Kim Defends Title at Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship

 

Event: 68th Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship

Host Site: The Golf Club at Quail Ridge, Sanford, N.C

Playing Dates: June 18-20, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos 

 

SANFORD, N.C. - Congratulations to Defending Champion Jenna Kim of Raleigh, N.C, on winning the 68th Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship, an official USGA Exemption Event, which carries exemption into the 75th U.S. Girls’ Junior. Kim carded rounds of 69-72-68 to finish at 209, 7-under to claim the title for the second year in a row.

 

On Monday, Kim already qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior via the U.S. Girls’ Junior Qualifying at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, N.C. 

 

“It means a lot to be playing at that high level at a USGA Event,” Kim said. “This is my first time playing the Girls’ Junior and I’m really excited for all the opportunities it’ll present.”

 

Kim spent the rest of the week defending her Carolinas Junior Girls’ title at The Golf Club at Quail Ridge in Sanford, N.C. Firing an opening round 69, she sat one shot back of Riley Grimm of Pikeville, N.C. 

 

“I really like this course,” Kim said. “It was definitely tricky, but there were a lot of opportunities to make birdies, the fairways were really solid and the course was really pure and in good condition.”

 

She only had two bogeys, which both came on the back nine, but her fast start of reaching 3-under before the turn gave her a cushion to fall back on. 

 

In Round 2, shooting an even-par 72 gave her a one shot lead heading into Thursday’s Final Round.

 

Three birdies and three bogeys decorated Kim’s scorecard but her patience never faltered, winding down her round with a birdie on 16 to give her a final push of momentum heading into one more day of competition. 

 

Hallie Wilson, of Lewisville, N.C, surged up the leaderboard to share a tie at second with Grimm after firing a 69 — Wednesday’s lowest score. 

 

The final group teed off Thursday at 9:39 a.m. as the sun continued to heat up the course. All week, temperatures were steady in the 90s forcing players to battle through the heat. 

 

Kim’s one shot lead quickly grew as she opened the round with seven pars before birding hole eight. Ella June Hannant of Pikeville N.C, tried putting pressure on Kim as she made the turn but had some tough breaks down the stretch firing her third 72 of the week to finish at even par for the tournament. Kim had a three-stroke lead sitting at 4-under after nine holes.

 

Starting the back nine off strong, Kim birdied holes 10 and 12 and holed a mid-range putt for a key par save on 13 to keep extending her lead. 

 

She rolled in another birdie on 16 and closed with two more pars signing for a bogey-free Final Round of 68 to complete her title defense. 

 

At 7-under for the tournament, Kim finished six shots better than the rest of the field. Wilson finished in solo second and Hannant and Ellen Yu of Greensboro, N.C. tied for third. 

 

“The past few days there had been some rocky times but today I didn’t really make too many big mistakes and when I did I just made sure that my putting was solid,” Kim said. 

 

Yu carded the lowest round of the tournament with a bogey-free 67 in her final round that pushed her into the top three. 

 

With the win, Kim is now a four-time CGA Champion.

 

“It means a lot to have won this tournament two years in a row,” Kim said. “This is always a tournament I look forward to and it’s always such a fun time, so I’m really excited that I was able to defend my title here.”

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank Head Professional Dale Fogarty, Course Superintendents Eddie Draper and Randy Dallas and all other staff from The Golf Club at Quail Ridge for putting on a phenomenal event. 

 

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 one of the largest golf associations in the country, with over 700 member clubs represented by over 200,000 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 over $3,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives, including junior, women and adaptive 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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