Women’s Team Matches Trophy Stays at Home With Team Carolinas Win

 

Event: 67th Virginias-Carolinas Women’s Team Matches

Host Site: Keswick Club, Keswick, VA

Playing Dates: July 15-16, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

LOCATION – Keswick, VA

 

Congratulations to Team Carolinas on winning the 67th Virginias-Carolinas Women’s Team Matches at Keswick Club in Keswick, VA. Team Carolinas won with 43.5 points against Team Virginias with 37.5 points. 

 

Each year, some of the best female golfers in North and South Carolina go head-to-head with some of the best female golfers in Virginia and West Virginia. These team matches create such a fun and competitive atmosphere for the players, each team vying to take the trophy home. Each team consists of 18 players, including six seniors and two super seniors. 

 

Day 1 was 9 holes of Four-Ball Match Play followed by 9 holes Modified Alternate Shot Match Play. Three points were available in each match – one for Four-Ball, one for Modified Alternate Shot, and one for the overall match. The final day was Singles Match Play, and again, three points were available in each match – one for the front nine, one for the back nine, and one for the overall. 

 

On Day 1, the team energy was strong and exciting to start the morning as four-ball matches headed out onto the course. In the four-ball matches, Team Carolinas earned 6 points, while Team Virginias earned 3 points. Macie Burcham of Greensboro, N.C. + Grace Holcomb of Wilmington, N.C. had the biggest win in their match, 5 & 3.

 

In the modified alternate shot matches, Team Carolinas won 5.5 points and Team Virginias won 3.5 points. Patty Moore + Kimbra Benson of Pinehurst, N.C. won their match by the biggest margin at 3 & 1. 

 

The seniors swept their competition, bringing in lots of points for Team Carolinas. Beth Magera of Greenville, S.C. + Toni Notaro of Pinehurst, N.C., Moore + Benson, and Judy Penman of Pinehurst, N.C. + Clara Rodriguez of Columbia, S.C., all won the full three points for Team Carolinas, and Pam Prescott of Piedmont, S.C. + Lea Venable of Simpsonville, S.C. brought 2.5 points to the team. 

 

Burcham + Holcomb also earned the full three points for Team Carolinas, putting the Carolinas 8 points ahead of the Virginias heading into singles matches on Tuesday with 17.5 points to Virginias’ 9.5 points.

 

This is Prescott’s fourth year as captain, and she led the team with advice and words of encouragement for returning players and new players, bringing the team together. 

 

Before heading into singles matches, Prescott’s words of encouragement were, “Tomorrow we’re going to play loose, we’re going to have a good time, and we’re going to win holes. If you play uptight and stressed, you’re not going to win holes.”

 

“Just come out here and play with a clear mind and a loose temper. Go out there and have fun, don’t stress about it.”

 

In the final day of matches, it was an exciting day of head-to-head competition of Singles Match Play. The seniors went off first, and kicked off the competition by adding points to the overall team score. Penman, Prescott, and Venable all earned the full three points in their matches to boost the Carolinas. 

 

The open players went off last, and those were fun and competitive match-ups to close out the tournament. Holcomb brought in 2.5 points for the Carolinas. Mia Gray of Conway, S.C. and Mallory Fobes of East Bend, N.C. went off in the final group and finished the event strong by bringing in all three points from each match to ultimately put the Carolinas over the 40.5 points needed to retain the trophy. 

 

When asked what their favorite part of being on Team Carolinas is, Patty Moore shared “I’ve only been doing these matches for 20-something years, so something keeps bringing me back. One of the things I enjoyed last night is the youngsters came over to our cottage and we played spoons and I had a lot of fun, had some giggles, so it’s not just about the golf, it’s about the comradery too.

 

Ava Romfo said, “Our team aspect of having fun, encouraging each other, and building each other up.”

 

“The comradery that we have with each other. Instead of beating heads against each other at every tournament, we get to be together and pull for one another,” Toni Notaro shared.

 

Prescott shared with the team, “This is a highlight of my summer. It’s an honor to be the captain of such phenomenal players.” 

 

Thank you to the VSGA, Head Professional Bubba Pulley, General Manager Rob McNamara, Superintendent Troy Fink, and the rest of the members and staff at the Keswick Club for a fantastic 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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