WEST END, NC (6/30/08) -- Courtney Taylor of Gastonia, NC will be seeking a repeat victory when the 52nd Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship is played at Southern Pines (NC) Golf Club, July 1-3.

A year ago at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence, Taylor scored a 4 & 3 victory over Amy Otteson of Wilson, NC in the championship match. Otteson also returns this year, along with Meghan Moore of Bahama, NC, who is ranked No. 1 in North Carolina, and Haley Stephens of Greer, SC, the top-ranked girl in South Carolina who fell to Taylor in last year's semifinals.

The match play competition will be contested in a Junior Division, which consists of players ages 13-18 and of players under age 13 with a handicap index less than 15.0; and a Sub-Junior Division, which will be made up of girls under age 13 with a handicap index of 15.0 or higher. Match play berths will be determined by an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round on July 1.

In addition to trophies, the overall champion and runnerup will be invited to be members of the eight-player Carolinas Junior Girls' team that plays a similar team of girls from the Virginias and Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic Challenge at the Country Club of Danville in Danville, VA, Aug. 2-3.

The tournament was originally scheduled for Jacksonville (NC) Country Club, but course conditions caused the CGA to seek another venue. Southern Pines Golf Club, with its Donald Ross course, agreed to host the championship. The par-71 course will play at

5,806 yards for the juniors and about 5,290 yards for the sub-juniors.

The first nine holes at Southern Pines Golf Club, called the Azalea course, opened in 1906; Ross completed work on the second nine, known as the Blue Bird course, in 1910.

It is a short layout by modern standards, but canted greens, 50 bunkers and water on four holes provide golfers with plenty of shot-making opportunities. The tees and greens were renovated by John LaFoy in 1988.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA INFORMATION

52nd Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship Southern Pines Golf Club 290 Country Club Circle Southern Pines, NC 28387

910-692-6551

DATES: July 1-3, 2008

EVENT CHAIRWOMEN: Vicki DiSantis & Lynlee Long

2007 CHAMPION: Courtney Taylor, Gastonia, NC

FORMAT: Championship is conducted at match play. JUNIOR DIVISION will be made of girls

13 years of age or older, or under the age of 13 with a handicap index of less than 15.0. Players in the junior division will play an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round and up to four 18-hole rounds of match play. SUB-JUNIOR DIVISION will be made of any girls less than 13 years of age with a handicap index of 15.0 or higher. Players in the sub-junior division will play a 9-hole stroke play qualifying round and up to three 9-hole matches.

ELIGIBILITY: Entry is open to any female amateur golfer who has not reached her 19th birthday by the last day of the championship, has not started college, is a legal resident of one of the Carolinas, and the junior golfer, parent or guardian is a member in good standing of a club which is a member of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).

SCHEDULE OF ROUNDS

Monday, June 30: Course open for practice.

Tuesday, July 1: First round (18 holes of stroke play qualifying) Wednesday, July 2: Rounds 1 and 2 of match play.

Thursday, July 3: Semifinals and final matches.

PRIZES: Trophies will be awarded to the champion, runnerup and semifinalists in the championship flight, the champion and runnerup in all other flights, the winner and runnerup of the championship consolation flight and winner of all other consolation flights. Trophies will be awarded to the medalist and most improved player from the stroke play qualifying for each division. The overall champion and runnerup will be invited to represent the CGA in the Mi-Atlantic Challenge, Aug. 2-3 at the Country Club of Danville in Danville, VA.

FAVORITES

Courtney Taylor (2007 champion)

Amy Otteson (2007 runnerup)

Haley Stephens (2007 semifinalist, No. 1 ranked junior in S.C.) Meghan Moore (No. 1 ranked junior in N.C.)

