By Marc Pruitt
South Rowan’s Davis Richards, an N.C. State signee who won the individual title in the South Piedmont 3-A conference and finished 12th in the 2014 state championship, was expected to battle East Rowan’s Nick Lyerly for individual honors this time around.
But instead of playing for a state title in early May, Richards was playing in a Monday qualifier for entry into the Wells Fargo Championship, the PGA Tour stop in Charlotte.
Three days after advancing into the field for the 3-A state tournament, Richards played in a pre-qualifying tournament for the Wells Fargo Monday qualifier.
He finished tied for eighth in the pre-qualifier after a 69, good enough to advance to the Monday qualifying event.
The Monday qualifying event was held on Monday, May 11th—the same day that the first round of the state tournament was being played at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines.
With the chance of playing a PGA Tour event, Richards decided the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Richards tied for 44th during the Monday qualifier after shooting a round of 72 (even par) and failed to make the Wells Fargo field.
Tarheel Golf Foundation, The Players Championship at Bryan Park
May 15-16, Browns Summit • Wesley Sink of Advance finished as the medalist in the freshman-sophomore division and fourth overall in the Players Championship at Bryan Park.
Sink shot a 74 in the first round on the Champions Course and was one-shot back of Jet Tickle of Bristol, Tenn., heading into the second round.
Sink’s 73 in the final round on the Players Course was good enough to beat Tickle and Bradley Calloway of Asheboro by two shots after Tickle shot a 76 in the final round.
Sink’s final round included an eagle on the second hole.
Calloway had rounds of 75-74, but couldn’t overcome a double bogey on the 14th hole.
Peter Hinnant of Winston-Salem, a sophomore at R.J. Reynolds, shot a 71 in the final round to finish fourth. His score was one of only two under-par rounds in the field during the two-day event and was eight shots better than his opening round score on the Champions Course.
Addison Manring of Stoneville carded rounds of 81-70 and finished fifth. Manring’s round of 70, which included six birdies, 10 pars, and a double bogey, was the lowest in the field during the tournament.
Charlie Tate of Greensboro finished tied for seventh after rounds of 79-73, and Robbie Fox of Winston-Salem was 10th after rounds of 79-77, nine shots back of Sink.
In the junior-senior division, Jordan Smith of Summerfield finished second with rounds of 72-73, six shots back of division and overall champion John Lewis Walker of Conover.
David Schmidt of Stokesdale finished sixth thanks to a 70 in the final round—one of three sub-par rounds in the division—after struggling to an 81 in his opening round.
Grant Powell of Colfax (seventh) and Justin Lewis of High Point (eighth) also posted top-10 finishes.
In the middle school boys division, several area players cracked the top-15.
They were: Mack Pearsall of Greensboro (eighth), Tyler Partee of Thomasville (11th), Ben Rightsell of Greensboro (12th), Whit Edwards of Greensboro (13th), Quinlan Smith of Lewisville (14th), and Parker Collins and Brooks Olin, both of Greensboro, finished tied for 15th.
TYGA Bradford Creek One Day
May 17, Greenville • Kevin Carlock of Greensboro and Logan Lineberry of Yadkinville were the top area finishers at the Tarheel Youth Golf Association one-day event at Bradford Creek GC in Greenville.
Carlock and Lineberry tied for third in the boys 16-18 division after posting 73s, three shots behind Cole Jordan of Winterville.
Thomas Myers III of Greensboro was tied for ninth after posting a 76, and Avery Papalia of Kernersville carded a 78 and finished tied for 15th.
Vicki DiSantis Girls Championship
May 2-3, Charlotte • Several area players had good showings at the Vicki DiSantis Girls championship at Pine Island Country Club.
Kendall Dobbins of Summerfield, who has verbally committed to play for UNC Greensboro, had the best finish among area players, tying for 11th after shooting rounds of 76-75, five shots back of champion Emily Cox of Lancaster, S.C.
Grace Yatawara of Salisbury finished tied for 22nd after rounds of 77-81 and her high-school teammate Isabella Rusher was tied for 25th after rounds of 77-82.
Emily Hawkins of Lexington tied for 37th, and Janie Thomas of Winston-Salem tied for 46th.
Peggy Kirk Bell One Day at Pinehurst No. 9
May 17, Pinehurst • Kendall Dobbins finished tied for fourth in a field of 65 players in the Peggy Kirk Bell One Day at Pinehurst No. 9 after a 76 left her two shots behind winner Kathleen Sumner of Charleston, S.C.
Dobbins was 1-under on the front nine and had three straight birdies on holes 3, 4, and 5 before a double bogey 5 on the par-3 ninth hole.
She struggled to a 5-over 41 on the back nine and was 4-over over her final four holes.
Madison Isaacson of Greensboro shot a 78 and finished seventh, four shots behind Sumner.
Hailey Joy of Reidsville finished 13th after her 83. Ellis Hunter of Greensboro (tied for 16th) and Olivia John (18th) also had top-20 finishes.
In the future’s division, Bryson Bowman of Summerfield was tied for third after her round of 83, seven shots back of division winner Amanda Sambach of Davidson. Sasha Hayes of Winston-Salem tied for ninth and Samantha DeBusk of Lexington was 16th.
AJGA Preseason Junior at Chesapeake Bay
May 1-3, Rising Sun, Md., • Justin Emmons of Asheboro finished tied for 11th at the AJGA Preseason Junior on the Rising Sun Course at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club.
Emmons had rounds of 80-75 and was eight shots back of medalist Brady Pevarnik of Latrobe, Pa.
Emmons rebounded nicely in the second round from his opening round 80, which included three double bogeys and no birdies and left him tied for 25th.
Emmons carded two birdies in his final round, one of which came on the par-5 18th.
The preseason Junior Series offers players the opportunity to start building Performance Based Entry status before application deadlines arrive for summer Open and Junior All-Star series events on the AJGA.