Lugoff, SC, 2021 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Jake Herring | Wilson, NC, 2021 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Landon Hawley | Charlotte, NC, 2023 | +5 | 77 |
T57 | Tate Smith | Gastonia, NC, 2022 | +5 | 77 |
T65 | Cayden Bryner | Winston-Salem, NC, 2022 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Aidan Browning | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Kyle Kushnir | Raleigh, NC, 2021 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Josh Buxbaum | Wake Forest, NC, 2021 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Cameron Biddle | Aiken, SC, 2023 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Langdon Aronson | Raleigh, NC, 2021 | +6 | 78 |
T65 | Kareem Elkassem | Raleigh, NC, 2023 | +6 | 78 |
T72 | Matthew Hutto | Blythewood, SC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
T72 | Benjamin Peters | Winston-Salem, NC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
T72 | Alan Van Asch | Raleigh, NC, 2022 | +7 | 79 |
T72 | Jackson Bode | Pinehurst, NC, 2022 | +7 | 79 |
T76 | Jace Butcher | Wake Forest, NC, 2023 | +8 | 80 |
T76 | Nick Goellner | Apex, NC, 2023 | +8 | 80 |
T76 | Turner Edwards | Charlotte, NC, 2022 | +8 | 80 |
T79 | Ian Podziewski | Waxhaw, NC, 2022 | +9 | 81 |
T79 | Mavrick Mullinax | Lexington, SC, 2021 | +9 | 81 |
T79 | Miles Eubanks | Warrenville, SC, 2023 | +9 | 81 |
T82 | Garrett Hauk | Burlington, NC, 2021 | +11 | 83 |
T82 | Jay Lowder | Greenville, SC, 2022 | +11 | 83 |
Inaugural Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational
Mimosa Hills Country Club | Morganton, N.C.
Girls’ Division First Round Results
Pos. | Player | City, State, Graduation | To Par | Total |
1 | Kennedy Gooding | Lexington, SC, 2022 | -2 | 70 |
2 | Heather Appelson | Wake Forest, NC, 2023 | +1 | 73 |
T3 | Mary Sears Brown | Wake Forest, NC, 2021 | +2 | 74 |
T3 | Gabriela Cruz | High Point, NC, 2021 | +2 | 74 |
T5 | Maria Atwood | Holly Springs, NC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T5 | Adrian Anderson | Murrells Inlet, SC, 2022 | +3 | 75 |
T5 | Sarah Boteler | Greenville, SC, 2021 | +3 | 75 |
T8 | Macy Pate | Boone, NC, 2024 | +4 | 76 |
T8 | Ella Kue | King Mountain, NC, 2023 | +4 | 76 |
T8 | Morgan Ketchum | Winston-Salem, NC, 2022 | +4 | 76 |
T8 | Sydney Roberts | Chesnee, SC, 2022 | +4 | 76 |
T8 | Ella Perna | Durham, NC, 2022 | +4 | 76 |
13 | Isabella Britt | Chesnee, SC, 2021 | +5 | 77 |
14 | Madison Dixon | Boiling Springs, SC, 2023 | +6 | 78 |
T15 | Gracie Song | Waxhaw, NC, 2026 | +7 | 79 |
T15 | Ava Lucas | Raleigh, NC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
T15 | Ellie Pittman | Newland, NC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
T15 | Kayla Dowell | Mebane, NC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
T15 | Christina Fisher | Morganton, NC, 2021 | +7 | 79 |
20 | Macie Burcham | Greensboro, NC, 2021 | +8 | 80 |
T21 | Abby Franks | Roebuck, SC, 2023 | +9 | 81 |
T21 | Grace Holcomb | Wilmington, NC, 2021 | +9 | 81 |
T21 | Layla Meric | Wesley Chapel, NC, 2021 | +9 | 81 |
T24 | Kinsley Smith | Raleigh, NC, 2024 | +10 | 82 |
T24 | Anna Howerton | Winston-Salem, NC, 2023 | +10 | 82 |
T24 | Hannah Altman | Lake City, SC, 2022 | +10 | 82 |
27 | Albany Bock | Morganton, NC, 2021 | +13 | 85 |
28 | Sondra Uon | Newton, NC, 2023 | +26 | 98 |
WD | Paige Paolucci | Blythewood, SC, 2022 | - | WD |
Schedule of Final Round:
Sunday, August 30
7:30 a.m. to 12:40 a.m. Final Round Starting Times
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 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events as well as 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 nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.
For more information about the CGA, visit our website.
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