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Players to Watch at 50th NC Junior Boys'
Fulton Smith of Pinehurst, the 5th ranked junior boys' golfer in N.C.
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (June 21, 2017) -- The Carolinas Golf Association’s boys’ championship season continues with the 50th N.C. Junior Boys’ Championship at Colonial Country Club in Thomasville, N.C. from Tuesday, June 27th - Friday, June 30, 2017 (6,809 yards, par 36-35--71, Course Rating 72.3/123).
Related: Championship Website | Starting Times | History
The 50th North Carolina Junior Boys' champion will be invited to represent the CGA in the Virginias-Carolinas Junior Team Matches at Boonesboro Country Club in Lynchburg, VA on August 12-13, 2017.
2017 marks the ninth time Colonial Country Club has hosted a Carolinas Golf Association major championship and the first time hosting the North Carolina Junior Boys' Championship. Steeped in tradition with well-appointed amenities, Colonial Country Club is a private club providing a rich and full family membership experience. Conveniently located just moments from anywhere in the Piedmont Triad Colonial Country Club is proud of its history and proven ability to grow and continue to build toward the future.
Here are 10 players to watch at this year’s NC Junior Boys’ Championship:
1. Jack Massei of Cary. Massei, a rising high school senior, won the 2015 NC Junior Boys’ Championship and reached the quarterfinals in last year’s tournament. This past spring Massei finished third in the CGA Jimmy Anderson Boys’ Invitational, the Carolinas-Georgia Junior and the NCHSAA 4A state championship. Massei was the qualifying medalist in last week’s U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying for July's national championship. As of June 6th, Massei is currently ranked #9 in North Carolina and has verbally committed to East Carolina.
2. Fulton Smith of Pinehurst. A rising high school junior, Smith won the 2016 CGA Dogwood State Junior Boys’ Championship along and represented the CGA in the Carolinas-Virginias Junior Team Matches. Smith advanced to the Round of 32 at last year's N.C. Junior Boys’ Championship. Smith recently verbally committed to play college golf at Wake Forest and is ranked 5th in N.C.
3. Tim Bunten of Concord. Bunten, a recent high school graduate from the Cannon School, is the 14th ranked junior in N.C. Bunten competed in the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur and reached the quarterfinals in last year’s NC Junior Boys'. Bunten will play collegiate golf at East Carolina this coming fall.
4. Mason Elmore of Charlotte. A high school graduate, Elmore has nine top ten finishes over the past 12 months that include an eighth place finish in the CGA Dogwood State Junior and a tie for fifth in the NC Trusted Choice Big I Junior. Elmore will begin his college career at UNC-Chapel Hill this August and is ranked #11 in N.C.
5. Jackson Van Paris of Pinehurst. Van Paris, a rising high school freshman, is the 2016 N.C. Boys’ 13 & Under champion. He won the NCISAA 2A state championship in May and finished in fourth place in the CGA Jimmy Anderson Boys’ Invitational in April. Van Paris is #28 on the N.C. Boys’ rankings.
6. Lansdon Robbins of Davidson. Robbins, a rising high school senior at The Cannon School, finished tied for second in last week’s North Carolina Men’s Amateur. In 2016 Robbins reached the quarterfinals of the N.C. Junior and tied for sixth in the Dogwood State Junior. Robbins is ranked #19 in N.C. and recently committed to play college golf at UNC-Wilmington.
7. Alex Goff of Kings Mountain. Goff, a rising high school senior, reached the semifinals in the 2016 NC Junior Boys’ Championship. Goff also had a top-ten finish in the CGA Dogwood State Junior, finishing tied for eighth. Goff is ranked #10 in N.C.
8. Michael Childress of Salisbury. Childress, a rising high school senior, tied for 19th in last week’s N.C. Men’s Amateur Championship. In 2016, Childress reached the Round of 16 in the N.C. Junior Boys’ Championship and competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur. This past spring, Childress tied for medalist in the TYGA N.C. High School Invitational. Childress is ranked #8 in N.C. and has verbally committed to the University of Richmond.
9. Bryson Boyette of Wilson. Boyette, a high school graduate, has three wins this spring including the NCHSAA 3A State Championship in May. Boyette will play college golf at Barton College this coming August.
10. Ben Woodruff of Huntersville. Woodruff, a rising high school senior, was the runner-up in the 2016 N.C. Junior Boys' Championship. He has verbally committed to play college golf at UNC-Charlotte and is ranked #24 in N.C.
| Medalist | Score | Site |
| James Carlin Raleigh |
71 (-1) | Wedgewood GC Wilson |
| Christian Bailey Matthews |
67 (-5) | Statesville CC Statesville |
149 players are scheduled to play in the 50th edition of the North Carolina Junior Boys' Championship. Exempt players were automatically eligible for the tournament, while others had to earn their way into the field through one of two qualifiers.
The championship format is match play with an 18 hole of stroke play qualifier to determine the seeding for match play. The top 64 boys from the stroke play qualifier will advance to match play. Boys will compete at approximately 6,605 yards, par 71. Entry is open to any male amateur golfer ages 12-18 as of June 30, 2017,
who has not started college, is a legal resident of North Carolina, is a member in good standing of a club which is a member of the Carolinas Golf Association and has a current USGA Handicap Index® at a CGA member club that does not exceed 18.3. There are no age divisions. Boys will compete in one division.
Scoring will be provided by the CGA throughout the championship, offering 9 and 18-hole updates. Live updates will also be available on the CGA’s official Junior Department Twitter, @CarolinasJunior. Continue to visit the CGA website throughout this championship and all year long for complete championship coverage including scores, interviews, photos, and recaps.
Past champions in the field
Jack Massei, Cary (2015)
Full field of players
Championship Schedule
Tuesday, June 27
8:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. Stroke play qualifying
11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Players’ lunch
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Stroke play qualifying
Wednesday, June 28
8:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. Round 1 matches
11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Players’ lunch
12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Round 2 matches
Thursday, June 29
8:00 a.m. - 8:49 a.m. Round 3 matches
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Quarterfinal matches
Friday, June 30
8:00 a.m. - 8:10 a.m. Semifinal matches
12:30 p.m. Championship match
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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