PAST CHAMPIONS

1956 Mary Hewitt

1957 Nancy Phillips

1958 Eleanor Brown

1959 Pam Barnett

1960 Pam Barnett

1961 Lee Friar

1962 Adele Dusenbury

1963 Lee Friar

1964 Meezie Pritchett

1965 Kathy Hite

1966 Kathy Hite

1967 Karen Shapiro

1968 Debby Rhodes

1969 Debby Rhodes

1970 Lynn Pitts

1971 Donna Horton

1972 Donna Horton

1973 Betsy Wayneck

1974 Sherri Turner

1975 Sherri Turner

1976 Lucy Lofland

1977 Stephaie Kornegay

1978 Sharon Thomas

1979 Lucy Lofland

1980 Page Marsh

1981 Sara Ann Timms

1982 Page Marsh

1983 Elizabeth Macfie

1984 Elizabeth Macfie

1985 Kim Belk

1986 Barbara Koosa

1987 Kelly Tilghman

1988 Kerry Thompson

1989 No tournament

1990 Meredith Tucker

1991 Abby Pearson

1992 Stacy Burnett

1993 Stacy Burnett

1994 Jenny Jones

1995 Summer Brannock

1996 Jayme Langford

1997 Kari Damron

1998 Erica Marie Battle

1999 Brandi Jackson

2000 Adrienne Millican

2001 Ann Laney

2002 Blythe Worley

2003 Mallory Hetzel

2004 Amber Littman

2005 Corrine Carr

2006 Eleana Collins

2007 Courtney Taylor

SOUTHERN PINES GOLF CLUB INFORMATION

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Rodney Russell

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Jeremy Sales

TYPE COURSE: Semi-private

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A short course that requires precision tee shots and bump-and-run approach shots. A true shotmaker's course. Canted greens along with modern grasses make putting a challenge.

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

OPENED: 1906

YARDAGE & PAR: Juniors, 5,806 yds., par 71; Sub-Juniors, 5,290 yds., par 74 COURSE RATINGS: 73.7/130 (Junior Division Tees); 70.8/124 (Sub-Junior Division Tees) FAIRWAYS & TEES: Bermuda

GREENS: Bentgrass

CGA MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SOUTHERN PINES GC: 1968 N.C. Junior, 1993 Carolinas Women's Four-Ball

DIRECTIONS:

WEST END, NC (6/23/08) -- A stellar field is coming together for the 52nd Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship, which will be played at the Donald Ross-designed Southern Pines (NC) Golf Club, July 1-3.

Entries have been received from the 2007 champion and runner-up, from all four of last year's semifinalists, from seven of the eight 2007 quarterfinalists and from the top-ranked junior girls in both North and South Carolina.

Courtney Taylor of Gastonia, NC, who won the title a year ago at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence at age 16 and who is currently ranked No. 2 among junior girls in the Tar Heel State, is set to return. So is Amy Otteson of Wilson, NC, who lost to Taylor in the championship match by a 4 & 3 margin. Also entered are Meghan Moore of Bahama, NC, who is ranked No. 1 in North Carolina, and Haley Stephens of Greer, SC, the top-ranked girl in South Carolina. Stephens bowed to Taylor in last year's semifinals, also by a 4 & 3 margin.

Entries have also been received from Elizabeth Thompson of Charleston, SC, who fell to Otteson in the semifinals last year and from 2007 quarterfinalists Maureen Dunnagan of Lexington, SC, Taylor Weaver of Spartanburg, SC and Jessica Hook of Wilmington, NC.

The Carolinas Golf Association received 81 entries for the match play championship. It will be contested in a Junior Division, which consists of players ages 13-18 and of players under age 13 with a handicap index less than 15.0; and a Sub-Junior Division, which will be made up of girls under age 13 with a handicap index of 15.0 or higher. Match play berths will be determined by an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round on July 1.

The tournament was originally scheduled for Jacksonville (NC) Country Club, but course conditions caused the CGA to seek another venue. Southern Pines Golf Club, with its terrific Donald Ross course, agreed to host the championship. The par-72 course will play at 5,814 yards for the juniors and about 5,200 yards for the sub-juniors.

The first 50 Carolinas Junior Girls' championships were run by the Women's Carolinas Golf Association, but in 2007 the Carolinas Golf Association began to conduct both this event and the Girls' Twin States Championship, which will be played later this summer.

In addition to trophies, the overall champion and runner-up will be invited to be members of the eight-player Carolinas Junior Girls' team that plays a similar team of girls from the Virginias and Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic Challenge at the Country Club of Danville in Danville, VA, Aug. 2-3.

16 year old Courtney Taylor of Gastonia, NC wins the 51st Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship by a 2 up margin over Amy Otteson of Wilson, NC. Taylor faced hot conditions and tough opponents to win. In the semi-finals she faced Haley Stephens of Greer, SC. The match was back and forth most of the day but after Stephens had a loss of hole penalty on the back nine, Taylor seized the open door opportunity and won by a 4 & 3 margin.

Although the final match against Otteson would prove to be a long and demanding afternoon of patience and solid shot making. Otteson showed true heart and determination throughout the day as she suffered through severe pain from large

blisters that had formed on her feet throughout the week. She hung tough and

with the help from her brother who served as her caddie she limped on into the final match beating Elizabeth Thompson of Charleston, SC by a 3 & 2 margin.

Although Taylor has won many junior championships this is the first time she would be the Carolinas Junior Girls’ champion and her name will be added to the historic trophy that holds the names of many great past champions such as Marge Burns and Beth Daniel.

All players were seeded after stroke play qualifying and broken down into flights. Complete match play results are listed below.

The sub-junior division plays 9 holes and a shorter course.

This championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.