Cherry + Hage Claim North Carolina Four-Ball at 27-Under

 

Event: 29th North Carolina Four-Ball Championship

Host Site: Lonnie Poole Golf Course, Raleigh, N.C.

Playing Dates: October 3-5, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

LOCATION – Raleigh, N.C.

 

It was a fun and competitive week of golf at Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C. as teams battled it out for the 29th North Carolina Four-Ball Championship title. Will Cherry of Wilmington, N.C. + Preston Hage of Raleigh, N.C. played an incredible three rounds of golf, carding a 63-60-66 for a three-day total of 189, 27-under to secure the win by three strokes. 

 

In Round 1, both Cherry and Hage’s scorecards were bogey-free. With Cherry’s four birdies and Hage’s five birdies, none of which were on the same holes, the duo finished their day at 63, 9-under. After Round 1, David Shambley of Cary, N.C. + Will Shambley of Wilmington, N.C. led the pack by two strokes at 11-under. Cherry + Hage were not the only ones sitting next in line on the leaderboard at 9-under, and many teams also sat at 8-under and 7-under, ready for Round 2.

 

In Round 2 on Friday, Cherry and Hage both played another incredible 18 holes of golf. Cherry recorded six birdies. Hage carded nine birdies, along with no bogeys, to shoot a 63 himself. As a team, Cherry + Hage finished with an impressive 60, 12-under for the day, putting them at 21-under total. The Shambley’s put up another good fight in the second round, shooting another score that was double digits under par, 10-under. David Shambley birdied six holes in a row in the middle of their second round, and even eagled hole 7. His partner, Will, shared, “We’re happy to be here. [David’s] playing really well, I’m just trying to carry my weight. It’s fun to be out here and we really like the course. It fits our eye I think pretty well, and with the greens being soft you can be pretty aggressive, so I think we have a good opportunity tomorrow.”

 

After Round 2, Cherry + Hage sat at the top of the leaderboard along with the Shambley’s, both teams at 21-under heading into the Final Round on Saturday. The next competitors sat three strokes back at 18-under. 

 

When asked about their partnership out on the course when playing our-ball instead of individual stroke play, Hage shared, “It was good. We just wanted to go out there and have fun.” 

 

The Final Round was a great day of competition, with exciting birdie putts dropping and fist bumps of celebration throughout the day. Through five holes, the Shambley’s had the lead by themselves at 24-under, and behind them sat Cherry + Hage along with Ryan Kerns of Cornelius, N.C. + Sam Jenkins of Charlotte, N.C. With birdies on holes 6 and 7, Cherry + Hage made their way back up to the top with the Shambley’s at 23-under as they made the turn. 

 

Birdies on 10 and 12 gave Cherry + Hage momentum and encouragement as they took the top spot of the leaderboard alone at 25-under. Another birdie on 15 put them at 26-under, with the Shambley’s two strokes behind at 24-under with just a few holes to go. 

 

“We checked the leaderboard towards the end to see how much of a cushion we had, but outside of that we were just playing our games and having fun out there,” Cherry explained. 

 

Cherry + Hage had a two-stroke lead heading into the 18th hole, and as friends and family stood around the 18th green to celebrate their victory, Hage sunk his birdie putt on 18 to make the win just a little sweeter, claiming the title by three strokes.

 

“[Preston] putted amazing, it was fun to watch. Our short game is probably what won us the tournament this week,” Cherry said.

 

Hage takes lessons at Lonnie Poole and has played the course countless times. “I’ve played here since I was eight years old, so it definitely helped to know the course that well,” Hage shared. 

 

When asked how it feels to win, Cherry shared, “It means a lot to come out here and win it with my partner. It was ultimately about having fun and it was a great way to end the week.

 

Timothy Driver + Mark McMillen of Holly Springs, N.C. and Kerns + Jenkins finished tied for second at a three-day total of 192, 24-under. 

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank General Manager Chip Watson, Superintendent Brian Green, Head Pro Scott Clagg, and the rest of the staff at Lonnie Poole Golf Course for a great event in Raleigh, N.C.

 

 

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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