Roberts Reigns Supreme at the 54th NC Junior Boys' Championship

 

ROARING GAP, N.C. (June 25, 2021) --  Semi-final and championship match results of the 54th North Carolina Junior Boys’ Championship at Roaring Gap Club in Roaring Gap, N.C. from June 22 - 25, 2021. The entire field competed in the championship division and played from 6,348 yards.

 

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

 

As Hampton Roberts of Cary struck his approach shot from 221 yards into the par-5 sixteenth green the crowd was quiet in suspense as the Championship match of the 54th N.C. Junior Boys’ was drawing to a close at Roaring Gap Club. Then all of a sudden the gallery of spectators lifted a roar as Roberts’ ball found the bottom of the cup for an albatross and to win the match 4 & 2. 

 

“I have always loved this tournament, this is my fifth year playing, to win is just crazy especially how it happened,” said Roberts.  

 

The Cary native who had never recorded an albatross before, thanked his parents for their help after his round and  that it was one of the most special rounds of his life. 

 

“We were 3 up with 3 to play, I told Hampton to go back to the clubhouse and to rip a driver,” Spencer Turtz, Roberts’ caddie, said. “The approach shot was right on line and kind of ran up to the back of the green and did not really hear any reaction at all. As we started walking the ball just dripped in and the people went crazy.”

 

Prior to the shot that was heard all around Roaring Gap, the match was all tied through their outward nine, trading off wins and losses. Then beginning on No.10, the hole named Spring Branch, Roberts locked in and started gaining momentum. 

 

“I stuck to my plan going into the round, I played how I have been playing. I have only played out here [Roaring Gap Club] seven times. Today I just had to focus on the next shot at all times.” Roberts said. 

 

Roberts was able to add pressure to his opponent after he won No. 10, 11 and 12. After halving Big Oak, the par-3 No.13, Royalty was able to chip away at Roberts lead, birdieing No. 14 to go to 2 down with 4 four holes to play. 

Roberts remained confident of his abilities and persisted throughout the remainder of the match. He went on to win the “Straight-A-Way” No.15 to place him 3 up with 3 holes remaining. Then on No. 16 “Dolls House” Roberts raked in the title of NC Junior Boys Champion. 

Championship Match Results 

No. 46 Hampton Royalty def. No. 5 Keenan Royalty 4 & 2

Entering stroke play qualifying earlier in the week, Roberts was just one of many hopefuls vying for the title of North Carolina Junior Boys’ Champion. With a qualifying score of 4-over-par, 75 on Monday, Roberts was placed in match play as the No. 46 seed in the brackets. Roberts was a fighter the entire way through the tournament, dropping clutch putts and sticking approach shots from the fairway.

In the semi final match against Owen Kose of Holly Springs, Roberts won the first hole, but Kose, a formidable opponent, powered through the next few holes, winning three consecutive holes to be 2 up through six. Roberts gathered himself with some help from Turtz. Roberts then proceeded to win No. 7 and 9 to be 1 down at the turn.

Kose dropped a clutch putt and won No. 11 and was 2 up through No. 13, and that’s when Roberts kicked things into the highest gear. Roberts won three consecutive holes on No. 14, 15, and 16 with a birdie, par, birdie to regain the lead. Coming up onto the No. 17 tee box overlooking the beautiful mountains at Roaring Gap, Roberts knew another win would close out Kose. Roberts found the green but was short of the pin on his approach shot. Consulting quietly with Turtz and going through his pre-putt reads and practice strokes, Roberts sunk an incredible putt for another birdie, winning his fourth consecutive hole and defeating Kose 2 & 1. 

Royalty entered the ninth hole of his semi final match trading blows with his opponent, Jonathan Honeywell who at the time was 1 up. Royalty, however, did not find the hole with his approach shot, but he was able to secure a par to win the hole and an all tied match. 

Starting on the tenth hole Royalty’s reign would commence draining a birdie putt from 15 to feet to take a 1 up lead. He then reached the par-5 eleventh hole in two strokes and sank his eagle putt from inside 10 feet to the hole and take the 2 up lead. He would continue to win on No. 13. On the ‘Miss Alice’ the fourteenth hole, Honeywell showed some resistance to Royaltys push draining his birdie putt to reduce his margin to 2 down. However, Royalty persisted and won the subsequent two holes, to earn his spot in the Championship match in the afternoon.

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to extend our appreciation to the members and staff at Roaring Gap Club, especially Head Golf Professional Bill Glenn and Golf Course Superintendent Erik Guinther.

 

Quarter Final Results 

No. 5 Keenan Royalty def.  No. 16 Jonathan Honeywell 4 & 2

No. 46 Hampton Roberts def. No. 42 Owen Kose 2 & 1

 

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.

 

##30##