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Anderson and Balbin Win the Carolinas Young Amateur

 

PINEHURST, N.C. (January 4, 2023) -- Final results of the 14th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship at Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia) in Pinehurst, N.C. on January 4, 2023. The women competed at 6,063 yards and the men competed at 6,969 yards (par 36-36--72).

 

Related: Championship Website | Full Field | Scoring | History | Photos
 

While inclement weather shortened the first CGA Championship of the year to an 18-hole event, Pinewild Country Club continued to set the perfect stage for the 14th playing of the Carolinas Young Amateur Championship. The final round was washed out leaving the opening round scores to determine the first Carolinas Golf Champions of 2023. 

 

The local, 2022 champion Symon Balbin of Pinehurst, N.C. completed his title defense after an outstanding opening round of 5-under-par, 67. Adrian Anderson of Murrells Inlet, S.C. captured her second CGA Championship title by three strokes with a strong 3-under-par, 69.

 

“I went out there with no expectations,” Anderson said. “This is my first tournament since October so I just wanted to go out there, have some fun and play some good golf.”

 

The College of Charleston freshman did exactly that with a bogey-free outward nine, including a birdie on the par-4, No. 6. After the turn, she carded four additional birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 18 to take the lead that she assumed she would need to extend in the final round.

 

“I was a little bit nervous at first today, because it has been a while since I have been in this position,” Anderson said. “I went out there and played my best like this was going to be the final round. I actually played pretty well today and sank a lot of putts.”
 

While the second round was cut short and ultimately canceled, both Anderson and Balbin held their opening round leads as the storm rolled in. This is Anderson’s second CGA Championship win, the first being the 2021 Jimmy Anderson Junior Girls’ title, however it is her first as a collegiate athlete.

 

“This situation was a win-win for me. If we didn’t get to finish then obviously I got the win, but if we did get to play then I got another round of golf playing with my friends so it was a fun experience,” Anderson said. “This is pretty exciting because it is my first amateur win. It is also really nice to see that my work has been paying off.”

 

Grace Holcomb of Wilmington, N.C. earned runner-up with an even-par, 72 followed by Isabella Rawl of Lexington, S.C. who captured third at 1-over-par, 73.

 

Balbin took Pinewild Country Club by the reins for the second year in a row improving on his 2022 championship round of 2-under-par, 70 by three strokes carding a 5-under-par, 67 to defend his title. 

 

“I have been out here [Pinewild Country Club] a lot, because I live in the area,” Balbin said. “I am very comfortable at this course, I have always felt good out here. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the most confident coming in since I haven’t been playing much lately. I just wanted to aim straight and not hit it to the left or right.”

 

The senior at UNC Greensboro was 1-under through No. 3 and feeling unsettled with his performance. Balbin mentioned that his birdie on No. 4 was the catalyst for the remainder of his round that topped his Championship winning round the prior year.

 

“I made a few birdies on the front nine that jump started my round,” Balbin said. “Heading into the back nine I made three in-a-row again starting on No. 11. I got a little too hot on No. 14 and yanked it out of bounds, but that reeled me back in to hit a few more good shots on the way in.”

 

The defending champion drained eight birdies on the day finishing with a 5-under-par, 67 to take the lead.

 

“There was a little bit of pressure after winning last year, but I know a lot of the people playing in this tournament from high school and college so that loosened up the event and took some pressure off of me.”

 

While Balbin may have been feeling the pressure to start, the two-time champion remarked on his win and what it has done for his confidence heading into his final college season at UNC Greensboro.

 

“This really builds my confidence heading into this season. This is going to be great to build off of heading into my last semester at UNCG,” Balbin said. “It was nice winning the one day tournament last year and I wanted to be able to win it in two days this year. It still feels great to win though.”

 

Alex Martin of Thomasville, N.C. and Layne Lambert of Matthews, N.C. tied for runner-up at 3-under-par, 69 at Pinewild Country Club. 

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank the members and staff of Pinewild Country Club for their continued support of the Carolinas Young Amateur Championship. A special thank you to the Head Golf Professional Kyle Kirk and his pro shop staff, Club Manager Chris Little, and Director of Golf Course Maintenance John Robertson.

 


14th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship

Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst, N.C.

Final Results: Women’s Division

 

