Honeywell and Roberts Crowned Young Am Champions to Kick Off 2024

 

Event: 15th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship

Host Site: Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst, N.C.

Playing Dates: January 3-4, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

LOCATION – Pinehurst, N.C.

 

Congratulations to Jonathan Honeywell of Whispering Pines, N.C. and Sydney Roberts of Chesnee, S.C. on taking home the win at the 15th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship in Pinehurst, N.C. It was a chilly but sunny couple days of competition at Pinewild Country Club, and our players battled it out until the very end. 

 

Men’s:

In Round 1, Honeywell carded two birdies that were back-to-back, along with two bogeys to finish at even-par, 72. The men’s leaderboard was stacked after Round 1, with two players tied at 2-under, a couple at 1-under, and many at even-par along with Honeywell to put him in a good position heading into the Final Round, but with some fierce competition ahead.

 

When asked how his strategy changes with this cold weather, Honeywell explained “The ball goes a little shorter so you just have to make sure you’re taking the right club before you hit every shot and think about everything a little more than maybe you do in the summertime.”

 

In the Final Round, the leaderboard was exciting to watch as a handful of players went back and forth between the top spots. Honeywell made an impressive eagle on hole 8 to give him momentum heading into his second nine of the day. He made two birdies on his second nine, one on his 17th hole, to finish strong and climb his way up the leaderboard. Honeywell shot a 74 in the Final Round for a total score of 2-over, and he waited for the final groups to finish to determine whether or not he had a chance to win the championship. 

 

Regarding what he did well, Honeywell said “I just kept it in play. I knew I was hanging around the whole day, so I just tried to avoid any mistakes and make a few birdies towards the end to stay in it.”

 

Ryan Jahr of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. and Sam Davidson of Asheboro, N.C. were tied for first after Round 1 at 2-under, and both remained toward the top of the leaderboard throughout the Final Round. Both Jahr and Davidson putted out on hole 18 and both came in with a 76 for the day, 2-over total. Honeywell, Jahr, and Davidson were headed to a playoff.

 

It only took one playoff hole to determine Honeywell as the champion. Honeywell gave himself a chance for par, and sunk the putt with a gallery watching to claim the title. 

 

“On the first tee it was blowing about 30 degrees, and I got a little lucky with my tee shot. I knew it was going to be tough to make par with the wind blowing so I just tried to give myself a chance to make a five, and it turned out to be enough.”

 

Honeywell finished with a 72-74 for a two-day total of 146, 2-over. Jahr and Davidson finished tied for second after the playoff, and James Rico of Cary, N.C. and Andrew Graham of Asheville, N.C. finished tied for fourth at 3-over.

 

 

Women’s:

Roberts played an impressive round for Round 1 of the competition, shooting under par at 70, 2-under. She recorded five birdies throughout the day to put her at the top of the leaderboard tied for first heading into the Final Round. 

 

Roberts’ mental game is what pushed her through, as she explained “This week the conditions were pretty tough as far as the cold and the wind, so I think having a good mindset was really big for me.”

 

In the Final Round, the women’s leaderboard, much like the men’s, was interesting to watch as players came in and out of the top spot. Roberts was in the running all day, carding 11 pars for a steady round. Roberts birdied holes 13 and 17 to separate herself from the rest of the pack. Roberts had the lead by a few strokes heading into her final hole, and she confidently sunk her par putt on 18 to seal the win. 

 

When discussing how she plays her game in the winter with cold temperatures and windy conditions, Roberts shared “Definitely playing a lot smarter. The ball doesn’t go as far so making the right decision with club choices and where to hit it is really important.”

 

Roberts shared that this win is “Definitely a good momentum boost going into the season.”

 

Roberts finished at 70-75 for a two-day total of 145, 1-over. Mia Gray of Conway, S.C. and Ava Romfo of Charleston, S.C. finished tied for second at a two-day total of 150, 6-over. 

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank General Manager Chris Little, Director of Golf Kyle Kirk, and the rest of the staff at Pinewild Country Club for a great week of competition. 

 

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1909 to promote and 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 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 nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.  

For more information about the Carolinas Golf Association, follow @cgagolf1909 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok or visit our website www.carolinasgolf.org/

 

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