Pos. Player City, State To Par Total
1 Adrian Anderson Murrells Inlet, SC -3 69
2 Grace Holcomb Wilmington, NC E 72
3 Isabella Rawl Lexington, SC +1 73
4 Isabella Britt Chesnee, SC +2 74
T5 Sydney Roberts Chesnee, SC +3 75
T5 Lauren Denhard Salisbury, NC +3 75
T7 Kayleigh Reinke Rock Hill, SC +4 76
T7 Emily Dunlap Greenville, SC +4 76
T9 Jaclyn Kenzel Southern Pines, NC +6 78
T9 Mary Sears Brown Pinehurst, NC +6 78
T9 Victoria Ladd Greensboro, NC +6 78
T12 Victoria Cook Reidsville, NC +7 79
T12 Merrick Semans Winston-Salem, NC +7 79
T12 Amber Capote Waxhaw, NC +7 79
15 Layla Meric Wesley Chapel, NC +8 80
T16 Karlee Vardas Lexington, SC +9 81
T16 Kylie Bowes Bluffton, SC +9 81
T16 Jayden Ford Pinehurst, NC +9 81
T16 Mallory Fobes East Bend, NC +9 81
T16 Mary Kathryn Talledo Aiken, SC +9 81
T16 Shea Smith Charlotte, NC +9 81
T22 Grayson Warren Washington, NC +10 82
T22 Emma Niebauer High Point, NC +10 82
24 Ryann Sinclair Mooresville, NC +13 85
T25 Ava Romfo Charleston, SC +15 87
T25 Taylor Burch Elgin, SC +15 87
27 Caleigh Noonan Greenville, SC +20 92


 

14th Carolinas Young Amateur Championship

Pinewild Country Club (Magnolia), Pinehurst, N.C.

Final Results: Men’s Division

 

Pos. Player City, State To Par Total
1 Symon Balbin Pinehurst, NC -5 67
T2 Alex Martin Thomasville, NC -3 69
T2 Layne Lambert Matthews, NC -3 69
4 Branden Boyce Spring Lake, NC -2 70
5 Sam Davidson Asheboro, NC -1 71
6 Max Cranford Newton, NC E 72
T7 Jack Boyer Greensboro, NC +1 73
T7 Michael Vick Raleigh, NC +1 73
T7 Nicholas Mathews Mebane, NC +1 73
T7 Justin Poole Wendell, NC +1 73
T7 Owen Kose Holly Springs, NC +1 73
T7 Cody Transou Gaffney, SC +1 73
T7 Sean Finan Winston-Salem, NC +1 73
T14 Kris Jackson Greenville, NC +2 74
T14 Liam Harris Wake Forest, NC +2 74
T14 Ian Faulconer Simpsonville, SC +2 74
T14 Jackson Brimfield Chapel Hill, NC +2 74
T14 Zach Murrow Gastonia, NC +2 74
T19 Cameron Hardison Greenville, NC +3 75
T19 Mason Tucker Lancaster, SC +3 75
T19 Luke Sullivan Columbia, SC +3 75
T19 Aidan Browning Charlotte, NC +3 75
T19 Ayush Bodhale Huntersville, NC +3 75
T19 Carter Rains Greenville, NC +3 75
T19 Willis Rogers Charleston, SC +3 75
T26 Eli Kinlaw Mount Holly, NC +4 76
T26 Addison Beam Cherryville, NC +4 76
T26 Daniel Jones Greensboro, NC +4 76
T26 Jackson Bode Pinehurst, NC +4 76
T26 Cayden Bryner Winston-Salem, NC +4 76
T31 Evan Mendyk Summerfield, NC +5 77
T31 Travis Bryant Southern Pines, NC +5 77
T33 Harrison Long Fort Mill, SC +6 78
T33 Jackson Steiner Charlotte, NC +6 78
T33 Spencer Benton Gilbert, SC +6 78
T33 Ryan Jahr Ocean Isle Beach, NC +6 78
T33 Preston Andrews Chester, SC +6 78
T33 Tyler Owens Cary, NC +6 78
T33 Jeremy Edmunds Charlotte, NC +6 78
T40 Brandon Jones Sanford, NC +7 79
T40 Jake Wiktor Bluffton, SC +7 79
T40 Maddox Whittington Lenoir, NC +7 79
T40 Colin Dutton Foxfire, NC +7 79
T44 Spencer Turtz Charlotte, NC +8 80
T44 Logan Jarrett Concord, NC +8 80
T44 Charles Howden Asheville, NC +8 80
T44 Noah Whitley Colerain, NC +8 80
T44 Will Harris Cashiers, NC +8 80
T44 William Bryant Charlotte, NC +8 80
T50 Will Conway Weddington, NC +9 81
T50 Cullen Cox Chapel Hill, NC +9 81
T52 Alan Van Asch Raleigh, NC +10 82
T52 Myles Patterson Apex, NC +10 82
T54 Cooper Bolt Greenville, SC +11 83
T54 Zachary Armentrout Walterboro, SC +11 83
T54 Darren Edwards Bahama, NC +11 83
T54 Simon Burgos Raleigh, NC +11 83
58 Aidan Harrington Raleigh, NC +14 86
T59 Dawson Thornton Mooresville, NC +15 87
T59 Dylan Smith Wilmington, NC +15 87
T59 William Phipps Florence, SC +15 87
T62 Juan Manuel Paredes Charlotte, NC +19 91
T62 Sean Donton Apex, NC +19 91
64 James Lufkin Saint Helena Island, SC +22 94
T65 Andrew Coppin Denver, NC +23 95
T65 Jason Ross Apex, NC +23 95
T67 Matthew Coltren Mount Olive, NC +25 97
T67 Brandon Sheng Winston-Salem, NC +25 97
69 Trystan Smoak Walterboro, SC +29 101
70 Will Roth Isle of Palms, SC +30 102

 


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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